Adventure: Antalya, Turkey 2014

 



Since the day we arrived in Russia, we had heard about the week we would spend in Antalya, Turkey, renewing our Visas and learning more specifically just what we are supposed to be doing here as Church Education System (CES) missionaries---and spending time with the WALKERS.

The E/S stands for Extra Special, Extraordinarily Sensitive, Extremely Spiritual, Effervescently Spontaneous---it changes every moment with these missionaries.
And we were right next to them on the most irreverent (rowdy) side of the room.

 





Between sessions we were forced to eat lunch and get to know each other.

This is the one side of the room where they maintained quiet and dignified attention to all of the activities and events.

Spiral staircase in the hotels

A view of the exciting night life.  There was not a person to be found! Oh, I forgot about the lurking security guard who would pop out of the dark with his flashlight to check on us every once in a while.

Heading out to play in the Mediterranean Sea in our convention best dress; what silly children.

And of course, someone managed to get their feet wet.

And perhaps just a little bit more!




Then everyone wanted to get their feet wet, and there went our convention best clothes.



Just another day on the Med, as they say in Turkey!



Ancient ruins of Perge (Perga), as mentioned in the New Testament where the Apostle Paul traveled. 



We brought the Walker/Walkers along just for entertainment.

Sister and Sister checking out the local fruit.

Part of the wall of the Stadium.



Just some people we met.




Yes, I was sucking it in. You don't want to be caught relaxed.

ROCKS!!!



Another happy visitor who allowed me to take her picture.  Next time I will get her name. She always has this shadow following her.  Many ancient columns have been excavated, restored, and set back into their original locations. Others still await renovation.



ROCKS, ROCKS, and more ROCKS.



Hey, how did you get in here? Oops, sorry, slide out of place. But a very photogenic character.



Scalloped ROCKS!

Aren't we just as cute as shiny new buttons?

Old people resting. More renovation in the background.



One of these is a trouble-maker. You decide which!!!



This lady loved to jump into my pictures.

 

 

 Our Area 70, President Bennett, and his wife. Spiritual giants and a great blessing in our conference.

 

Elder Walker getting into trouble with our tour guide, "Get out of there! You aren't allowed down there!"

"And you are not allowed up there, either!"

Our trip lived up to its advance billing--our time in Turkey was incredible!! Training, fellowshipping, and sharing experiences with the other CES senior missionaries from the East Europe Area was fantastic, awesome, entertaining, enlivening, supportive, educational, professional, spiritual, and very fun!

 An extra perk, every day our Area 70, Elder Bennett, and his beautiful wife, shared their testimonies with us to instruct, inspire, and uplift us. Three Russian CES coordinators and the CES director from Moscow conducted and presented much of the training. These four are deeply committed and spiritually inspiring men who represent the future of the Church in Russia. They were ably assisted by several senior couples who have been serving in Russia long enough to be able to dispense advice to us newer missionaries. Spending three days in the company of 17 senior couples who have put their normal lives on hold to help people in a foreign land was probably the most uplifting experience we have had on our mission so far.

Meet Yuri, Ivan, Sergei, and Sasha, our East European Area CES area director and coordinators.
They are responsible to oversee the Seminary and Institute programs and activities of the many CES senior couples
and youth across multiple missions. The Mediterranean Sea is in the background. YES! The Mediterranean!!

 

The following picture shows a bus full of very young-at-heart CES missionaries traveling back to the hotel from the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Perga. The cities of Perga and Antalya are both mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 14) as cities visited by the Apostle Paul during his ministry.




 

 

This group photo turned out blurry!!!!

Group photo at Perga!!!!