A Visit to Ancient Ephesus

In the 1st century BC, Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean world, with a population of 250,000 people.  It was the capital of the Roman province of Asia, located on the west coast of Turkey, close to all the places the early apostles traveled.  This was a city where the Apostle Paul lived for 2 1/2 years of his life.  And Elder & Sister Davis were on a tour bus headed to that very ancient Greek and later, Roman city. We were very excited!

 Since rain had been predicted, CES leaders had been praying that it wouldn't rain during our tour.  It not only didn't rain....we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. The bus ride took us through beautiful Turkish countryside where olive trees  are prevalent and through several towns where people were showing their patriotism by flying their country's flag.

Homes are built "UP" in Turkey where several generations of family live in the same building. 

And orange trees thrive on city streets in the middle of February.

Today, the ruins of the once great city of Ephesus are a major tourist attraction.  We were lucky to be coming in the off-season...our tour guide said Ephesus is wall-to-wall people in the spring and summer. 

Of course, anywhere you have tourists, you will find market stands.  The Turks make vibrant colorful textiles, lamps and ceramic dishes to sell.

And don't even think of leaving Turkey without buying some "Turkish Delight", a candy that comes in so many different flavors and varieties, it makes  your head spin.

As we get drive through the city of  Selçuk, Turkey, we start to notice some really old buildings.

And start to see ruins....

Ephesus was once a major commercial center for the Greek and Roman Empires, next to the Aegean Sea and located on the main highway to what is now Syria and Iraq.   It was famous throughout the ancient world for its magnificent temple built in honor of the Roman goddess Diana (Ephesians called her Artemis), just like Salt Lake City is famous for it's beautiful temple.

As our bus turns into the parking lot, we quickly realize Ephesus  is just a "shell" of it's former self. This site has been called the largest puzzle in the world. Just a tiny portion of the entire city has been unearthed and it has taken years to put the pieces together into a semblance of it's former glory. The city was completely abandoned in the 15th century.  In 1895, the German archaeologist Otto Benndorf came to Turkey to try and discover the temple of Artemis and was so intrigued with the ruins he got funding from an Austrian financier, and founded the Austrian Archaeological Institute that carries on the work of  recreating Ephesus even today. Where some parts of walls and columns have been damaged (the city was partially destroyed by a large earthquake) concrete is poured to reassemble the pieces together.

This is the Bath of Varius. The arches are blocks of marble. It has three sections, frigidarium (cold water), tepidarium (warm water) and caldarium (hot water). Four bathing rooms are hewn out of bedrock. Pretty advanced for it's day.

The excavations for this area have not been completed yet. 

Below, is the State Agora, or "gathering place", where government leaders came to discuss politics and visit with one another.  In the center of the Agora was a small temple dedicated to Isis (the Egyptian goddess of nature and magic).  Ephesus was like any city today, Christians were surrounded by people of other beliefs. 

Near the Agora is a water reservoir connected to an aqueduct that brought water to the city.

This is our guide who tried to tell us what each area was used for...

sometimes we had a hard time deciphering her heavy Turkish accent but she was very knowledgeable. 

It is fascinating to hear about the inventions used by the Romans. Ephesus was a bustling place...a HUGE city for it's time and yet they had water systems and a canal to take away sewage. The clay pipes below have been dug up from underneath parts of the city and you can tell what flowed through them by what was found inside them. Some carried hot air underneath the streets to homes and businesses to heat them, others hot and cold water.  AMAZING for  1 BC!

Of course, slaves did most of the work in Ephesus.

You can see where the columns had to be "pieced together" to be complete.

The stone columns are very large and slaves spent a lot of time making those grooves in each one.

Our group is walking toward a small theater called the Odeon. 

The theater had two functions, first as a meeting place for the Senate and second as a concert hall complete with orchestra section.  It has a capacity of 1,5000 people and used to have a wooden roof enclosing it. The most important decisions and city matters were discussed here. This is actually a small theater compared to the Great Theater where Paul 
preached.

Attentive missionaries, fascinated by this ancient city where the Church of Christ flourished so very long ago.

Luke 21:29- 30" And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees: When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand."

There were fig trees scattered all around the ancient city, leafless but still bearing fruit.

Think about how much work it would take to find all the pieces for an archway or wall. Then the painstaking work figuring out how they all fit together. If you love jigsaw puzzles this may be the place to apply for a job.  

To the left, is the Prytaneion, a place where religious ceremonies, official receptions and banquets were held.  A sacred flame was kept burning on top of the Prytaneion symbolic of the heart of Ephesus. During excavations, two silver statues of Diana were found here.

Ephesus is a city built on hills, with roads winding to up to the top where remains of walls and buildings can easily be detected among the native vegetation. It must be a  daunting task to , not only unearth it all, but try and piece it all together. There are ruins on top of this hill still to be excavated.

Water was brought to the many fountains/reservoirs in Ephesus from three rivers through aqueducts and distributed from the fountains to homes and public baths by the underground system of clay pipes. Water could be taken free of charge from any of the fountains. Notice the clay pipe still buried near the fountain of Pollio in the photo below.

These pipes brought hot and cold water to the Scholastica baths.

This area of Ephesus is called Domitian Square, named for the Domitian Temple that was built here in 96 AD.

 The temple lies behind the big columns and in the photo below, you can still see the stairs that run up to the second story of the temple.

This is part of Domitian square.   Below, is the Pollio fountain with it's high arch facing the temple of Domitian. It was built in 97 A.D by a rich Ephesian named C.S.Pollio. What is interesting, is that all this information can be found by reading ancient scrolls and texts of antiquity. The Romans kept meticulous records on Ephesus.

Curetes Street  (below) was one of the main thoroughfares in Ephesus. Shops, fountains, homes and monuments lined both sides of the street.   We walked the length of this marble-lined street marveling at how well planned the city was. You could easily imagine robed men and women, shopping, talking and going about their business in this once busy city.

Think about the work involved in excavating a whole city...this marble street included. Piece by piece it has been recreated. Because to the many earthquakes that rocked Ephesus, the columns that line the street were replaced and now the street has a 4th Century look to it. 

Curetes Street is 1 km (over 1/2 a mile)  long; at the end of this street is the Great Library.

Rich people lived along Curetes Street as seen by the beautiful mosaic floors that were found in archaeological excavations.

We saw lots of cats living in Ephesus...probably to keep out mice.

 

We were told by our tour guide, that the ancient Romans knew the world was round in the 1st century BC.  A broken statue is the reason why.  This is a part of a statue of Emperor Trajan with his foot resting on a sphere, symbolizing his ruling "the world".

All those columns were pieced together...all the walls dug out of dirt; 

an amazing undertaking.

 We really were in Ephesus!

Everything about these ruins gave us a feeling of what life was like at the time of Christ.  It was hard to believe we were walking where ancient apostles walked. A day to remember forever. 

Hercules Gate (left) is located towards the end of the Curetes Street, it got its name because of the relief of Hercules on it. It was brought from another place in the fourth century AD to its current place, but the relief on it dates back to the second century AD.

The Celsus Library is an imposing structure even in it's current condition. Built in 117 AD.  It was actually built as a monumental tomb for Celsus Polemaeanus, the governor of the province of Asia. The grave of Celsus is beneath the ground floor, with a  statue of Athena (goddess of wisdom) over it. 

The Celsus Library was the third largest in the world at the time it was built.

We took so many pictures and learned so many interesting  things about Ephesus, it will take two blog posts to do it justice. Just know that Elder and Sister Davis were thrilled to be walking the streets of ancient Ephesus, even though in ruins today. The feelings of ancient times sunk deep into our souls as we  imagined a world where people talked about Jesus Christ and his crucifixion as if it had just happened. A place where Christians lived next door to idol worshipers, gladiators, and where people were fed to the lions. 

How hard it must have been to live a Christ-centered life back then. What faith those early members of Christ's church started out with...and as all the apostles of Jesus Christ were martyred how hard it must have been to keep the faith  without priesthood leadership. 

Acts 20:29- For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Training in Kusadasi, Turkey

Last week we left E/S Adams and E/S Ballstaedt in charge of  FHE so we could attend CES training in Kusadasi, Turkey.  On Monday, we caught a late afternoon flight on Turkish Airlines from Riga International Airport to Istanbul, Turkey.  We were happy to fly on Turkish Airlines...they serve great meals and their planes have plenty of leg room.  We had dinner on the plane so we weren't hungry when we arrived at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, and that was a good thing since we barely had enough time to catch our flight  to Izmir.  

Ataturk is a huge airport and we had to get a visa to enter the country ($20 US), find our way  from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal and then find the gate number. By the time we did all that, passengers were already boarding the plane.  We made it, just in time though a little out of breath.

We were supposed to arrive in Izmir at 9:00 PM, pick up our luggage and look for the guy who was going to drive us to our hotel.  We arrived on time and picked up our luggage but we couldn't find our driver.  We saw a slew of  people standing near the airport arrival door holding signs with names on them but none had our name on them.   How on earth would we get to the Fantasia hotel in Kusadasi, about 1 1/2 hours away without a driver?  

After 20 minutes we decided we needed to act....there were lots of people outside the main doors of the airport but if you left the airport, you weren't allowed back in.  Dare we take a chance the driver was outside waiting for us? We asked some security officers if we could go out and come back in but they couldn't understand English and didn't have a clue what Elder Davis was saying.   Elder Davis craned his neck over the crowd of people standing outside the terminal  and thinks he sees a sign with his name on it. Yep, it said "M & M Davis" right on it.

As we apologize to our driver for not knowing to come outside the waiting area, he said that was okay.  He had been inside the airport to begin with but our plane was late and he was only allowed to stay one hour inside the airport, so he had been forced to wait outside with no way of telling us. 

By now, Elder & Sister Davis were tired and we still had a hour and a half drive to our hotel. We arrived disheveled but still excited at 11:15 PM, gave our passports to the reception desk and went to bed. 

Up early, shower and get breakfast because the conference started at 8:30 with scripture study in groups of 8 missionaries.  We really enjoyed our scripture study time. Each morning we had a different topic to study and discuss with the other missionaries in our group and the best part was  when someone shared an inspirational story from their mission.

The weather was perfect... a sunny 52 degrees, with a slight breeze.  The conference room had a a wall of windows with great views of the Aegean Sea (which often made it hard to concentrate).  What a nice change from the icy, cold weather of Riga.

The hotel hadn't turned on it's air conditioning (or maybe they just don't have any!) so every night we had to sleep with our balcony door open.  This is the view from room.

In case you might be wondering WHY we were in Turkey for a conference. Every year, the Europe East CES missionaries gather to learn from our leaders and each other. Turkey is the preferred place because we can get visas easily and the hotels are cheap in the winter months. The Europe East Area includes all of the missions of Russia (headquarters in Moscow), Ukraine, Armenia, Bulgaria (includes Turkey) and the Baltic (includes Belarus).   Turkey has three functioning branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And we just found out that Turkey has allowed four proselyting missionaries into their predominately Muslim country.  Way to go Turkey! 

Sitting around the conference table:  18 missionary couples and 5 CES employees.

Here are some of the things we learned:  
*Europe East Seminary and Institute priorities are 1. to promote unity 2. help our students feel the Holy Ghost in their lives 3.  get them to read the scriptures daily and 4. "reach out to one more".
* It's okay to let the students use electronic scriptures, they are the future and we don't want to discourage scripture reading in any way.
* Some missionaries in Russia are in a pilot program and are using electronic devices (like ipads) to teach gospel discussions and for scripture reading. 
* Senior missionaries are just as competitive as the YSA's when learning new games and activities.
* The importance of Institute Student Councils.
* How to train better teachers.
* The history of the early Christians after the death of the Savior.
* Ephesus is a really cool place (stay tuned for the next blog post).
* We need to be promoting daily scripture study for every student.
* Your success in life depends entirely on how much "light" and knowledge we gain on earth. The more you "know" the more you "glow".
*Most every missionary couple buys food for FHE out of their own pocket, but we aren't supposed to.
* The 75 year old missionary couple that sat next to us at the table have remarkable stamina.
*The book of Revelations is about "victory, victory, victory".

 So you see, it was a very fulfilling week of training. 

Now, that doesn't mean we didn't have a few problems. The first was the food. It wasn't very good. In fact, the first morning, Elder Davis started feeling queasy after breakfast.

 The buffet was pretty but we had to really be choosy about what to eat.  Sister Davis ate chicken, turkey, and mashed potatoes and stayed away from anything with sauces. Salads were a pretty safe bet also. 

And the fresh breads that were cooked daily were so delicious, Sister Davis had to remember the scripture in Matthew that states, "Man shall not live by bread alone.... but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God";  (she still ate two slices with every meal). 

 Elder Davis just didn't feel well all day Tuesday, so for our afternoon break, he sat on the patio and just soaked up the warm sunshine.

He ended up skipping half the afternoon session in favor of a nap in our room. When Sister Davis went to check on him, he had a fever and stomach pain.  Oh, oh!  Sounds like a flu bug.

So Sister Davis took copious notes and shared them with her sick companion that night. 

One of the sessions was on the use of object lessons in teaching gospel principles. Elder Price is standing perfectly still while Elder Welty sticks clothespins all over his face and neck. The lesson? We often wait until until we are really hurting before we ask for help from the Lord.

Elder Davis felt better the last two days of training though we had a rain storm come through on Thursday. 

It was still a beautiful sight.

On Thursday morning, Elder Davis looked at Sister Davis and said, "What a way to spend out 37th wedding anniversary."  He was joking because we knew we would be spending the day sitting in a conference room.  But that evening, after a wonderful testimony meeting, we both said, "This was a wonderful way to spend our 37th wedding anniversary!" And, let's face it, how many other  times will Sister Davis get to spend an anniversary at a beautiful seaside resort in Kusadasi, Turkey? 

That's us celebrating our anniversary with other senior missionaries...those drinks are Mock-tails (as in fake cocktails)...non-alcoholic of course.

The next morning we had to be up at 3am, which meant we didn't get much sleep. We awoke to thunder, lightening and rain. The weather didn't get any better during the one and a half hour drive to Izmir. We had a 7AM flight but didn't know if it would be canceled due to the weather or not. By the time we boarded the plane, Elder Davis wasn't feeling well again.  He was miserable on the flight to Istanbul and since we had a two hour layover before our flight to Riga, we found our way to an airport pharmacy and got some medicine for him. 

On the other hand, Sister Davis was feeling fine and decided on having a slice of  pizza for lunch. Elder Davis closed his eyes, he couldn't bear the site of food.   By now, we were becoming quite familiar with the Ataturk Airport and Sister Davis found several fun souvenir  shops to browse in while Elder Davis took a nap in a nearby chair.

This guy was making Turkish ice cream.

Our flight was 25 minutes late and Elder Davis slept most of the way home to Riga. Poor guy.  We arrived in Riga at 3:30 and had to get off the plane on the tarmac and take a very crowded bus to the terminal. Wonder how many people Elder Davis infected with the flu bug on that short ride? 

Well, it couldn't be helped we had to get home. 

And, of course we still had to go through passport control in Riga.  We got in one line, the official took Sister Davis's passport, looked through it for a minute and then said she was in the wrong line.  So we moved to another line....by the time it was our turn again, another unsmiling official asked us why we were coming to Riga.  Now Sister Davis who has been up for 12 hours is getting a little testy...and is thinking, "Give me a break Mister! I've spent so much money in Latvia in the last 15 months that the American dollar is taking a nose-dive against the Lat, and you want to question WHY we are coming back into your country?"

Instead she politely said, "We are missionaries and we live in Riga."  Then he asked for her address in Riga.  She gave him the Baltic Mission address and our apartment address.  He seemed suspicious of it all; like why would anyone want to come into his country to live? 

Oh, brother! Sister Davis was ready to tell the official that she had changed her mind and no longer wanted to live in Riga, but that probably was what he was hoping for.   He finally stamped our passports and let us enter Latvia once again.  

But really Latvia, what are you so afraid of?  Most Latvians are leaving your country to find work elsewhere in Europe. You should be welcoming anyone who wants to come into your country with open arms!

As Time Goes By...

Elder And Sister Davis just celebrated the end of the 15th month of their mission in Riga, Latvia. Just three more months to go. We are looking forward to our departure and dreading it at the same time.  We love the people here that we have served in such a variety of ways. And all our new friends actually seem to want our help, they act like they need us, they tell us they love us; what a rewarding way to spend our time on earth. We truly love the people here and will shed tears of sorrow when we leave.

At the same time, we miss our family and know that they like to be with us, too.  

We have missed two Christmas's with family, lots of birthdays, a few crises and a family reunion. In fact, our oldest grandchild is having her second birthday without us (4 & 5 years) but still sent us an invitation (just to make sure she gets a present from Grandma). Don't worry Bailey, Grandma has the computer remind her whenever it's someones birthday..  

And what about BOB?

Bob is our faithful (but slightly mean) Chihuahua that was left behind 15 months ago. Okay, we brought a look alike on our mission but it isn't the same without the real Bob. The real Bob now has cataracts in both eyes and can't hear well but he can still bark and annoy you no end. 



Now, lest you think Sister Davis is getting "trunky" ( a missionary word for someone who wants to go home before the end of their mission), you can think again. Elder and Sister Davis want to make the most of the next three months.  We have three more Break-the-Fasts, lots more FHE's and Institute classes, a YSA mini-conference to host, lessons to teach, a week of CES Training, a wedding to help with, and we have plenty of time to make even more life-long friends. No, strike that! We are making ETERNAL FRIENDS.

And what good friends we have made here. Just this week at Institute, our most excellent friend Noemi, told us she was bringing treats to Institute. What she didn't tell us, was those treats were in honor of us. She had remembered that our anniversary was Feb. 7th but she knew that we would be out of town that week for CES training.  So she baked a cake for us to celebrate....but not just any cake! Last year on this very blog, Sister Davis posted a picture of     her favorite cake, a Black Forest Cake from Madonna Inn... and she made a cake that is nearly, the exact replica of a Madonna Inn Black Forest Cake.  AMAZING! 

We couldn't believe that someone would do something so nice for a couple of senior missionaries who have been married 37 years and still don't totally understand each other.

But that is the quality of people you meet on a mission.

Because of this mission, we see the world differently. We have learned about the history of Russia & the Baltic countries, about World War II and of course, the Holocaust.  We have learned  to better understand the strength and courage of the people here. We have come to appreciate how important the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is as it makes good people even better.  We see faithful members teaching classes,  helping the poor, raising righteous families and doing all sorts of good things in their respective countries.  We LOVE being missionaries here.

 What a dilemma for two senior missionaries who weren't really sure what they had gotten themselves into 15 months ago.  We can't stand the thought of leaving and can't bear to be away from family...thankfully, we still have three more months to serve our new friends and be the best missionaries we can be. 

And  Time Continues to Go By.....