5 Senses in Ayvacik

My team served in Ayvacik, Türkiye for just over a month. 

What did I…

Taste?

I tasted homemade cookies, banana bread and lemon zucchini bread. I enjoyed having an oven while in the apartment. We got to know the employees at a local bakery, so we also got to taste the bread they sold. My favorite was an orange roll, their bombas, and ramadan pide! We also shared our creations with them in the evenings once the Ramadan fasts ended. Ramadan started half way through our time in Türkiye. Ramadan is a pillar is Islam: sawm. This changed the ways we would naturally gather with people. I naturally want to meet up with new friends over a meal or chai, but the month of Ramadan means most people do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. I was still invited for meals or chai, but many times my friends did not join me in consuming anything. We were also invited to break the fast with them, this evening meal is called Iftar. 

I also tasted the flavorful creations from teammates as we paired to cook for the team each evening. 

I also tasted Turkish coffee! I don’t drink coffee, but for the sake of hospitality and sharing Jesus’s love, I drank it one afternoon in a house I was invited into.

See?

I saw walls turn from grey to white, then from white to one of four colors: white, begonia, green, and oatmeal. Half the week was working at a construction site of a new church building! The only church building in Ayvacik. Our host is a pastor in the area, so we helped him paint each room, hallway, and the ceilings inside the building. We even got to gather with a few of his pastor friends and another team from our squad to worship and pray in the building. The largest church gathering in Ayvacik! I want to see the whole city singing and praising the Living God.

My team also got to see Daddy Day Care, the boys team. They came down from their city an hour away to help us once or twice a week at the building. This other team includes my boyfriend, Elijah. It was a blessing to see him more frequently than other ministry in the past 7 months on the Race. Seeing him reminds me to continually pray, asking the Lord where He wants this relationship to go, and where He wants me to go after the Race is done in 4 months.

Smell?

I smelled the paint we worked with inside the building. We eventually got used to it, but it was very strong, especially holding a small bucket next to my face as I worked on detailing. 

I also smelled the goats and lambs roaming around town. Shepherds and their flocks are everywhere. On our walk to the new church building, we would walk past a pen with the baby goats and lambs. So adorable, but also a bit stinky. Turkish culture can understand why Jesus is the Good Shepherd! Unfortunately, they don’t know Jesus as their savior, but His name “Good Shepherd” would make sense to them. 

Touch? 

I felt a few stray dogs or cats. Giving to the poor is a pillar in Islam: zakat. I see how this generosity also affects the stray animals. Homes will often have food outside that the cats and dogs snack on. When my squad was in Istanbul for a week, I noticed the big dogs sitting right outside the meat market. Smart doggos. 

I also felt a lot of hugs from strangers and new friends. Turks like physical touch. I would greet friends with a hug starting on the left side. The hug would switch sides as many times as you feel like it, gently pressing your cheeks against each other. I even received a kiss on the cheek once when leaving the bakery one afternoon. The mother gave us all hugs and kisses as she started grieving our departure. We grew so close to this family, and it hurt to leave. 

Hear?

I heard the call to prayer throughout each day. This is also a pillar of their faith: salat. 5 times each day (or more during Ramadan) the minarets on the mosques project the voice of a man reading and singing part of their holy book, the quran. The reading could last from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. The call is to remind the people to pray to Allah. I think it is great how disciplined they are in their faith, and Christians can learn from them. Unfortunately, the call to prayer has become a ritual and many times lost its meaning. Only the devout muslims will take out their rug or go to the mosque to pray. Many people I met call themselves muslim, but don’t practice it. 

I also heard the drummer boy at 3:00 am. These drummers, called “messaharati”, will walk throughout the town during the month of Ramadan to wake people up to eat before the fast starts at the first call to prayer. The meal before the fast starts is called “suhoor”. This drumming is a very old tradition. The first morning we were very confused. We eventually got used to his presence, even the time he walked past our window. The first call to prayer starts around 5:30, so our drummer boy liked to wake everyone up extra early to prepare the meal. 

I also heard a lot of songs and sermon podcasts while painting at the building. I am thankful for all the Christian materials that are in a language I understand. 

I also heard the laughter from my teammates. This is one of the pillars of stckd (our team name). We love to have fun. This includes playing card games, watching movies, playing ping pong several times a week with the bakery family, picking on each other like loving siblings, and coming home with a duckling. 

Not my will, but His,

Sarah