wonderful beginnings in istanbul.

 Ah, what a beginning.

Well, first things first. My journey here was smooth as can be, flawless when compared to my horrific trip back home from Dublin! The only part that was less than ideal was the standing in line I did for two plus hours to get through passport control at the Istanbul airport. But Mrs. Bengu, my host grandmother, faithfully waited for me with a sign bearing my name on the other side! As soon as I saw her I was so relieved, and she greeted me warmly with kisses on the cheek (as is culturally standard). She rode with me as her private driver brought us back to her house, first making sure I got to call my mom and let her know I was ok, then chatting with me all the way back. The mother of the family and the two children will be coming on Thursday (if you recall, they live in NYC; she is Turkish and her husband is American. He is an attorney and will probably join us for only about two weeks during our time here.) Before I get to my insanely wonderful accommodations and my first couple of days at the house, I thought I'd share the perhaps more interesting pictures.

Today the coordinator of my au pair program here arranged the day for myself, her own au pair, and two other au pairs from the States to go on a boat tour around the Bosphorus. (For those of you with a knack for geography, the Bosphorus is the strait dividing the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. It runs north and south, connecting into the Black Sea to the north and eventually the Aegean Sea, then the Mediterranean Sea to the south.) It was a perfectly beautiful day, around 90 degrees Fahrenheit I believe, but with the breeze and low humidity it was very nice. (Usually it is very humid here, so I'm trying to enjoy the low-humidity while it lasts :)

Bosphorus Bridge behind me

This doesn't look like it, but it is a very small island which holds some very nice and expensive restaurants. My coordinator said she will try to arrange for us to go sometime, at least for a coffee!

I think she said these wooden buildings are from the Greek period. It's hard to tell from this photo, but they were very nicely decorated on the exterior!

This is Jennifer, an au pair I met today from DC.

Natalie from Seattle, Jennifer, me, and Hunter from LA - all au pairs in Istanbul for the summer. Turkish flag in back (:

Now to my accommodations. This house is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe once I get more comfortable with the family I will ask to take some, but thus far I've felt too funny to go around their house photographing it. But I at least have pictures of my separate "guest suite" and their gardens and view. My guest suite is across their garden/yard and down some stairs, by their swimming pool. It consists of my bedroom, a sitting area, bathroom, and a kitchen!

My bed is the biggest bed I've ever slept in (and possibly the most comfortable). I have tons of closet space.

Living room

Kitchen: stocked with waters, Cokes, amazing fresh fruits, teas, and coffee, though they prefer me to come in the house and simply ask for whatever I want. :)

The pool right outside my suite, and the small building off to the left is their private mini gym.

This is the view from right outside my suite door, right over the Bosphorus.

Part of their garden

More of their garden

Table outside my suite

There's a path off their house that goes through some "forest" (really it's a small wood) which I went exploring my second day and also walked around their little gated community, though not too much because if you know me at all you know I get lost VERY easily and cannot remember how to get anywhere!

They have Harley Davidsons here too! Thought a certain few of my followers might appreciate this...

So when I sit in the house I am waited on by the staff. They do not speak English, so I cannot tell them when I don't want something. While I journaled for several hours the second day one of the staff brought me water, then another brought me this bagel with melted cheese, a new water, and Turkish tea, called çay (pronounced Chai), tastes like black tea and is traditionally served in a glass like this. I like it pretty well, and have already consumed at least 10 glasses of it in my short time here :) They always bring me something! It is crazy but so, so sweet! Mrs. Bengu tells me having hired staff is a very common thing here in Turkey. They also do the cooking, serve us our meals dish by dish (which are incredible, by the way! Mediterranean, of course, which I LOVE), do the cleaning, etc. Really I am a staff member as well, but I am treated more like a member of the family thus far.

Yesterday I went back to my suite in the evening and found someone had left me these flowers on my table, and some in the bathroom as well! I must have gone "Awww!" out loud. I have never received this kind of treatment in my life! It is extremely sweet and I don't know how I could have been received any more hospitably!

Finally, my view at night from outside my suite. Nothing much shown here but lights, but I really like it nonetheless.

Life here is unreal to say the least. I feel extremely, extremely blessed. I enjoy the grandparents SO much, and have especially shared a lot of time conversing and sharing meals with my host grandmother. She has a lot of knowledge to depart. We have already discussed many, many topics, including quite a bit on religion. If you want to know more on this, please ask me personally. This blog is very public, obviously.

I am getting adjusted to the time change, although I managed to sleep 12 hours the past two nights! Mr. and Mrs. Bengu don't mind they've assured me, because the same happens to them when they have visited their daughter in NYC. I am very thankful for these few days to rest up and settle in, but am SO excited to meet my host mother and her children, Ella and Denis! It will be nice also to settle into more of a routine. I am hoping too that I will be able to hang out more with the au pairs I met today and see more of Istanbul together! I am the only one of us who is living on the Asian side, so it's a bit difficult, but once I am more accustomed to traveling around here I hope to go out more.

Thank you for your interest and those of you who pray, thanks especially for your prayers! They are heard and I am feeling the close presence and guidance of the Lord! Please continue to pray that as I am alone here without Christian fellowship that the Lord would be ever nearer to me, strengthening my faith rather than allowing it to weaken or allowing doubts to take root. Pray that he would provide me with precious times with Him, guide my every action, and be in my every word. This I need desperately. Also please pray that I might meet other Christians here somehow, and that as the rest of the family comes on Thursday that I would hit it off with them instantly, especially with Ella!

I love you all very much!