Separated at Birth? - First Pitch - Last Shot - Sing-a-long - Staying Home

Tell me these two cats don't look like long lost twins...

That's Fidel on top and Willie Nelson on the bottom. Or was it the other way around?
They come from totally different places and have done totally different things with their lives, BUT... they sure do look alike.

Play Ball!
Today is the opening day of the college baseball season in Clemson. The Tigers are not as highly ranked as usual this year. We lost a lot of talent to the majors and graduation. But I think this is better for us. The past few years we've come in as preseason favorites (#1 or close to it in most polls) and haven't lived up to our expectations. Maybe this year we won't be puffed up with the high preseason rankings and instead we'll play with a chip on our shoulder, trying to prove ourselves. As I type this, Clemson has already secured our first win of the season 12-5 over Mercer and are getting ready for the second half of a double header. Though I have to admit that college basketball has my attention at the moment (it's been years since Clemson has been in NCAA talks this late in the year), it's great to hear the ping of those aluminum bats.

BEAUTIFUL Tiger Field- On a sunny spring afternoon, there is no better place in the world.
I got two points.
We played our usual Saturday morning basketball today. I have been a little off as of late. It's hard to live up to the name "Sweet Jesus." Today, with my old friend the Commie back (the one who gave me the nickname to begin with), I found my stroke again. The Commie himself nailed 6 straight 3s at one point, with each one a step further away than the one previous. Then I got in on the action nailing my first 3 attempts from long range. Even the old guy they call Father hit his first 2. It felt great to be hot again. Then, at the end, after a lot of people had left, we ended up with a game of 2 on 3. I was the third guy that got left open at the top of the key. I made 8 straight shots from about the free throw line to put us within two points of the game. I wanted to be the hero and end the game on a three, but I missed my long bomb. So our Turkish friend, who may not have hit a jump shot all day, called for the ball. He said he had two points. When I saw him spotting up from about 4 feet outside the three point line, I was a little skeptical. I tried to get in good rebounding position as he sent it up. It didn't have much arch, it looked ugly from start to finish, but he drained it and we walked away with the win. If you're going to call for it, you've got to make good on it. He did just that.

And Together We Sing
I have been leading worship two or three Sundays a month at church for the last few months. It's been a lot of fun, very rewarding, and a blessing to the church and to myself. It is nice to be able to serve at the church and the church seems to be enjoying my playing. Tonight though, I took another step in my musical career. I helped lead worship at one of our team meetings. The Anti and I prepared a few hymns, a few praise songs, and a few Turkish worship songs to share with the group. It was one of the best worship times we have had as a team, in my opinion. Despite my many differences with the Anti (hence the nickname), I have to say that she has one heck of a voice. It was a great time and hopefully I'll have some pictures to post for you soon.

Bearing Bad News
Lately I've been talking about the difficulties in keeping my mind on things here when going home is slowly but surely creeping up on me. This past week some of us received some unsettling news that could potential affect our ability to stay here physically. I can't divulge the details, but suffice it to say that we are worried about the ability to stay in this city long term. Obviously, for me, it's not that big of a deal at the moment. But others may be effected more by this, and I don't know what the ramifications will be long term. If y'all could be praying for that, I'd appreciate it.

This Week in Space

I came across this tonight as I was doing some pre-bedtime reading. I had read a short article about the US wanting to shoot down this thing last week. This is what we've come up with.

Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference last week that the military is fairly confident that the Navy's SM-3 missile, fired from aboard a cruiser in the Pacific, will hit the satellite.

"I think Secretary Gates shares that confidence," Morrell said. (from Yahoo News article)

The military is "fairly confident" that this thing is going to work. Secretary Gates shares that "confidence"?

Look, I know the thing is way up in space and all. But if we're going to start firing off rockets that cost God-only-knows-how-much towards satellites that cost God-only-knows-how-much, I'd like to think we could do better than "fairly confident." Heck, I'm "fairly confident" that I could shoot the thing down with my old iron sights 30/30. I'd hope that with our military's advanced technology we could at least be "pretty sure" about this.

One Last Look - For Fortune

It's been a long time coming, but I wanted to finish up showing off my pictures from Rome.

The last day there, Lane and I went back around to some sites that we had seen, but hadn't spent a lot of time enjoying. First on the list was the Spanish Steps. If you'll remember, the last time we were there, it was pouring. The second time around, it was much nicer.

Beautiful overlook of the city.
There is a nice park at the top of the Steps where Lane and I relaxed for a bit. We sat on a bench in a nice wooded area to just talk and relax.

The scene of the Double Pat.
A man came up to us selling little bracelet things. He put one on Lane's arm and then tied one on me. We kept telling him that we were not going to give him any money. He continued to reassure us that we didn't have to. He explained that the color he had given Lane stood for fortune. But then, I think he realized that he had no fortune on that day. I am cheaper and more stubborn than your average tourist. So he took the bracelet back from Lane. As he went to pick up his stuff, Lane looked over at me and said, "He just patted me on the butt." But she was kind of giggling, so I assume she meant he just bumped her when he was picking up his stuff. Apparently he had given her a little double tap on his way out. For fortune.

And we were able to laugh about it afterwards.
From there, we walked back down the Steps and on to the Pantheon. I was glad to go back by the place, since I had forgotten to take a picture of it's outside the time before. Lane was glad to go by it because she needed to go to the bathroom again.

Looking back up at the Spanish Steps.
The Pantheon from the outside, as I waited for Lane.
Even the McDonald's in Rome are swanky. This was stop #42 on Lane's "Public Bathroom Tour of Rome."
From there we went back to Trevi Fountain. I took the opportunity to eat one last piece of pork before coming back to my pork-free city. Then Lane and I spent a long time trying to guess where people were from. At a place like Trevi Fountain, there are people from every continent passing through. We talked about how great of a week it had been and what was to come when we returned to our respective places. All in all, it was probably my favorite part of the whole week. I know it doesn't sound too exciting, but it was just a very special time to just sit and be with each other.

Enjoying the pork immensely.
It was daylight when we got there.
After our sit by the fountain, we tried to find a nice place to eat. Even though Jess gave us wonderful directions, there is just no way to find your way around the back streets of Rome alone. So, we ended up at this little restaurant just up the road from her apartment. What a find! I wish we had gone there earlier in the week. It was one of the best meals I had in the country and Jess said that we didn't even get the best of it. She said they had the best pizza in town and Lane and I both got pasta.

Warm lighting, cool wine, the smell of pasta, and the sound of loud Italians made for the perfect atmosphere.
The food was dang good too.
But after that, the hard part came. First, we had to say goodbye to our friends and hosts. They were incredibly welcoming, helpful, and fun. I love Jess and her roommate was just as cool. Alex and everyone else who made the trip a big success will always have a special place in my heart. It was a great week and wouldn't have been so without the good advice, good pasta, and good laughs that you guys blessed us with. Thanks.

Since Lane had a super early flight, we had to take the last train out to the airport and spend the night there. Lane and I found a wide window sill to set up camp in. She got a few hours of sleep. I got a few espressos.

I don't think I could've slept anyways, but an espresso per hour will keep you wide awake.
Everybody did good until they started boarding Lane's flight. It was hard to see one of the best weeks of my life come to a close. But I know that it was just a taste of what's to come. In just a few short months, we'll pick it back up in Mississippi. Until then, I'm going to make the most of my time here, she's making the most of her time there, and we are making the most of this long distance relationship until we can be together again.

Last picture from one of the best weeks I can remember.

New Approach to Running

I've changed gears in my running to help me make it through the Kashmir Syndrome. I've been listening to Piper sermons while I run. I've got a CD of biographical sermons he has done that is really inspiring and challenging. Last week I used his sermon on the life of John Calvin to get me through a cold and windy 30 minute run. This week, I've started one on Jonathan Edwards. It got me through a solid run today and inspired and encouraged me today.

I had a nice conversation with the Canadian last night about our church, it's direction, and my personal direction in life. He was unaware that I had been to college. He thought I was the ultimate lay person. In a way, it was very encouraging. He admitted that he was encouraged that I came because it's rare to see a "practical" person on the field. In his opinion, too many intellectuals come overseas. People with PhDs, MDivs, and all the other titles that make us feel important have a little bit harder time fitting in with your average Joe (or average Mehmet, in this case). I agree. But the body of Christ needs theologians just as much as they need preachers and evangelists. Which got me thinking, "Where do I fit in this body?"

I'm not a theologian. Yes, I have read the books. I've put down Piper, Grudem, Sproul, and I'm working through Edwards, Owens, and Luther now. But I'm no theologian. I'm not a preacher. Yes, I've given talks. I can put together a challenging message that's interesting enough to keep your attention. But I'm no preacher. I'm not a pastor. I have friends that come to me for advice. But I can't deal with the problems that arise in leading a group of people. I haven't been giving that leadership gift nor the wisdom and compassion to direct and help people in need. I'm no pastor.

But I'm not supposed to be. Piper says at the beginning of this sermon on Edwards that no one else in that room is Jonathan Edwards. He was in a class of his own. The greatest thinker ever born on American soil is not who you should compare yourself to. In fact, it's not biblical. 1 Cor. 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am..." So what am I?

Sometimes I feel like that flabby part under your arm. I'm there. Most people would rather get rid of me, or at least minimize me. I serve no purpose. I'm unattractive. I'm embarassing.

And sometimes I feel like the elbow. I work. I do my job without much glory or praise. I'm not the prettiest thing to look at, but everyone is glad to have me. I can pack a punch and hit hard when I need to. I'm useful. I'm needed.

In reality, I'm probably both of these at times. And, at other times, something entirely different. I feel like I am learning and growing every day. There are so many things I have seen and done in the last two years that have made me rethink so much of what I believe. Some things have been cemented in my mind as true, never to be shaken again. Some things that I thought were cemented have been uprooted forcefully. I don't know what I am yet. I know some things that I'm not. I know some things that I want to be.

I want to be the best C-Love I can be. The best English teacher. The best Turkish student. The best friend. The best teammate. The best jogger. The best theologian. The best evangelist. The best boyfriend. The best son and brother. The best roommate. The best guitar player.

The best me. The me God wants me to be.

Checkin' In

It's no secret that my time in this country is quickly coming to an end. I have felt it coming since I got back from vacation and it's not a pleasant feeling. It tears and gnaws at me. At the same time it is pulling me towards what is to come and grounding me in what is here and now.

There is a lot (A LOT) of work to do here. I have a lot of friends that I have grown to love. I still don't understand the majority of the language. The church still needs a decent guitar player. The Barber still needs someone to play backgammon with. I have a few more Turkish Bibles to give away. The guys still need a small forward on the "national team." Somebody's got to teach English to all these business men. And who is the Big O going to go fishing with when I'm gone?

But at the same time, I want to be ready for America. I need a job. If any of you reading in the Jackson, MS area know of anything, please let me know. I'll need a place to stay. I'm going to need a car. I've got connections already, but I'll be trying to find and fit into a new church, a new set of friends, a new community. I'm jumping right into some of the best fishing of the year and I'll just have a few short months to get a game plan ready for duck season.

I dream of Chick-fil-a and Rush's chili-cheeseburgers. I dread the day I have to walk away from Yaprak Doner and Adana Kebap. The idea of getting 64 ounces of Dr. Pepper with as much ice as I want at ANY gas station makes me giddy. Not being able to find a lukewarm glass of frothy ayran makes me a little sad. Being able to talk about deep, personal, and spiritual issues at ease with people I understand is something I long for. Doing the same thing when it's difficult, confusing, and sometimes impossible is something I live for.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I see my departure on the horizon and at the same time I'm excited about it and dreading it. I've had a little while to get over my post-vacation moops and I am ready for the spring. Things are about to get back to normal, hopefully (whatever normal is). We should start playing ultimate again this week. We've found another group of guys to play basketball with. We've got our first coffee house coming up soon. It's about to be a lot of fun again.

Some people tell me that it's easy to check out the last few months that you're in country. You see the great shining glory of the western world and it mesmerizes you. I see it. It's tempting me. But I don't want to miss "this." Brothers, sisters, friends, experiences, sights, sounds, and tastes that I won't have there. I don't want to check out. I'm just checking in.

Short Post Before Bed

Things I am thankful for today:

Phone calls from Peru.
People helping me get up for Bible study.
Nescafe Cappuccino Mixes!
God speaking to us through his word.
Naps.
Lunch and laughs with good friends.
Expensive coffees.
Being able to joke in Turkish.
A good haircut.
Having someone else wash my head for me.
3 glasses of "fugitive tea."
2 good roommates.
1 low electric bill.
Music that never gets old.
And a lot more to look forward to tomorrow.

If you can name who this is, I'll give you a dollar.
You have one week.

The First World

As I proofread my own post from earlier today, I noticed a slight misnomer.

I mentioned that Lane and I were shocked by our re-entry into the "first world." While it is true that the moment was shocking and that we were in the "first world," it must be noted that I actually live in the first world now.

Lane and I were having a discussion the other night about what exactly the terms "first world" and "third world" meant. We were also having a "discussion" about whether Peru and Turkey were in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd worlds. Lane was very correct in saying that Peru was considered 3rd world, but to my utter surprise, Turkey is considered part of the 1st world. This, obviously, made me question.

So, what do you do when you have strange questions that need an answer immediately? Wikipedia!

God bless the man who thought this up!
Here I learned that the terms 1st world, 2nd world, and 3rd world were originally political in nature, instead of economic (which is how most of us think of them today). After WWII, when the world was being divided between the NATO countries and the USSR, the terms "Western Bloc" and "Eastern Bloc" came into use to describe which side you were on, freedom's or communism's. Then a Frenchman (of course he'd be French) felt sorry for all the countries being left out of the talk, since the majority of the world was not involved in the NATO/Warsaw Pact ordeal. He coined the term the "Third World" to give these countries some unification and identity. The Western countries grabbed the term "First World" for themselves and left the Soviets with the "Second World" term. Among those in alliance with NATO was the young republic known as Turkey. It sat precariously below the USSR, squeezed between Big Red and the Med. Peru, however, was not part of these political bickerings, and thus is 3rd world.

Map courtesy of Wikipedia.
Blue is the First World.
Red is the Second World.
Green is the Third World.
Now where are Turkey and Peru?
The article does go on to mention how the terms have drifted to more of a socio-economic meaning. The Third World is more widely understood to be an economic label put on those countries that are not producing at the rate of "the West." The Global South is made up almost exclusively of these "developing" nations.

The problems are larger and more dynamic than I can ever understand. I don't pretend to know even what the problems are, and I would never claim to have an answer. But I do know one thing. As Christians, we are commanded to help those in need (Matt. 5:42 and Luke 6:35, among MANY others). Jesus said we would always have the poor with us (John 12:8). That means we will always have someone to help. And help we must. How? Well, there are great organizations out there to support: the Hunger Site for helping feed the poor; Amnesty International for protecting the poor; and the American Red Cross to heal the poor. These are just names I thought of off the top of my head. I can't vouch for the work they do, I'm just throwing out ideas.

And supporting those organizations through time, labor, and money is very important. But the biggest, the most widespread, and, potentially, the most world-changing organization in the world is the body of Christ. We need to take a good look at our own lives and determine what we are doing to uphold these commandments of Jesus. If we are to be obedient to the Gospel, we must be obedient to the whole Gospel. Let's consider what we can do in our lives to help feed the hungry, clothe the cold, give hope to the hopeless, and love those that don't know love. When we as Christians begin to do this in our own lives and as it grows into a movement of the Body as a whole, then we will be able to show a lost and hurting world what the love of Christ is truly about, bringing the kingdom of God to this world.

Lord, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Eve's Fall from Grace

Rome, day 4, was one that was extremely frustrating. It tested the limits of my love. My devotion and my affections were stretched. It was really hard for me to stand by my girl.

Eve, my Mac, got sick.

I don't know what it was. It started with my iTunes library being lost and needing to be rebuilt. Then my desktop became jumbled for no reason. Then all of my passwords and keychains were lost. Things went downhill fast. But, luckily, it went sour in the right place. If it had happened here, in Turkey, I'd be lost. No one I've met in this city knows anything about Macs and as far as I can tell there's only one store that claims to know anything about them and it's in the basement of a very sketchy building. But since Rome is the Capital of the World, of course they have an Apple Store. So off we went!

The Apple Store was on the complete opposite end of town, off the city map. It tooks us a tram, bus, tram, bus, and a long walk to get there. This is tram #1.
The day was a little drizzly, but we started out in good spirits.
The good spirits didn't last long. Between the first bus and second tram, we got a little bit lost. Lane had had enough already.
Getting there is half the fun. It can also be half the torture. Tram, bus, tram, bus, and a long walk made for about 2 hours (or a little more) of travel. We got a little lost once. Then on the last bus ride, we wound up riding in green fields with the sun on our faces (movie quote!). Neither of us could understand why we were driving through the farm to get to the Apple Store. Lane thought for a moment that maybe I had looked up an apple orchard named the Apple Store. But the nice bus driver knew enough English to understand that I was lost and told us when to get off the bus. From the bus stop, it was only a mile along a busy interstate-type road to the massive shopping mall.

Our second tram. It weaved through a huge piece of an ancient aqueduct.
Gotta love Rome.
The shopping mall caught me and Lane both by surprise. It was as crowded as a mall in America the week before Christmas, and much fancier! Neither one of us was ready for the shock of first world commercialism. That shock combined with the stress and aggravation of sitting at the "Genius Bar" for two hours means no pictures of the mall. The one Genius that spoke English could not solve my problem. In fact, if he did anything, he probably made it worse. But he did tell me how I could fix it myself once I got back to Turkey. So we left cautiously optimistic, slightly frustrated, a wee bit tired, and very hungry. A walk, bus, tram, bus, and tram later and we were ready for dinner.

This was the cute couple in the restaurant. We look happy enough. But then...
Lane said, "Alright, now let's take a picture of how we really feel."
This sums it up pretty well.
Overall, it was a little bit frustrating. But in the end, we had a few good laughs, spent some good time together, and Eve is running at full speed again. Everyone is happy.