The final return to Syria

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We have returned to Aleppo for the last time, following a wonderful holiday in Turkey. We travelled around, visiting Cappadocia, the Turquoise coast, Pamukkale, Ephesus and one last day in Istanbul. The sea is amazingly turquoise (as the name suggests), and while it was not all beachy, there were plenty of lovely viewpoints.



Also, seeing Ephesus was really interesting, having heard and read about it from the perspective of Paul and the Bible, and also through a couple of my favourite novels, parts of which are set in first century Ephesus. Seeing the amphitheatre, and the market place, and the areas where scholars would have stood and argued brought it all to life! It is also special to re-read parts of the Bible again imagining what the places looked like and felt like. You can imagine the bustle of the crowds, the well-worn stones underfoot, the sunshine overhead and the view of nearby hills. 

Ephesus

The break from work was appreciated, as was entering into a new headspace for a couple of weeks. I felt completely different driving back into Aleppo from the time 3 weeks previous we drove out of Aleppo - instead of feeling stressed and uneasy, I felt relaxed. The wondrous tonic of a holiday! 

And now Steve and I are back in Aleppo for our final 'rotation' of 9 weeks taking us through to mid-July. It has been good to get back to friends and colleagues at the office, and it feels nice to be back in our temporary home in Al-Shahba. The inevitable post-holiday list of how life will be filled with health and positivity has begun! 

We are in an interesting season with Medair's funding falling way short of the post-earthquake surge last year. This means a cut in staffing and uncertainty as to the future of Medair working in Syria. There is an undercurrent of anxiety around the office as colleagues discover whether they have a new contract in July, or if their role will end in June. And a general decrease in programme activity does not help - when you are busy and distracted, it is much better than facing a challenge during a lull. However, within this kind of work, jobs are often short-term and most of the staff have worked for various organisations side-stepping from one to another. 

We are also entering the job hunt as we think about coming back home. I've started applications for roles in line with what has been discovered during my sessions with Think Forward career coaching, and really hope to make some headway with a job that will be a good fit. Steve is planning on taking several weeks off before thinking about a new job. We are grateful to have a little wiggle room as we transition back to life in Nottingham, and really appreciate all of the provisions that God has already made to us - it is not the same everywhere, and I never want to take it for granted.

 

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