Change for the Better

Two weeks ago I returned from the trip of a lifetime. I have had the opportunity to see many friends, family and CBTS classmates since being home. All of them have asked me about the trip. To be honest, I have struggled to find the words. If you know me then you know that I enjoy talking and sharing about life. So, not to have the words is a new experience for me. I thought I would return and not be able to stop talking...instead I have found that most of the time I don't know where to start. The places and sights that I saw simply overwhelm me as I let my mind and heart return to that land.

My friends have responded to my muted response by being kind and asking me more specific questions. They ask, "well, what was your favorite part". Again, a tough question but one that I have found some answers (yes plural). First I tell them about Troy. This is the place that I began to get snobby about dates. The mere age of the stones, gates, and walls that I saw made me gain perspective on what the word ancient really means. It got to the point that if something was dated say in the 12 century C.E. it felt new to me. Show me that B.C.E please! Then I share about my experience in Ephesus. It was a great place because so much of it is intact and has been successfully excavated. My group and I walked the streets, sat on the toilets, and stood in the amphitheater of Ephesus. That was the place that I understood where these people lived their daily lives. Across the sea in Corinth is where I had communion with the saints. I felt a connection to the early Christians. I felt a bond that is deeper than any earthly bond. Christ reached across the ages to bring the early Christians and today's pilgrims together under his body and blood. A time of remembrance beyond what I have ever experienced.

Today I don't feel different. I returned to the same house, the same office, the same school, the same people, and the same schedule. I am the same person. As I remember my journey I wonder why I didn't come back a different person. All of the elements were there...new places, new people, new experiences. I then realized that different isn't the goal. God has been shaping me into the person I am today for 26 years. I can't expect to go on a trip and come back different. No, I am not different...I am better. I am a deeper Melissa; I am more patient, I am more appreciative, I am more attentive. I read the Biblical text with a deeper understanding and I feel personally invested in the books that speak of places I have seen with my own eyes. The accounts of Ephesus and Corinth are no longer foreign; they are part of me. I hope that you have the opportunity to go to Turkey and Greece someday. If so, give my greetings to all of our ancient Christian brothers and sisters and I hope you come back changed for the better.

your friend,
Melissa

Until the next adventure...

Thanks for following our journey and offering so much encouragement. We have all returned to our normal lives, but I guarantee our lives will never be the same. We saw amazing places and learned a lot over the past two weeks.

We will be sharing our Turkey and Greece experience at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Chapel on Monday, November 8 at 7:30pm. Everyone is invited to attend!

A special thanks to Dr. David May for his leadership on this trip and to CBTS for sponsoring my trip. It was an experience of a lifetime! Also, a shout out to my fellow travelers...thanks for the good memories and fun times! I will never think of Turkey and Greece without fond memories of all of you!

Thanks again to all who followed the blog!

Until the next adventure...

Melissa

the end of the road

Visiting the ancient site of Corinth was a great end to an amazing trip. We first came across the Corinth Canal. This is a 4 mile canal that connects the two seas, the Aegean and the Adriatic, on either side of the isthmus. It was only completed in the 19th century. Many failed attempts precede its completion. You can see the final product in the picture to the left.

Corinth has not be excavated to the extent of Ephesus because of money and the fact that many homes exist on top of the area that consists of ancient Corinth. The site so far is beautiful. In the picture below you can see some of the ruins along with the temple of Zeus. The columns were made of whole pieces of stone. There are many treasures yet to be found. Although not done being excavated we did decide to get off the beaten path and head down to the partially excavated theatre.We were in search of an inscription of the name Erastus. In Romans 16:23 Paul sends greetings to Erastus who was the city treasurer and responsible
for paving the road to the theatre. We had success and found it! Pictured below is the inscription that we found. It had been laid in bronze, but that has been removed. We also participated in a makeshift communion. In 1 Corinthians 11: 17-26 Paul instructs the Corinthians on the importance of the Lord's Supper and how it is to be practiced. We improvised with cherry soda and a croissant. It was a special time with our group. Sharing communion in a place that the early Christians lived was a powerful time of reflection upon those who first had faith.

The trip to Corinth was one that I will not forget. I hope to return someday.

Today we start our long journey home to the United States. I am so thankful that I was able to join Central Seminary on this incredible trip. I look forward to continuing to share my discoveries and experiences of this ancient world with my world at home.

Thank you for coming along on my journey! I have appreciated the company!

See you soon!

Melissa

watch out for falling rock

What an incredible day! First of all let me tell you about the two pictures on the bottom right side of this post. The first is a picture of me on Mars Hill and the second is our whole group in front of the Pantheon. We were excited to have finally made it to this site.

Today we left the city of Athens and took about a 2 and 1/2 hour bus ride to the mountains of Greece. Specifically we went to the ancient city of Delphi. The setting was beautiful. I didn't realize that Greece had this landscape. We first went to the museum and then toured the excavated site. Delphi was a very influential place in the Greek world. Each city-state had a treasury here and therefore they were all invested in this place. The artifacts found here are amazing. The museum is full of these treasures. Dr. May and I were schedule to have a race in the stadium, but we were denied the opportunity. Apparently the stadium is not very stable these days and there have been problems with falling rocks from the mountain. It had just rained and they keep it closed for three days after it rains. While disappointed, Dr. May and I decided to agree on a tie. The picture above records this agreement. We only have one more day of sight seeing on this trip. Tomorrow we go to Corinth. This will be a great place to end the trip. I am really looking forward to this visit. Each place has it's own unique atmosphere and teaches me something new.

For more pictures follow this link:

http://http//www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029407&id=125300168&l=e6842c89b6

your friend,

Melissa

The Climb

We have had very busy days...let me catch you up:

We went to two islands yesterday, the first was Crete and the second Santorini. We only had a couple of hours in Crete so we toured the ancient palace and then headed back to the boat. When we began to approach Santorini it was even more incredible than I had imagined. The town is built on the top of a cliff and there are only three ways up: Gondola, Donkey, and by foot. If you look at the picture up close you can see the zig zag path that leads to the top. David, Pam, and I decided to save 4 euro and walk up the path to the top. Sounded like a great idea...we did not take into consideration that not only would we be sharing the path with donkeys but we would also be walking through their waste...oh that smell still haunts me! We persevered and made it to the top. The experience in Santorini was worth the strenuous climb up. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Today we disembarked from the cruise ship and have settled in at our hotel in Athens. This morning we tried to visit the Acropolis but due to protesters and the riot police we were turned away. Perhaps you saw this report at home?

Instead, we went on to visit Mars Hill and the Agora of ancient Athens. Dr.May read Acts 17:22-34 as we stood on Mars Hill. After having a fantastic lunch we decided to try our luck again at the Acropolis. Not only was it open, but we were allowed to enter for free! The Parthenon looked incredible with most of the scaffolding gone that had previously existed. It was a beautiful day in Athens and I did my best to soak up the beauty of the sun peering through the columns of the Parthenon. Athens has treated us well already! Tomorrow we head to Delphi. Dr. May has challenged me to a race and I have accepted. Wish me luck! I will try to post pictures from Athens tomorrow. You can see the rest of the island pictures by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029407&id=125600168&1=e6842e89b6

Getting my running shoes out...

your friend,

Melissa

island hopping

Cruising on the Aegean Sea has been amazing! Yesterday we visited the Island of Patmos where John wrote the book of Revelation. Today we are spending the day on the Island of Rhodes. The old city wall and the stone streets make this place feel ancient, but the internet cafe I am sitting in definitely gives it a modern twist. We all got lost in the massive archeology museum we visited today in Rhodes. Then we went shopping! I enjoyed a chicken gyro for lunch and I'm scouting out a good gelato place for an afternoon snack! The weather has turned in our favor and I am finally wearing shorts! I have enjoyed exploring the Greek Islands and have learned a lot about this history of this land.

The Monastery of Saint John on the Island of Patmos was probably my favorite site in recent days. The climb up to the top was brutal, but the view was well worth it. There is a lot of tradition surrounding this island, but thankfully we have our leader Dr. David May to keep us straight on what is actually in the bible and what is tradition. Our tour guide on this section of the trip made a few additions to the Biblical text. I wish everyone had seen Dr. May shake his head. He is scheduled to give us a lecture tonight on the truth about John and the Island of Patmos. I for one am finding this all quite funny! One of the benefits of traveling with a New Testament expert!

One of my co-travelers, Robin, took an amazing picture while we were visiting the monastery. I thought I would share it with you! I think it captures the place very well. Tomorrow we travel to Crete and Santorini before heading to the mainland.

I hope everyone is well! I miss you all!
your friend,
melissa

where the streets are made of gold...I mean marble

Ephesus is stunning! The excavations have revealed a beautiful city! The streets are the original marble that Paul and many other figures of history walked many years ago. Now we have also walked these roads! What an experience!

Let me tell you more about Ephesus, the building at the very end of the city street pictured is the library. This once had thousands of books, but all were lost during a fire. The streets has so much more than what we are able to see. The section between the rows of columns is covered in marble. The outer section consists of sidewalks covered in mosaics and shops were lining these sidewalks.
We often think that in the ancient world people lived very destitute lives. Not so for the upper class in Ephesus! The city was furnished with fresh running water and even toilets! The buildings were beautiful and people from the world came to see the marble city. The harbor made Ephesus a center for trade. If I had lived back in this time period Ephesus would be my pick for a hometown!

The most impressive feature of Ephesus is the amphitheatre. I entered it from the tunnel that the lions entered the arena and it is a massive and intimidating sight! I was trying to envision thousands upon thousdands of Ephesians seated in the theatre yelling and shouting! With the perfect acoustics the sheer volume would be deafening! It really is a an incredible feature of this city.

There is so much more to tell you about Ephesus. This post is just a snippet of what I experienced. If you would like to see more pictures of this city follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029332&id=125300168&l=a761a2f6ae

We leave Turkey and board our cruise ship in just an hour. We will be headed to the island of Patmos.

I am putting on my boat shoes and looking toward the horizon!

Until I discover the treasure of the Internet again...goodbye for now!

your traveling friend,
melissa

Turkish Delight

Good morning from Izmir, Turkey!
We have had many adventures since the last time I posted. We have spent the last couple of days discovering the roads that Paul walked and the ancient walls of Troy. We have taken a gondola up to the acropolis of Pergamon and a ferry across the Strait of Darnell. It has been an eventful couple of days. The first picture is a picture of our whole group at the amphitheater in Assos and the second picture has me, Pam May, Connie Edwards, and Isa demonstrating how Roman soldiers walked along the road from Troas to Assos. Isa was trying to teach us how to hold our spears and shields! We don't make for very intimidating soldiers! The places we have seen have been incredible. Turkey has exceeded my expectations in many ways! We have one more day in Turkey and then we leave for Greece. Today we go to Ephesus!

I hope to post again tonight to share more about our experience. I hope everyone in the states is doing well! Happy Birthday to my Nanny who just turned 85! Love you Nanny!

On my way to find more Roman roads...

your friend,
Melissa
for more pictures visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029300&id=125300168&l=33a8b771a3

Galoshes and Melissa Spice

Unfortunately galoshes were not on my packing list! It has been raining in Istanbul all day and the temperature is in the 50's. This is very unusual weather, but we didn't let the rain deter us! We pressed on to see the sights of Istanbul.

Today we visited:

Hagia Sophia http://www.hagiasophia.com/

Blue Mosque http://www.bluemosque.org/

Grand Bazaar http://www.grandbazaaristanbul.org/

The Spice Market and a carpet store

I can't possibly record our entire day in one blog post! I will try to hit on the hightlights!

The Hagia Sophia was my favorite today. It is the 4th biggest cathedral in the world. It was also turned into a mosque and is now a museum. It was pretty incredible. I felt smaller than normal as I looked up at the dome. It is 100 feet in diameter. It is not exactly circular because of structural issues. The art has been covered by plaster by they are working on restoring it. The mere size of Hagia Sophia is breathtaking!

The Blue Mosque was very beautiful and proably my favorite building from the exterior in Istanbul. I just keep taking pictures of it! Inside we were required to take our shoes off. The rain made this easy task a bit of a nightmare as the crowds were all anxious to get inside and out of the rain. I enjoyed the warm and dry interior very much. Isa taught us how Muslims pray and we were also there during the noon prayer time.

Carpet shopping was next on the agenda. Before we could buy we were well educated on how carpets are made and hot to gage the value of them. These carpets are made of cotton, wool, or silk. The number of knots, the workmanship, and the type of fiber all determine the price. I saw a carpet that took someone two years to make. Incredible. I have pictures from this experience posted on the link at the bottom of this post.

The shopping continued at the Grand Bazaar. Be ready to bargain if you ever plan to visit. The crowds were heavy and the salesmen persistent. I bought an evil eye magnet to appease my professor :) It is a magnet and I plan to place it on my refrigerator at home to ward off evil from myself and my roommates!

The most exciting find of the day occured at the spice market. We found a spice named Melissa! I was very excited and I knew that this mean that Istanbul was glad to have me!

Istanbul has been a great city to visit. It is time to move on as our journey continues early in the morning when we leave for Troy! I will post again once we find the precious internet. Thanks for following and for the comments!

Happy Friday!

Melissa

link to more pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029300&id=125300168&l=33a8b771a3

Greetings from Istanbul!

Merhaba! (hello in Turkish)

We arrived in Turkey this morning at 10:00am (turkey time). It was a long flight but well worth the effort. This morning we found our tour guide at the airport, his name is Isa, and we checked into our hotel. We had an open afternoon so Isa and our driver, Lokman, took us to the Chora Church.

The Chora Church has a long and complicated history...just like Turkey! It was originally built in the 5th century and the official name is Church of St. Savior in Chora. After many additions, rebuilding efforts, earthquakes, and restructuring the building we see today is dated roughly around the 14th century. It was also converted into a Mosque in the 16th Century. In 1948 the church became a museum.

The Church is known for the Christian frescoes and mosaics that are inside. All of them had been covered with plaster but have been restored as much as possible. The ceilings tell stories and one must have strong neck to fully appreciate the art. You can learn more about Chora Church by visiting their website: http://www.choramuseum.com/

We have ventured out just a bit in Istanbul and already I am excited about what adventures await us. We have a full day tomorrow and I am hope to be over the jet lag. We are about 8 hours ahead of our friends in the midwest and I for one have not adjusted quite yet!

Taking my shoes off for a little nap...

until tomorrow,
Melissa

Packing my Nike Tennis Shoes

Dr. David May has said hundreds of times that a student can never really understand the New Testament without seeing the setting first hand. Last year I took both of Dr. May’s New Testament courses and casually thought about how great a trip to the land that Paul traveled would be, but it seemed out of reach. Now I find myself presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. An experience that would be unforgettable and life changing actually became a real possibility with the sponsorship from CBTS. A trip to Greece and Turkey with a group from Central led by Dr. May seems too good to be true; it really doesn’t get any better.

I am ecstatic about this opportunity because I know that it will enrich my seminary experience in ways that nothing else can. I always regretted not studying abroad as an undergraduate and to this day I constantly urge current students that if they have the chance to go for it. Well, my second chance just arrived and I understand the value of it.

A trip to Greece and Turkey under the direction of a New Testament expert will take me to the next level of understanding the text of Paul’s letters. It will enable me to visualize those moments when Paul was changing the world with the Gospel. I am certain that my appreciation for the text and the legacy of that text will increase significantly. Not only will this be a time of academic growth, but also a time of spiritual growth. Spending time in the land that holds so much of our tradition will have great impact on who I am and my relationship with Christ.

Traveling overseas always has potential to change one’s life. This opportunity is even greater. I am excited to share this experience with you through this blog. With a group of eleven, I will be off to follow the footsteps of Paul bright and early Wednesday Oct. 6th. My bags are packed and my nike tennis shoes are ready for a lot of walking. Stick with me as I take my first steps into the world of Turkey. I hope to greet you from Istanbul in just a couple of days!

Melissa Bryson