The past five weeks we have been involved with the student summer exchange program for our city. Our first weekend event was a trip to Ephesus. These guys were great and it's hard to believe this photo was taken the first week they arrived. Now that they have returned home to the states, I have some time to update the blog with some of the activities we did while they were here. It was such a blessing to work with young people that have a heart for the nations. They were a great encouragement to us and we will really miss them!

Scenes from Ephesus. Pictures can not convey these images well nor can they express the significance of this Biblical city. Neither can I. We would recommend that you find out for yourself by planning a visit soon. It's worth every penny!

I think this is a memorial to one of the city's leaders but I can't remember. There was so much to take note of (without the aid of pen and paper) and so many interesting facts.

The famous goddess Nike-can you find the "swoop"? I wonder if the sculptors from Ephesus ever thought this fresco would inspire a million dollar empire....

Some random tourist on the marble "main street" of Ephesus. The entire street was lined with columns and statues. It even had street lights! This is one of the few cities that lit up the streets for evening pedestrians.

Marble is everywhere here. The streets are even paved with it!

Marvelous Mosaics! They had an eye for detail! These floors must have taken a lot of time because the tiles are all laid individually. This"corridor" was about 80 feet long (maybe longer) and 8-10 feet wide. Make sure you click each photo to get a closer look!

Can you tell what this is? Hint: you have to use it everyday!

Where the local residents gathered to gossip and .....well.......
Can you imagine your neighbor sitting next to you doing this activity? !!!

In case you haven't figured it out-these are 2,000(+) year old toilets! No wall dividers in this public restroom! There was also a bath connected to this facility. I guess you got to know your neighbors pretty well back in those days.

Clearly, this is the most recognizable image from Ephesus. This is the famous library. The outside is far more impressive than what lies behind these magnificent columns and statues. The facade has carefully been repositioned into the structure that is seen today. The actual "interior" of the library is so unimpressive, I didn't take any photos.

This is the area of the market where the merchants of the city sold their goods. It is said that Paul most likely made and sold tents in this market.

The road to the Theater in Ephesus. Thousands of years after the message of Christ was spoken here, there is little to remind visitors of Paul's words.

We found this little stone on the shores of this country. Thought it was really cool considering we had recently watched Louie Giglio's talk on Laminin. If you haven't seen it you can watch it on GodTube. The image of the cross is here!

This is Kayakoy. Once a busy village, now deserted and decaying. After viewing the images, you will be able to read our impression and some of the details concerning this town.

Kayakoy church- interior and courtyard with pebble mosaics.

Near where we were staying, there was a hillside village of stone houses that had been abandoned in the early 1920's. The actual village (Kayakoy) is said to have been established much earlier by Greek inhabitants. In 1923(ish) there was a movement to relocate all Greek descendants of Turkey back to Greece in exchange for Turks that lived in Greece. This village is a result of that exchange. The families who lived here were told to leave all that they knew of life behind and carry only what was necessary with them. There are not many details concerning this rest of the story because it is a dark stain on the fabric of Turkey's history. What was left behind is a ghostly reminder of how lives can be interrupted by governing authorities based on prejudices. The village was never re inhabited by the Turks because it was rumored that the villagers had poisoned the water supply. The houses had mud and thatched roofs so without regular maintenance they were deteriorated by the elements. There was also an earthquake in the region that damaged many of the homes and the locals who lived in the valley used what they could from these abandoned homes to repair their own. Currently, they are making efforts to try and preserve what is left for historical and touristic value.
Although this was not the impressive ancient structures that we had visited earlier in the week, this village left a larger impression on our minds because the circumstances concerning this place were not so far removed from recent history. The sense here is too familiar to those who walk in and out of the overgrown paths that used to lead to the market or the chapel. Only the wind whistles through the ruins where children's laughter and church bells used to resound. A silent reminder that echos loudly the prejudices of the heart are dangerous destroyers of mankind.