HI BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! It’s currently month 6 on the field and my team and I are in Turkey! Soooo much has happened since our last chat and I’m so sorry for leaving you in the dark for bit, but I hope you’re ready for the load down about what you are about to read...

After Ukraine we headed into the beautiful country of Jordan. People talk about love at first sight but I never knew it could happen with a country. The culture, the people, the food…I could go on (and I will in an upcoming blog), but all that to say, from the first day we were there I was in awe. 

We were blessed to have had the opportunity to spend Christmas in the Wadi Rum Desert— HOW COOL!?! The clearest , deep navy, night skies with bright burning stars sprinkled throughout. The camp we stayed at was run by a group of Bedouin men and they shared some of their culture and traditions. Accompanied by new furry friends (lots of camels) and delicious loose leaf tea, our squad celebrated the birth of our Savior in a way that would be a little more similar to the actual day of when Jesus was born. It was such a fun and sweet experience to all be together again.

I made a new pal in the desert and I rode him into our camp site. 

The view from inside my tent.                       Our camp site.

During our time there, we had TEAM CHANGES! Team changes on The World Race allow us to get to know other people on the squad better and gives us the opportunity to serve together…and it keeps things new and exciting;) So now I am a part of team Kaleidoscope! Each of us are very different and as we work together towards our common goal, the image projected is one of Truth and beauty. Feel free to check out their blogs also! They’ll be linked on my homepage. 

After we left the desert, we had two weeks left in Jordan so we prayed about what type of ministry the Lord was leading us into. Quickly found ourselves praying in mosques and meeting up with new people over coffee and meals. (I promise there is a blog coming with more on that). The relationships I made there were so sweet and definitely made leaving harder. 

We are now currently in the great country of TURKEY! After a very long travel day, per usual, we made it to Istanbul for debrief. Debrief lasted about a week and it was full of powerful prayers, fresh outpouring of the Spirit, and unity!!! We studied more about the history and culture of Turkey as we prepared to go out. However, we hit a few bumps before we were completely out the door…

Our squad mate Brett informing us on the history and culture of Turkey and its surrounding countries followed by hours of prayer and worship.

Unfortunately, some of my squad mates tested positive for Covid so to keep everyone healthy and safe, we visited our long lost friend, quarantine. Personally, that time was very useful to rest and prepare for what was to come. (Also, my roomies and I may or may not have had a Harry Potter marathon).

On the night before we were supposed to head into the city we were assigned for the month, one of the biggest, record-breaking blizzards hit the city of Istanbul and we were forced to stay a few extra nights due to roads being closed. It was my first time experiencing snow like that and it was WILD to say the least. However, after a few days the buses were up and running again and we were able to make to my current location… 

Çanakkale, Turkey!!!

This month my team and I will be partnering with a local church serving with the youth, worship, and any other need that may arise. I am so excited to see what the Lord will do this month so STAY TUNED, I have a feeling it’ll be GOOD!!

Thank you so much for reading! Please join me in prayer as my team and I continue on this journey; specifically for protection, guidance of the Holy Spirit, and provision. 

Until next time amigos,

Gina Oyuela-Dickinson:)