Amsterdam and Taksim

It is my second full day in Istanbul, Turkey, and I am still exhausted from my flight a couple of days ago. Since we are on a break for a little over one hour, I decided to write some things that we have done and seen so far. I apologize if it seems a little halting or random, but I wanted to summarize the best I can.

Bon Voyage!

I am departing Birmingham in a few hours with a group from Samford University on a 14-days trip to Istanbul, Turkey. After a brief flight, we will hop onto another plane in Atlanta for an overnight flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands (eight hours total). We will have a seven-hour layover in Amsterdam until we depart for Istanbul, Turkey. We expect to arrive around midnight on Sunday, and I think all of us will be exhausted by then!

The Soul of Iran: A Nation’s Struggle for Freedom

A little over one week remains until I head to Turkey for a trip, and I am eager to see how dad is using various workers in that country! I am in the process of reading four different books on the countries of Turkey and Iran in addition to Islam. I just completed a book called The Soul of Iran: A Nation’s Journey to Freedom by Afshin Molavi. The author currently holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, reports on Iran for Reuters, is a columnist for The Washington Post, and contributor of several publications. He did an excellent job of integrating cultural, political, economic, and societal aspects of Iran in this book. Since I have to incorporate some of my reflection on this in my paper, I figured I could write a blog post about it and share with you as well! While this is not an official review of the book itself, I hope that some things I will point out here will whet your interest in exploring the history of Iran and how it continues to struggle for freedom.

Summer Prayer Update

Summertime has officially begun for me, and things are just starting to heat up in the Deep South! My first year of seminary is officially over, and I survived it! I even had the opportunity to show a piece of Birmingham to my sister who flew in town for a couple of days after my finals was done (see picture on the right taken at the Peanut Depot where they roast simply amazing peanuts). I just got back in town after a week-long vacation with my family in North Myrtle Beach, and my time with the family was a sweet one.

Turkey: Ministry and Missions in an Ancient Land

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I am almost finished with my first year at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, AL (only 4 weeks remain until my final exams begin), and this past year has been an amazing one for me! I thank God daily for your constant prayers and words of encouragement as I dedicate this portion of my life to studies for future ministry to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.