Getting Settled

Today makes a week that we have been in Istanbul.  It also is our first blog post from Istanbul.  The blog posts will become more frequent when we get internet in our apartment.

Our first week has been good.  Overwhelming, but good.  Istanbul is a beautiful city and the Turkish people are very nice.  That being said, Istanbul is the most crowded city I've ever been in.  I quickly discovered that what I thought was a sidewalk they consider a normal street.  The cars have the right of way here and they are not afraid to hit you.  Istanbul is 8 hrs ahead of where we used to live, so I've had a tough time adjusting to the jet lag.  The first 3 nights I woke up at 2 am ready to go for the day.  The nights are long when you don't have TV or internet.........my books saved me.  LC has had no problem adjusting and has slept like a baby the entire week.

Most of this past week we have spent settling into our apartment and getting to know the city and how to get around.  We have spent a couple of days with the organization and seeing how they help clients.  Just from our couple of days of exposure of the clients we can see how tremendous the needs are in their lives.  The determination they have is truly remarkable.  Health problems are a major concern of the clients.  The organization brings in doctors and partners with local hospitals to get clients the necessary medical care.  Everything from tooth extractions for children, to tumors, to tuberculosis, to prenatal care and delivery, etc.

The language barrier is bigger than we thought it would be.  We'll be taking a Turkish language course and also have some online materials to help us.  Once we understand Turkish better we'll be able to help the clients in different ways, like getting their kids in school, taking them to the hospital, or helping them find shelter.

Things are going well.  When I look back over this past week I realize how much we've learned.  I don't think we'll ever quit learning while in Istanbul.