What happened to December...and January?

Well, things have been absolutely crazy, and wonderful, and busy....the adjectives could go on and on. Christmas and New Year's Eve were a huge blessing! We traveled to Turkey to visit some friends for Christmas and enjoyed sushi (twice) and Starbucks (more than twice ;) ). It was a good time of encouragement and refreshment as we celebrated the birth of Jesus together!

For New Year's Eve, one of my students invited Aud and I to a Physician's club where her dad is member to ring in the new year with them! It was so fun! There was a lot of traditional Kurdish dancing in a smoky, dimly lit room where we ate, sang, and enjoyed the big party!

January has flown by as we finish our first session of ESL classes. I have grown to love my students a lot and hope many of them return for other courses. Seeing them improve and grow in their English was an encouragement.

On the home front, we are moving this week to a new place. Our language center is acquiring a new teacher from the States, so Aud and I are moving in to what is as close to an "apartment" as we will ever find in this city. We are on the third floor of a very large home with our own entrance. Three/four bedrooms, two baths, and an awesome kitchen. God has provided as we have prayed and I am so grateful. Pictures of the new place are coming soon! All that being said, with the teaching, the traveling, the moving, and now the advertising....things here don't stop! We are glad to rest each Friday, but life here has been pretty tiring as of late. I have started my "Thankfulness" journal again and am trying to write down at least 10 things every day that I thank and praise the Lord for. Here are a few things from this week:

-Electrical tape (so I won't get zapped)

-My Kurdish teacher

-The new guitar that was my Christmas gift from my dad

-Provision of the things we need for our new place

-Laughing until you cry with Kurdish friends

-that God's presence is with me in Central Asia

-My supervisors' sweet and faithful hearts!

Until next time folks,

Sarah

New Year's Eve :)

Had a White Christmas in Turkey!

Oh...I love this guitar! So thankful for it after only a week and a half :)