Dear Grandchildren,
The news is out, of course, that our YVs have gone off to Europe to ride out the uncertain days that have come upon the people of Turkey. To some, the move seems a bit late because, in their view, events have now calmed down. But the Missionary Department is rarely wrong in its collective judgment and, I suspect, the temporary transfer will bear fruit in an interesting, unforeseen way. I notice on the Berlin blog that one of our YVs is paired with a YV who hails from Turkey. Hmmmm. Several million Turks reside in Germany.
After the zone conference and after the goodbyes last week, we senior couples who are assigned to Turkey sat down with the MP and Sister MP for a discussion about how we can best help keep the YVs’ investigators toasty and how to reach out the warm hand of fellowship to members (in our case, it is Turkish-speaking investigators and members). In the end, the MP said that he wants us engaged in regular outreach to these people. Now I wish that I could speak some real Turkish, not just an array of greetings and simple expressions. Among other things, this will mean that Grandma and I get on buses three times per month to go to visit members in distant places. We may as well start when the weather is hot so that we know how to reach those places when the weather is stormy and cold.
While in Istanbul last week, we took an excursion with the two senior couples who serve there. We first went to lunch in a Mexican place owned and operated by Turks. Then, with the help of one SV's map app, we hopped on a bus and rode down to the shore of the Bosphorus to go for an hour's ride on the water, going from one side of this wide waterway to the other, and back. Then things got interesting. Our friend with the app looked up a castle that we wanted to visit. He said that his map showed two stops on the bus and a small hike up the hill. We went two stops, jaywalked across the busy street, and headed up a narrow street to what was to be the castle. Well, a long way up the hill, we all decided that we had gone too far. So he stopped three teen-age girls and asked about the castle. One spoke passable English and she said that we had not gone far enough on the bus. We needed to go two more stops and then walk and finally go into the castle grounds. Down the hill we loped, crossed the busy street again, went to what we thought was the bus stop (this one was not marked), and waited. And waited. Perhaps a half hour later, a packed bus came along and stopped a hundred yards from where we were standing. Hustle, hustle. I have not run like that in a very long time. Two more stops, then off, and back across the street. Walk, walk, walk along a narrow sidewalk. Finally we came around a bend and there stood the gate, looming above us. Locked. It was Wednesday and the castle is closed on Wednesdays. All the luck. So we stopped in a nearby restaurant for a potty stop, bought a few water bottles, and headed for the next bus stop. After seven stops on another packed bus, our treats for ourselves were waffles covered in a sweet glaze and topped with fruits. By the time we got back to the MP's villa, traveling by bus once again, we were worn out. But it was an adventure, with no ill after effects, I am happy to say.
The news is also out that Marinn won the pageant "Miss Uintah Basin." What an honor! And what a night for her! Our warm congratulations to you from all of us who could not be there to witness your triumphant evening. It is wonderful that you have now won twice and, on lesser nights, kept the pressure on the one who did win.
The absence of our YVs, I am sure, had a measurable impact on our ability to include people by Skype in a normal way for our sacrament meeting this morning. For help, I asked our most skilled YV to write out instructions about how to make our devices into helpful instruments for Skyping. He wrote them and I was satisfied. But when push came to, well, shove this morning, I had questions galore. For the life of me, I could not get my iPhone to work as a microphone, as he and his companion had done. I went through each step as he outlined. But it did not work out the same. Drat. Double drat. Then we had Grandma’s iPad in hand as a backup. She could not get it to function properly, using the wifi from the hotel. And I am sure that we were connected to one sister on her mobile phone with only audio. She could not see us. Etc., etc. Obviously, we need to get better at this process. Or something.
When all was said and done, we were sixteen in our services, eight in the hotel room and eight on Skype. Fortunately, two of our young single adults, who are biological sisters, can help with translation into Turkish. And they did. I feel bad that we have no way to keep the Farsi speakers on a plane of understanding. They join us by Skype, speak only a little Turkish, and even less English. So the whole service, I am sure, comes at them like an impenetrable wall. But they faithfully join us each week by Skype. We shall see them in a few days and hold a sacrament meeting with them, allowing a couple of brothers who hold the priesthood to bless and pass the sacrament. I shall like that.
I love you and pray for you all.
Grandpa Brown
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