Long but exciting entry

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I’ve been in Turkey for a week now, and here’s the story:

Lessons of the week: 1. God answers prayer, even if it's delayed 2. Just being in another country is enough to see the world through a different sort of lens, and make you question your opinions on things, and spark realizations about little things- like how honesty in business is often taken for granted in the US, how important it is to know that others have confidence in you, how the definition of Christianity is really misunderstood, here and around the world, how humor can help any situation and bond two very different people together who don't even speak the same language, and how glad I am that I don't have to wear a really really hot scarf and fully cover by body and head in the extreme heat and humidity of the afternoon, or the morning.

I’ve been working into things slowly here, and it has been so nice to have some downtime to go shopping, explore the streets, journal, read, settle down enough to listen for God's quiet voice, run/walk to the sea and go swimming, spend time with Verna, Karn, Tansule, people from church here, and begin to get to know the ladies who work at Curves- Verna calls them “The girls.” I’ve recognized more than a few faces from 2005 of people who go to the church, called Paul’s Place. Paul’s place is located in Kaleiçi (the Old City), Paul’s place is an appropriate name for the church, as the apostle Paul likely walked the very streets of Antalya (Attalia) about 2000 years ago after he sailed into the port here with Barnabas, before sailing to Antioch (see Acts 14:25). Today the harbor is a touristy place that cruise ships sail in and out of, along with many smaller boats used for public boat tours along the coast here. The old city with it’s narrow cobblestone streets (slowly being replaced with concrete and brick), and dilapidated buildings, is bustling today with locals and tourists among restaurants, shops, bars, and pensions.

Now for the exciting part: What on earth will I be doing here this summer? Coming here I knew a few things... I knew Verna had a dream to make a camp for people with disabilities, where they can go and be completely free and as independent as they want to be for one week- where they can do everything. I’ve felt pulled back to Turkey for almost 3 years when I found out she was interested in serving the disability community, at the end our deputation trip, where we did volunteer work in a school. I hoped that eventually the timing would be right and I could come back. So even though I didn’t know what I would be doing, even on the plane flying here, I believed I could certainly do something to help her, and contribute to her projects in some way, and to help the people here.

So, last week I arrived, and learned that Verna was feeling quite discouraged, because despite government approval for the camp, there was still no location and no way to get there from where she was. We started brainstorming. Tansule, Verna’s good friend who is Turkish, and who is like a sister to Verna, has been helping her with this project for over 2 years. Tansule is a teacher and has various businesses in town related to children and teaching. She has been given a large square meter area in a new upscale mall in town called Shemall, where she will start a childcare/educational center- the clientelle will be shoppers and families visiting the large hospital nearby. (More on how this relates to me later). Tansule is well known in the educational/disability community in town and knows several important people in these communities. She set up appointments with the Rehab centers, appointments which Verna has been unable to make until I got here because in Turkey people don’t do well without a deadline, and since I’m only here till August, it’s now or never. So we’ve spent hours this week at rehab centers discussing why I am here, why we want to help, what is my training, what is occupational therapy (they don’t really have it here yet), what kind of camp is she thinking, etc. We have had great success!

Verna has been PRAYING and praying about this, as she was about ready to give up on her vision of creating this camp- partially inspired by her nephew who has Muscular Dystrophy. Since Verna is in charge of bringing in many overseas volunteers, and giving them projects to do while they are here, she wanted to have a project that would be more than just a one time good deed that makes volunteers leave Antalya feeling warm and fuzzy. By getting involved in the special needs population, an emerging area here in Turkey, the effects of each volunteer’s work will be longer lasting, and work toward the goal of integrating the special needs population into the community. A camp is a step in that direction, would be partially run by volunteers, and as we have brainstormed this week, by people with special needs, such as Down Syndrome.

From my perspective, I see Turkey just on the cusp of a special needs revolution! It’s funny, they put up ramps now on a lot of buildings, but they are more for show than for use- they are so steep not even a skilled wheelchair user would be able to make it up the ramps independently. And the bathrooms are so tiny there’s no way a standard wheelchair would fit in any that I’ve seen!

Tuesday we met with one rehab center who seemed very interested and wants me to come teach parents how to care for their children. They will soon be opening a new gigantic rehab center with 80 rooms, a sports facility, Special Education, OT, PT, Speech, and Psychology. (Keeping in mind the scope of practice is different in Turkey for all of the above). It is a beautiful facility, funded by the honesty and sincere care of the owners of the rehab center. They are helping finance it by raising silkworms and selling the silk, which will be managed by some of the special needs people. They will also grow mushrooms under the swimming pool and sell those!! Talk about smart! It will open in July or August. I can’t wait to see the result. Today we met with them again and we actually met the owner who wants to work with verna on this camp, has a location, and is very excited to work with all of us on this project. I suggested they read the ADA guidelines for accessibility for ideas on how to make it fully accessible- and Verna invited the owner and the head of the rehab center to visit her friend in Michigan who runs a camp there, to have something to model the camp after! It’s starting to become a reality! God is good!

We visited the University yesterday and ate in a cafe that is served by teens and adults with down syndrome. We visited an agriculture project on campus as well, in which people with developmental disabilities and mental retardation are taught to grow crops.

We visited rehab center 2 today and they are excited for me to come observe a couple of full days, meet parents and families, provide educational seminars for parents, lead gymnastics/sport classes for their kids, and instruct them on construction of adaptive devices. Oh my!! So between the 2 rehab centers, which are currently on the same street (very handy) I will be very busy. In addition, I told Tansule I was interested in leading gymnastics classes for kids with disabilities, and I wanted to know if there were any real gyms in town, like gymnastics gyms with womens artistic gymnastic equipment- apparently there are- she knows them- I can visit them, etc. But she invited me to start free gymnastics classes for children with special needs at her new Shemall location! She has an area that she doesn’t know what to do with yet, and she thinks that would be the perfect addition to the new business. So on weekends I’m going to do classes for kids- with something like this- an evaluation class on the first week, and then write goals for each kid (probably 2 classes of 5 kids)- gotta start small- and then work toward those goals using gymnastics- (I imagine it to be Little Gym style). This is all so exciting I can barely believe the opportunities that have presented themselves this week. It has been awesome to see how through prayer and believing that something is meant to be here, and will work out according to God’s plan, can really happen. It’s really amazing to sit in a meeting with these important people who could easily turn us away, and say silently “God, work your magic here,” and then leave feeling like he answered our prayers, just like that. The camp idea rekindled, the opportunities to serve plentiful, and I know that this is where I’m supposed to be this summer.

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Photos

Interior of new rehab center
There will be a fountain in the middle of the lobby, with lots of natural light, everything painted light pink, a very bright and happy place

Wide open spaces
In the new rehab center- Verna is in the pic

3 stories high, skylight at top
This new rehab center will have 80 rooms, and offer special education, sports, psychology, speech, OT, PT (keeping in mind that the scope of practice of each of these is different from in the US)

Top floor of rehab center
Outdoor uncovered area will be used for training kids to use wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs, etc

Basement sports area, and ramp
Ramp to practice walking up, wheeling up?, sliding down, etc. I don't totally get it but maybe I'll come to understand. In this basement area is also a space for wheelchair sports

Swimming area
Swimming area where locals go- I like it cause I can find my own private little rock to put my stuff on

Down syndrome cafe staff drying silverware
This cafe has been created to be staffed by teenagers and adults with Down Syndrome. These sweet people served us our lunch and poured us some tea, and were extremely proud of themselves and their accomplishments!

Agriculture program
For students with special needs- they are taught to plant, and cultivate crops

Worm on branch
Amazing to think these little worms can bring in a huge income to help finance the rehab center.

Comments

[Baby Brother]

That's so awesome that you'll get to teach gymnastics and incorperate it into your work. Its amazing how things come full- circle like that.