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This morning was a special treat for about half our group- optional hot air balloon ride! Because I’m cheap and also a little scared of heights, I did not go. However, here student Adam shares about his experience! From Adam: "On the last day of our trip some of us got up bright and early at 3:30 am to ride a hot air balloon as the sun rose. 28 people to a balloon, we got into the basket and soared up high into the air above the scene of landscape of Cappadocia. We flew low into valleys and high above the fairy chimneys along with over a hundred other balloons. After an hour of beautiful views as the sun and hot fire of the ballons lit up the sky, the pilot landed us in a field on an awaiting truck bed. We celebrated with champagne, cheering the traditional Turkish toast “şerefe!”, and that was all before breakfast!" After our hot air ballooners returned and we all ate breakfast, we headed to the Göreme open air museum. This is the site of a Christian community that formed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. (No small community– by the 4th century, this area (Cappadocia) came to be known as the region of three church fathers: Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nanzianzus!) As we learned yesterday, these caves were primarily formed through volcanic activity millions of years ago, which deposited layers of soft tuff, a type of porous rock. Over centuries, wind and water erosion sculpted the landscape into the shapes seen today. Human inhabitants further modified these natural formations by carving out caves and tunnels to create homes, churches, and monasteries, because the softness of the tuff allowed for relatively easy excavation. Many of these cave dwellings and churches were multi-story, and made up of complex systems of rooms. There are also niches for shelves, and “columns” that are cave material. So, these caves are not only a marvel of natural beauty but also a remarkable example of human adaptation to the environment. This area in particular, the site of the open air museum, was not used residentially, rather for worship and prayer. Those who lived here were connected to the worship sites, as ones living in the monastery or otherwise. The caves that are visible today are those from the 9th-11th century. Unfortunately, no photography of the paintings inside the churches are allowed. They are very sensitive to light. Today, art history students in Turkey do the repainting and restoring. I will insert a photo (not mine) below of a the ceiling from the “Dark Church,” so called because the lack of light has kept the beautiful blue paintings of our scriptural stories preserved. The photo after that (also not mine) will be from the Buckle Church, of the carved architecture. These are fascinating, and so well preserved. After our visit to Göreme, we had lunch in Avanos. This area is known for its ceramics tradition, passed down for generations in families, thanks to the Kızılırmak, or Red River, which flows through the town. This river, Turkey’s longest, deposits rich red clay along its banks. This clay is used for much more than pottery that is nice to look at or ceramic tiles to walk on– it is also functional! At our lunch, we had chicken or beef stew that was cooked in sealed clay pots with bread on top. This meal (Çömlek Kebabı) takes four hours to make. When it is ready, after the fire around it has stopped, the waiter takes a knife and tapped the side to pull the lid off the small pot. Inside was our stew! We continued to learn about pottery after lunch at Ömürlü Seramik, a workshop that is in its seventh generation of ownership. They make beautiful pottery, including the fantastical shaped jug, with a hole in the middle! We were treated to a demonstration of how this jug is made– it is a model that has been around since the Hittites, and only 10 or 11 masters can make these reliably every time. Then, I got to try my hand at some pottery! I am definitely not up to any type of standard… but it was fun! About ten of us then went on a hike at Zelve Paşabağlar Örenyeri, which is sort of like another open air museum/nature reserve. It was so fun to be able to crawl into the caves, although I wonder whether allowing tourists to walk all over in such a way, to the detriment of the physical history, makes up for the education we receive by doing so. But I have to admit it was really cool! Because this is our last night, our group then ate dinner together and had one final meeting where we shared a point about the trip that was especially meaningful for us. I shared something I heard from one of our guides– that the artifacts we see today are from those wealthy enough to have had something to leave behind. It makes me wonder about this idea that the powerful are the ones who write history. Who are those in our lifetimes who are the ones in power writing history? Whose artifacts will be found in 2,000 years (if humans survive that long at all)? I want to share this poem that a member of our group read, about those in history who are not the ones with artifacts in the museums, or names in history books, but are the builders of the world that we live in today. "A Worker Reads History" (1936) by Bertold Brecht Who built the seven gates of Thebes? The books are filled with names of kings. Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone? And Babylon, so many times destroyed. Who built the city up each time? In which of Lima's houses, That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it? In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome Is full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom Did the Caesars triumph? Byzantium lives in song. Were all her dwellings palaces? And even in Atlantis of the legend The night the seas rushed in, The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves. Young Alexander conquered India. He alone? Caesar beat the Gauls. Was there not even a cook in his army? Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears? Frederick the Greek triumphed in the Seven Years War. Who triumphed with him? Each page a victory At whose expense the victory ball? Every ten years a great man, Who paid the piper? So many particulars. So many questions Our travel day is tomorrow. We will leave, some of us separately, some of us together, and will go back to our lives. Hopefully we will carry with us those things that we learned here– the places and people that made our minds and spirits and bodies (all that food!) grow. Hopefully we will return to our communities ready to share the experiences that we have had, and ready to use our insights and our questions and our joys with them. I am feeling so much gratitude for all that I have experienced on this trip. Thank you for reading along– know that there was far more that we experienced that never made it onto this blog. Ask us about it! We would love to tell you. In peace, Liza

The last long drive from Konya to Cappadocia began with a devotion and briefing about the Cappadocia from our learned scholars. You might be thinking who named the city Cappadocia , back in times around 2500 BC Hittites saw the land with beautiful landscapes , natural chimney volcanic mountains and horses so they called the city has “Kat pa tuka” in Hittite but later when French invaded they misunderstood the name and started called Kapados and then later it shaped to Kapadokia during roman era and finally it ended to be called “ Cappadocia”. The planned itinerary had few changes due to the restoration activities at the valley of ancient churches which have beautiful frescos and history to learn from but instead our professors included cave churches in Cappadocia which have similar features. On our way we got an opportunity to see the Agzikarahan (Caravanserai 1231-1239), a place for travelers back then to stay while they travel from place to place, and these Caravanserai are built every 20kms apart which is a day’s journey and freely fed the people. The merchants before they begin their journey have to pay taxes which are used for maintenance of these Caravanserai and help feed the passersby with an allowed stay of up to 3 days, with few exceptions on extended stay. On our way to Cappadocia, we had few pit stops for panoramic views and rock castles which were built or I should say carved by ancients and were used a homes for Christians for a thousand years. We also stopped at a carpet making factory, where we learned how rugs are made in Turkey and some in our group purchased their own Turkish rugs. Later in the evening we signed up for a Dervish dance performance which lasted for almost an hour and was an spectacular dance one has to experience. These dancers belong to the Caravanserai which is a place of growing in Mevlana spirituality. Sema is the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-I Rumi (1207-1273) and is also regarded as Turkish historical belief. Sema (Darvish enrichment and performance atonement) is an mystical journey , spiritual ascent through love the dervish overcomes his ego , finds the truth and arrives as “The Perfect” to perform. Here are the seven advices from Mevlana. In generosity and helping others be like river In compassion and grace be like sun In concealing other faults be like night. In anger and fury be like dead In modesty and humility be like earth In tolerance be like a sea Either exist as you are or be as you look. After the mesmerizing dervish dance and a Turkish tea , drove back to hotel. Stayed tuned for the last day updates from Cappadocia as our seminary travel trip comes to closure and would share updates on our closing farewell. -Lax

We had a very early start this morning. Breakfast started at 6am and departure was at 7am. We had to hit the road early because we had a lot of driving to do to head east away from the coast and to sleep in Konya for the night. We had a 3 hour drive to our first stop in Yalvac to visit the archeological site of Pisidian Antioch. We were told that this part of the county is known for growing roses and producing rose oil and scented products. The city of Antiocheia, later known as Colonia Caesereia, has a long and diverse history. It was colonized by the Seleucid Dynasty in the Hellenistic Period, around the 3rd century BC. Evidence of mound settlements around the city suggests that it dates back to the Neolithic Period. Antiocheia remained under Seleucid rule until 188 BC when it became part of the kingdom of Pergamum. In 129 BC, the city came under Roman rule and became part of the Roman territory. During the Roman Imperial Period, it was renamed Colonia Caesereia and was granted the status of a lus Italicum, meaning a free city. It also served as the capital for other Roman colonies established in Pisidia. The most interesting part of this site was the Temple of Augustus and Sanctuary. It was built on the highest hill of the city, carved from the bedrock to create a "U-shaped" area. The temple had a lower floor made entirely of bedrock and followed the prostylos style with four Corinthian columns. The architrave of the temple featured a frieze with bull heads carrying garlands, while the upper part of the cella wall had an acanthus frieze. This area and temple, which showed traces of ancient Anatolian beliefs, were reorganized during the Roman Imperial Period for Emperor Augustus and transformed into an imperial cult site. In front of the temple, there was an altar, and behind it, there were a presentation bowl and pit used for ceremonies related to the underworld and the souls of the dead. Somewhere near or in this temple, the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, or "The Deeds of the Divine Augustus," would have been displayed. Copies of this were displayed throughout the Roman Empire to ensure that everyone would know about his accomplishments, although the copy here in Psidian Antioch is the best preserved example. It was a first-person account written by Emperor Augustus himself, detailing his achievements and contributions during his rule on bronze tablets. Augustus emphasizes his role in establishing peace and stability in the Roman Empire after years of civil war. He highlights his efforts to restore traditional Roman values and moral standards, as well as his patronage of the arts and culture. The document also showcases his generosity towards the Roman people, such as distributing funds and providing entertainment. This kind of Imperial cult worship would have been what Paul witnessed as he was preaching the gospel of a God who gives love freely without paying a price. Although there is no Pauline letter for this city that we know of, we know from the book of Acts that Paul and Barnabas traveled to Psidian Antioch and shared the gospel with them (Acts 13:13-52).  We then drove another 3 hours to Konya. It was quite a lot of time on the bus today but I appreciated the reprieve of not being in the hot sun all day. This week has been almost 20 degrees hotter than what we experienced our first week of the trip. In Konya we visited the Mevlana Museum and Mausoleum of the famous 13th century Sufi mystic, philosopher, poet, and founder of the order of the dervishes, Mevlana (more famously known as Rumi). After taking Dr. Swanson’s Mystic class last year I was very exited to visit this museum. The women wore our head covers as a sign of respect in this holy Muslim site that is a pilgrimage for followers of Mevlana Rumi and Sufism. The museum is situated in the complex of the 13th-century Mevlana Dervish Lodge, which was the residence of the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Whirling Dervishes. The Mevlevi Order was founded by Mevlana Rumi's followers and is known for its unique form of worship that includes the whirling dance, the Sema. The centerpiece of the museum is the mausoleum, which houses the tomb of Mevlana Rumi. The mausoleum is an exquisite example of Seljuk architecture, characterized by its elegant domes, intricate tilework, and ornate calligraphy. The museum also showcases handwritten manuscripts, illuminated Qurans, musical instruments, clothing, and personal belongings of Mevlana Rumi and his followers. One of the most iconic rituals associated with the Mevlana Museum is the Sema ceremony, the Whirling Dervishes perform a mesmerizing dance accompanied by traditional music and chanting. Tomorrow night we will have the opportunity to see this traditional whirling dervish ceremony and I am really looking forward to it. We are staying overnight in Konya where we had dinner at the hotel. Our trip is almost over, and though I am tired from the travel, I know that the last few days of our trip are full of adventure and rich culture. Tomorrow we are off to Cappadocia where more adventure awaits. -Kylee

This morning we set off on a three and a half hour drive to Laodicea. I was excited because my presentation site is Laodicea (all students present on one of the sites that we visit). On the way, Jim shared a powerful devotion- we also have a devotion each morning on the bus, shared by a member of the group- about his experience of God, and the beautiful power and river of peace, which in the face of so much conquest and war in the history of the places we are visiting, and looking at the state of the world, is so very needed. We need life, and to see what love and life and victory look like through Christ the gentle lamb. Afterwards, Emily led us in a lovingkindness meditation to help us process some of what we have seen and heard. I am feeling so grateful for the wisdom of this group, and the kindness and intellect that we share with each other. Laodicea is a huge site, which is only recently excavated within the last 22 years. The excavation has been fast (the nickname of the head excavator is “Speedy Gonzales), and that means that new discoveries are happening nearly every month or even week. The excavator of this site was a shepherd who came from a poor family, who used to live at this site. He would see columns and marble blocks around and became curious about what they were. Now, he gets to know! Laodicea is one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation (3:14-22). There is a lot of fascinating research on what that reference to “lukewarm” might mean– likely not about water, though the wealthy Laodiceans had a pretty extreme water and sewage system. They were drowning in abundance! It could have to do with food, with the idea of sitting around a dinner table and God being nauseated by the lukewarm food. Certainly it is about the weak faith of a wealthy people. In any case, I encourage you to look this up. The site is impressive and the scriptural reference is just as complicated and impressive. From Laodicea, we went directly to Hieropalis and Pamukkale, where the Martyrium of St. Philip is located. He is the one mentioned in Acts 21:9, having four daughters who were prophets. The journey at Hierapolis was fun because we all piled into two vans which took us all the way up the side of the mountain. We were zooming! Let me just say that I don’t think these vans were meant to be off-roading it up the hill at that speed. But it was sure fun! And we were grateful for the lift up the steep hill. I am sorry that I do not have a picture. I was holding on to stay in my seat! We then had free time at the wonderful Pamukkale, site of the Travertines– also known as Cleopatra’s pools. The white color of the travertine terraces is visible from far away. The color is from the calcite that is within the waters of the hot springs that settle in the pools. Now in the dry season, these pools are not filled with water. But if you come when it is not to dry and hot (and it’s VERY dry and hot!), you can see beautiful blue pools flowing down. We were happy for the water, even thought it was warm, because today it reached 98 degrees, and it has been this hot for many days now, and will remain this hot until we leave. Many of us took the opportunity to swim in the ancient pool as well, which has many fallen columns within the water that you can swim over! When we arrived at our hotel, we were so glad to have an evening free. The pools in the hotel are also mineral pools, with both a hot pool and a cool pool, and a spa. We took many trips between the hot mineral water and the cooler plunge pool. I feel so rejuvenated, after spending the morning under the hot sun at the sites, to have had so much time in the water today. I also absolutely housed my dinner (this is lingo for, “I ate a lot and very fast”) because I burned so many calories swimming between all the pools! Tomorrow we leave bright and early for our next location. All best to our night owls who do not appreciate an early morning! I am so grateful for this special day in the amazing waters of the hot springs. I'm feeling ready to go! -Liza

Today we had a slower day, which was a relief to many. We are so grateful to see all the sites, but even the most intense of biblical scholars need a break! We began our day with a visit to two monasteries here in Meteroa. Our our way, our guide (Stavros) told us about the town in which we are staying, Kalabaka. It is the seat of the municipality of Meteora which is part of Thessaly. Its population is about 10,000, and it relies on tourism to the six ancient monasteries sitting in the cliffs about the town to provide its economic flow. Kalabaka is not a Greek word– it came during the time of Turkish occupation. It means "strong rock." Similarily, Meteora means "something suspended between heaven and earth," like meteorites! Also rocks, from the same root. The beginnings of this town as a home to these many monasteries dates back to the 11th century, when (assumingly very skillful rock climbing) hermit monks settled in wooden structures inside the cracks and caves of the huge rock cliffs. Slowly the monastic life here grew and by the 16th century there were over one hundred monasteries in this area. Now there are only six, with varying degrees of accessibility. Today, our group went to two: Varlaam and Roussanou. The drive up the hills to the cliffs brought fantastic views. For those who know Holden Village– there were a few sharp switchbacks that would make you nostalgic! Our first stop was Varlaam. Varlaam is the second biggest monastery of Meteora. It was founded in the mid 14th century by a monk named Varlaam, hence the name. Varlaam managed to climb on the cliff around 1350 and followed by a few other monks he was able to establish the monastery. Decades later in the early 15th century, after Varlaam died, the cliff was abandoned by the rest of the monks. The 14th-century chapel built by him and dedicated to the “Three Hierarchs” was almost turned into ruins. In the early 16th century two brothers from Ioannina decided to reactivate the abandoned monastery of Varlaam. They settled on the cliff spending many years building a new chapel dedicated to “All Saints” in 1541. To get to the monastery we had to climb 200 steps... and with people ranging from their 20s to their 80s in our group, we did it! The monks who came after the original climbing monks had a primitive elevator… they would lower a basket for people and supplies until the beginning of the 20th century, and then they created the steps that we use today. We could have used that basket, but I think we did well with the stairs. After our visit to Varlaam, we drove further down the road to another monastery, this one a convent for nuns, named Rousannou. This one didn't have any stairs! Only about 30 very short two inch steps. Like Varlaam, this monastery received the name “Roussanou” probably from the first hermit-monk who settled on the rock around that period. The monastery is one single building occupying the entire available surface of the cliff. It creates the impression that the building was carved out from the cliff as the extension of the rock itself. It was first established in the 14th century, but was mainly built in three main levels in the 16th century, in an effort to increase the available space inside. The main cathedral was founded at the end of the 16th century and was decorated thirty years later by a monk who was a very skillful artist and lived at the monastery of Roussanou. It suffered severe damage from the Nazis during World War II and as a result, even today they are still painting the inside icons again (not photos allowed inside, so you will have to guess). It became a convent in 1988 and today about 15 nuns live in the small and cozy monastery, along with a few kittens. Rousannou is dedicated to St Stefanos. After the monastery, the group went to Pefkis Workshop which is a family owned iconographic painting company. Here, they paint various icons and then sell them. They have sold to The Vatican, and religious sites locally and abroad. They have owned it for three generations, and the grandfather is an Orthodox priest who learned how to do the icon art in the traditional style from monks at monastery and brought the skill back. They use all-natural pigments for paint. The traditional style uses egg yolk as the binder with water, so it never cracks like oil paint does. We were glad for an afternoon free. Some of us explored the town while others went for a swim in the pool or took a nap. Before dinner, our guide talked to us more about the Hagia Sofia that we visited in istanbul. We then had a great dinner, and after we had a worship service together led by one of the travelers on our trip. We all have great songsheets that we can sing out of, which feels very Lutheran. They we headed to bed to be rested for more adventures in the days ahead. -Liza

June 1st Saturday woke up relaxed in Izmir after completing our visit in Ephesus, looks like our bodies are pretty much tuned to the clock of sleeping late after a devotion and waking early for a quick breakfast and begin our drive to the next archeological site per plan. With an intro about Izmir our journey began, continued by devotion and overview presentation on the visiting sites. Today we visited Pergamum and Sardis which are referred to in Revelation 2:12-17 & 3:1-6. Pergamon is renamed currently as ‘Bergama’. Pergamon often referred to Parchment as they have restarted using the goat skin scrolls to record scripts after Egypt stopped providing papyrus scroll sheets may be because Pergamon was producing more scriptures in science and art on the papyrus which was historically recorded in the libraries. The excavation archeological findings were Acropolis, Asklepeieion, the path from Asklepeieion to Acropolis, cisterns , theatre , library , agora and other remains of the city. Asklepeieion was known to be the hospital for the people in Pergamon and around regions, people came here for healing from their sickness. The healing ways or methodologies they adapted were whispering a hope in prayer by the priests, healing with flowing spring water sounds and non-poisonous snakes. The writings on the gates were “The death is forbidden to enter in Asklepeieion as respect to Gods” and wouldn’t allow dying and pregnant women. In a way looks like they don’t want to admit patients who are in a dying state. But the people who recovered used to offer either golden or clay body parts to Zeus and other God idols installed in the temple as a vow. Asklepeieion has a path that connects to the Acropolis (Acro means high place and polis means city ) where we have to board a cable car to reach that high place. Acropolis has the library which hosted around 200000 books / scrolls approximately was established by the Attalid King Eumenes II ( 197-159 BCE ) and was in use from the reign of Eumenes II through Byzantine period. Pergamon has a spectacular theatre on the slopes of the mountains is also a architectural wonder. Its breathtaking historical remains must see in a lifetime. Apostle John writes to Pergamon in Spirit wrote to Pergamon church about some people who though accepted Christ but still practicing the teachings of Balaam, participating in idol worship or partaking the sacrifices meat and holding on to the teachings of Nicolaitans. John warns them to repent and be reconciled so that they are not lost. The Pergamon archaeological site is a great learning experience and a time travel into history. After a delicious Turkish lunch, we had a drive to Sardis. It’s a serene country drive through the vineyards and olive orchards. The city of Sardis dates approximately 1000BC served as the capital city of the Lydian Kingdom. The archaeological site hosted the historical remains of the synagogue, roman style public bathrooms, ancient bazaar with shops, residences, restaurants and magnificent gymnasiums along with heated swimming pools for the exercising and practicing people to soak in the hot waters to rejuvenate. It was a wealthy city of magnificence of larger constructions and mines of diluvium and gold. Overall, both the Pergamon and Sardis archeological sites takes us back in times and present the magnificent lives our ancestors lived and learning the transformation through their faith journey. -Lax

After waking up in Istanbul, bright and early at 6am, I had to get ready and pack my bag to put outside our room before breakfast. We were spoiled with having bellhops that brought our bags from our door and down to our bus. I felt equally as spoiled by the hotel breakfast that included an omelet station, a full continental breakfast, and most importantly, cappuccino machines. By 7:30am we were on our tour bus and heading toward the Turkey/Greece border. We made it just in time to the Turkey border for the morning call to prayer, where we had to exit the bus to have our passports marked with a Turkey exit stamp. We got back on a new bus that took us across the border. Upon arriving in Greece, we got onto yet another new bus that would be our tour bus for the next six days. All 41 travelers’ passports were collected by our driver and marked with a Greece entry stamp. We then had a couple hours drive to our first stop, Philippi. For one of my assignments for this travel course, I prepared a presentation on this site. I enjoyed sitting at the front of our tour bus and sharing what I had learned about the ancient city of Philippi and the letter to the Philippians that Paul wrote to them while in prison. The city of Philippi was founded in 360 BC as a colony of Thassos called Krenides. It was strategically located in an area rich in agricultural goods, timber, and precious metals. In 356 BC, Philip II conquered the city, fortified it, and renamed it Philippi. It became one of the most important cities in Macedon. After the Roman conquest of Macedon in 148 BC, Philippi became part of the first administrative district of Macedonia, with Amphipolis as its capital. The construction of the Via Egnatia, which was built as a Roman military road, through Philippi helped the city develop and regain its importance. This is the road that the Apostle Paul used to travel between Philippi and Thesselkaniki and greatly impacted the spread of the gospel. It was an incredible experience to be able to walk on a part of the Via Egnatia that was excavated in the Philippi ruins. In 42 BC, a significant battle took place in the plain of Philippi, marking the end of the Roman Republic. The victorious Octavian and Mark Anthony turned the city into a Roman colony, settled by Roman veterans. In 49-50 AD, Paul the Apostle established the first Christian church on European soil in Philippi. During the 2nd century AD, Philippi experienced prosperity and saw the construction of impressive buildings, including the renovated theatre that we were able to see. In the Early Christian period, Philippi grew into a major urban center with a Greek character and became a sacred site for Christian pilgrimage. We were able to see the ruins of the city’s town square, two basilicas from around the 5th century, and the octagon. The Octagon was a complex that housed the episcopal church. Within this complex was an octagonal church that underwent three phases of construction, spanning from the late 4th to mid-6th century AD. The church was built on the location of a house of prayer dedicated to the Apostle Paul, which was originally constructed in the early 4th century AD. This house of prayer was itself built on the site of a Late Hellenistic tomb or hero monument. In addition to the church, the complex also included a phiale, baptistery, baths, a two-storey Bishopric, and a grand pillar facing the Via Egnatia. I was most impressed with the mosaic tiled floor that was still partially intact. Due to an earthquake in the 7th century AD and barbarian invasions, the city began to shrink. Its inhabitants relocated to the acropolis from the 8th to the 15th century AD. After the Ottoman conquest, the city was eventually abandoned. We then visited the Baptistery of St. Lydia. The baptistery located 15 km from the city of Kavala (where we would stay for the night), next to the archaeological site of Philippi, holds historical significance. It is said to be the spot where the Apostle Paul baptized Lydia, the first Christian in Europe, in the river Zygakti (Acts 16: 13-15). Today, the baptistery is open and hosts weddings and baptisms. Additionally, every year on May 20, in celebration of St. Lydia of Philippisias, Christians are baptized at the same location. I was so sad that we missed this celebration by four days but getting to soak my tired feet in the cool water of the river made up for it. I must admit that I felt quite emotional sitting at the rivers edge with my feet in the same flowing river as the saints that have come before me have been baptized and felt connected to enough to make it a pilgrimage spot. I thank God for this opportunity and the reminder of my baptism and new life I receive through Christ our Lord. We ended our day with a wonderful Greek buffet at the hotel and going for a swim in the Aegean Sea. -Kylee

Our first full (fresh) day in Istanbul was packed full of visits to important sites. I slept very well, and woke up at 6:30 to get ready. The breakfast here was great, and there was so much food! This is awesome because I could save money on lunch. :-) I will say that there is so much information that it is nearly impossible to fit it all here, even though I’ve tried to keep it short! We began our day by driving to Topkapı Palace. Topkapı also includes the Hagia Irene on its site. Topkapı Palace was ordered to be constructed by Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) in 1459, which was six years after the conquest of Consantinople (when the Byzantine Empire fell and the Ottoman Empire started). For 400 years it served as the residence of Sultans and also as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. It is made up of four courtyards and it is massive! It was the Sultans who lived in this palace. The sultan that we heard most about was Mahmed II. He conquered Constantinople and brought an end to the Byzantine Era at age 21. When he did so, many churches were converted to mosques quickly. He retained control over the patriarchate and rabbinate, though he did not technically kick out all Christians and Jews. The Sultan's reach extended far! For example, it was Mahmed II’s grandson that restored the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Walls of Jerusalem (currently Old City of Jerusalem), renovated the Kaaba in Mecca, and constructed a complex in Damascus. Topkapı is a museum that holds many relics and artifacts. One of the topics is the clothing of sultans, which I found very interesting. The clothing is huge and ornate, with lots of excess fabric and details in silver and gold. It is extremely well preserved, and must be very heavy. The preservation of the clothing of Sultans (“boçalama”) was very carefully done. However, boçalama was not carried out for females of any stature in the Empire, so very few clothing remains of females within the Palace system. There is lots of power at play here… Ottoman Empire copied many things from the Romans, like fountains! Think: what is water? Water is life. Your Sultan gives you water! Your Sultan gives you life. To become a Sultan included power and domination as well. The Sultan would kill their siblings… Mehmed III was the last to do this. He ordered that all of his nineteen brothers be executed. The rest of the family was strangled with a silver cord as a sign of respect (high ranking officials were also executed this way to preserve dignity). Ritual killing was gradually replaced by lifetime solitary confinement in the “Kafes” room (golden cage) in the harem from where the sultan's brothers could never escape, unless they became heir presumptive. Some had already become mentally unstable by the time they were asked to reign. (Yeah, I wonder why! Perhaps generations of trauma of knowing you would kill or be killed depending on who was picked as successor!) Part of the Topkapı structure is Hagia Irene, the oldest church in the city. it was not converted during the conquest of Constantinople. It was here that the Nicene Creed was voiced here soon after the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. It is important to note that the lives of non-Christians became particularly bad during this time, during/after Roman emperor Theodosius, who was ruler during Byzantine period and who was devoted to the creation of the Nicene Creed. Later. Justinian’s ascension to the throne in 527 also stamped out deviation from Orthodoxy as defined by the Nicean council… this further worsened conflict against Muslims and Jews. We recited the Nicene Creed in the place and also had an interesting discussion about the Nicene Creed. The Orthodox omit “and the son” when referring to the Spirit, as they do not want to say that the spirit proceeds from Christ. Lutheran/Orthodox dialogue supports this decision. Take a look in your ELWs for the asterisk noting this in the Nice Creed. We then walked to the underground Basilica Cistern, wwhich used to hold 2.8 million cubic feet of water but is now a tourist and music site. Columns were repopulated from temples, which were destroyed in the process. As a result, not all columns match!Also, Medusa on a column was a sign of protection. But in the cistern, they put the Medusa head upside down at the bottom of the column to show that it is only an architectural decision and not for protection. We moved on to the Blue Mosque, which is called that for tourist reasons because of the blue tiles inside (each one costs about $800 and there are thousands!). Its real name is the Sultan Ahmed mosque. It was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I, and used to be the start of the Hajj. It is built on one of seven hills in Istanbul. It is a real functioning mosque, as are all mosques, it seems, even those that are primarily tourist sites. Here, they pray to the SE (in America, Mecca is East). Lastly, we visited the huge Hagia Sofia. It is a current mosque, former church and museum, whose structure was built by Justinian I as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople for the Byzantine Empire between 532 and 537. This is the third version of the Hagia Sofia. Upon completion became the world's largest interior space. It was the site of the coronation of Roman emperors. Justinian I said upon completion, “Solomon, I have defeated you.” That’s men and their revenge for you… The recent history of Hagia Sofia is complicated. It was converted to a mosque in 1453 after fall of Ottoman Empire, then into a museum in 1935, now in 2020 it is back to being a mosque. It had taken years for workers to uncover the paintings and mosaics from under thick plaster, and now they have covered the angel heads and all Christian iconography that is visible from the prayer floor, because human/animal icons are not allowed in mosques. Now, only men allowed downstairs, if they pray… this cuts off over half of the space to the general public and to women. I could not help but notice how many groups of men were taking pictures that seemed to be tourists. Makes me wonder what the true reason for the mosque conversion might have been. You can read here about the decision to make Hagia Sofia a mosque again. This was a very packed day, as it seems all days will be! We had a lovely dinner and then I went right to sleep. -Liza

Today’s blog is about our time on the island of Patmos. It felt almost like a fever dream, where I’m not quite sure if it really happened, because our time was much too short there. (I guess this is fitting because I read the book of Revelation for the first time today and it too feels like a fever dream.) If you count the sleep we got at the Blue Bay hotel, we only had about 12 hours on the island. We arrived at 3am by ferry to Patmos and slept for a few hours before having breakfast and departing at 9:30am for the Monastery of St. John. Patmos is a small Greek island located in the Aegean Sea. It is part of the Dodecanese group of islands and is famous for being the place where the Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament.  During the Byzantine era, Patmos became an important center of religious and cultural activity. Monasteries and churches were built, and the island became a place of learning and spirituality. The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, located in Chora, is one of the most significant Byzantine monasteries in Greece.  We had to walk up switchbacks to the monastery with shops along the way. We definitely took advantage of that on the way down.  The monastery had a beautiful open courtyard in the center. We were told that 12 monks live there today. The chapel atrium way had beautiful frescos of Mary and the Christ child, and scenes of St. John coming to Patmos and writing the book of Revelation, as well as other biblical scenes. Although we were allowed to go inside to the narthex and a small chapel with relics of the skulls of past monks, we were not allowed to take pictures or enter into the main worship space of the chapel. The monestery also has a museum that holds several ancient books and writings, icons, and worship items, like chalices and vestments. They had a few pages from an early edition of the gospel of Mark. We were not able to take pictures inside this part either. Patmos celebrates several traditional festivals that showcase its cultural heritage. One of the most notable festivals is the Feast of Saint John the Theologian, held on May 8th. The celebration includes religious processions, music, dancing, and local delicacies. Our tour guide shared that they take the icon of the suffering Jesus out of the museum for Holy Thursday for a religious procession and the monks reenact the foot washing of Jesus. We then left the monastery and went to visit the Cave of the Apocalypse. Patmos is known as the "Island of the Apocalypse" because it is believed to be the place where the Apostle John received the divine revelation and wrote the Book of Revelation. It is a major pilgrimage site for Christians. We were asked not to take pictures inside this holy place that has been turned into a chapel. The building has been built around the site that people believe to be the cave that John slept in and had St. Prochoros dictate his revelation from God to the churches of Asia-Minor. Below is a photo of the icon used in Orthodox churches to depict this scene. The historic center of Patmos, known as Chora, is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Chora is a well-preserved medieval town with traditional architecture, narrow streets, and whitewashed houses. Its cultural and architectural significance makes it a remarkable part of Greek history and culture. We then had about 2 hours of free time to have lunch and what ever we wanted. The island also offers stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters, I couldn’t help but go swimming during our lunch break. The water was cold and refreshing and I was so glad for other travelers that wanted to experience swimming in the Mediterranean Sea with me. We then had our passports checked to leave Greece and take a private ferry to Kusadasi, Turkey. The ride took about 3 hours. The boat had multiple levels to sit and enjoy the views and an inside cabin area where several of us took naps at certain points. A small group watched the movie Mamma Mia and I enjoyed reading through the book of Revelation for the first time on the same seas that John would have sailed. When we arrived in Kusadasi, we were greeted by our travel company with red carnations. We went through boarder control and made it to our hotel for a late dinner. It was a beautiful and exhausting day. We were greeted by a gorgeous sunset over the water that our hotel looked over. Good night for now. On to a new adventure bright and early tomorrow! -Kylee

After a historic immersion in the mesmerizing archeology of Athens , we drove to Korinth which is a prominent place in the Christian and Roman history, one of the important letter from Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians. The drive to Korinth was breath taking on the shore line of Saronic gulf , part of the Aegean sea. Arrived at the historic excavation site of Korinth witnessing the remains of the Roman period, 4 & 5th century architecture , crusaders era. The biblical reference to the archeological evidence from Acts 17:11 has specifics about the location ‘Bema’ aka tribunal where Paul was brought Infront of Gallio proconsul as Jews complained Paul’s teaching were not in accordance with Romans religious beliefs, but Gallio rejected the case against Paul as it doesn’t concern their law. This was a fulfillment of Lord’s WORD (Acts 18:9-10) to Paul that no one would persecute Paul in Korinth. Along with the bema, there are excavated remains of the theatre, agora, temple of the Greek gods, marketplace, shops, housing and the port site from where it’s believed and confirmed by the scripture that Paul left from the port of Cenchreae along with Priscilla and Aquila to Ephesus. After the historic Corinth site visit and museum walk, with the moments to cherish we drove down to a lunch feast of sea food beside the isthmus canal which was delicious. It’s time to head ahead to catch the ferry to Patmos Island from Piraeus port parting from our caring driver and knowledgeable guide. The ferry ride was another experience with cozy cabins and island views with gentle breeze from the Aegean sea , ferry was an 8hr long sea route journey to Patmos , arrived around 2AM tired and hit the bed. More to come as spend the next day on Patmos island to explore the cave where John lived and wrote the revelation. Stay tuned… -Lax

We woke up today in the beautiful Delphi scenery. We can’t believe we only had one day here! But today we head to Athens- so off we went after breakfast! On the bus, Ruth led us in a devotional using stones, which was fitting for the amount of walking over stones that we were about to do. Then we stopped for a bit at an overlook and (finally) got some group photos! When we arrived in Athens, we were greeted by many, many cars. We thus far have only been in one large city- Istanbul- so this was an awakening from the small towns we have been in the previous nights. Athens is huge, and the Acropolis takes up a massive section of the city. Just taking in the modern city is enough, without trying to think about how much of the ancient city is buried under the modern city. Athens was hot, and we first had a break to get coffee, water, or a snack before walking up to the gate of the Acropolis. After waiting in line for about twenty minutes, we began our ascent. In the ancient Acropolis, what was most important to know is the three rules of democracy: the right to speak, the right to vote, and that these rights are equal for everyone. (Would that democracies today knew the value of these rules from ancient times…) I thought a lot about the beauty and grandeur of this place, but also what it stood for in terms of a democratic way of life. Also, the ground all over the Acropolis is very slippery from billions of feet sliding over the stones and marble. Rock on to those members of our group who are septua and octogenarians using their walking sticks!! Our first stop was at point 1 on the map above, the Propylaia. This is the monumental gateway. It traditionally serves as a partition, separating the secular and religious parts of a city. In the Acropolis, this was the gate to the main portion of the city. On our way to the Propylaea, we could see the amphitheater, the theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus. They perform music here– you can see stage lights! The views all around the Acropolis were stunning with the city– imagine this as plains and water! And, notice the olive trees? Greek mythology says that the Goddess Athena planted these olive trees. Olive oil was a prize for many men (yes, men!) competing in beauty pageants. After passing the gate, we stopped first at the famous Parthenon. This is what everyone thinks of when they think of Acropolis. It was dedicated to the Goddess Athena, and today stands tall, even with scaffolding up as they work on excavation and renovation. Here, instead of leaving buildings as they were, they continue to find pieces of the monuments and buildings and piece them together carefully using materials that match and size fragments that were lost. The temple has been destroyed three times in history that we know. This is the third iteration. Basically, it is a big optical illusion. You think that it is straight, but the columns are curved toward the top. The Greeks created a monument that is pleasant to our eyes. Everywhere in Acropolis, we have the philosophical idea of perfection, AKA “the golden ratio.” This means that the long side is twice, plus one, of the narrow side. This usually forms a rectangular shape. The Parthenon was fully decorated in color and sculpture, which is fairly unusual as other temples of the same time were either not decorated at all or only partly decorated. So the restoration of this temple is complicated– it’s like a huge puzzle piece with 7,000 pieces and no guide. It only took the ancient Athenians nine years to build and six years to decorate. This restoration has been going on since the 70s and there is no end in sight. There are other buildings in the Acropolis, including the old temple to Athena, the temple for Athena Nike, and the Erechtheum. After climbing up and back down the Acropolis, we visited Mars hill, which is traditionally believed to be the place discussed in Acts 17, where Paul in AD 55 preached to the people, and some were converted, including Dionysius the Areopagite (an Athenian judge), and a woman named Damaris. Finally, we headed down to the museum to check out how these temples and monuments are being preserved and restored. The museum is built over the ruins of the city, and you can see below the excavators working! At the museum, we learned how they restore the monuments and artifacts. I often think that it is dangerous and somehow contradictory to restore a found artifact, but here, they do so to be able to add a piece to the puzzle of Greek history. (And, they know it must be done carefully. Stavros shared with us that the British Museum, which owns many pieces of Acropolis, went through a scandal when a donor said they would only pay if the columns were white! But the color of the marble is not naturally white. You can imagine the damage done to these already delicate columns and sculptures.) Recall how I said that the Parthenon was all in color? Here is a picture of the pigments that were used to paint the sculptures in the time of the Athenians. There were two ways to mix pigments to adorn the temple: beeswax or egg yolk. Ancient Athenians considered a sculpture to be incomplete without the use of the pigment, so it makes me wonder– are we viewing incomplete art? After all of that, as if it wasn’t a treat enough, we sat down together for an amazing dinner overlooking the Acropolis. After a long day in the heat, it was nice to sit in the cool breeze. I am feeling extra grateful for the opportunity to be on this trip tonight. Tomorrow is a new day. I am excited! -Liza

I began my day by taking a swim in the beautiful Aegean Sea. It was so salty, and the water was so clear! The hotel that we stayed in for the night has a huge amount of food- tables and tables of breakfast. We ate and then were on our way to the site for the day, Ephesus. Today we had the whole day for one site, which was amazing. We were also lucky, because the cruise ships that are normally in Ephesus were not docked to visit today. So despite the crowds- it was “very empty” (according to our guide). Imagine the sheer number of tourists if the cruise ships were coming as well! In Ephesus, we entered first through the upper gate. This was the entrance to the administrative half of the city. Only about 12 percent of the city has been excavated- but that is an area of over 1,000 acres! This site is the third Ephesus. The people living here moved for different purposes. But because they recycled columns, we can find where they used to be. At this location, they moved to be closer to the harbour and the trading route. This location is built after Alexander the Great- it was he who gave the money, as the God Artemis (who this community worshipped) was among the Gods who helped his mother give birth to him. Ephesus is particularly interesting for two things (other than its sheer size). First, its water system which is visible to us today. Its water came via baked clay pipes from reservoirs, which also funneled water to seven Roman baths. The water system was almost perfect… wealthy families and authority had both hot and cold water. Because the Romans and Greeks both lived together and worked together, their water systems worked well together. The city had a large sewage system, too. You notice that this is a highly organized and planned city… they built it before they moved in. You can especially tell this because even though the ground is uneven, the stone streets are flat. The other notable thing about Ephesus are its terrace houses. These are built into the side of the hill, one on top of each other. Byzantine period, post populated from the 2nd to 7th centuries. Around 20k lived in these houses- only 10% of the population, who could afford the cost of a home like this. Later, the rich moved out and the less wealthy moved in. So these houses have had many versions. The courtyard size is the hint to how rich the family was. The bigger the atrium, the more rooms of the house. The colour has stayed because of the fresco style, and being covered with dirt with grass on top. When they excavated, all the paint was still there because it had been protected! Often we hear how things used to be colourful, but rarely do we see. Notice here the many layers of plaster as the owners of the house changed design. The site also included an amphitheatre and a great theatre, the reconstructed library (across from which used to be a brothel with a tunnel running between, so people had a decent excuse… “no, I’m going to the library!) and more monuments and buildings than I could ever quantify. There were also cats guarding many parts of the city, like much of Turkey. In both Turkey and Greece, stray cats and dogs populate the cities. Most are fed by locals. Before leaving Ephesus, we had to stop by the church of Saint Mary, where Barbara Rossing once work with en excavation team and held a tape measure at “0!” Hard work! Here she recreates the arduous task: After Ephesus, we headed to a yummy buffet lunch at a nearby restaurant, which served homemade Turkish food in a beautiful courtyard of flowers, including morning glories, my favourite flower! We then stopped at the local Selçuk museum. Included here is a gigantic head and arm of either Titus or Emperor Domitian. It’s a big old square head, emphasis on big! This picture does not adequately express the sheer size of this square head. By late afternoon, we were on our way to our last stop of the day, the Saint John’s Basilica. This is the location where St. John’s tomb is located. It is important to know that John was a very common name, and that there are very many John’s during this time. I would suggest asking Barbara Rossing or Peter Perry, two members of our trip, about the many Johns. It’s a lot to summarize, but very important. In any case, this church was built in the same period as the Hagia Sophia, and was founded by the Emperor Justinian I and Empress Theodora, built over the tomb. It was huge, with six domes, and though today we see bricks, it would have been covered in marble at its time. We then made our way to Izmir, where we will stay. Many of us are excited to do laundry after two hot, sweaty days. Our last week of the trip will be very hot! So we will take all the rest, water, and showers/swimming that we can get. We had a lovely dinner and then a lecture and prayer, and now we’re off to bed. -Liza