Just to give you a quick update from yesterday:So, we ended up losing to Tarsus by 9 points 75-66. It was a close game throughout, but once again we couldn't pull out the WIN. I know I say that a lot, but it is so true! We got back to Ankara around 1:00 a.m. last night.
Today I went to church with Dila (one of my Turkish teammates). It was kind of hard for both of us to get up, but it was worth it!! At the end of the blog I want to share with you a Scripture passage that the pastor shared with us, as well as a song that we sang while in church.
After church, Dila and I walked back to our apartment. On the way back we stopped at the store to get a few things to make a cheesecake. I wanted to attempt to try to make one over here from scratch. The crust on the cheesecake turned out great, but the cheesecake part wasn't quite as solid as it would be in the States...it still tasted good though :)
For lunch Jo cooked some eggs and chocolate chip pancakes! The afternoon was spent relaxing. I also talked to my sister Moriah who finished her first official 12 hour shift last night. Molly did a 12 hour shift the day before during the day...so proud of you girls!!!
For supper, I helped Jo cook some Kenyan food. We had a friend come over from church, then Dila as well as Gorkem came over! We fixed coconut beans, rice, chicken with vegetables, and Kenyan bread. We had a great time of fellowship and fun.
While we were eating, the new American arrived. Lyndra Littles who played at UVA (graduated last year) is now joining our team for the rest of the season.
To end the evening, we played cards (rummy). So, the day was busy and went by extremely fast, but it was a lot of FUN!!! Since it is Valentines Day, I thought I would share a chapter from the Bible dealing with LOVE. The pastor shared this passage in church today actually. Below is the Scripture passage from Church.
1 Corinthians 13: “If I speak in the tonguesof men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Valentines Day is a day where people express their love to one another: husbands to their wife, boyfriend to girlfriend, etc. The greatest example of LOVE is found in Jesus Christ. As I was sitting in church today, the chapter above was shared. This chapter is AMAZING! Jesus showed us love by dying on the cross for our sins. If we do not have love, we really amount to nothing. Think about it, Jesus died on the cross for our sins…if he did not possess LOVE, he would not have sacrificed himself for us.
The chapter goes on to talk about the characteristics of love: patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, etc. Jesus once again is the perfect example of this. He came to the earth as a man, but was supernatural. Do you think he had a right to boast? Yes, He performed all kinds of miracles. Do you think he had a right to not be patient? Here he is on the earth perfect, and He is having to deal with people who mess up every single day. Do you think he had a right to be proud? He knew everything, the list could go on and on, BUT did He boast, or lose patience, or act prideful? No, in fact he did the exact opposite. Jesus humbled Himself and died on the cross, so that you and I could have an opportunity to have our sins forgiven and share eternity with Him…how AMAZING is that…the ultimate example of LOVE!
In church today, we also sang a song called “The Servant King”. I had never heard the song before, but as I was listening to the lyrics, I couldn’t help but share it with you. The song below truly displays Jesus’ LOVE for us.
The Servant King by Maranatha Singers
From heaven you came helpless babe
Entered our world, your glory veiled
Not to be served, but to serve
And give your life,that we might live
He calls us now to follow him
To bring our lives as daily offering
Of worship to the Servant King
There in the garden of tears
My heavy load, he chose to bear
His heart with sorrow was torn
Yet not my will but yours he said
This is our God, the Servant King
He calls us now to follow him
To bring our lives as daily offering
Of worship to the Servant King
Come see his hands and his feet
The scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space
To cruel nails surrendered
This is our God, the Servant King
He calls us now to follow him
To bring our lives as daily offering
Of worship to the Servant King
So let us learn how to serve
And in our lives enthrone him
Each others needs to prefer
For it is Christ we're serving
This is our God, the Servant King
He calls us now to follow him
To bring our lives as daily offering
Of worship to the Servant King
I hope you all have a blessed night! We practice tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.
Hard to believe we have been over here 6 weeks since Christmas break...9 more weeks to go until back to the States (63 days)!!
Megan