#25 "Little Blessings" (By Grandpa)

Dear Grandchildren,

Just surviving my Turkish class last week was enough. By Friday afternoon, I felt wrung out. I don’t know how I shall fare during the next two weeks. Sometimes, I feel that my brain is really old. Perhaps oddly, I still remember Arabic that I learned from a tape and workbook forty years ago. But Turkish? Some sticks in my head, but much else doesn’t. It’s as if I have Teflon in my brain.

But there is some good news growing out of my Turkish class. I have gained a little confidence in talking to people whom I need to contact. For example, I needed to set up our newly called branch clerk, who speaks hardly any English but does speak four other languages, for a training meeting in a week or so. I decided that emailing him would do little good because of his very limited English. I telephoned. Between his fractured English and my fractured Turkish, I communicated enough to get from him the needed information so that I could get his airline ticket. I felt a sense of empowerment. Or something like that.

The thing that has been keeping my thoughts rolling a lot during the past couple of weeks was a scheduled visit of Elder James Hamula of the First Quorum of the Seventy and his wife. An assistant historian from the church history library in SLC also was coming. This third person was a student in Jerusalem twenty years ago. I didn’t worry about him. It was the other two who worried me. They arrived last evening about 11:30 p.m. I went to the airport with a van to meet them and escort them to their hotel. Then today Elder and Sister Hamula spoke in our sacrament meeting. I had asked then ten days ago via email. They agreed. I gave them topics. Sure enough, they talked about what they wanted to talk about. I was happy because it was they speaking in our meeting. Any topic would do. Then we went to Ephesus where the apostles Paul and John spent a lot of time. I had taken extensive notes on the site. I reviewed them carefully. I felt that I added good stuff to what the guide was telling them. On the way back to the city, Elder Hamula and I had some very interesting conversation about the Seventy in scripture. It is evident that he has thought and studied a lot about his role as it is set out in scripture. We were back home by 7:15. I felt tired but glad for the chance. I anticipate more such visits in the future.

The news from Ankara hurts me to my toes. The cowardice behind an attack on innocent people goes beyond words. A nearby street has been closed off and on for protests since then. Many people are wearing black. I keep wondering when it all might stop. But someone always has a grudge to settle and this seems to be the way to settle old hatreds. What Mormon and Moroni disclose about their own civilization seems in part to be playing out on our modern stage.

I hope that you are well and safe. We are.

I love you and pray for you.

Grandpa Brown