The Prophetic Dream

Hallelujah!

We were in a very dry place, the Pastor Roberto and I.  Pastor Roberto is my Pastor from Costa Rica and he holds a strategic position in my spiritual life.

In this dream we were climbing a mountainous road in a bus. In fact we were driving an otherwise empty bus. The land was desolate. There was no life to speak of whatsoever –  not a blade of grass nor any color. We were on a task.

The bus represented the ministry and climbing up represented moving higher in the spirit.

We were taking instructions to distribute seeds everywhere… randomly the seeds were actually flying off  from the top of the bus. I remember thinking there were tons of seeds. We knew the seeds were coming from Jesus and that they were His.

Our instructions were clear, we were to “Continue until the seeds run out.”

We were climbing this parched land on a dirt road following instructions.

By the time the seeds ran out we hadn’t reached the top of the mountain but we were very far up. We got out of the bus and started looking around.

There were huge trees up-rooted all around. It certainly appeared like most had been that way for some time since they were decomposed and falling apart. There was no life what so ever anywhere to be seen. Nothing green. No color at all. We were high on a mountain of total desolation.

The distant mountains were barren as well. I started taking surreal photographs for my “Smyrna Tree” blog of a fallen tree on the side of the road. Its roots were exposed and rotted.  As I was trying to get the perfect picture, I noticed there was a young man coming from the top of the mountain. He was very well dressed in a suit and wore a big smile. He walked with a bounce of joy.

The pastor and I stopped and waited to see what was going to happen next.

Who on earth could this be? The young man walked right up to us. It was as though he knew who we were. To our amazement he said,  “I have a word from the Lord for you.” That was like the farthest thing from my mind. It came as a shock.  You can imagine our excitement and curiosity. My thought was,

   ”How does he even know we are Christians?”

With our eyes wide opened, our ears perked to hear the word.

 “Nothing is impossible with God” he said.

I am telling you a dream I had but I have to admit, it was not an ordinary dream.

Can you imagine the joy? This was the word spoken to us from the LORD? To think this dry and thirsty land was going to bloom again one day?  To think we walk by faith in an awesome Savior and not by the sight of the dying day.

And at that moment we started praising the living God lifting our heart and hands in worship and adoration singing, “Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”

My Grandfather’s Prayer

grandparents. legacy

 

Who is so low that I am not his brother?

Who is so high that I’ve no path to him?

Who is so poor I may not feel his hunger?

Who is so rich I may not pity him?

Who is so hurt I may not know his heartache?

Who sings for joy my heart may never share?

Who in God’s heaven has passed beyond my vision?

Who to hell’s depths where I may never fare?

May none, then, call on me for understanding,

May none, then, turn to me for help in pain,

And drain alone their bitter cup of sorrow,

Or find they knock upon my heart in vain.

By S. Ralph Harlow

Aslan Travels

Aslan Travels is my post about living in Turkey today. It is about traveling and being with Aslan.

This picture above is my card. On this page I will explain its symbolism.

On the upper left there is a painting of a lion.

The sky line silhouette both the Blue Mosque and to the right the Hagia Sophia.

The Menorah is the candle stick on the far right of the card.

There are 7 stars above the Menorah.

The fishing boat drifts in the dawn under the bridge or circle of time.

Why the lion?

This lion is also on the cover of the book, “Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S.Lewis and  illustrated  by my beloved friend Debbie Maze.  Aslan means Lion in Turkish.  C. S. Lewis wrote about the Kingdom of God and used the lion named Aslan to represent Christ. Aslan travels to me means that the Lord is on the move and where the Spirit of the Lord is,  there is liberty!

The Blue Mosque is a large Muslim place of worship. It was built in the early 1600’s almost 200 years into the Ottoman Empire whose headquarters were in Constantinople, or present day Istanbul.

The Hagia Sophia’s full name in Greek is Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, “The place of the Holy Wisdom of God.”  It was construction in 537 and was a Church all away up until 1453 when it became a mosque with the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Now it is a museum.

It is a spectacular experience to visit the Hagia Sophia and I will share more in proceeding posts so you will all want to come and soak in its majesty. If you can’t make it here physically  maybe I can fulfil a dream or two by taking you on a written journey. ( with pictures )Continue reading

A Look into Turkey

turkish-

This DVD was made by our dear brother and friend, David Blose. See if you can see Ismail and me woven throughout this visual experience. It is such a beautiful example of the sights, sounds and essence of our lives here in Turkey.
This is just a 9 minute clip of a more extensive DVD.
For purchase or donation, this treasure is available to your churches and families coming to or praying for the people here in this nation. The workers need prayer to be attentive. The hearts need prayer to be open.

 

In His grace,
Susanna Omaç
susannao@mac.com
This is from the film maker, David Blose:
The 2-DVD Turkiye DVD music video portrays the people, culture, sites and sounds of Western Turkey.
Historical sites, natural wonders, bazaars, food, markets, people . . . this is a unique video designed
to bring the experience of Turkey to the viewer. Over 100 minutes long, it is a very fast paced
and engaging film. See the chapter list below of the locations covered.

The Turkiye DVD has been featured in Turkfest in Seattle, the Kansas City Turkish-American Association Symposium, MerhabaTurkey.com, and on local television in the Washington D.C. area. BBC-Turkey reviewed the DVD:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish/fooc/story/2007/04/070403_foocnewyork.shtml
The DVD is highly recommended by Honorary Turkish Counsel Emru Erten.

The 2-Disk Turkiye DVD is $25.00 (includes S&H)
I can accept payment by check, money order, or paypal (davidblose@mac.com).
Turkiye DVD Chapters:
Istanbul

Anthem-Ankara
National Anthem
Ankara
Gordian
Kastamonu/Black Sea
Safranbolu

Kutahya
Kutahya
Aizanoi (Cavdarhisar)

Troy-Bergama
Troy
Assos
Ayvalik
Bergama
Carpets & Kilims

Foca
Foca
Kyme

Izmir
Menemen/Izmir Bay
Izmir
Izmir Evening

Fanatik

Beads & Markets
Bead Making
Sardis
Afyon
Markets (Izmir)

Cesme-Kusadasi
Leaving Izmir
Cesme/Alacata/Myonnessos
Claros/Selcuk
Meryemana (Mary’s House)
Efes (Ephesus)/Sirince
Kusadasi

Magnesia-Alinda
Magnesia/Priene/Milet (Miletus)
Didim/Bafa Golu/Euromos
Iasos/Labranda/Alinda

Bodrum – Demre
Bodrum/Datca

The box called “LETTERS”

We were sitting together at our summer home in Massachusetts when Linda, my cousin, presented an old box to me. She explained that she had found this box called “LETTERS” in her mother’s attic after her mother, my dear Aunt Betty, had died.  Betty is the baby girl laughing on her father’s lap in the collage above. The box was left to his daughter, Betty, but she did not open it.

How “LETTERS”  had remained untouched and unopened all those years is part of the mystery, like a sleeping tree. How do hearts hide so many untold memories? Painful pieces were buried far below the surface of the unspoken past. With time all could have been forgotten. One would even have called what was as though it were not. Betty died and left its untold secret behind. But because of God’s love he found a way to get the “LETTERS” into hands that care. These stories and pictures, articles and inspirational writings are now being shared. Like  treasures found under the sea, we are delving into history.

In “LETTERS” the legacy and vision of our grandfather, S. Ralph Harlow, is brought to life along with another story. Taken from its very heartbeat where the Reverend  S. Ralph Harlow lived from 1912-1922 with his family lies a piece of the history of Smyrna.  The picture of the clock tower, which still stands tall on the NATO Allied land Command Base today, was taken when the base was the International College. In fact, this picture of S. Ralph and his daughter Betty was taken when the College was in full swing hosting International Student Conferences. The town was called Paradise. I will be explaining who is in these pictures in the future.

 

In these next posts I will be opening the “LETTERS” one by one for all to read and view. My prayer is that they impact you as they do me and their legacy will help to regrow the Smyrna tree.