Billy's Taking a Little Trip

Okay, so it's more than a little trip. Billy's going to Izmir, Turkey for ONE YEAR. His report no later than date is July 31st, so he'll be leaving sometime between July 20th and the end of the month. We knew this was coming, and honestly, we're counting our blessings because he could have been sent somewhere much worse. So believe it or not, we're actually thankful that he'll be in Turkey. From the information we've gathered so far, it shouldn't be too bad. He'll be living on the economy, meaning he won't be living on a base. He'll be living in the city in one of their apartments and he'll be shopping in their stores and eating their food. He'll be totally immersed in their culture. I'm actually a little worried about the culture shock he'll be going through. The first month or so will be pretty rough for him. In fact, he's been warned to stay close to the restrooms at first because the food can be a little tough to get used to. But I'm sure that once he settles in, he'll really enjoy his time there. Of course he'll miss me and Noah, but beyond that, I think this is going to be a good assignment.

If you're curious, you can read about Izmir here, but I'll give you some basics. It is the third most populous city in Turkey with 2.5 million people. It is located on the water and there is a ton of history there. Some research indicates that there was activity in the area as early as 6500 to 4000 B.C.!

I don't know what Noah and I are going to do with ourselves. Billy will be missed more than he knows. All of us will need your prayers. It's going to be a busy year!!