Day 07 - Ephesus, Ephesus Museum

Greetings from Turkey! Today, we toured our biggest city yet and had several super awesome experiences. The theme for the day was restoring love.

In Ephesus, we walked down the main street as it was packed with other people from all backgrounds and countries, which was very similar to how it was in the Roman era. It was a common occurrence for people to abandon their unwanted babies. It was slave traders and Christians who would go looking for them. Obviously for very different reasons. Rome only understood eros - lust. They didn’t understand what agape - unconditional - love was. They couldn’t understand why christians would care about their babies when they didn’t. This church was faced with a lot of mysticism and paganism around them. Ephesus was the home of one of the most magnificent temples in the world - the Artemision. Because of this, though Paul describes the Ephesians church as full of love in his letter, by 90 AD Jesus, through John, criticizes then for forgetting their first love. They had closed themselves off to the outside world. They no longer were bringing others into the church. They are called to repent.

We also were able to go to a pottery workshop filled with beautiful handmade pottery. We also got to listen to them explain how they were made, and even try to make one ourself! Later, we swam in the Aegean Sea. Going in the evening provided the added fun of massive waves we all had to dodge.

We are heading into our last full day tomorrow, and we are hopeful for one last incredible day. Praise God for all we have learned this trip so far and for what we will learn tomorrow! See you soon America!

Megan McGaughey