We Are Here and OK, and We are Back.

***Everyone We Are Here and OK.***

Our inbox was flooded this past week with concerned letters, questions, and encouragement. Thanks so much for the sentiment and kind words.

Last week the U.S. Embassy in Ankara was bombed by a militant political terrorist. It was a serious incident in that it directly targeted US citizens.

We are safe and fine. The embassy is not too close to the school, but we have several students whose parents work there. Luckily we were on a planned half-day on Friday, and the only people at school were teachers taking advantage of the work day. Whether coincidence or providence, this was the best thing. Parents already had their children, and we were able to scrutinize our security without the students being at the school.

To answer some of the questions we are getting frequently.
-We feel safe.
-We are not being pulled out.

However, there are some serious implications for us and the school going forward. A small example:the basketball tournament this week was cancelled, since it is at the US base. I coach the team and this essentially makes our season all-for-naught in the eyes of the players. In context of the situation, it might seem small....but these normalities are the things that our students cling to and need.

Please be thinking and praying for:
-Diplomatic relations between foreign entities (Syria specifically). These things are more intricately tied together and influential than you could imagine.
-The Embassy as they seek to recover, and our friends who work there
-The students of Embassy employees and their emotions
-The rest of the expatriate community and our students as we all are affected by the repercussions of this situation
-That all broke things would be fixed, and that this would in fact be an opportunity to share for our teachers and the other workers of the community

***We Are Back***
We are going to redouble our efforts with the blog. We have the way our email updates will work from here on out. We will be sending a new one out shortly explaining this change with an update on this year, and our thoughts and plans going forward.

Highlights include:
-our classes
-pictures of our trip to Istanbul
-B taking on a new, non-school related "job"
-K coaching volleyball and soccer
-B coaching volleyball and basketball
-Lots of other important news and ways that you can help affect things here

See you soon - and again, thanks for the concern and encouragement.
B + K