Turkey: The Saga Continues

So we last left our young hero having just landed in foreign territory, his energy and dollars both spent. What will he do next?!?

Sleep.

I slept. In a bed. For the first time in two months. It was nice. After 18+ hours of travel, I could have had a rock under my head and had a wonderful night's sleep. But I took the road most traveled and went with a pillow. The next morning began easier than expected. My body, still unaware of the changes in surroundings, responded quite well to the early morning alarm and breakfast meeting. Jobs were delegated. I drew a long straw (maybe the short one to some) and got placed with the kids aged 2-6. Perfect. Perfect because I am generally 4 years old when going through daily actions that don't require any higher level of maturity. It was play time.

These kids were awesome. I mean super well behaved, and as obedient as their age could allow. I can work with short attention spans. And coloring. And Legos. That's me. My youthful spirit was on display for all to see when climbing through tunnels and whizzing down slides, with kids clinging to my various limbs repeating "Again! Again!" as if learning the word for the first time. I loved every minute of it. We watched Veggie Tales and built towers, knocked them down and drew on our faces, tried to scrub it off and splashed in the water on the sand. Piggy back rides were free of charge. "Catch me" was the game of choice. Crying was kept to a minimum. Dancing was strongly encouraged. Even Mulan made a guest appearance. I call these: The Glory Days.

A few days in, Mister Ryan began to tire to a degree. Call it jet lag. Call it an eight hour time change. Call it not actually being four years old. Call it what you like, I got fatigued. But it was a good weariness; one that allowed my indefatigable insomnia a relieving respite. I slept at night. At the same time as everyone else in the country. For the first time in years. It was nice. What was also nice was hearing a high-pitched squeal of "Ryan" wherever I went. Instantly uplifting any tiredness I may have been feeling, it was wonderfully enlightening to know that these kids were having fun. They liked their teacher. That alone was worth an indescribable amount to me. 

Parents constantly flocked to their kids' caretakers, offering us unwarranted gratitude and blessings. They thanked us endlessly for providing little more than your typical daycare service. It was clear that this meant the world to them. Once I began opening up and having meaningful, intentional conversations with the parents, I knew immediately that this was more than worth it. We were here for a reason. And it became increasingly apparent that that reason was not limited to taking care of kids. Sure, that service was invaluable to their parents, but I knew God had much more in store. How much more? I could never have fathomed...