Today in Brooklyn and Queens was characterized by steady light rain with occasional deviations into light mist or heavier rain. We logged a lot of miles under umbrellas throughout the day. 
We set out on the Metro this morning for Brooklyn for a day of learning about Turkish Muslim culture and faith. A Turkish believer, was also there to help orient us for the day. Over cups of Turkish tea we started getting the “flavor” of this group.
We were divided into smaller groups and then assigned particular neighborhoods that contained concentrations of Turkish people. We then could get lunch, supper and tea in various Turkish cafe’s and restaurants. We were encouraged to strike up conversations and learn all we could firsthand about Turkey and Islam directly from the Turkish people that we encountered. Overall, the assignment was more challenging than for some people groups in that the Turkish neighborhoods are less concentrated and less visible than some other ethnicities. The groups enjoyed exploring Turkish cuisine and continue wrestling with how to begin and sustain concentrations with strangers.
(Center of table: Baklava deserts topped with shredded pistachios)
Groups had a variety of experiences…from missing train connections and landing in distant places to learning that using a restroom at a Brooklyn Dunkin Donuts can involve buying a coffee AND putting a quarter in the restroom door mechanism AND realizing that once inside this did not guarantee that any toilet paper was available.
One group launched out in pursuit of one of the famed live animal markets where a shopper can pick out a live chicken and then have it slaughtered, cleaned, bagged and in your shopping bag 10 or so minutes later. After a rather epic excursion, that involved a wrong turn that landed them in Jewish neighborhood where scores of Hasidic or Othodox Jews in full dress (including massive hat rain covers) were on the street, the group discovered that one and then another of the live animal markets were closed.
We witnessed fascinating aspects of Turkish cuisine again at supper as represented by these giant vertical spools of lamb and chicken that were roasting with an occasional interruption of a restaurant worker shaving off the darkening meat on the outside of the spool.
…at this restaurant.
Groups were to reconvene at 7:30 for debriefing but instead filtered in over the next 1.5 hours with sundry tales of delays and tribulations aboard the subway system. Parents and friends are encouraged to ask for specific stories of the conversations that students had with various Turkish and folks of other nationalities today.
Hopefully a good nights sleep, a chance for our feet to dry and a long rest for weary feet will have us in shape to tackle another culture “yarin.”
Please pray that we will have courage and wisdom in the conversations that we enter. We also greatly desire growth in our understanding of ministry and how each of can utilize our gifts to grow the kingdom.
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