Somewhere in the Summer of 2010 when I was planning on my Sabbatical, I was stumped. I was planning to go back to Africa for a few months to see what I could find, perhaps visit some old Missions and see some countries I did not get much time in when I lived there in the mid 1970's.
But it just wasn't working for me. I could not get the contacts I wanted and I found I was not making progress with the planning. It was then that I was reading a passage from The Book of Acts. It was Acts 16:9...During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
I read the next couple verses and it said that they sailed out to Samothrace, an island in the Mediterranean, and onward from there.
I grabbed map and found Samothrace and where Paul went and thought, "I could probably find that." And then I found myself looking at the nearness of Istanbul and Athens and Italy...and I was hooked.
No, no one was begging me to come help them in Macedonia. I imagine they can get along without me quite well over there, and I am sure they are wonderful people too. But, suddenly I found a journey that interested me. Words like Byzantine and Orthodox and Islam and Christianity...all come together in that region of the world.
For years I have wanted to visit Gothic Cathedrals in the British Isles and that is not on my journey this time either, but I am interested in visiting the region of St. Paul. I am interested in the Cathedrals and Mosques in that corner of the world. I want to find out more about the Orthodox Church and their cathedrals too. I want to see that part of the world as a traveler, not just as a tourist.
So, I begin in Istanbul in mid January and head to Ephesus and on to Greece.
There is no doubt more to share as to my reasoning for this entire journey, but for the moment, it is sufficient to say....The journey is the goal.
Peace, Bob
