We were warned to keep our eyes open; if we think we see someone more than once we should assume we are being followed or watched. Lock our doors. (By the way, this place feels like a fortress; big metal doors with triple locks-you turn the key 3 times and hear three clicks. Even the ground floor patio has a metal gate with lock). It was enough to make us nervous. If it got too hot for us here, they would call us, we would pack up and they would pick us up on the way to the airport.

We lived with that for a few days then he requested another meeting and they have refined their plans a bit, they told us that in case the 3 available airports didn’t look good, they had another plan and that was for everybody to go online and purchase a 60 day Turkish visa. They have friends that we could stay with across the border, and that would also open up more airports for us to exit from. They asked us to have what they call “go bags” with passports, the Turkish visa and $1000 US cash in it that we could grab and go if need be. Also they said a bus or taxi could take us there and as a last resort, we have a car outside, that we are not using, as a means to get there, just make sure it has gas. I decided that I am living out of my suitcase instead of in drawers here and there, so that I can pack up fast. We have our “go bag”, with the exception of $$ in US dollars, that is coming. We do have a good supply of this country’s currency. 

“We were warned to keep our eyes open…”

Steve, our supervisor, called us last evening and asked each of us what our stress level was like.  We all responded with different things.  I said mine was pretty low.  At the end of the answers he said,  “I find it interesting that none of you mentioned the preparations to leave the country”.  I had totally forgotten about that and I think the rest of us had too.  I had a pretty normal day, filled with cleaning, cooking, others were studying, working on websites, sermon prep and spending time in coffee shops.  I told him I had changed to living out of my suitcase and that was my way of preparing for a quick exodus.  He said “good, keep doing that.” Funny how you can get used to something. I figure we have done as much as we can, then you have to leave it up to God to help when needed. I’m good with that.