Catch All

I'm sorry that its been such a long time since I've posted, or at least it feels that way. I feel like these last two weeks have been a huge whirlwind of people, places, and events. I declined a trip out to visit a ranch this afternoon because I just need some time to pull my thoughts together, plan for the week, and catch up with all those important things that seem to get pushed aside when life gets busy. Like writing letters, blog updates, exercising, napping, enjoying the sun, etc! Where to start? Let's see...

Last Sunday Izehi, Ashley and I participated in RunTalya, an annual run through the city that draws people from all over the world. We just did the 10k (6 miles), but there were also options to do the full or half marathon, and a lot of families from the church did the 4k. The whole experience reminded me a lot of Bloomsday in Spokane, mostly because that is the only other running event I have to compare it to. It was awesome! The weather was perfect - sunny and calm, not too hot. When we decided to do this a few months ago, I started training, and it definitely paid off. I am still not a "runner" but I ran much more of the 10k than I thought I would, and I was really proud of myself. It was great! And it was fun to do together, with the three of us, as sort of a final farewell bash with Izehi, who went returned home to Texas on Friday. I will miss her a ton, but I am so thankful that Ashley is still here, and that we continue to support each other! Friends are such an incredible blessing.

The week after I got back from Greece was my last week at the center that I have been at for the last 6 months. (I know, can you believe it?? I've already been here 6 months! Man, time flies.) It was sad to leave my friends there, but it is really good to move on, and to experience other schools in Antalya. I had begun to think that the first center was typical of all special education in Turkey, and that was a depressing thought. Now, having had a week of observations at this new center, I realize that the old center might be typical, but it is not the best education that Turkey can offer, which is a huge relief for me. What I have found is that, not surprisingly, there are not enough special ed. teachers in Turkey, nor is there enough funding for the students, or education of teachers. Sounds familiar.

So far, the solution has been to start schools with regular ed. teachers, who have no idea how to go about teaching students with special needs, because it makes great money for the owners, and the parents are just relieved to have somewhere to take their children. At my new center, the teachers are all certified in special education, and some of them even have masters degrees in special ed. It is incredibly encouraging to me to see that these teachers who have had the education that Turkey has to offer are using the some of the same techniques and programs that I have learned. This tells me that given time and money, Turkey can improve special education, that they do have the current and up-to-date information. There is hope! All that to say, I am excited to spend more time at this new center, and to see how they use the same techniques that I know and use at home. My role has definitely been shaped to work with teachers, rather than directly with the students, which is what I thought I would be doing originally. I'm okay with this for now, but I'm getting more and more excited to start a job at home next year where I get to work directly with the students.

This weekend there was a women's conference at the church. It was good to meet with women of all ages from around western Turkey, and to worship and have fun together. By a random string of last minute events, I ended up teaching a craft session on card making! This was really fun, because I got to put out a ton of awesome supplies, and say "Go!" to a group of women eager to make cards. So great! Most of you know how life-giving card making is for me, and when I packed to come here, I stupidly thought I could go the nine months without it, so I didn't bring any supplies. It's funny (and awesome!) to see how many times and in different ways God has put card making back into my life here.

Spring has definitely come to Antalya! The weather is warm again (though still cold in the shade) and birds are chirping! For those of you who have recently had snow, sorry to make you jealous. I've brought out my sandals and capris once again!