#29 "Feet & Thermal Pools"(By Grandpa)

Dear Grandchildren,

For more than twenty years, I have lived with cold feet. My shoes come off, my feet grow cold. A simple formula. Except in the summers, of course. I have bought socks for the winter time that are supposed to keep feet warm. Not so. Now, with stone floors to walk on, my feet have gone bonkers. So I added another layer of socks. Same answer. Cold feet. A few nights ago, we went shopping with needed warm socks in mind. We didn’t find any. In sporting goods stores, the socks are light and designed to wick away moisture from the skin. Or so it is claimed. In other stores, all we saw were thin, cold socks. We came home and I was thinking that I might not experience warmth in my feet until next May or June. But then something almost magical happened. It has to do with heating our apartment.

With the onset of cooler weather, we were beginning to think of space heaters. We had hunted through our apartment for any heating devices and could find none. A heating combi is listed in our rental agreement. It is the gas heater that hangs in an enclosed porch in the back of the apartment. That appliance heats the hot water for the kitchen and bathrooms. Or so I thought. Before we actually went shopping for space heaters, I wrote an email to a fellow at the agency that found this apartment. He is the person who knows most about the physical characteristics of our apartment. He wrote back that our heating system is in our floor and is connected to the heating combi. The heat is radiant. At just that thought, my feet seemed to become a degree or two warmer. Eagerly, I tried to make the heater work. I failed miserably. The next morning early, Grandma found instructions on youTube and the device worked for about ten minutes before shutting down. What to do? I turned to the fellow who had told us about the radiant heat in our floors and asked him to call the heating company, since my call had netted nothing but frustration because I could not explain what I wanted, and ask it to send a technician. The next day, while our apartment and its floors were enjoying another cool day, a fellow arrived at the appointed hour, inspected the combi, took off the thermostat cover, fiddled with the metal couplings, put the cover back on, turned up the heat, and voila! the system cranked up. He said "Problem yok!" meaning "There’s no problem." And he promptly wrote out a bill for 50 Turkish Lira, about $17. These kinds of systems are not fast-acting. So it was about five or six hours later that we felt real heat coming from our stone floors. My feet rejoiced.

On Wednesday, two YVs came to Izmir. The first since the days of the ancient Apostles. We are really pleased to have them around. One speaks good Turkish, the other is still in the learning stage. We had bought Metro/Bus passes for them and had arranged for them to stay in a hotel. In the meantime, they have located a suitable apartment. We shall go with them to inspect the place before the day is over. They are hustlers. I like that.

Yesterday we went with my first counselor to a city in the southwest for a pair of baptisms. We reached the city in just over three hours and then spent another 45 minutes trying to get through the city to the house where the two children live, ages 10 and 8. In looking at a map of the city, I had forgotten to ask Google to give me a map with a description of how we should reach the home. A very bad oversight, I might add. We finally made it. I filled out the baptism records with the help of the member mother and then produced two baptism certificates in my best handwriting. Which is nothing to brag about. Off we went to their father’s touring boat that holds 46 people and rode the calm sea out to a place called Black Island where warm thermal water comes out into a walled basin. Three other boats were there enjoying the place. So we first decided to eat a wonderful lunch. Soon, the other boats left. All on the boat and I then walked to the short ladder that goes down into the thermal pool. I climbed down and the ten-year old boy followed me. He was clearly nervous but brave. After I baptized him, I baptized his younger sister. Then together we swam a bit in the pool. Someone took pictures of me swimming around and threatened to give them to authorities if ever I stepped out of line. It was a wonderful occasion to see two more people enter the Church through baptism and become members of our branch.

Today is election day in the country. People will be choosing a government that will lead them for the next several years. An earlier election this year led to an impasse when the competing parties tried to create a coalition. So everyone was back to square one and a new election was called. It will be interesting to see whether the economy will rebound following this day.

Tomorrow the second level of the Turkish class begins. I shall not be a part of this class. I feel a little sad about parting ways from the other class members. One person who will not be in the class is a woman who has suffered nose bleeds and has developed an allergy while here. She has gone back home for needed surgery. Naturally, our class did not create this problem for her. I just hope that she returns in a few weeks all healed and ready to join her husband. One might conclude that life here is tough. It is, but we are doing well. And enjoying the experience.

I love you and pray for you.

Grandpa Brown