St. Louis -> Ankara

Excitement is in the air.

In just 24 hours, two very special people will board a plane in St. Louis, MO and fly here to Ankara, Turkey.

One of these people, Pastor C., has been our spiritual shepherd since we got married. He led us through pre-marital counseling, baptized our children (he was with us via SKYPE for Noah's baptism), and remains a sounding board for godly wisdom for us even now as we live thousands of miles away. The last time I saw him he asked me two honest questions that I really appreciated. He asked, "One, how is your walk with the Lord? And two, how is your marriage?" He cares so well for his flock.

The other special person, Mike, is a hero to the Sommermeyer family. He is a plumber by trade and has come to our rescue many, many times: like once, when our Do-It-Yourself bathroom installation went seriously wrong and sewage started filling our basement. Or like the time that our renters in St. Louis called and said that all of our appliances were going haywire and needed to be looked at. If you look up the term "servant's heart" in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure you'll see Mike's head shot next to it. He's a great friend. Plus he makes really good home-brewed beer.

So, what is the common denominator between a pastor, a plumber, a physical therapist, and a stay-at-home mom? Our love for Jesus and our desire to worship Him. We consider these guys "brothers" and we're so looking forward to talking with them, praying with them, relaxing with them, and introducing them to our life in a foreign land.