SSU Greece and Turkey 2010

Hello fellow travellers!

Here are some repeats of info and lots of new stuff. Read on….

Our group consists of 34 people; 4 leaders, 18 master’s students (9 in     the worship module, 9 in the ministry module) and 12 joining us just for the experience.

I am mailing an information packet from the tour company out to everyone tomorrow. (Sorry Aussies, you will need to wait until I see you in Istanbul for your packets, no time for the mail service) These contain flight info, if you are flying with the group, hotel contact info and other assorted little tidbits. Anything you need to know now is included in this letter.

Remember that you will need to obtain an entry visa when you arrive at the Istanbul airport. This needs to be paid for in cash. See below for the accepted currencies.

Turkey Entry Visa Fees If you apply at the consulate, the fees are higher than if you buy the visa directly at the point of entry. Here are some fees applicable at the point of entry:

US: US$20

Australia: US$20

Canada: US$45

Note: visa fees can be paid only in foreign currency. The accepted currencies are US Dollars (US$), Euros (€) and Pound Sterling (£).

Baggage Restrictions

We do have a restriction on baggage because of our domestic flight in Turkey. You may want to hold off on your gift purchases or choose to send a package home before that flight!

The Turkish Air flight allows for 1 checked bag at 20 kg (44 lb) with no dimension restrictions.

The carryon bag allowance is 7.7 kg (17 lb) with the maximum dimensions of 23 x 40 x 55 cm (9 x16 x 22 in)

There is a luggage tag included in your packet. You will fix this to your bag after clearing customs in Istanbul or when you meet up with the group at the hotel.

Generally when we arrive at a hotel, we will enter and be given room keys. Our bags will be taken off the bus and delivered to our rooms. In the morning, when we are leaving, you will place your bag outside your door at the appointed time and it will be picked up and put on the bus.

Trip Trivia

Both Greece and Turkey are 6 hours ahead of AST (SSU time) and 2 hours ahead of GMT.

The average temperature in the areas we will be travelling in during March range from about 7-18C (45-65F). It is colder in the north of Turkey and warmer on the Greek Islands and the Pelonponnese. There may be a bit of rain, not a lot usually. I find that a good hooded wind/rain jacket layered with a fleece or sweater is the best way to handle all the differing climates.

Footwear for the days should be comfortable and good for walking. You might want a second option for the evenings in the hotels.

A bathing suit is a must so you don’t miss out on the wonderful hot spa pool experience in Pamuukkle!

Casual clothes are all that is needed. I pack comfy pants and layers of tops. It’s all about layering!

European hotel rooms supply little toiletry items but don’t usually have washcloths. If you are used to having one, best to bring it along with you.

I bring laundry soap, scrub brush and flat sink plugs to deal with dirty clothes. Hotels and the cruise ship offer a laundering service but it is pricey.

My purse is always stocked with a bunch of ziplock plastic bags, so useful! I also carry small packs of tissue (multiple uses here too!), travel packs of moist towels (Wet Ones/ Baby Wipes), Tide-to-Go, and hand sanitizer.

Cruising!

The cruise is like our vacation/down time after a busy week of travel.

We will be on the cruise ship for 2 nights. You will all be very happy to have outside cabins. This means you will have a window! The inside rooms have no windows and feel like closets. Since our first trip, I have requested this upgrade for the entire group. If you have any concerns about seasickness, I would recommend picking up some of the pressure point wrist bands.  We have never had a problem with people suffering on this cruise. Ask us about the 2008 SSU crossing of the English Channel!  Ah… travel tales!

When we board the ship, you will hand over your passport. It will be returned when we arrive in Athens. You will use a ship card for all transactions and be required to settle this bill before disembarking. All meals on board are covered but you may choose to order some drinks, use the spa or do some shopping. You would use the ship card for these things. No cash transactions on board. Onboard currency is euro’s.

Our first night on the ship will be Greek Night! Passengers are invited to dress as Greek as possible or wear blue and white, the colours of Greece.

There are excursions that you may sign up for when we dock at the various islands. Usually we have an information night before the cruise and you may sign up then or you may be able to so on the ship. We are going to new islands this time so I’m sorry that I have no info to give you on what those excursions will be and less expensive ways to do them. I have found that it is generally cheaper to fill a cab and head to a site then to pay for the excursion but I don’t know what these new places will offer.

If you aren’t concerned about spending money you may want to consider signing up for the Patmos tour. This would get you off the ship first and guarantee a good length of time in the grotto. Another option is to disembark as quickly as you are able and grab a cab. This is a cheaper alternative but with a slight element of risk. We have done this with no problems.

Money!

I recommend travelling with 2 cards, in case one gets lost or damaged. I use a debit and a credit card. Make sure you know your pin numbers! There are ATMs everywhere. I would visit a machine at the airport in Rome (for those travelling with the group) and get some euro. In Istanbul, you can pick up some Turkish lira. Try to withdraw larger amounts as you will be charged a fee each time from your bank.  Most places do take credit cards.

It is always a good idea to call your bank or credit card company and let them know the dates and places you will be travelling so their computer doesn’t freeze your card. From experience, I can tell you that even calling them doesn’t guarantee that your card won’t still be stopped. This is another reason to have more than one way of getting money!

Tipping:

It’s also handy to have some US currency. A $1/ day tip, left in your room, is suggested for the hotel cleaning staff. I carry a bunch of US $1 bills and euro change for this purpose. There is no need to tip for any meal service in the hotels as this is already covered. Usually, if eating out there is a service charge added to the bill. If not, 10-15% is customary. Tip taxi drivers at least 10-15% of the fare.

You will be asked/required to tip the cruise staff the equivalent of $10 USD/day – 8 euro/day before leaving the ship. You will be able to use a credit card to clear your ship account.

The tips for the guides and drivers have already been paid in your main tour cost. We will have a short goodbye time with each guide and I will give them a card with their money and some gifts. If anyone wants to bring a gift from your area or something that you would like to pass on to the guides please do.

I have just learned that the guide we have used in Turkey on the last two trips is unable to be with our group this time. We are still trying to sort this out but it is not looking good. At the moment our guide will be Sabahattin Canliel. He comes highly recommended and I’m sure will be wonderful. It is disappointing though as not every guide fits into the style of our groups.

We have had 3 different guides in Greece and are trying a new one this trip. His name is James Nikolopoulos and he also comes highly recommended.

Shopping!

We will sometimes stop as a group to shop. We have stopped at carpet places and learned about handmade carpets, leather shops and been treated to a fashion show, pottery/ceramic/icon shops and watched the crafts people working, textile warehouses…. We also will get to spend some time in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Please remember the weight restriction we need to follow for the flight in Turkey. Lots of places will ship your items directly home for you. Peter and I finally bought a carpet on the last trip and had it sent home. Very easy!

Turkey is a great place to look for leather, rugs, scarves, apple tea and tea sets, Turkish coffee, Turkish Delight, spices and hookah supplies.

In Greece be looking for icons, pottery, ceramics, jewellery, pewter, art, olive oil and soap.

You will need coins for using the bathroom facilities at most stops. You will also probably want to purchase bottled water.

Important Papers

It’s always a good idea to leave a photocopy of your passport, any other important travel documents and contact information with someone at home.

Attachments

I am attaching an info sheet on electrical adapters. You will need a common 2 – pin European adapter for any electrical devices that are rated 110 – 240v. If you have an electrical device that is just 110v you will need a converter as well to use it. Also attached is the hotel list, rooming list and the student reading list….again.

Connecting:

If anyone has any questions please email me:  mefitch@gmail.com

or phone me at home: 1-506-466-5725.

While travelling my cell number is  1-506-466-8478 / same email.

In Europe dial + or 00 then 506-466-8478 to talk or text.

Students should contact Peter   pfitch7@gmail.com

or phone 1-506-466-5725 with any questions about assignments.

Here is a link to our itinerary:

http://www.pilgrimtours.com/groups/ssugreece.htm

Meeting in Istanbul

For those arriving in Istanbul on March 12 at 1:35pm with the main group or shortly before or after that, we will be gathering just beyond the exit door to the custom zone. Our guide will be there around 2 – 2:30 and will be holding a Pilgrim tours sign.

For everyone else, we will gather for dinner at the hotel and a short meeting in the evening. I will try to have this info posted in the lobby.

Well, hope that is enough information for you! We can plan out every detail and then things happen and you need to get a new plan. Remember to stay flexible (our travel ‘f’ word) and content. We will have a wonderful learning adventure together.

Group Flights from Boston:

March 11 …  Departing Boston at 5:55 PM on Alitalia Flight #615

March 12  …  Arriving in Rome at 7:45 AM

Departing Rome at 10:05 AM on Alitalia Flight #704

Arriving in Istanbul at 1:35 PM

March 27 …   Departing Thessalonica at 6:35 AM on

Alitalia Flight# 733

Arriving in Rome at 7:25 AM

Departing Rome at 10:15 AM on Alitalia Flight # 614

Arriving in Boston at 2:35 PM

See you in Boston or Istanbul!

Blessings, Mary Ellen

The missionaries here inspire and encourage me by their walk with God. They are spiritual, but very down to earth.  I have been able to meet lots of missionaries and become friends with them because it is a slower time at Iris.

My duties include helping out in the kitchen and teaching English to children.  In the kitchen, I mostly hand out plates to the children and collect them at the end of meals. I have also been going to a nearby village called Meize.   Meize is where I am teaching English to 35 kids so far.  The kids seem excited to be excited to learn English, and I am happy to help them learn. However, I am a bit nervous as there is no set curriculum so I’ll need more of God’s grace for thinking outside of the box.

In a surprise turn of events I’m also helping with prison ministry. I forget how this all came about, but last week I found myself in a truck headed for jail. We were there to preach, pray for the sick, and give food. This was a bit of a stretching experience, but God is good and was faithful to give me strength.  I enjoyed my time there. The inmates weren’t intimidating, more welcoming than anything. Being in prison and praising God with the inmates was an amazing blessing. African’s have great voices and love to sing.

The last thing that I’ll mention involves hugs. The kids here . . . love them, especially the little ones. Sometimes when kids come up to me they open up their arms and smile, as if to say, “pick me, pick me.” Their needy eyes make picking them up such an easy decision.

Blessings,

Geoff

Prayer Items 2010

Students

• That students who have returned after time away would feel a sense of belonging as they settle into life here
• That this new student body would work together to create an atmosphere that is positive and healthy, inviting of others and outward seeking.
• That students who have left for a semester off would find work and those who are pursuing other things would find peace in this new journey.
• That there would be an excitement and openness of all students for the Holy Spirit to move in powerful ways this semester.
• That our thought life, our actions, and the integrity with which we live our lives would be honouring to God

Academic

• That the lessons taught in class would be lessons that affect student’s lives in a positive way
• That faculty would be renewed with a passion to teach and be taught
• That Christ would be honoured in our classrooms, in the preparation of class material and in the discussions that flow from the lessons taught

Community Life

• That we would seek to serve both those in our immediate community and those in the community of St. Stephen
• That God would give us insight into where we can most effectively serve
• That we would continue to learn what it means to live well in community by taking responsibility for ourselves and encouraging others to pursue Christ-likeness

SSU Beginning of the Year Liturgy

Reader 1: This new season is set before us. It is fresh and clean, white as snow. So begins our walk together, with each other and with God.

Reader 2: We remember today the love of God the Father, and the ever remaining chance to begin anew.

Reader 1: This new season is set before us. There will be hardships. We no doubt will falter from the leadings of Jesus. But we will repent.

Reader 2: We remember today the Grace of Jesus the Son; that we may stumble but he forgives those who seek His heart and ways.

Reader 1: This new season is set before us. Sometimes we may choose the way of selfishness, forgetting the command of Jesus to love thy neighbor as thy self.

Reader 2: We remember today the empowering of the Holy Spirit, to choose love and peace. To choose hope and trust. To choose justice and faith.

Reader 1: This new season is set before us.

Reader 2: We proclaim the goodness of God in this place.

Reader 1: This new season is set before us.

Reader 2: We proclaim the love and hope of Jesus in this place.

Reader 1: This new season is set before us.

Reader 2: We accept the challenge of living life together; to forgive one another; to love deeply; to listen for the whispers of the Holy Spirit. And finally, we accept the challenge to follow the ways of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as best we can as we embark on this this new season of academics and spirituality together.

All: This new season is set before us. Amen.

“Salama!” This is a greeting from the local Makuwa language.

After approximately 36-40 hours of travel, I finally arrived in beautiful Pemba, Mozambique! Exiting the plane, I was instantly greeted by African weather; hot and sunny!  Dr. Don Kantel (founder of SSU), met me at the airport.  He and his wife Elizabeth are the base directors here at Iris’ Pemba location. I am also blessed to have him as my internship supervisor.

Setting out for Iris was a short drive, but the lack of time did not hinder African culture from revealing itself. Women dressed in colorful attire, usually a parcel on their head, balancing it oh so well. Men and boys walking to and fro as well, some sell things, others are just going places. Fish is a fairly hot item on the markets here; you see lots of it for sale along the main ocean drag to Iris. Cars, trucks (with an over-load of people in them) and motor bikes cruise the narrow roads. And palm trees and baobabs (big trunked trees) root themselves in the country side.

When Don picked me up, he had a young girl with him – Talma. Let me tell you a little about her, it will help you understand a little about Iris Ministries….
She was born in Tanzania but her parents had sent her away to her aunt’s house in Pemba; they didn’t want her. In Pemba, she was abused severely and her aunt used her as cleaning aid. She eventually ran away and came to Iris looking for help. And it was here that she found help. But recently she has been in danger of returning to her family in Tanzania; her aunt’s crooked desires. Don and others have been trying to stop this. As of yesterday, I found out that after prayer and practical effort, the mother of this little girl has allowed her to stay with Iris! Praise God. Talma is very happy. Like Talma many of the kids here at Iris (approx 170) have disturbing pasts, but God is restoring them. Amen.

Thank you to all of those who made this trip possible; especially Dr. Kantel, Dr. Gregg Finley, the Kadatz’s, and my very supportive and loving parents. I would also like to thank Jesus, the Great Shepherd, for loving me and leading me here.

Also, thanks to all those who wrote in my send off journal – reflecting on your words of encouragement has been valuable.

Blessings,
Geoff

In honour of the tremendous life that Nato lived, people are taking time today to intentionally reflect the spirit of his message “people before ideals” through random acts of kindness.  If you’re unfamiliar with Nato and his story, check out these links

http://www.ssu.ca/news/nathan_alberts20070117.htm
http://www.guelphtribune.ca/news/article/112759

Read other posts and add your own to the Facebook group

http://ja-jp.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=44052527425

P.S.-Nice performance shirts Zach and Joel

Small Boat album cover

Well, that’s it.  Vacation is over.  It was so incredibly good.  Far beyond what I could have hoped for in a vacation.  So I take a deep breath and I close my eyes to sleep tonight unsure of what tomorrow brings, which is, I suppose, true about any day.  I end vacation tired and satisfied.

We’ve had a dishwasher while here in Saint John (and have enjoyed making full use of it, despite some pangs of guilt).  Candice found the following passage in Miracle of  Mindfullness by Thich Nhat Hanh. It seems so appropriate in light of the pending return to a life with more daily responsibilities than I am used to carrying.  It reminds me that I must learn, again and again, to live present in each moment. It would be so easy to look back at vacation and wish for these days again, because they have been so enjoyable.  For that matter, it would be so easy to look back at my time at SSU, or at home with family, or my childhood and long to be there again.  At the same time, it is so easy to worry about coming changes, the future, my “life plan”, where the heck I’m going and on what road.  But all of that distracts me from the opportunity that is here and now.  The opportunity to learn, grow, develop, enjoy, breathe, digest.

This is a long quote, but well worth reading.  Especially if you, like me, have a lot of dishes to wash.

Thirty years ago, when I was still a novice at Tu Hieu Pagoda, washing the dishes was hardly a pleasant task. During the Season of Retreat when all the monks returned to the monastery, two novices had to do all the cooking and wash the dishes for sometimes well over one hundred monks. There was no soap. We had only ashes, rice husks, and coconut husks, and that was all. Cleaning such a high stack of bowls was a chore, especially during the winter when the water was freezing cold. Then you had to heat up a big pot of water before you could do any scrubbing. Nowadays one stands in a kitchen equipped with liquid soap, special scrubpads, and even running hot water which makes it all the more agreeable. It is easier to enjoy washing the dishes now. Anyone can wash them in a hurry, then sit down and enjoy a cup of tea afterwards. I can see a machine for washing clothes, although I wash my own things out by hand, but a dishwashing machine is going just a little too far!

While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes, which means that while washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. At first glance, that might seem a little silly: why put so much stress on a simple thing? But that’s precisely the point. The fact that I am standing there and washing these bowls is a wondrous reality. I’m being completely myself, following my breath, conscious of my presence, and conscious of my thoughts and actions. There’s no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves.

In the United States, I have a close friend named Jim Forest. When I first met him eight years ago, he was working with the Catholic Peace Fellowship. Last winter, Jim came to visit. I usually wash the dishes after we’ve finished the evening meal, before sitting down and drinking tea with everyone else. One night, Jim asked if he might do the dishes. I said, “Go ahead, but if you wash the dishes you must know the way to wash them.” Jim replied, “Come on, you think I don’t know how to wash the dishes?” I answered, “There are two ways to wash the dishes. The first is to wash the dishes in order to have clean dishes and the second is to wash the dishes in order to wash the dishes.” Jim was delighted and said, “I choose the second way—to wash the dishes to wash the dishes.” From then on, Jim knew how to wash the dishes. I transferred the “responsibility” to him for an entire week.

If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not “washing the dishes to wash the dishes.” What’s more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can’t wash the dishes, the chances are we won’t be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future —and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.

With love and peace,

Ashley

Cahir Castle (County Tipperary)

The view from St. Canice's tower (Kilkenny)

The Seven Towers of Kells, monastic ruins (county Kilkenny)

Where do I begin? I have done and seen so much the past three weeks it is hard to decide what to share.  After Dublin I arrived in Kilkenny which has acted as a home base for me during my time in Ireland, staying in a quaint cottage with friends of friends who have taken in a poor Canadian traveller with open arms! Kilkenny is the county of medieval walls, castles, cathedrals…and beer (the home of Smithwicks, Bulmers and of course Kilkenny)!  Ancient ruins are common place, with eleventh century monastic ruins, castles, and cathedrals sitting confidently among nineteenth century famine workhouses and mills. Throw in some SUVs, highways, and shopping malls and it’s truly a confusion of eras!

But staying with locals, I have learned, is the primary way to ensure an authentic Irish experience. My hosts have taken me all over Kilkenny and beyond to experience all the wonders of the area–from exploring castles to exploring caves!  Some of my favorite spots have been those off the beaten track and not yet valued by Tourism himself.  For example, the town of Kells is home to a very large monastic ruin known as “The Seven Towers of Kells,”  nestled along the county’s  rolling hills beside the south bank of the King’s river.  This thirteenth century monastic community was the centre of a Norman town and is currently passed over by tourists.  In fact, we may have passed only four or fiver other people as we walked freely around the ruins! In a country where at times tourists threatened to outnumber locals, this is astonishing indeed! It was a serene experience as there is something inexpressibly profound about grazing your hand along the same stones in the way that someone might have done 800 years before you!  It is perhaps one of the only thing that has the ability to make time tangible.

Other highlights of my time in Kilkenny include the Cahir Castle (1142), which unlike the Kilkenny castle has not been “restored”  but left in its ruined form for tourist to explore its watch towers,  intricate stairwells and courtyards; the Dunmore Caves (a hiding place from viking invasions); and St. Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny city (where I accidentally dropped my camera down the 9th century tower!).  I have also had the privilege of seeing what has become my favorite church; a church which is so tiny it would be full with just fifty people!  What I found so remarkable about the church is that it is hidden very well down below the country road among naturally beautiful,  lush greenery. In fact it is so well hidden that Cromwell himself missed it when he ravaged the area! And so it has remained preserved unlike so many other Catholic churches in this area that were seized by his army–a small humble church with a victorious secret indeed!  Now I have had the privilege of being a part of the same church’s history that escaped Ireland’s greatest villain….Yes, another tangible moment in time.

But perhaps my most valuable moments have come from conversations with locals about history, politics, and of course, the economy–a favorite topic of conversation in Ireland these days.  After the infamous “Celtic Tiger” (a period of economic boom in Ireland), the recession is hitting the country hard, creating extreme distrust with government and banks here in the Republic.   It is not hard to see similarities in Ireland’s economy and culture (pre Celtic Tiger) to that of the Maritime provinces, and I am growing ever-more convinced that there is much we could glean from Ireland’s success…and her mistakes. I fear that things here will get much worse before they get better…but then again I am no economist.

There is so much more to tell but for now that is enough!  Thinking of all my friends and family as I continue in my pilgrimage and wishing you could be here to experience this as well…

With love,

Shelley

Today I fell in love. After a week in Dublin,  I have finally found an affection–for Jonathan Swift. I always knew I liked him based on a few satires that I had read, but I never knew exactly how remarkable he was. If he hadn’t been dead for nearly 300 years I would consider marriage.  Let me explain…