Dear Grandchildren,
The other SV couples who serve in Central Eurasia usually see the YVs who serve in their areas about once or twice per week, usually for a meal, or a lesson with an investigator or two. In our case, well, it is more like ten or a dozen times per week. Or more. Last week there were fifteen meetings in our apartment. One pair working with Farsi speakers would like three evenings per week for two Skype lessons each evening. You see, the Farsi speakers who are talking to each other about the Church, and enthusing one another, live about 250 miles from here. And that means lessons by Skype. The YVs are trying to take things slowly. But even in slow motion, the demand even for a reduced number of lessons almost exceeds their capacity to keep up. And our capacity too. We have set the six o’clock hour as our dinner hour. And our YVs are being good about respecting our wishes.
That said, twice this past week we found two pair in our apartment at the same time because we scheduled one on top of the other. Once, I was working on the Church’s record system (MLS) with the YV who serves as our branch clerk. His companion was studying. Then another pair showed up for a Skype session with an investigator. So one pair was in our living room with me and we sent the other two into our bedroom. In a second instance, I had written on our calendar the meeting of one pair but not the meeting of the other pair. So they came within a few minutes of each other. Talk about bad timing! Again, one went into the living room with a laptop and the other went into our bedroom with the iPad. Only one evening during the past week was clear of meetings or gatherings of some sort. That would be Monday. But the perceived inconvenience to us is working wonders in the lives of those on the receiving end of the YVs’ lessons.
Several months ago I wrote to the family organization of the man who ordained me a high priest, Jesse Stay. Graciously, a granddaughter wrote back. With her help, a member of the family sent to me the priesthood lineage of this man. Then I learned that I could write to church headquarters for my priesthood lineage, knowing Brother Stay’s full name. So I did. I received the document within two weeks, as I recall. Because I have been the one who ordained two of our new converts to the Aaronic Priesthood, I have been happy to hand to each of these brethren my priesthood lineage, which is now their priesthood lineage. It was a rewarding moment for me to share that piece of paper with the two of them.
We did not touch our record for attendance today (33 on December 11, 2016). But we were close. 30 people were with us, 20 in the hotel room and 10 joining by Skype for our Fast and Testimony meeting. From those who bore testimony and participated in our services, we heard five languages — Turkish, Farsi, German, Russian, and English. (The closing prayer was in Russian.) The whole of our Fast Meeting was conducted in Turkish, with English translation for the few who don’t speak the language of the country. That is as it should be. Heading in the direction of Turkish only in our services, with a courteous translation into English when needed. It is working wonderfully for our Farsi-speaking YV to step to the laptop while people are still with us by Skype and to give to the Iranian church members a synopsis of what was said during our meeting.
One of our German sisters from Bodrum was in town for our church services. She had been asked by our Relief Society President to give the lesson because the President was to be out of the country. Our German sister and her non-member husband and two daughters came. This sister also needed to renew her temple recommend. So my Turkish- and Russian-speaking counselor gave her the interview that a member of the branch presidency can give for a recommend renewal. That was so that I could interview her later in my role as a member of the mission presidency, giving her the needed two signatures. At the end, my counselor said in his halting English, "It’s the first interview for me." For him and for her, the experience went well. I equipped him with the temple questions in Turkish and I saw that she had the questions in English, a language that she speaks very well. She also knows Turkish to a rather competent level. So they got along fine in the interview. I just made sure that they sat in a room with a table between them. Proper protocol. Putting one piece at a time into its place inside the branch.
I love you and pray for you all.
Grandpa Brown
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