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| "CEM" |
No, he's not exactly new, but he does have a new Turkish name. Everybody, this is Cem. Cem, meet everybody. Cem means to gather to pray. In Turkish, the letter "C" is pronounced like a soft "G", so you pronounce his name Gem , as in "gem"stone. He is a gem, so it fits!
Amid some confusion over the pronunciation of Guy (go figure), we decided he needed a name that would help his peers and our neighbors out a little bit. Cem thought it was pretty awesome that he could choose a new identity at the age of four. Jono and I have started placing wagers on what name he'll choose each time somebody asks what his name is. So far it's stuck like glue. The other day when we were walking home, some kid stuck half his body out of a speeding vehicle going past us and yelled "CEEEEEEEEMMMM!!!!!"
Speaking of speeding by, that's pretty much what life is doing right now. Jono dove head long into Turkish language studies this month. Both boys are in school three mornings a week so that I can study Turkish with a private tutor. We've gone to three birthday parties, and we've been able to get to know our neighbors better.
Our most exciting recent news is that we were granted three-year residency visas! This is great for so many reasons. It allows us to legally live in Turkey for three years without having to reapply for residency. This is VERY rare for first time applicants. It also allows us to buy a car! Hark! Is that the Hallelujah Chorus I hear?
Most of you reading this have probably noted Turkey's rise to the top of international headlines in the past couple of weeks. There are so many tensions in this region of the world. Turkey and three of its bordering neighbors--Syria, Iraq, and Iran make headlines almost every day. It's easy to become anxious because of all the bad news. Our city has remained relatively calm. In our neighborhood (and across the country), many people come out on their porches at 9 p.m. and bang their pots, flicker their lights, and make signs and sounds of protest against the government. Our family is miles from mass assemblies, riots, and police response.
We are praying for humility and wisdom for both the Turkish government and its citizens. We are, above all, thankful for the One who gives us peace, and we hope that our family will be a blessing to those who live here and around us.
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| Pray for Turkey! |
Happily, today Jono and I celebrate our wedding anniversary! I am so thankful for his companionship over the past nine years. We have been best friends for a decade now. Once we get a car (hopefully tomorrow), we're planning on going out for a "fancy" dinner. Today we are celebrating with pizza for four . Lucy said she'd rather have carrots. In the few months we've been in Turkey we've already encountered many discouraging views of marriage and heard several personal stories of unfaithfulness and adultery. We've both said that it firms our resolve to make our marriage the best that it can be. In this busy phase of life with little kids, crazy transitions, and not much energy, it's not always easy to do this. If you've read this blog to the end, please take a second and pray a prayer of blessing over our marriage. We thank you for it!
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| Happy Anniversary to us! |
