Hello hello! Long time no write as usual and a lot has happened since I wrote last. The Turkey experience I had was a great one with a few minor bumps along the way, but I made it through!
After my arrival and practicing with the team for a little less then a week, the coach had a change of mind and decided to bring in a different player, a bigger post player, more of a center position player. The management of the team also decided to release the point guard of our team. So it was a wierd situation that was all of a sudden, considering I was planning on being there until late April of next year. So I ended leaving Mersin a week after arriving there. I ended up getting my internet and fridge that I was supposed to have the day that I left Mersin! Sometimes you just have to laugh off crazy things that come your way!
I ended up going to my Turkish agent's home, which was not to far from Mersin, to talk things over and decide my options after that. It was a nice visit, with him, his wife and two kids. They served a wonderful traditional Turkish meal and was very delightful. His kids were facinated by my Macbook Computer and we took several pictures in the photo booth application, which was a lot of fun for them.
The next morning I flew from Adana to Istanbul because there was a team there that needed a post player and were willing to give me a look for a few days before signing me. So they put me up in an apartment which has several amazing stories behind it, one to mention a maid that mysteriously lived with my and enjoyed smoking freely wherever she pleased! More on that later.....
I practiced with them for a few days and started enjoying the city and getting to know my teammates a little better. I was also able to connect with several Americans that I was able to meet via email from the midwest! The city of Istanbul was truly amazing, with so much history and sights to see. Every day while I was there I tried to see something new or hit up a new part of the city. Istanbul has 15 million people in it and is a city that is spread out over several bodies of land with water in between. So the transportation is trams, buses, sea buses, trolleys, funiculure, and of course walking. Well after a few days of being there, they decided that I was a great player, but wasn't exactly the player the president of the club wanted. So they booked my flight home the next day. Of course I was bummed out that I wasn't going to stay in Turkey, but I was very thankful for the time that I had there and all the great people that I met. So, I changed my flight and left a few days later so I could do some sight seeing and be a professional tourist for a while! Which is also a great job!
Through all of this drama in the two weeks that I was in Turkey, I was still being reminded, to continually live by my faith and not by sight. That the Lord has my life and story all planned out, and that He is in control of all of it. Knowing that He is steady and unchanging has brought comfort to my life and really helped me trust where and what He will use me in next, whether home in the midwest combining corn with my family or in Turkey playing basketball on the mediterranean sea!!
More stories and pictures to come, but just wanted to let you all know what I was up to these days. I am back in Nebraska with my family, enjoying the cold weather and working on the farm! I will be home until after the holidays and hope to get a contract playing overseas after the new year.
Stay warm out there! It is freezing rain outside right now!!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Love you all,
Britt<><
