One Week In & Disaster Strikes

Saturday morning started early for me with a 5 am wakeup call to bring D to the gym for an away game flight. After dropping him off I went back to sleep and woke up to a phone call from him a few hours later. "Did you see what happened?... there's been a bombing in Ankara". Immediately I turned on the news and to my horror, he was right. Two bombs detonated in the middle of Turkey's capital at a peace rally that morning, killing nearly 100 people and injuring over 250 more. My first thought was grief and sadness for all those innocent people and their families and my second was "Shit. I really hope my mom doesn't watch the news today". 

Ever since moving overseas three years ago, I've always been faced with mixed opinions of family and friends. While most think it's exciting and the opportunity of a lifetime, others worry for me and ask if I'm scared or feel safe abroad. I never quite understood their premise there. In America we can no longer go to a movie theater, attend church or send our kids to elementary school with peace of mind. To be honest, I actually feel safer living overseas. The thought of a bombing in my current country is undeniably alarming. However, violence, no matter how different the motive behind it may be, takes place in every country in the world today and that's unfortunately the society we live in.  

So here I am one week into my new city in Turkey and we are struck with a major national tragedy. D's away game was cancelled today as the country will spend the next three days in national mourning. Of course my mom inevitably heard the news and called me panicking, as any  mom would. I'm hundreds of miles way from Ankara, where the bombings took place, and I can assure you all I'm safe and sound in our little city of Giresun. (FYI- Turkey is a HUGE country. This would be like me calling a friend in Southern California after the Oregon shooting last week asking if they were okay). 

Although we were far from the action, Ankara does have two basketball teams and if you're interested to read an account of another American wife who is currently living there, you can do so here.

She ends her blog post about this week's tragedy with a beautiful verse that comforted me to read and that I will pass on to my mom and anyone who spent time worrying this weekend about D or myself.

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

I debated writing this post as I didn't want to bring attention and cause fear and panic among my friends and family members who weren't aware of what happened on Saturday. Ultimately, I decided this is a huge piece of my life here. You guys often get to see the glamorous sides to how we live, the traveling and awesome places and things we get to experience. However it's important you get to see the whole picture. As much fun as we have living this lifestyle and all the positive wisdom that comes along with it,  it's moments like these that make me experience real growth.

I find comfort in knowing I am exactly where God wants me to be right now. I get to live in a beautiful city with my husband, while he gets paid to do what he loves. We are surrounded by awesome teammates and wives this year, and I thank God every day for this opportunity he has given us (and for all our family and friends at home who love us enough to worry.)