Singing in the wind, rain, and hail!

Greetings from Izmir, Turkey,

We visited quite a few sites today, those being Assos, Pergamum, and Izmir. Each place had its tremendous charms even through the drenching rain, gusts of 35mph wind, and occasional hail. In Assos, we climbed (mostly by bus) to the top of the city, known as the acropolis. There we saw the remains of a temple to Athena. Although much of it was in the process of being excavated, we got an idea of the original structure from a mini model of the building. This temple was so high above the town that it acted as a lighthouse to sea-travelers on the ocean 775ft below.

Pergamum had a similar acropolis, but on a much larger scale. The temple and theater are visible from anywhere in the city. It was here that we got caught in a deluge, finding shelter in the foundations of the city. A HUGE altar used to remain on this site but now resides in a museum in Berlin. This alter was known as the Seat of Satan because sacrifices were constantly being burned on it, leaving a continuous trail of smoke. Altough this altar and the temples were in peices, much of the foundations of the site were in better shape. The group greatly enjoyed the enormous amphitheater where a few of us climbed down the near-100 steps to cavort around the "stage" and yell up to the group at the top. Hey, everyone in the theater should supposedly be able to hear you from the bottom! We then made our way to Pergamum's Asclepium, an anceint health clinic. This temple was dedicated to the god of healing, offering remedies and therapies to the ill. These included ceremonial washings, hypnosis, and physical therapy, among other things. Unfortunately, we were unable to stay long due to a very close thunder storm.

Although we are spending the next two nights in Izmir (the third biggest city in Turkey with a population of ~3.5mil), we have yet to see the famous agora and fortress. Look for them in later blogs! We did, however, get the chance to meet a Turkish pastor and his wife. We learned from them much about the history and current status of Christianity in Turkey. Turkey is often the forgotten location of many biblical events. For example, many of Paul's journeys took place here, the seven churches started here, and the Garden of Eden was/is most likely here as well. The church in Turkey, although small, is strong, growing, and in need of our prayers.

Tesekkurler, sogal!
(Thanks, blessings)