I asked the participants to give me feedback in two ways:
 | The trip was excellent in every way. Definitely continue the morning Bible studies in the same format. I think we did just the right amount of "group bonding" sessions. It was a grand experience. I think having the large comfortable bus made a lot of difference & you should definitely repeat on that. It goes without saying that you should try for the same guide & driver next time as well. Also be sure to arrange for great weather again. |
| I can’t believe how much we packed into those two weeks! As we didn’t know what to expect, we couldn’t/wouldn’t change anything we did [that was changeable]. And we thought Mehmet an excellent guide—great administrator of details, knowlegable—a pro. Therefore we prefer to make suggestions for another trip. |
| We loved the morning Bible Study, and would like for it to be an hour each day on another trip. |
| The trip was the best I've had. I miss the group, the warmer weather, and the Turkish people. |
| I think I told you on the plane that I really appreciated having the Bible Study before we struck out each morning. It set the tone of the day. I also liked going to the churches. Both things should be kept! |
| The trip was a great experience and you are a good leader. I’m grateful that I was able to take advantage of the opportunity. Thank you for making it available to those of us beyond the pale. |
| Overall arrangements/coordination/transportation/accommodations |
| Bible study and prayers |
| Individual maps |
| Shared daily journals - the 3 paragraphs |
| The use of the bus as a classroom and arena for singing, being read to, limericks and general merriment |
| The comfortable bus |
| The flexibility to take advantage of unplanned opportunities - I. e stopping for the sheep walking down the road |
| Lead by the Iman praying in the little Mosque outside the Basilica of St. John. |
| I have one suggestion and one thought. First the suggestion; keep the day
of rest a full day of rest. So much happens on each day that ones brain does
not have time to absorb all of it. A full day of rest in the middle truly
allows one to catch up with oneself so that one is ready and prepared for
the next week of new sites. By the end of the second week I found that I
wasn’t absorbing as much at each site because my brain was truly on
overload. I couldn’t appreciate the last couple of days as much as I did
earlier days. Second, my thought: there are some sites where one has to be allowed to just absorb the atmosphere of the location to truly appreciate it. Our days were so full of travel time and trying to fit so much into one day that sometimes I wasn’t able to just be in a place and absorb its atmosphere and meaning. Of course, being as tired as I was on some days it is debatable whether or not this truly would have helped at all. But sometimes I felt like we were rushed through the sites so that we could get onto the next one. I would have liked more time in Ephesus, St. Sophia, Pergamum, Troas on the beach, Seleucia, to name a few. There wasn’t time to allow myself to truly let my emotions absorb the sites because it just felt like there wasn’t time. So I’d look at them, make sure I saw everything and move on. I find I have to take the time now and purposefully reflect on them in order to absorb all that was there. And maybe these types of tours aren’t meant to be absorbed on the sites but later. I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to have seen less, but sometimes I would have liked to absorb things at a slower intake pace! |
| The only change I would suggest, on future trips, would be to delete Thyateria. It was a lot of extra driving for a site of relatively peripheral interest. The extra down time would have been nice. Personally I thought there was an overemphasis on shopping for my own tastes but I know that a lot of other people like it. Also, be more explicit up front that lunches are not included in the cost; somehow several of us missed that. |
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| I honestly can't think of anything that would make it better! It was wonderful, and part of me is still in Turkey! |
| This was my first experience with group travel and I didn’t think about it too much in advance, only to reassure myself that people at bts generally weren’t too jesus-y and therefore the odor of sanctity would probably not overwhelm me. In this I was not wrong. However an explicit statement that this trip would be organized as a 24/14 course, with everyone’s full participation expected, would have been helpful. |
| Generally speaking, I would have preferred more free time, especially in Istanbul. I know I was not alone in finding the added attractions of the last morning to be distractions. We could have visited Sophia and Topkapi first, leaving the afternoon open for personal agendas. |
| Suggested readings prior to the trip -- not simply Biblical/history but also a works of fiction that are set in Turkey - i.e., Settle's National Book Award for Fiction Blood Ties. |
| Reduce the time spent outside a site/building describing what we will see/experience once we are inside. |
| An agreed on time limit for all talks - including Mehmets |
| Particularly in a city, a slight increase in nonstructural time thus allowing experiences of the present day Turkey |
| On the days when the schedule is especially tight, the advanced ordered food at lunch was fast, tasty and restful. |
| Revisit whether or not to drive up the hill to the Daphne site overlooking Antakya |