Turkish Heal a Hurting Heart post traumatic stress childrens story book for children experiencing earthquakes

We felt a sudden large jolt followed quickly by more strong shaking that lasted a couple of minutes. The shaking was so violent that we were thrown from one side of the bedroom to the other, as we tried to get out of the house we even had difficulty standing up. Everything in the house was a mess, being tossed about crashing around us. Mum was in her pajamas and was scrambling to grab the emergency supplies and her slippers!

Suddenly there was a huge crash and the walls started to crumble. We all backed into the bedroom where Granny was on the bed. The noise was terrifying with the crashing of falling trees and roaring it sounded like a monster. We could hear the neighbors screaming. We slammed the bedroom door and all scrambled out of the window as the bedroom ceiling came crashing in, the last thing I saw was Uncle Cetin trying to pull Granny from the rubble. I couldn't bear it I held on to ‘Köpek yavrusu' and stuffed her inside my jacket and crawled outside.

I remember mum had reminded me to stay calm and, if necessary, help calm the people who are with me, it was only ‘Köpek yavrusu' and she was shaking. Mum had warned me to stay away from windows and from objects that could fall, such as loose electrical wires.

I couldn't see a thing all the streetlights had gone out those that were still standing. I remember mum warning me if I was on the road to move away from utility poles, cables, and high buildings. I was dazed and disoriented, I looked around and yelled mums name… Aylin, Aylin ... –which means ‘Moonlight' and now the dust had blackened out the very moon I had hoped would bring a little light on that dark night.

We scrambled out of the danger of the falling house. People were screaming and our next door neighbor's house was just a flattened pile of rubble. Cars were crushed by fallen trees and buildings Phone lines were down and electricity poles were all across the road with live wires sparking and swinging in the air. I stumbled along, looking around but I could not see Uncle or any of my family, I was lost! People still in their pajamas and bath towels, out in the street seeking refuge from their violently trembling homes. Entire three-story buildings were flattened to eye-level; a group of men were sifting through rubble and trying to remove debris to extract someone stuck underneath. My beloved home, ancient Antioch — a crossroads of civilizations and a modern tourist and religious pilgrimage destination in southern Turkey — we later learnt that it was one of the cities left most devastated by the Feb. 6 earthquake that killed tens of thousands in Turkey The earthquake and aftershocks wiped out monuments of world heritage and religion in the city, an early cradle of Christianity and significant in the Roman Empire. Historical sites throughout the region suffered all flattened.

I was shocked! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The Apostle Peter brought Christianity to ancient Antioch in the first few decades after Jesus' death. The New Testament says this city is where Christians were first called Christian.

The Orthodox Church in Antakya, the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox patriarchate until the 14th century, was totally destroyed in the quake — its façade now a jumble of iron and cement debris, all gone, lost forever.

Suddenly something hit my legs I fell over my head banged into something. I fell into the Orontes River. I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of the school on the river bank in Antakya, ‘Köpek yavrusu' put her foot in my mouth, that's all I remember!

I had a big lump on my head. And where was my 'Köpek yavrusu'? I called her and looked and looked. People were standing in the street just looking. Cars were smashed and crushed. Electricity poles were down and wires everywhere. I could not understand how I had got to the river bank it was nowhere near our home… or so I thought, I could hardly remember where I lived, I was muddled, then I thought I saw ‘Köpek yavrusu' down by the river and I went to look, but it was a bigger dog.

Whilst I was there on the river bank, which was strewn with broken wood and the remains of what was once someone's home a policeman in army uniform called to me. I asked him if he had seen my 'Köpek yavrusu'.

The Policeman took me to the Shelter and I expected to see my mother, Auntie Beren , Uncle Cetin and Granny.

He gave me to the nurse instead. She touched my head and said I had to go to the Hospital in Town. I thought maybe my mother was hurt and so I was going to see her. People were just sitting and staring. One lady was crying a lot. The Policeman said we would have to go to the Hospital by boat. Someone gave me a ‘Sam tatlisi' and I was very grateful because my tummy was rumbling.

On the way back to the bay we went past a crushed car and I heard a whimper. I saw a tail. I told the Policeman "wait a while" and looked under the car and there was 'Köpek yavrusu' wet and muddy but there......thanks God/

I picked her up and hugged her tight she was shivering. The Policeman said ‘Köpek yavrusu' could come too, at last something good had happened. As I looked around everywhere was a mess of rubble and mangled iron, we had lost everything, we had even lost our childhood memories.

Then the unthinkable happened and here we were experiencing another massive 7.7 earthquake at 13:24. I heard two ladies talking ‘ This is the largest earthquake to hit Turkey in over 80 years' one said Why is this happening to us one asked? I remember learning in school that Turkey is one of the world's most active earthquake zones because it is located in an area where three tectonic plates interact. I didn't fully understand but whatever these Tectonic plates were I wish they would go and interact somewhere else!

One old man had a radio pressed to his ear ‘ More than 300 aftershocks rumbled after the initial quakes, according to Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay. ' My eyes were popping out of my head the Policeman must have noticed and he told me I was a champion and not to focus on what I had been through I was to focus on where I was going in life – where ever that was – the Hospital right now, unless this boat sank! I remembered the story Auntie had told about floating in a bath tub after a flood and I was thankful that I was in a wooden boat speeding along with ‘Köpek yavrusu''s ears flying behind her!

I saw a helicopter coming over my head with a flag underneath, the Policeman said it was the United Nations flag and that it was stuck under the helicopter was so people would know who was helping. There was galvanized roof sheets everywhere from the roofs and cars were blocking the road. Some people seemed to be carrying a lot of shopping which was odd as the shops were mostly broken. I later realized this is all they had.

When we got to the Hospital there was a very angry looking nurse who was vexed and said that 'Köpek yavrusu' could not come inside Casualty! I was tired and sad. I wanted to see my Mummy and my Aunty and my Granny and Uncle Cetin. I said I did not want to stay there. The Policeman said it was OK and that he would hold 'Köpek yavrusu' for me whilst I went in with the Nurse. I thought I was going to see my family, I looked in the room but there was just a little girl crying, an old man who was very still and a very pregnant lady moaning. There was a young boy like me with blood running down his leg into the water on the floor making a horrible mess. The nurse took my temperature, and put a tight thing round my arm and then put a clothes peg on my finger. She said I had to see a doctor.

The doctor looked very tired. She said she had been there for 24 hours, all the way through the earthquake, but no one had come to relieve her. She said that I had " con cussion" or at least that is what it sounded like. She said I should go home and rest. I told her our home was gone and I did not know where my family members were. She called the policeman in and 'Köpek yavrusu' peed on the floor. You can imagine the nurse was not happy! Whilst the nurse was shouting and getting a lady to come with a mop the police whispered in the Doctors ear. Then the Doctor told me to go and sit outside on the chairs with 'Köpek yavrusu'.

After a long time when the Policeman came back with a bottle of Malt for me and a Kagit kebabi made from the beef ribs and served on top of Pide (Kana) bread. He told me that I was going on a big adventure. He also told me that they were looking for my Mum and Uncle Cetin and Auntie Beren and that very sadly they had found my Granny she was not alive any more. He told me that I had to go to a nice Big House and wait to see what would happen. I was worried in case the people at the Big House would not like dogs. I began to cry I thought I might lose ‘Köpek yavrusu' and I would be so lonely. I did not really understand what he said about Granny, “Crushed by a falling tree” how could she not be alive anymore? The Policeman told me that he would tell them at the Big House that ‘Köpek yavrusu' had to come as well.

I felt lost and lonely, totally abandoned, all I really had to call my own was ‘Köpek yavrusu'. I felt I just had to cheer ‘Köpek yavrusu' up so I told her a story my Granny once told me. It was about a Turkish Kangal dog called Alp , who officially recognized for his role in rescuing people during the tragedy years ago in another Natural Disaster this time a Flood. (I bet he would have done the same in the earthquake)

A mudslide forced Alp and his owner to leave their home and go to a safer place. They came across a young girl trapped by turbulent water. Alp guided the girl to shore by swimming at her side, then jumped back in to pull a second girl out of the water. He then helped eight children climb to high place and over time he saving 37 people from drowning, ranging from a girl of 8 years old to an elderly man of 80 years old. He was awarded the Medal "Honor The Value" and a certificate for the role he played. He was indeed heroic which is what his name ‘Alp' means He also received plaques and medals from private institutions and governments, international tributes.

I told ‘Köpek yavrusu' she deserved one of those Medals and one day I would give her one for sticking with me even in shaky times!

The policeman did me high five and gave me to a big soldier who made me do up my coat and put a helmet on me. He put ear plugs in my ears and a sort of life jacket on me, I held ‘Köpek yavrusu' very tight ly. Two soldiers pushed me up some big steps into the helicopter. I looked back and waved to the Policeman. Then they strapped me into a seat and they told me to tuck ‘Köpek yavrusu' in the seatbelt. A lady soldier told me this was a Wild Cat Helicopter. She was funny and blocked 'Köpek yavrusu' 's ears when she said “Wild cat” as she said dogs like to chase cats! She had a red cross on her shoulder and she said she was a nurse as well as a soldier. She said they were just giving me a ride to the Children's Home as the bridge on the way was gone and there was lots of rubbish blocking the road. I asked if my Mum would be there but it was too noisy I could not understand her answer, I started to feel very alone and scared, but I had to be brave.

When the helicopter landed, they undid all the straps and took off the lifejacket and I got out still clutching 'Köpek yavrusu' . It was further than I thought and I fell down. I felt stupid as there were loads of children watching from the steps of the big house. They seemed disappointed that it was just me and 'Köpek yavrusu', until behind me the soldiers brought out bottles of water and boxes of biscuits. "Come on Boy" said a Lady in an orange T shirt, “come away from that helicopter.” She took me into the kitchen with ‘Köpek yavrusu' and I heard the helicopter flying away. I never got to say goodbye to the nice Nurse Soldier Lady.

The Home was huge, t he earthquake had caused some serious cracking, so the girls were all in just two of the rooms. The home had a generator that was noisy but it was nice to have light. There was no TV or Internet as the earthquake had messed up everything. To save gas they just put the generator on from 6.00 -8.00pm then we went to bed and used flash lights or phones.

I asked if anyone knew where my family were. A younger staff member said she heard they were all crushed under a fallen wall and said “accept her sympathy, the Lord is with you boy, all these things will make you strong” I thought that must be a mistake and at that moment I felt rather weak not at all strong. I asked for my Dad but they said they heard that they were all gone. I did not think that could be right, dad was not with us at the big ‘ Meze party' he had been on the Pomegranate plantation .

The Lady in the orange T Shirt was called Miss Azize , she said 'Köpek yavrusu' had to live in the dog house under the building but that I could see her when I wanted. She gave me to a man called Mr. Berkan also in an orange T Shirt and he showed me where 'Köpek yavrusu' would stay. He even had dog food for her. He said their dog had got lost in the earthquake.

I was beginning to feel frustrated, trapped and hurt. Pain started to take over my feelings, I had to find someone to blame. I started getting angry it seemed a way of releasing energy, it was my little protest to the loss of my family, it just didn't make sense, it simple wasn't fair and I wanted to lash out and hurt someone.

Nurse came to talk to me she wanted to know how I was f eeling physically, I told her I felt drained and empty. I seem to be having difficulty making decisions or staying focused. I was becoming easily frustrated and ended up arguing more with people, I was feeling tired, sad, numb, lonely and worried. On top of that I was getting flashbacks, hallucinations, and nightmares , although sometimes I couldn't sleep. I seem to be easily startled, especially if there was a little tremor or loud noise I was always on guard, this was bad, I needed help.

Another problem was Mr. Berkan. He always looked at me as if I was in the way and said I should not hug ‘Köpek yavrusu' as I would get ‘Leap To Spring Osis'! And he told Aysun, my only friend, to stay away from me. I began to avoid him. Then one Monday he just did not come to work any longer! I was glad he was gone.

One day Aysun told me she had a secret to tell me. We sat under the house with 'Köpek yavrusu' and she told me........she told me Mr. Berkan had left because of her. He had been trying to get her to do bad things. He told her that he would get her ready to have a boyfriend. He had been trying to touch her under her panties. He told her if she did not do what he said he would kill 'Köpek yavrusu' . She said she ran straight away and told Miss Azize what he tried to do and the police came and took him away. She said Mr. Berkan was in the prison waiting for the court to decide on his punishment. I was so mad! How could he say he would hurt 'Köpek yavrusu' ! I was pleased he had left as I felt like doing him something something nasty!

Aysun said she knew what to do about Mr. Berkan's bad intentions towards her as it was not the first time. She said her mother's boyfriend had done something wrong to her before and she had told her Sunday School Teacher. She said that is why she was in the Home. As her mother did not believe her but the Sunday School teacher did.

She said the Sunday school teacher told her to "tell the truth and truth would set her free" and that she had prayed with her, then she got brave and when the Police came with the Welfare officer she told them all about it and they were sorting it all out.

Aysun said she knew that you should always run from people with bad intentions and tell someone. She said she knew now that some bad secrets should not be kept. She explained that “Good secrets” were like not telling about a surprise party or what was in a present. But “Bad secrets” were those where the person threatens you if you tell what they did and where they touch you. No one except your mum or the nurse should touch you where your underwear goes and then tell you not to tell anyone that is a bad secret to keep.

Aysun said that after that experience with her mother's boyfriend she had been different. She said her Sunday School Teacher had told her that God loved her and that it was not her fault. She said she had decided to serve Christ. I did not know what she meant but I did know I was pleased Mr. Berkan was gone. We all knew his name Berkan meant ‘he who is of strong blood,' he thought he was a big strong macho man but he was a creep touching by beloved Aysun in private parts, and she was a girl whose face is as beautiful as the moon. That's what her name means and I always told her she was my moonlight. (That of course was the meaning of my mum's name Aylin.)

Our Sunday School Teacher taught us that some secrets can be harmful and that no one should ask us to keep a bad secret. She let us know that some secrets can hurt someone and that we should tell our parents, guardians, teachers etc immediately. On the other hand if mum is planning a surprise birthday party for your brother, then that is a good secret and you must not share it and spoil the surprise.

She let us know that good secrets are temporary and will end in happiness. Bad secrets are permanent and can end in sadness.

They made us walk about a mile as the bus had been crushed by a tree falling on it. School was weird, no uniforms, no books, and , because the galvanized roof sheets had twisted off in the earthquake, we were in a tent. Tents are funny things. When the sun comes out they are hot, hot, hot and you have to roll up the sides. When it rains then you have to let the sides down again and be hot and sweaty again. Our tent had UNICEF written on it which meant that nice people from overseas sent it.

In the afternoon foreign workers came in blue T shirts they said they were our friends and they set up something called a Child Friendly Space where we played games. Their names were funny and if you did learn them then they left for good! So in the end we just called them "Miss" and "Sir"

I did not have any friends in the Home except for Aysun . She was 12 and was already at Secondary School so she did not come with me to the Tent School. She had lived in that Home for months before the Storm. She would sit with me under the house and pet 'Köpek yavrusu' and talk to me. I told her that I did not believe that my Mum and Aunt and Granny and Uncle Cetin could all be dead. Granny was old so I could believe that she had not made it but not the others. I had dreams that Mummy was calling me, and I would dream I was under the car covered in mud. (With Puppies paw in my mouth!)

The other children all seemed to know each other and the three in my room were all from the same village. They called me ‘Helicopter Boy” and would make helicopter noises every time I came in. One big boy said that he hated people from my village and that he would poison my dog as she wasn't a fierce breed like a ‘Kangal'.

He loved Kangals and so, after a while, that is what we called him, even the staff. "Kan" became his name. Everyone would have a job in the Home. Kan's was to take out the garbage to the bins. He always made me do it so that he would not hurt 'Köpek yavrusu' . He said he would tie a block round her neck and throw her in the sea. Sometimes I was very sad and lonely I would hide and cry quietly hugging ‘Köpek yavrusu' my only comfort.

I didn't do too well in the Tent School, my mind was easily distracted and I got muddled up at times and couldn't concentrate. I wish I could remember where I use to live, I guess it was that bump to my head!

They told us that getting us back to school is vital for our survival after natural disasters such as earthquakes. We learnt around 37 million children have their education disrupted each year because of environmental threats. The volunteers that came to help told us that children and young people may be unable to learn due to fear or trauma. The children showed signs similar to post-traumatic stress disorder following natural disasters, affecting academic performance. That was true I just did not seem to be able to concentrate, my brain was all ‘fuzzy' cloudy and confused.

And when I left school and got to the ‘Big House' some nights I would dream about my old home, ‘Köpek yavrusu' and I were playing by the river and dad was home for the week end, it was such a good dream, Dad would come and rescue me. But then I would wake up and realize I was all alone.

She told us that Jesus had a special power not to be afraid and not to hate people who hurt him. She told us that because Jesus loved us He died on the cross and wanted to help us to be friends with God and have power not to be afraid and not to hate people. She said we had to decide if to follow Jesus or go our own way and do our own thing. She said the way to become a Christian was to Repent and Believe in Jesus the Son of God.

I thought this sounded interesting I have always wanted special powers!!! Also I was very troubled about how much I hated Kan and Mr. Berkan too!

I knew God had saved my life and I really needed to be able to sleep in the storm. I decided to give my life to Christ and to be a Christian. I am not a great reader but the Bible Books had loads of pictures and the Sunday School Teacher said that God loved everyone whether they were top or bottom of the class, good or bad, pretty or ugly, that Jesus still died for them so they could " tell the truth and the truth would set them free"

She taught us about Noah who had survived a flood and how God had put the rainbow in the sky to give us all hope that He would never destroy the earth by flood again. I liked that story because I had seen a big rainbow when I woke up under the car that awful day of the earthquake.

Kan somehow heard that I had put my hand up when the Sunday School Teacher prayed. He straight away said I was a Bible bashing Christian. He said Christians were selfish, only helped their own church people and taking people's money. He said he would kill 'Köpek yavrusu' then I could pray for him to be raised from the dead. I felt myself getting red I just wanted to punch Kan on the nose! That night I remember the boys in my room were especially tormenting with their helicopter noises and saying that nobody wanted to be friends with Helicopter Boy.

I pulled the sheet over my head and asked God to switch on those magic powers as right now all I could think about was all the bad things I wanted to do to those guys.

It started to rain and the littlest boy started to cry but I went sound asleep I dreamt about Noah in the Ark and God sending the rainbow I dreamt about Paul and Silas escaping prison following the earthquake and all of a sudden I felt so lost and lonely all I really had to call my own was ‘Köpek yavrusu', she made me smile, but then I remembered I could call on my new friend Jesus. I had given my heart and my life to Him and I was following Him, He promised He would never leave me or forsake me and I was holding onto that Word He was now my BEST friend.

I was excited about meeting the Sunday School teacher next week and learning more about this life with Jesus.

But then I learnt in Sunday School that one day the caterpillar spun a cocoon about himself and stays there for several weeks. Just hanging upside down, occasionally twitching, who would imagine that anything good was happening. But it was like the caterpillar was being born again and when it comes out, it is no longer a caterpillar, it has been miraculously changed into a beautiful butterfly, it was a new creation.

But it took time, it was like the caterpillar died in the chrysalis or cocoon and eventually the butterfly emerged but it was a struggle.

One day ‘Köpek yavrusu' and I were in the field next to the Children's Home and we saw a chrysalis hanging from a twig, it started twitching and cracking open. We watched as the butterfly struggled to get out. It made me think of all the struggling I had endured over the time since the terrible earthquakes that had destroyed our beautiful city. I later learnt that a butterfly must struggle out of its chrysalis to start the blood to flow into its wings to make it strong and able to fly. It must do this to complete its life cycle into a butterfly. I felt I wanted to help the struggling butterfly but by assisting the butterfly and helping it to free itself, I would never let it fully develop and fulfill its destiny. I would actually be hindering it and prevented it from becoming who it was meant to be. What God showed me was that what He does, sometimes in our lives, is to allow the struggle, the hurt, the process because we must fight to become fully who we are meant to be.

If He stepped in to help during the most crucial part in our lives, we would never become who we were made to be. As I pondered this thought out came the butterfly, flying away … with ‘Köpek yavrusu' in the chase, she chased that butterfly all around the field until she eventually fell into the ditch which was filled with muddy water, you should have seen her she changed from a white ‘Köpek yavrusu' to a brown dog! "That's it ‘Köpek yavrusu' you are going to have a bath even you will become a new creation!"

Optional:Download 'And Puppy' Turkish Bible Verse

2 KORINTOSLULARA 5: 17

Bir kimse Mesih'teyse, yeni yaratiktir; eski seyler geçmis, her sey yeni olmustur.

When we invite Jesus to come into our heart, we become a new creation. God doesn't just clean us up, He makes us into a new person.

So now when I find myself in a huge struggle or fight I can have hope. I now understand that this could be in the most important part of my life that will make me into who I am destined to be. I know that Jesus is with me and what I am to become is so great that all I have been through and am going though will pave the way for what I am to become…. strong, free, and soaring high with beautiful, colorful butterfly wings to carry me onto the next adventure of life with ‘Köpek yavrusu'.

I just have to learn how to say ‘I'm sorry' it just doesn't seem to come naturally, Kan has made my life a misery and I have been mean to him as well. How do I say I'm sorry? These were the questions I was asking myself, Aysun and our Sunday School Teacher. She told me that sincere apologies can lead to forgiveness, which takes the sting out of hurts. I knew this was necessary in a happy, healthy life. But I had to learn how to say I'm sorry, how to apologies and really mean it even to someone like Kan, because up until now I was glad I had punched him on the nose. Then I learnt the “three Rs” in a successful apology :

3) Recompense: This is when you try to make amends, which is not always possible, but always worth a try.

I knew "I'm sorry" means nothing unless it comes from a repentant heart. So I first had to ask God to forgive me for being so nasty to Kan.

So I had no choice but to go and find Kan and tell him how sorry I was for punching him in the nose. “I'm sorry Kan. I blew it. I was wrong, please forgive me Kan." Guess what Kan put his hand out and we shook hands, it was the beginning of the healing that was so needed

I began to realize the purpose of an apology is to seek reconciliation and restoration with someone we've hurt or have wronged. By sincerely asking for forgiveness we take an essential step in mending a rupture, however small, in our relationship with another person. Even if we know the other person will forgive us, it is important we ask them directly.

A prime example from the Bible is when Joseph's brothers asked him to forgive the evil they had done to him by selling him into slavery (Genesis 50:17). Although Joseph knew God had used their evil to bring about good, their acknowledgement helped restore the broken relationship in their family.

I felt better after unpacking all those super powers but I was still lonely...... That night I dreamed of my Dad. He was looking for me in the mud, and all the nightmares and fears of that terrible night came flooding back, but then, in my dream Jesus came walking into my room and turned on the light and I wasn't afraid any more and Jesus took my hand and led me outside. There was dad and he and I and ‘Köpek yavrusu' started playing on a lovely green lawn outside of a beautiful new house, it was a good dream and I woke up feeling good inside.

Miss Azize and the other adults in orange T shirts were always asking me what I remembered about where I came from. I told them my name and my village and my Mum's name was Aylin. I told them my Dad was Deniz. That is why I was called Ay-din.

They told me that the Police said that they did not find my Mum and that the house was destroyed in the earthquake. I kept hoping it wasn't true. They said they would try to find my Dad.

Then one day Miss Azize came into school and said I had to come ‘now, now, now!' I was worried that maybe something had happened to ‘Köpek yavrusu' or that she had escaped and chewed up someone's shoes. It would not be the first time. She said no, I had a visitor. I went into the office and there was a very dirty tired looking man with a beard. It was ......my Dad.....He held his arms out and we just hugged and hugged. He said he was sorry, that he had only just found out he had loss his entire family. He had walked for days to get from the Plantation to our town. He said that people said that the whole family were lost. Then he met that Policeman from the first day and he told him I was alive and in the Home. As I listened, I realised that it was true my Mum was actually gone, and Auntie Beren and Uncle Cetin, I cried and cried and cried and then Miss Azize suggested I take my Dad to meet ‘Köpek yavrusu'.

Dad told me that he had been so sad when he thought that I was dead and that seeing me today was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He told me that he was so sorry that he had not come before. He asked me to forgive him for not being there. Dad said our lives may have taken some strange twists and turns but the One who holds our tomorrows is still in control.

It kind of reminded me of the story of Joseph in the Bible. It is hard to imagine the great anticipation of joy that was in both Jacob's and Joseph's heart at being reunited. This reunion took place in the land of Goshen, where Jacob's family of seventy people will live. When Joseph saw his father Jacob, he fell on his neck and wept for a long time (Genesis 46:29). After being separated for over 27 years, they were reunited and never separated again until Jacob's death. Jacob and Joseph spent the remaining years of Jacob's life in peace, prosperity, joy, and happiness.

What a wonderful end of life Jacob experienced. God caused both Jacob and Joseph to become very happy men. God's divine plan promoted their joyous reunion. God loves to display His grace, goodness, and care toward His people. He does this through the wonderful plan He has for every believer. This truth is clearly seen in the lives of Joseph and Jacob.

Dad said that he had asked God to help him find me and now that he had, we would serve God together for the rest of our lives. "Ve Köpek yavrusu'”

Dad and I, along with ‘Köpek yavrusu', moved back into the country side, it was where we were from, it's where ‘we belong' Dad told me.

Dad started planting vegetables and keeping fish, goats and even rabbits to eat and distribute among the community. He taught me about Moringa and we planted it all around our property and all the animals ate it and were very healthy. We even drank the tea and began to feel stronger and healthier, dad showed me how you can purify water using Moringa.

Sometimes we would all go down to the river to play. Those times I felt most at peace, ‘Köpek yavrusu' would splash around at the edge and try to pick up rocks from the river bed, when she did bubbles would come out of her nose! It looked so funny I would laugh at her.

Dad taught me how to swim in the river, I loved those times with Dad, I told him he had a good name ‘Deniz' meaning sea of happiness maybe it should have been river of happiness. Dad always made me feel special and it almost made up for not having mum around. I began to realize how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

I continued to go to Sunday School and I learnt more about peace. This was a whole new experience for me. I learnt that Jesus wanted to give us a gift.

But sometimes at the end of the day, when it was time to turn out the lantern, we still did not have electricity, and go to bed, I wanted to know that I was not alone in the darkness. That is where my Teddy Bear came to the rescue.

Dad gave me Teddy the day we were united at the Big House and at night Teddy was never very far away. Somehow, the darkness was not so frightening with "Teddy" in the bed with me, and ‘Köpek yavrusu' sleeping at the foot of the bed in her ‘special bed' that Dad had built for her.

Our Sunday School teacher told us if we want to know peace, we can only know that peace when we know Jesus, the Prince of Peace. If we don't know Jesus, we can have no peace.

That is how I was at the Big House before Jesus became my best friend and gave me that super power to forgive Kan and even that nasty man that threatened to kill ‘Köpek yavrusu' and did nasty things to my friend Aysun. I had no peace - only fear, bitterness, anger and loneliness but those days are now way behind me. In another life it seems. I had forgiven those people, it made sense to because not forgiving them is like drinking Poison yourself and expecting it to kill someone else!

I have moved on, now I have my Dad and my Heavenly Daddy and ‘Köpek yavrusu', what more could a boy ask for!

As time went by the crops started to grow again, the sultan grape, Kirkagac melon, olives, figs, cherries, black mulberry all started to sprout. There was a new sense of hope. Dad said that I was growing up, I was very pleased, I pushed out my chest out and stuck my chin up and went on tip toe to put on a few inches. I was now his big boy.

One day I noticed that ‘Köpek yavrusu' was growing up as well in fact she was getting very fat!

I didn't understand why until she started to pull leaves together and she found some rags in the shed and it seemed she was making a bed for herself under the house. Then she lay down and I sat down and watched as she gave birth to three beautiful little puppies. They were perfect except their eyes were shut, but Dad explained they were born that way and very soon he was right they opened their eyes and saw me for the first time.

What fabulous days we had ‘Köpek yavrusu' and I playing with her new puppies, I just knew I could never be happier than I was those days. ‘Köpek yavrusu' always watched over her puppies, she would pick them up and bring back into the shelter if they wondered off and that is when I began to think that my Heavenly Daddy knows everything that I go through.

There is nothing that happens to me that He doesn't know about. Just like ‘Köpek yavrusu' He is watching over me. When I felt lonely and totally abandoned at the Big House, when everything seems hopeless, I began to realize that even then God knows and God cares.

And if I wonder off track a bit, He comes after me just like ‘Köpek yavrusu' rounds up her puppies so my Heavenly Daddy comes after me, gives me a big hug and brings me back into the pack.

I was happy the sun was shining and the birds were singing and a little sparrow came hopping up to look at ‘Köpek yavrusu''s puppies.

Then it all came flooding back, the smell of Pide baking in the hot clay oven and Granny pottered around the kitchen in our old house that the earthquake destroyed, and I can hear her now, singing at the top of her old crackly voice a song the Missionaries had taught her...

“Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come? Why should my heart feel lonely, and long for heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion, a constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me. His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free! His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me.”

And I wept with joy, I knew my hurting heart was healed and for the first time since that dreadful night I sang that ol' ol' song “I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free! His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow; and I know He watches me.”