tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88621918373491070972024-03-13T23:22:17.603+02:00Twas BrilligPluperfecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17107775437360830336noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-39752024066712055712017-03-19T18:58:00.000+02:002017-03-20T18:59:13.598+02:00#150 Grandma (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1490021795303_40458" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1490021795303_40457" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond";">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1490021795303_40448" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond";">For months I have told Grandma that people here love her dearly. Their admiration and affection for her are deep. Not least among her admirers are the YVs. All love her easy, gentle manner. They love her steadiness. They love her home-made treats. They love her bone-dry honesty. They love her ability to put them at ease. They love her ready laugh. She has been as much a factor in any success that our branch might have enjoyed as anyone else, including the YVs whom she credits with most good things. She will be sorely missed. I promise.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1490021795303_40466" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond";">Living in a city brings to view constant contrasts. Not just old and new architecture. Not just the array of prominent business and government buildings. Not in the high rent areas and those that are a bit run down. But in the types of people who make up the city’s population. In our downtown, I see the young professionals walking the streets, wearing suits and nice dresses that bespeak their good-paying jobs. Obviously, they have taken advantage of opportunities offered to them through training and education to begin an upward surge to a better life for them and their families. On the other end, I see poor people who roam the streets hoping to sell little packs of tissues, or who sit on the sidewalk with their shoe polishing boxes, hoping for a willing customer, some days not polishing one pair of shoes. One of these latter has picked me out and approaches me whenever I pass his shoe-polishing apparatus on Sunday mornings. He calls me Baba (Father). He speaks some English and almost always tells me a tale of poverty and woe. No customers today, Baba. No one is coming to Turkey. Troubles in the country. What can I do? What can I do?</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1490021795303_40466" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond";">This morning I took him a cash gift in a plain envelope. He had already heard from one of the YVs that we are leaving. He said that he was really sad at our departure but hopes that we shall return. He even said that last evening (Saturday) he and his wife were talking about the hot pad holders that Grandma made for them and he mentioned that they came from "the old man" whom he sees on Sundays. Oh well. That’s how people see me anymore.</span></div>
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Who would guess what would happen on our last Sunday? We have enjoyed a run of good numbers at our services. Then ... Three of our sisters were out of town — one was with her son at a youth conference in Ankara (and he is our only deacon), one was visiting family in Europe with her baby, and the other was with her ailing father in eastern Turkey. Those missing sisters cut a big hole in our Relief Society today. In a bigger ward or branch, we might hardly notice. But here we really pay attention. My goodness, do we pay attention.</div>
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As things turned out, we hosted 29 persons for our Sacrament Meeting, 16 in the hotel and 13 via Skype. Three other investigators — two men and a woman — showed up in time for Relief Society and Priesthood. Grandma said that the woman, who is married to one of the men who came late, was really hostile when she first arrived but turned very warm by the end of the meeting. The final total? Thirty-two by my count. A happy number for me.</div>
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At the end of our meetings, of course, people wanted their pictures taken with Grandma and me as well as the YV who ends his service tomorrow. It is hard to say goodbye. Especially this time. I began by saying goodbye to the young woman who deals with our account at the hotel. She said that the news was the worst she had heard in a long time. That threw me off. She said that she had come to think of us a family. And others did too. We are leaving a piece of our hearts in Izmir.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">We sleep in our bed one more night. Then to Istanbul tomorrow. I knew that this time would come. But it always seemed a long way off. Until last week. Then I was counting the last time that I would do something. My big hope is that I have coached or trained our branch leaders and YVs well enough that they will slide through the coming Sundays with no big mishap. The number of investigators -- potential and active -- who showed up today was heart-warming (six). I would be most interested to visit the branch in ten years and see what has happened. A lot of good things, I would wager.</span></div>
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I love you and pray for you all.</div>
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P.S. We arrive home Tuesday afternoon Utah time.</div>
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Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-69687393533983074022017-03-19T18:57:00.000+02:002017-03-20T18:59:31.992+02:00#149 "Last Sunday in Izmir" (By Grandma)<blockquote id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1490021795303_37685" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 1em;" type="cite">
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Okay, at the risk of being trite "I can't believe the end has come". Today I spoke in Sacrament Meeting in Izmir, next Sunday I'll speak in Sacrament meeting in Orem. So many "lasts". I took a photo of the items I've carried to church each week. They include Turkish Hymn books, printed copies of hymns, cookies, napkins, other cookies, corn nuts, orange wedges, speaker (bose), marker pens, I-phone, Cell phone, Skittles, and talk. Someone else will get to carry those items next week. Dad carries all the sacrament supplies, 2 lap tops, the i-pad, his scriptures, donation envelopes, and anything else he can stuff in his bag. </div>
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Saying goodby is never easy. As you know this hasn't been the easiest assignment we've ever had. But leaving is becoming a challenge. People we've known are saying they will miss us, etc. We, of course, will miss them. We've received a few unexpected gifts. I've given a few gifts away. I've given crocheted hot pads to about 25 people during our stay, and cookies to a few. Yes, I know how to crochet and I can make banana-nut cookies. Because our branch is so small we have ties to all of the members in Izmir. We've told people we will probably never return to Turkey, but, on second thought, maybe we will. It would be nice to look into the life here in a couple of years after I've forgotten how much I hate loooooong plane rides.</div>
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The four elders who are in Izmir came to dinner today. I had sloppy joes made with an IKEA turkey roast. We haven't had beef our entire time here. WE have felt really close to these elders and will miss them. One of the elders has been here most of our time. And most of them will return to BYU so we'll see them in the future. Unfortunately all of the elders in the mission who had not been accepted to BYU prior to their missions just received rejection letters. BYU isn't the only place to go to college, but they are all interested in following up on their Turkish language skills, and BYU is developing a Turkish language program. </div>
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After dinner I printed our boarding passes for our trip to Istanbul tomorrow. We stay in the mission home on Monday night and then go to the airport Tuesday morning at 3:30 AM for our 6:00 AM flight. We will be with five other missionaries that night. Seven of us fly away on Tuesday morning.... five from Turkey and two from Kazakhstan. We are scheduled to arrive in SLC at 14:46 via Paris Flight #DL107 Please check with the airline for delays, etc. We will not have a working cell-phone. </div>
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Since we've been having Priesthood and RS we have had to rent another room in the hotel. The men go to the other room. We are top heavy with men. Elders are not allowed to contact females, so new converts are almost always men. We need Sisters here. The RS lesson today was taught by a sister by Skype. Those in the room included me, a YSA and an 11 year old girl. Those on Skype included two German sisters, and an Iranian woman. The lesson was given in English and translated into Turkish. In the middle of our meeting three people walked into the room looking for the meeting. It was two men and a woman. I told the men where to go, and walked them to the room. I motioned to the woman to stay in the room with the other two. She sort of had a snarl on her face. She didn't look pleased to be with us. When I returned to the room she was sitting compliantly in our tiny circle, still scowling. After a few minutes she asked me if she could smoke? I said she couldn't smoke in the hotel, but she could go outside. So she went outside. We didn't see her the rest of the meeting. Much later she returned, all smiles and told me she was going to come again, and had enjoyed meeting me. She said all of this in understandable English. She seemed like a different person. I didn't tell her I would be gone next week. So, I wonder if she will show up next week. We won't be there...</div>
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We have stuff all over the apartment ready to throw into our suitcases. We keep hiding stuff when we have company. We expect the elders back again in about one hour. So we'll try to finish everything up tomorrow morning. </div>
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Dad is really OC. Have you noticed that? I didn't really notice that until we lived together. Well, we've lived together for a loooooong time, but we were actually in different orbits. We've had to share an orbit here. He really is a fanatically clean person. And he wants to leave everything in pristine condition for the couple that comes after us. So, we'll wash the sheets as we are leaving, and change the bedding. We have had a cleaning lady come occasionally, and he often finds some tiny microscopic flake of dirt that she missed. Good thing he was pretty busy in his career to not be able to observe the large flakes of dirt in our home. But he is good at finding shards of glass when something breaks. And with marble floors things do break.</div>
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Well, I'm rambling. I'm very excited to see ALL of you.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-3841695438247498852017-03-12T17:56:00.001+02:002017-03-12T17:56:34.854+02:00#148 Sunday March 12, 2017 (by Grandma)<div class="yiv4766642869MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_308014" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
Dear Family (and friends)</div>
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This is my 2<sup style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">nd</sup> to last family email from Turkey. My how the time has flown. And the good thing about it is that I didn’t have any birthdays here, so I’m not any older than when I left home. All of our grandchildren like to get older, but I assume the rest of you don’t. </div>
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Today was an interesting day in church. It was our Branch Conference and when the stats were read in your dad was read-in as Counselor to the MP Presidency, and BP of Izmir. I had expected a change. We leave in 9 days, right? But when the MP stood up for his talk, he basically released Dad and asked one of his counselors and the priesthood leader to “fill-in” for a few weeks after we depart. We know another couple is coming April 30, so we assume he will be BP. The MP proceeded to praise your father for all of his service to the people in Turkey. Your father really has made a difference in the lives of many. So, I am proud of him. He’s even been a pretty good husband through it all. I’m not admitting what kind of wife I’ve been.</div>
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Today we had a very good group at church and I took extra refreshments. There were about 5 investigators, and several new members. I’m not sorry that I only have one more week to carry heavy bags of stuff to church, but I will miss the journey. </div>
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We travelled by bus to a city in the South (Bodrum). It is sort of the St George of Turkey. It is warm, but differs from St George because it is a sea coast town. Two sisters who are members live there with their children and non-member husbands. We spent time with them. Dad set them apart for RS callings. They only join us by Skype, but they are now both serving in the RS. One is a counselor and the other is the Secretary. The counselor gave the RS lesson last week over Skype. They always feed us even though I plead with them to not feed us. We haven’t wanted our visits to be a burden. They always act like it is a privilege to feed us. I never feel that when I feed people. We took the opportunity to visit an Underwater Museum/Castle while we were there. It is on the edge of the sea and was a fortification for battles long ago. Lots of shipwrecks are displayed there.</div>
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he next day dad took the train to another distant city. I didn’t go with him because the elders needed to use our apartment for skyping. I was about to leave the apartment when I discovered my keys were missing. Luckily I discovered this before I left the apartment. If I hadn’t noticed it, I could have been locked out of the apartment for about 10 hours. That would have been a very nice experience! I have never found my keys, but I’ve had 3 sets of duplicates made and given each set of elders’ copies. We need three keys to get into our apartment. </div>
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We had the “opportunity” to do an inspection of the elders’ apartments. We began our journey in a rainstorm. We literally walked through rivers to get to one of the apartments. Sidewalks are very narrow and cars park on them. So we could only walk down the streets that were filled with rushing water. We have no boots. We even had umbrellas but they only pretended to keep us dry. In fact one of them collapsed and was no good at all. We were drenched. The first apartment was neat and tidy, and we found only one toilet stain, a sticky refrigerator handle, and one dust bunny. They have a beautiful view of the bay. We got even more drenched travelling to the 2<sup style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">nd</sup> apartment which was across the bay. But Dad found one dust elephant, so it was worth the trip. I think our elders have pretty decent accommodations.</div>
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It took 3 days for my shoes to dry out. I even used my blow dryer on them. Our clothes dried quicker than that. After we arrived from the apartment checks, a friend from Ankara invited us to lunch. So we put back on our soggy clothing and headed to a pizza restaurant.... a 20 minute walk in the rain. The woman works for the Embassy and has interesting tales to tell.</div>
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We have been having “last” meetings with people. I think lingering farewells are awkward. But lots of things had to be worked out with our leaving, so people had to know. I don’t like saying good-by because I’m sure we will never see many of these people again. I doubt we will return to Turkey. I wouldn’t mind coming here for a visit, but I’m old, and loooooong air travel is a challenge. If they all lived in Nevada, then we might see them again. Of course, we’ll probably see the elders and other couples again, but the local members may never come to the US. I am glad that I can see some of them on FB. It really is a good “tool”. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from our visit to the south</td></tr>
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We expect the elders in a few minutes to do Skype lessons. This set of elders teach Iranians on Skype in Farsi. Very talented elders. And tomorrow we fly to Istanbul again, for a Zone Conference. We’re trying to take a suitcase with us. When we leave for good, we have to go to Istanbul and then the US… but on different days. So we cannot check our luggage straight through. I’m sure you are all concerned about that.</div>
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I understand our children have been working hard getting our house ready for us to return to. I think some furniture has been moved around, and some manure put in the garden. We can hardly wait to see our family members again!!! But leaving Turkey will be hard.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Mom</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-56246895309904123072017-03-12T17:54:00.000+02:002017-03-12T17:56:51.208+02:00#147 "Release" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_307397" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_307396" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">The week began with a lot of traveling. Monday, Grandma and I rode the early bus to Bodrum. Besides me setting apart the two sisters who live there for callings in the Relief Society, we went to the old castle which holds an "underwater museum." The underwater part refers to shipwrecks that have been recovered nearby from the bottom of the sea. I was surprised to see all of the pottery pieces still in excellent condition, including huge amphora jars. When pottery is recovered from archaeology digs on the surface of the dry ground, the pottery is often beaten into small fragments called sherds or shards. The next day I went off to Denizli to handle some fast offering matters. After we leave, the YVs will go there and give lessons when they pay visits.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_304834" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_304833" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_304834" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_304833" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">This Sunday was my release date. I saw my last day as a branch president. But in our branch conference, I was also sustained as the second counselor in the mission presidency even though my time here is now very short. How short? Don’t ask. But it is just over a week. I began my day by meeting with the MP and my first counselor and the branch’s priesthood leader. During the meeting, the MP announced to the first counselor and the priesthood leader that they would be in charge of church meetings until the new couple arrive at the end of April. Sort of an acting branch presidency. During our Sacrament Meeting, the MP announced the same thing after he had released me and my counselors. Naturally, as soon as our two-hour block of meetings ended, the two brothers came right to the front of the room to talk to me and to learn what is what when it comes to our meetings. I invited a YV to help in translation with my Turkish- and Russian-speaking counselor. The YV assured the two of them that he and his companion had the assignment to bring the sacrament things for the meetings. And so forth. The two brothers seemed to be satisfied about what they needed to do as they go forward. I shall be back next Sunday, of course, to help out as needed.</span></span></div>
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It was also our branch conference. In a branch conference, the branch president always speaks. Even though I had been released only moments earlier, I gave a talk that I had put together earlier this morning. I was assisted by one of our Turkish sisters who has been accepted for graduate work at BYU next fall. I talked about the tiny beginnings in our first meetings and our gradual growth. The first meeting in the hotel room consisted of three persons — Grandma, a young investigator, and myself. That seed has grown to the point that today, for our Sacrament and other meetings, we had twenty-three persons in the room. I also mentioned that, in November 2015, Elder Holland had counseled that we must "start right and stay right" in our branches so that, when the Lord comes again, he will recognize our church units as his own. His words gave further guidance to Grandma and me about how to approach our assignment.</div>
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I love and esteem the people in our branch. They have been wonderful. No. I didn’t cry. But I saw one of our young women almost in tears as the MP spoke about our service in the branch. I was touched because she was touched. She has been one of the bricks in our small group, coming virtually every week and helping with translation tasks. She will be missed when she goes off to school in August.</div>
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As I noted above, we were 23 in the hotel room, with 13 joining by Skype. Those figures make a total of 36, the second highest total in our brief history with the branch. Of these numbers, six were investigators. I am amazed at the sheer faithfulness of the people who join us from afar through electronic means. Seeing their images on the laptop screen warms my heart. A lot. I shall miss them terribly.</div>
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We are sitting in our apartment listening to a pair of our YVs connect with and teach some Farsi speakers. The skills that these two young men possess are really remarkable. It is tough enough to learn Turkish. To add another language to their set of tools is going beyond what any mortal YV should be expected to master. I am in complete awe at what they do. I suspect that they would teach more people if the MP would permit it. He wants to keep the teaching pool at a reasonable size and not move the Farsi speakers, all refugees, at a high speed toward baptism. One of the big needs is to teach post-baptism lessons to a growing number of these people. Of course, they all have hopes that they will someday end up in North America. But current US policy stands against them. I was told earlier this week by the sister of a woman who was scheduled to go to the US in May or June with her husband that all has been stopped. I feel sad for her and for those who know her and live with the same hope of relocating.</div>
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I love you and pray for all of you.</div>
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Grandpa Brown</div>
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Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-21274285055679218442017-03-05T02:19:00.000+02:002017-03-11T02:20:43.061+02:00#146 Sunday March 5, 2017 (By Grandma)<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I just read Dad's letter to you. Again, he has outdone me, so I have little to report. Unless you want to know how many times I've fed the community cat. Most animals around here do not have owners. People put food out in front of their shops and all animals are free to indulge. And now and then a cat enters a shop and pretends to belong. Our neighborhood only has stray cats. The stray dogs are mainly on the boardwalk where they bite passers-by. I don't know who feeds them.</span><br />
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I carry a little packet of cat food in my coat pocket when I leave the apartment. The name of it in Turkish is "Kitty Love". So I know it is a gourmet cat food. And "my" cat knows it is better than the bargain brand cat food that is placed in the community bowls. My cat comes running and rubs against my leg when I emerge. I usually pet it a bit, and then pour out a few bits of cat food. Some of the other cats circle around, but my cat holds his/her position until the treats are gone. If we open a tuna fish can, I save the "juice" for the cat. And if I cook chicken I take the remnants to the cat. But the cat prefers tuna remnants. I will miss the cat. I don't even have a name for it. But it has been my best friend in the neighborhood.</div>
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My best shoe finally broke. It is a canvas wide-toed skecher. I have a sore big toe, so it has been a life-saver for me. I took it to a shoe repair person, and he said he didn't repair such items. I think what he meant was the shoe was too cheap to even worry about. But I have big feet and cannot replace it here. Turks have tiny feet. So I found some superglue and glued the strap in place. I'll see how long it lasts. I've used super glue before, but I this time I was a bit careless, and it really does glue your fingers together. </div>
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I know there is lot of news out there, but the only thing I remember is that Scott and Jill ran marathons and 1/2 marathons last week. I'm amazed that they can do that. And Scottie will be having a birthday this coming week. He has been getting emails sent from our mission to him because people here assumed grandpa was scott.brown Luckily Scottie realized that the notice about his plane tickets for March 21st were for grandpa and not for him. </div>
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<img src="https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2_0_0_1_1_AGhUimIACxx-WLw00gG1gDB0txA&m=YaDownload&pid=2&fid=Inbox&inline=1&appid=YahooMailNeo&uploadId=cGFzdGVkSW1hZ2UucG5n" /></div>
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Dad baptized another man today in the Hotel Spa Pool. We have been grateful to have this option. We held our regular church services and then they could just go downstairs for the baptism. We were denied permission for our baptisms when we first came, and had to go to the seashore. Those were wonderful baptisms, but they would have been cold this time of the year. We are grateful the hotel amended its policy. We have given a B of M to the woman in charge of arrangements and gone to lunch with her a couple of times. She has really been helpful to us. It is actually a Marriott hotel, but goes by another name in Izmir. </div>
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<img src="https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2_0_0_1_1_AGhUimIACxx-WLw00gG1gDB0txA&m=YaDownload&pid=3&fid=Inbox&inline=1&appid=YahooMailNeo&uploadId=cGFzdGVkSW1hZ2UucG5n" /></div>
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Well, I have to make some more fake rice krispy cookies to take to Bodrum tomorrow. I'm getting to prefer cocoa puff "rice krispy" treats. I've never seen any rice krispies here. </div>
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I love you all,</div>
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Mother</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-71640159358693293692017-03-05T02:18:00.000+02:002017-03-11T02:18:59.734+02:00#145 "Window Shades" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_231765" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_231764" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_231754" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Tuesday morning I walked to one of our front room windows and began to draw up the window shade, one that rolls up as I pull on a plastic chain. The mechanism did not work and, worse, had become detached from one of its moorings. I could not tell whether I was looking at a break and a needed replacement for a twenty-year-old device, or at a slight repair. Because I am not especially handy with my hands (no secret here) and because I know nothing about window screen pulleys, I feared the worst. I climbed onto a chair and tried to survey the damage. I shoved and pulled on a part of the roller. It didn’t move. I decided to stop playing around. I lowered the shade and left it in that condition. A couple of days later, a pair of YVs were in the apartment to give a lesson by Skype. I asked them to help me find a repairman.</span></div>
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We first went to an electrical shop where a young fellow has helped with three repairs in our apartment. With the YVs’ help, I asked where we could find a repairman. He didn’t know. But he knew of two window shade shops on a nearby street. We went to visit. The first owner had no clue where to find a person who could repair a rolling shade. We walked across the street. The second owner did not know of anyone but promised to come the next day to have a look. Instead, a fellow showed up with a tool box. Clearly, the second owner had found a repairman and asked him to come at the appointed time. He walked into the apartment, I showed him the problem, he climbed onto a chair, and popped a piece into its proper place. Voila! It worked as good as new. He climbed down and headed for our entry door, not asking for anything. The deed had taken less than two minutes. But I stopped him before he escaped and got him to agree to accept 20 Turkish Lira, about $12. He seemed to be happy. I was deliriously relieved. I don’t want to leave anything like that for our replacements to deal with.</div>
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Wednesday was our day to travel to Ayvalik, a town about two and a quarter hours north of here by bus. We met with a sister whom we have known for more than a year. She is one who has never told any family member of her affiliation with the Church. We enjoyed a nice fish lunch together. She has been a delight to meet on occasion. After closing her therapy practice five months ago, she is thinking of moving to Istanbul or Izmir and resuming her practice. If she does, she will surely have to bring her aging mother with her. In that situation, she may not be able to openly affiliate with the Church again. It would be tense.</div>
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Friday afternoon we flew to Istanbul where I went through a branch audit, Grandma interviewed the American wife of the branch president there, and I gave a fireside on the trek of Lehi and Sariah. Talk about packing a lot into a single day trip. There was a crowd of about 35 persons, including a less active fellow who was the guide to a BYU faculty group, of which I was a member, who came to Turkey twenty years ago. It was nice to remake acquaintance with Emin again. He surely looks older, as do I of course. In the fireside, I intended to convince the audience that the journey chronicled in the book of First Nephi fits into ancient Arabia and not into Joseph Smith’s world of Upstate New York. I surprised myself a bit about how passionate I am about this subject. My passionate sense evaporates as soon as the party of Lehi and Sariah board the boat and head for the New World. I am mainly an Old World person when it comes to topography and specific locations.</div>
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During the week, in the apartment Grandma and I hosted fifteen lessons that the YVs gave either in person or by Skype. Almost all by Skype. The number tied for the highest weekly total from the past few months. We are surely happy that the MP authorized the branch to purchase its own laptop, the instrument that all those Skype lessons connect through. For the first year, the YVs were using my personal laptop. And that meant that I had to find some other work station or another task to do. Even though for the Farsi lessons I don’t understand one word, except the initial greetings, I am glad that the lessons are across the room from me and not in my lap. I should add that the YVs do a tremendous job in their teaching. They enjoy and a major command of information and doctrine.</div>
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After almost boasting last week, I thought that our numbers would plunge this week and I would have to eat my words. Gratefully, it didn’t happen. Instead, thirty-one joined us for our services, twenty in the hotel and eleven via Skype. In fact, for the Relief Society lesson, the one who presented it was 120 miles away, talking to the sisters here by Skype. Further, the fellow who taught our priesthood lesson was baptized only seven weeks ago. He is a keeper and did a commendable job. He has introduced his good friend to the Church and he was baptized today. I did the honors. I worked and worked to memorize the baptismal prayer in Turkish. I was very tempted to go to my default English prayer. But I held to my resolve and, in the hotel pool, repeated it in Turkish. After the baptismal service, I interviewed him for the Aaronic Priesthood. We shall present his name next week and ordain him on the same day. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see this branch gaining some priesthood members. Now we need a bunch more sisters who live nearby.</div>
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_231789" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Next Sunday brings not only a branch conference but also my release as the branch president. To be honest, I worry about the branch during the six weeks that will pass until our replacements arrive. Not that branch members won't get along without us. They will. But when I set up the hotel room on Sunday mornings, for example, I take great care to put the sacrament table just so, and the rows of chairs just so, and the sacrament instruments just so. I try to maximize our small space for those of us who meet in it. If the rows of chairs are too close to the front, the space for speakers shrinks and competes with those who are sitting at the front of the room to conduct the meeting. If the rows of chairs are too close to the back of the room, there is precious little space for people to visit during our breaks as we partake of a few treats that Grandma always brings. And so forth. And so on. Our YVs usually arrive early for our branch presidency meetings. They are the people to coach. I just hope that they remember each week to bring things like the sacrament trays and white cloth. You know, the basics. I just need to step away graciously and let others do the needed deeds. I have done it before. I need to do it again. Any other micro managers out there when it comes to Sunday set up?</div>
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I love you and pray for all of you.</div>
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_231793" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Grandpa Brown</div>
</span></div>
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</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-57739381164453350572017-02-26T02:14:00.000+02:002017-03-11T02:16:59.964+02:00#144 Sunday February 26, 2017 (By Grandma)<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4WlJtwPTjKajRkn5dS6o-oVkfBVAZa_uFK5_DaaV3_UikUPM-pd58viroEKB9HeA0M_72wbHO5vgoQtCv8SHBv9r7eCn50Fz0y7h3V08U82LgVR_0p9_CRR3dZQZ0UxrBrt6e9sxQJg/s1600/A+Bags+for+church.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4WlJtwPTjKajRkn5dS6o-oVkfBVAZa_uFK5_DaaV3_UikUPM-pd58viroEKB9HeA0M_72wbHO5vgoQtCv8SHBv9r7eCn50Fz0y7h3V08U82LgVR_0p9_CRR3dZQZ0UxrBrt6e9sxQJg/s320/A+Bags+for+church.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I’m enclosing some photos this time. One photo is
of the two bags I carry to church each week. They contain my i-phone, my
cell phone, bose speaker, cookies, corn nuts, napkins, orange slices, apple
slices, 15 Turkish hymn books, hymn posters, my purse, and photo copies
of the English hymns we’ll be singing. Dad leaves earlier and carries an
even heavier load with sacrament supplies, laptop, i-pad, and various other
equipment like temple recommend books, tithing envelopes, and scriptures.
We walk with these items for about 15 minutes to the hotel where church
services are held.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WGZuSZvi8iYVMdjHG-l57Xl3f2GeDvT9jItdN-W0jbnw972f2FTQF9fZXGMkw9eEWzDNMKmLrlrF2RrwkasshF6lXAjiPIvguBfTzjnitu5h8A1xzyoQOIMxaUEY9JWYRxG4C8gC6N0/s1600/A+B-day+stuff+for+elders.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WGZuSZvi8iYVMdjHG-l57Xl3f2GeDvT9jItdN-W0jbnw972f2FTQF9fZXGMkw9eEWzDNMKmLrlrF2RrwkasshF6lXAjiPIvguBfTzjnitu5h8A1xzyoQOIMxaUEY9JWYRxG4C8gC6N0/s320/A+B-day+stuff+for+elders.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Another photo is of a birthday
treat I made for the elders’ birthday. One of the elders had a birthday
this week and I wanted to do something for him. But then I realized I hadn’t
done anything for any of the elders on their birthdays. So I made up four
gift packets and called it a group birthday. Sometimes the elders are
remembered by their families and sometimes not. I hoped that this would
make up the difference. The treat included a couple of pairs of socks for
each elder. Visitors are required to remove their shoes when they enter
homes and even offices. So holey socks really show off. I’ve seen a
few holes in our apartment. The socks were hard to find. They don’t
sell them in department stores or shoe shops. We had to hunt and hunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8wMzCT3CXSkemrms8p8wKKPGzOY2Lmb8ZmUC_8ZZTdO40P81ZtraeYNeQRrou4tXE-WxSbx68fW7jWtG_OfHghgtLzVe-ssLA3xwRwn9vGSDD6gcE1-eFzDbXy6EN2TgmbqVwFgsKmA/s1600/A+Cookies+for+church.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8wMzCT3CXSkemrms8p8wKKPGzOY2Lmb8ZmUC_8ZZTdO40P81ZtraeYNeQRrou4tXE-WxSbx68fW7jWtG_OfHghgtLzVe-ssLA3xwRwn9vGSDD6gcE1-eFzDbXy6EN2TgmbqVwFgsKmA/s320/A+Cookies+for+church.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230200" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">One photo is of cookies I baked
for church….snicker doodles. It took about 4 hours. I have a small
oven and what you see is four batches. I used to worry that no one would
show up for church. Now I worry that I might not have enough cookies for
everyone. We always have treats after sacrament meeting and before the 2<sup style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">nd</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>hour.
Once in awhile someone else will contribute to the snack. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwLw-pjScnOvJOF80us7CGdYuAOWBD6nbxJTynEBrg27VlQlDhxjY2l0P8Y6cam0J6iOafAbVjPf7zYIF-ioL0vKvkipZvrJgxpKe7sUyhq3B2QHQmrBmi-haik4dp3t2imdZb-6Zqdw/s1600/A+Visiting+St+John%2527s+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwLw-pjScnOvJOF80us7CGdYuAOWBD6nbxJTynEBrg27VlQlDhxjY2l0P8Y6cam0J6iOafAbVjPf7zYIF-ioL0vKvkipZvrJgxpKe7sUyhq3B2QHQmrBmi-haik4dp3t2imdZb-6Zqdw/s320/A+Visiting+St+John%2527s+Church.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The last photo is of some of us in
Ephesus. We are actually standing around a baptism font in St John’s
church. It celebrates the burial place of John, the Apostle. But we
don’t think he was really buried there, because in LDS theology he still
lives. You can see a few MPs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We received an email today from a
counselor in our ward bishopric giving us instructions about our
homecoming. Luckily he told us we can relate some mission experiences and
he gave us a time allotment. I thanked him profusely but replied that
we’d both need about an hour for our speeches. So they can just plan to
cancel Primary and SS that day. I haven’t heard back from him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230201" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We enjoyed the visit of the
Huntingtons yesterday. They are a Humanitarian couple serving in
Ankara. Ray was a colleague of your father. It was interesting to
hear of the “work” in Ankara. It is very different from our Branch.
It has a well-established Branch. We toured Smyrna with them, took a
ferry ride, had dinner yesterday, and talked and talked and talked. As
you know I crave someone to talk to. Your dad listens politely, but I
miss "girl" talk. They spoke in our Branch today and flew back
to Ankara. The MP has the senior couples visiting the smaller branches
now and then to offer support. We’ve visited all of the branches except
for the military branch. That branch is on lock-down and cannot be
visited. But dad gives them a Skype lesson/fireside every other week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I hope all of you have been
well. Evidently the flu that is hitting has been very serious. It
was what actually caused Joel’s father’s death. One of my friends was
very ill, but was told she couldn’t be hospitalized because she was too
young. She is about 60. Several in our Orem ward have been
ill. I haven’t heard of any flu in Turkey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">While I’m writing this I hear
Farsi in the background. Our elders skype a number of Iranians and give
them lessons. They have had a number of baptisms, mainly in Ankara.
The elders come to our apartment to Skype. They teach themselves
Farsi. I can’t imagine learning Turkish, and then also Farsi. When
the elders come they try to give 3-4 lessons while they are here. And
they have many more waiting in the background for lessons. I gave them
dinner today before they started teaching. These elders are never invited
to members’ homes. We don’t really have any families in the area that
they are assigned. So, I feel for them. They are good-natured young
men and would benefit from a member’s meal now and then. The other elders
in our branch live closer to a couple of families, and they have invited them
now and then. But even they don’t get many invitations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230206" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">This week I helped one of the
Branch Presidents write his Branch History. I’m supposed to be gathering
all the histories in our Mission. I knew this President would have a hard
time writing his history and no one in his Branch speaks English. So I
interviewed him and wrote up his 2016 history. Such things can be very
challenging for the small branches in this mission. Dad wrote up the
history for our branch. I have yet to receive the histories from other
branches. Perhaps they won’t be submitted before we return home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230205" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230204" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Dad is speaking in a fireside this
week in Istanbul. We’ll try to go and come in one day. It should be
a bit of a strain, but we don’t want to waste another day in travelling.
So we’ll catch a plane home at 11:15 PM. I’ll interview the
Istanbul's BP’s wife for an Oran History Interview. I submit these
interviews to the Church History library in SLC via dropbox.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230203" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230202" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">There were two birthdays in our
family this week…. Nashelle and Benson. Karilynne’s oldest and Julianne’s
youngest. I hope you saved us a piece of birthday cake. I think the next
birthday will be Scottie. But I’m getting old, so if I forget any of you,
please let me know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I love you all,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv3075886942msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_230213" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Mother<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-70318345375737044212017-02-26T02:13:00.000+02:002017-03-11T02:13:25.449+02:00#143 "30" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227667" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227666" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227650" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">You want an anatomy of my third throat procedure in this fair land? No? Yes? I’ll tell you anyway. It started by standing on the bus most of the way to the Dokuz Eylül University Hospital. Sway, sway; jerk, jerk. Then, in the doctor’s office, I was asked to sign a bunch of forms, as I was in the past. But this time my attention caught on the form that would allow the doctor to perform a tracheotomy. Whaaat? Oh yeah. In the case of an emergency. I signed.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227641" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227640" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227639" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227641" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227640" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">The botox delivery guy came just before 10 a.m., almost an hour after I arrived. The botox was on ice in a container, having arrived on some kind of motorized bike. The fellow wanted his money (about $100 for 100 units) but could not give me a receipt. Such receipts were to be given only to medical personnel, I was told. But his piece of paper for the delivery was close enough. At least I hope so. I shall need it for reimbursement when we arrive home.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227641" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227640" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">
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Finally, I was escorted into the room where I had gone for earlier procedures. I sat in the reclining chair. The doctor could not get it to recline. He pushed and pulled. So he asked one of his husky assistants to make the chair go backwards. With a little effort, he lowered it with two big clangs. Later, when I was trying to relax in the chair, the assistant took it back one more click. Actually, as before, it was a very big click, almost like a shot. I fell back a few inches into the waiting folds of the chair. Now, according to the doctor, I should have been in a good, comfortable position. Ok.</div>
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The first thing the doctor did was to pour a dark liquid on a gauze pad and rub it all over my throat. It was an anesthetic, of course. Next, he sprayed the awful tasting numbing agent into my mouth (bleckkkk!) and one of the assistants sprayed something into my nostrils. The doctor and his two assistants then prepared the camera and its light that would be poked through my right nostril. Poke. This time, the intern would hold the tube in such a way that it did not keep moving inside my throat. (Unlike last time.) Instead, it stayed steady and I only did one big gag, almost ejecting all the stuff then in my throat.</div>
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At one point, the doctor grabbed my Adam’s Apple and held it firmly for a minute or so. Not to miss the fun, one of the interns then did likewise. For a moment, it felt as if that part of my anatomy would come loose from my neck muscles. Fortunately, my neck resisted and held on. Like a good friend. Is my neck sore? Yes. And if experience is a teacher, it will be sore for another eight or ten days.</div>
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Then came the shots before the shots. These initial intrusions into my skin were to deaden the tissues through which the botox shots would travel and burst. I was now numb inside and outside my neck. Next the light and camera went into my nose, lighting up all that stuff in there that I never look at. Besides, the camera and its associated TV screen must be pretty expensive. I am not in the market for such things. My curiosity about my nose and throat is not bigger than my pocketbook.</div>
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During the earlier two procedures, the doctor learned that he has to let me swallow when he can. Otherwise, all my efforts not to swallow only collapse into failure; and I swallow, even though he protests. So he was very helpful this time in allowing me to swallow multiple times before pushing the botox needle into my neck. As I have observed before, the office lacks one of those cute nurses who holds a suction tube and takes out all of the excess fluids and paraphernalia that, after a person’s throat has been attacked by foreign objects, begin to pour like a fire hose into the open space that is usually called a mouth but at this instant is just a filling, soggy hole.</div>
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Three. In the end, it was three shots into my neck. I thought it was to be two. But the doctor determined that I should receive three of those little darlins. Perhaps the three would use up more of the botox and not let so much go to waste. I did see him draw a bunch into a large syringe and press the plunger until a spray shot out of the end of the needle and dampened one of the interns.</div>
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After twenty or so minutes, it was over. I finally could exhale and relax, although I had been trying to relax throughout the process so that the discomfort would not overpower me. "Tell me when you feel uncomfortable," the doctor had said. Each time he said that, I was feeling discomfort in that moment. It was no use for me to say anything. Besides, foreign things were in my mouth and I could do no more than barely nod my head and gurgle. After another fifteen minutes in the doctor’s office, sitting on an uncomfortable chair, I was told I could go. I was glad to emerge into the sunlight and look for my bus.</div>
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Not surprisingly, the whole experience left me with a greatly reduced voice. But I have more voice than a whisper, unlike the prior two times when I could hardly hear myself. Time will tell whether the doctor’s current effort will pay off. His work the other two times gave me almost six months of reasonably good voice, a longer time period than when I have received treatments at the UofU Medical Center. That is both worth noting and unexpected in a good sense.</div>
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***</div>
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I love it that we are regularly kicking down the door to a 30+ average attendance at our Sacrament Meetings. That image, of kicking, is a little bizarre, I admit. And I should probably hold back on strong images in favor of mild, more genial senses. Yet, in a word, in the language of Ammon, even after his brother Aaron had taken him to task for almost boasting, Ammon almost sang, "behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. . . . Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord?" (Alma 26:11, 16). I readily admit that we are not dealing in the numbers that Ammon and his brothers did. But even a little success is good.</div>
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Despite my sometimes bugling efforts, and despite our small numbers, we have begun to witness the resurrection of a branch that took it on the chin more than four years ago and basically shrunk to nothing overnight. Then, in the months before we arrived, a SV couple began to meet with a tiny group of members once a month, planting all-important seeds. We arrived just in time for a modest harvest and an extended period of growth.</div>
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We greeted 34 persons in our Sacrament Meeting today, twenty in the hotel room and fourteen connected by Skype. We have equaled or surpassed thirty each of the Sundays in February. Throughout January we were close four of the five Sundays after hitting thirty or more three times in November and December. Of course, our numbers today were augmented a little by the presence of an SV couple who had come to visit from Ankara. And to speak. They effectively replaced my two missing counselors who were absent (both to be back next week, I hope). I felt that in our branch council meeting we stretched the branch into the future so that it will do fine after our departure. At least, I am hoping for that result. I don’t want to walk out the door without nailing down as many pieces as Grandma and I can.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_228379" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_228378" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_228377" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">It is hard to believe that we shall see only three more Sundays in this town. But that is what it has all come to. Our big challenge, I judge, will be to make all the visits to members who live at a distance from here. (We have one set up for Wednesday). Added to that set of tasks are the extra events that are coming at us, like a branch conference and a zone conference in Istanbul. We intend to weather the surges and be glad that we were part of the group of needed people here.</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_228424" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_228423" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span></div>
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We have begun to set out clothing to leave in a donation bin, and to take with us. We shall probably travel with a packed piece of luggage to Istanbul next month in advance of our departure so that we don't have to haul it the day we leave here (Monday, the 20th). Sort of like moving in bits and pieces. We will stay overnight in Istanbul the night before departure to enjoy a nice meal with the PM and wife and the three YVs who are departing with us. What seemed to be a long way off is suddenly becoming a high speed blur.</div>
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I love you and pray for you all.</div>
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1488996934432_227694" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Grandpa Brown</div>
</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-58131328142015880242017-02-19T22:56:00.000+02:002017-02-20T23:19:57.177+02:00#142 "This Week" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3175" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3174" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3153" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">The capstone of our notable week came with the baptism of our former realtor who is currently between jobs. She is a dear and, at least twice, has had to postpone her baptism for one reason or another, the latest being her surgery on both knees almost two weeks ago. The day started with the YVs who taught her coming by 9:00 this morning to correct the nice program that they had been working on over a couple of weeks. It was one of the hymns that they wanted to redo. At that early hour on a Sunday, it was almost like a home invasion. Well, not really. But. But they then came for an hour and a half after our church meetings to take care of some things on the branch’s laptop. The baptism? It went fine. The other pair of YVs will show up this evening for a trilogy of Skype lessons. Few breaks in the action in our apartment, it seems.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3182" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Tomorrow is my next appointment for a voice treatment. Wish me luck. I shall need it, I am sure. Gulp. Groan.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"> </span></span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"> </span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3185" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">During the past week, all the mission presidents and spouses from the Europe East Area met in our fair city with the area presidency for their annual seminar. Tuesday evening, I spoke to them about the three early apostles who traveled and lived in ancient Turkey — Peter, John, and Paul. Grandma and I were invited to dine with them before my presentation. We sat at the table with Elder N, the executive director of the missionary department. He was interested in the ideas of the MPs seated at our table about possible improvements in how we do missionary work in our area, effectively turning the meal into a working dinner. It was interesting to hear the comments. One sister was very adamant about the women YVs keeping themselves looking nice at all times. A fine idea as long as the care in putting on makeup does not become excessive and thus come to interfere with their more important tasks. Later, in my speech, I put only one person to sleep. Something of a record.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3184" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3183" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">
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The next day we went to Ephesus with this crowd of impressive people. Our female guide was exceptional. She gave us more information than any of the three guides with whom I have gone in recent months, including the audio guide that a person can rent to walk through the site. The few times that I jumped in to add something, I think that I was able to supplement what she was saying so that people felt more of an informational tie to the New Testament. You have to be able to add these things in important settings, like Ephesus, when you are getting a big salary as we are.</div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "garamond";">On Friday, we flew to Istanbul, a trip that we shall take only twice more. Sadly, I am sensing the approach of the end of our assignment. We went to a zone conference that was held on Saturday with the executive director of the missionary department who had been in the seminar with the MPs of the area. Before we ended our Friday activities, which ended with Elder N’s fireside in the Istanbul branch, we went to visit the Chora Church and the Hagia Sophia, both important Christian landmarks in the city that were turned into mosques. Our MP had arranged for a guide, who was good and very personable. But because I had read a little about the Chora Church, I found that I knew more of the story captured in the frescoes and mosaics of the church. But he knew the stories that the images were telling about young Mary and the young Jesus. The only time we visited that little church was on our first day in the country and we were struggling just to put one foot in front of the other. And I did not then know the stories told by the images. The visit was much more interesting this time, I am happy to say.</span><br />
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It seems as though we are ready to search for more permanent digs. Our numbers regularly exceed 15 for Sacrament meetings in our hotel room, the baseline number. A new place to meet, that we can call our own, will have to be a genuine upgrade. Currently, the hotel offers us space, audio-visual assistance, carafes of water, and a clean room with a coat closet, for less than $500 per month. Brother Fitzgerald will probably recommend that we not change places, at least not for the present. The only drawback is that we have to pack items back and forth each Sunday, such as sacrament trays and the electronic devices to run our Skype outreach. The hotel is also in an easy-to-reach location. Hence, if we begin a search for space, we shall probably look in the neighborhood for a suitable place. If we locate in a business building, access to our rented space during evenings and weekends will be a matter that we have to solve. But I look forward to solving such issues. Maybe more later; maybe not.</div>
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Our number was 32 for Sacrament Meeting today, 20 in the hotel room and a dozen joining by Skype. Of that number, four were visitors from out of town, three were investigators, and one was to be baptized. She is the person whom we met while searching for a YV apartment. The talks in Sacrament Meeting each dealt with challenges that we face in life. In the baptismal service, I was asked to give the talk on the Holy Ghost. (It was notably shorter than the talk on baptism.) I also confirmed her a member of the Church while one of our YVs sat in front of her and translated what I was saying into Turkish. She understood everything that I said to her. Everything. Now we need to find a husband for her, one with whom she can spend eternity.</div>
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I love you and pray for each of you.</div>
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_3200" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Grandpa Brown</div>
</span></span></div>
</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-90803539434801510692017-02-18T22:59:00.000+02:002017-02-20T23:19:48.417+02:00#141 "Sunday February 19, 2017" (By Grandma)<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">I don't have very many
more Sundays to contribute to the blog. I don't think I'll write weekly
updates of my life when we return to Orem. Well, if public demand
requires it, I might continue writing. We'll have to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">I'm getting older. Duh!!!! We are all getting older,
but I'm getting really old. And though I try to keep up with the 18-19
year-olds that surround us, I find that I quickly lose stamina, and patience.
This week I tried running on all cylinders. We had lots of
activities, and in addition, we had activities with some very sharp looking
people. So, in addition to enduring a week, I also had to try to look
presentable for long periods of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">I've never been blessed with easy to care for hair. And the
humidity, rain, wind, and heat really whips it around. I envy women with
lovely coiffed hair-dos. Prior to marriage I had my hair done once a week
and it was securely "ratted" so it lasted until my next hair
appointment. I always looked stunning. But with marriage and no
hair budget money, I gradually had to try to tackle it myself. I remember
setting my hair in pink rollers. It kept the curl for a few days. I
had perms that frizzed my hair up nicely. And during one period of
my life, I let it grow long and straight. But now it is short and thin.
I blow dry it and use a curling iron, and ten minutes later, it looks
like I just came out of a wind tunnel. Aren't you all fascinated by this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">The week was actually a
very nice one. We met a lot of new people.... Mission presidents visiting
from 20 missions. We were able to dine with the group twice and take them
to Ephesus. Then we were able to travel to Istanbul and spend time with a
Seventy, hear him give a fireside and conduct a Zone Conference. It was a
good time, but very tiring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, while we
were on the bus full of delightful people, returning from Ephesus, we received
a phone call from SLC with very disturbing news. Not to worry, it
didn't involve any of you, nor anything that any of you are connected with.
But it made me mad. And while I was mad, I was called by a member
of the Branch Presidency and asked to speak in church on Sunday. I said
yes because I know how hard it is to get speakers, but I was mad and couldn't
get a pleasant thought in my head for more than 12 hours. So while we
were involved in lots of stuff, I was trying to be un-mad so I could have a
clear head and think of a topic to speak on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">And alas, most of my mad
left and I could come up with a topic for my talk..."natural man".
I think a "natural man/woman" revels in being mad. Some
of my mad left because I got some sleep and food and the situation partially
resolved itself. But I had sympathy for people who live with mads for
long periods of time. It is paralyzing. And the Spirit disappears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">Condolences to Jill whose
grandpa Wells died this week in Montana. We know he left a wonder legacy.
We have heard many great things about him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">While I've been typing this, two elders have been in our living
room skyping and speaking in Farsi to members and investigators. They have
begun a Group in Turkey in a location central to more of them. It is the
first Farsi Group in Turkey and has some very strong members. The elders
learn Turkish in the MTC and teach themselves Farsi when they come to Turkey.
Usually one or two elders help with the Farsi speakers. It is
amazing that they can master two very difficult languages. Farsi is
Persian, and it is in the Arabic script, but it is different from Arabic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">We had a baptism today. She loves Kent and calls him the
"professor". He gave one of the talks at her baptism. And
he also confirmed her. She is probably 30+ and a very fun personality.
She was baptized in the hotel pool. Unfortunately she speaks
little English, but she is learning. We have missed a lot of opportunities
because we speak very little Turkish. Old people can't learn new
languages, especially not Turkish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">Three granddaughters were
in plays this week and one grandson-in-law. Nashelle and Daniel, Dana,
and Larissa. We look forward to future productions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif;">Mother<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-75950852250167855042017-02-12T23:19:00.000+02:002017-02-20T23:19:40.541+02:00#140 "Flights" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_10613" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_10612" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: large;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_10603" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: large;">You know how these things work. You think that you have matters settled for a airplane flight someplace, and you don’t. Well, that happened to us (me, actually). We received notice three weeks ago that our flights back to the States had been set. All on Delta. Fine, we said. We received the schedule from a very helpful woman at the travel department in SLC and were fixed. I learned then that the first flight from Istanbul to Paris is to be on Air France. I paid no attention. (You begin to hear a change in the background music.) I began to think of all those hours sitting in a seat with the seat in front of me pressed against my knees. Ouch. If I am sitting in an aisle seat, I can stand this sort of arrangement for the hour’s flight to Istanbul or a slightly longer flight to Ankara. But not the eleven hours from Paris to Salt Lake City. So in an email I asked the very helpful woman in church travel how I could upgrade to a seat with more leg room. Such seats exist. She told me. A simple two or three steps would give me what I wanted. So on the Delta website, I upgraded to a "plus" pair of seats for Grandma and me for that long flight. But that’s not the most interesting part of the story. Air France now steps visibly onto the stage.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_10623" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond";"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487624560710_10622" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: large;">Thinking about our arrangements, I decided to upgrade to a slightly better seat for our four-hour Delta flight from Istanbul to Paris on an Air France plane. I went to the Delta webpage, as before, and I was allowed to do the deed. Actually, I could only get exit row seats at this early date. None of the others were available through Delta. But the exit row seats were. So I signed up for two. You know what? The Delta website wanted money for my upgrade. I paid. And that was ok. I was at last feeling good about leg room. Then last week I decided to check that all was well. You know what? All was not well. I could find that one of the two exit row seats was bought and assigned to Grandma, but not the one I had bought for me. It was still open for purchase. And next to my name was an unsubtle invitation to upgrade by buying (again) an exit row seat.</span></span></div>
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I found a place where I could send an email to Delta about the evident disconnect. I sent it. I waited. Forty-eight hours later, I sent another because I had received no reply. This one had a little edge to it, I am sorry to admit. A day later, a representative for Delta wrote and said that Delta could not help me because the flight was Air France. I would have to contact that company.</div>
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I found an Air France number in Turkey and called. The fellow was pleasant enough. But when I gave him my confirmation numbers, he could call nothing up on his screen. Whaaaat? Nothing, he said. He could not even confirm that Grandma and I are on the flight out of Istanbul. I protested that I had paid extra through Delta. He suggested that I contact Delta. I told him that I had already done so and had been told to contact Air France. It all went nowhere. In a mild panic, I wrote to the very nice church travel woman in SLC asking for some help. But it was too early in the day for her to be at her desk. So I poked around an Air France website. I typed in my number from Delta and voila! I found myself looking at a screen with our reservations listed on it. Just as I had hoped. And something else. The confirmation numbers for the Air France flight were different from those that Delta gave us. Why am I not surprised? But all seems to be ok. For the moment.</div>
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It has begun. My throat treatment, that is. In my return to my ear, nose, and throat doctor, he sprayed a mist into my mouth before looking at my throat. Oh my goodness. Oh My Goodness! It tasted awful. I was ready to spit out the whole thing. But it was only the anesthetic. My tongue went numb pretty fast. Then he proceeded to take a movie of my throat with his camera poking through my right nostril. Afterward, he proclaimed that he would give me two botox shots in the right side of my throat when I go for my treatment. He also talked a lot about my right "false" vocal chord, a piece of tissue that sticks out past my normal right vocal chord. Talk about growing stuff I never knew I had. More to come.</div>
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Thursday Grandma and I went to the city of Denizli where five Iranian members reside. We took non-perishable foods to a single man and to a couple with a two-year old boy who fell and broke some teeth the day before, his two-year birthday. We also carried some rent money. The husband was the one set upon by a drunk man at a gasoline station more than a month ago and is undergoing physical therapy for his injured arm. The thirteen-hour day was easily offset by the feeling that we had genuinely helped someone.</div>
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The Area President and his wife and small entourage arrived yesterday in our fair city for a seminar. It turns out that he was in the terry cloth business at one time and came regularly to Denizli which is a major manufacturing center for such items. Who would have thought?</div>
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In our Sacrament Meeting today, the opening prayer was in Hungarian and the closing prayer was in Russian. In between, the service was conducted in Turkish with an English translation and the talks were given in English with Turkish translations. What is more, the talks were from the Area President and his wife. They are in town for a special event during the coming week. Their talks were clear, simple, and carried important messages about how to stay connected with the Lord. Because we welcomed a group of seven from Moscow, including our main speakers, our numbers hit 37 for the meeting — 24 in the hotel room and 13 joining by Skype. I mark it down as our largest crowd so far. After enjoying a notable Testimony Meeting last week, we basked in an intense light again as one of the Lord’s anointed spoke in our meeting. And the reactivated sister who gave the Sunday School lesson was superb. I thought that this Sunday we would see a baptism. Next week it is to happen.</div>
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My first counselor almost swallowed his tongue this morning when he learned that he would be conducting our Sacrament Meeting that would feature a General Authority who is a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. You can imagine that a good two-thirds of our branch presidency meeting was taken up in discussing just how to proceed during the meeting. One of the important points had to do with how to sustain a person whom I had called to be a Primary teacher. My counselor had never asked for a sustaining vote in a meeting, though he had put up his hand when needed to sustain someone in a prior branch or ward. Another point was that a conducting officer never says anything after a General Authority speaks. About all a person can do is say thank you and then announce the closing hymn and prayer. That is exactly what my counselor did. So the lessons were learned. He will do fine. I just have to be patient.</div>
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By the way, our Area President was taken by our Skype outreach to people who live at a big distance. Our success in this area really interested him. In Russia, some branches are as far from each other as Chicago and Salt Lake City, with only five or six active members. He was curious about how and whether we can ask distant people to participate in our meetings. (We can.) He wondered how they receive the sacrament. (If they can hear the prayers, they can partake.) He was impressed with Grandma's ability to make her speaker work with her iPhone to produce the music that we sing for our hymns. For him, attending our branch was a mini education about how to bring in those who are far from a branch headquarters.</div>
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This kind of outreach will all improve with time. It has to. Our Iranian members cannot get permission to attend meetings as long as the state of emergency is still in effect. So it is imperative that we find a means to connect.</div>
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I love you and pray for you all.</div>
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Grandpa Brown</div>
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Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-59945452035756597302017-02-05T18:32:00.002+02:002017-02-05T18:32:36.852+02:00#139 "Please Thank Your Ward Clerks" (By Grandma)<div class="yiv4878923966MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_29978">
Dear Family,</div>
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I’m sure you are all sitting by your computer anxiously awaiting our latest news. When we return we will give you all a quick quiz to see how carefully you have read our emails/blog. We actually have no idea who reads our blog. Julianne has been our agent in this matter, and we appreciate her making it available to all of you who really want to know about our lives. </div>
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We have been here for twenty two Fast Sundays. Today is the first time that dad has NOT conducted that meeting. His new counselor conducted the meeting in Turkish. An elder stood by his side and translated it for us English speakers. He did a great job. A newly baptized young man passed the sacrament. The testimonies were very nice. One investigator bore his testimony about the BofM and how it speaks to him. He quoted a passage. One new member also bore his testimony and quoted another part of the BofM that spoke to him. Both of these men are Turks. A German sister bore her testimony and her 6 year old daughter also did. They live in a distant city and are usually with us on Skype. A newly baptized 11 year old gave the closing prayer in Turkish. She is Ukrainian/Turkish. An Iranian woman bore her testimony over Skype. One of the Elders could translate her Farsi. All of this is amazing to me. People have begun to come out of the woodwork. The elders have done an excellent job. And our new Hungarian family weren’t even there to add to our numbers. </div>
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The room was full… 20 people there and a bunch on Skype. </div>
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On the first and third Sundays we have Priesthood/RS. We have to rent another room in the hotel for this. The German sister taught RS today. She tried to translate the lesson into Turkish. She has a Turkish husband and speaks some Turkish. But it was too hard for her, so she gave the lesson mainly in English and our YA translated it into Turkish for her. The German sister has two daughters. One daughter is a HUGE challenge. I think she is about 3. She likes to have 200% of her mother’s attention. I tried to distract her while her mother was teaching by doing origami birds with her. It helped a little. They came to our house for dinner afterwards. The 3 year old didn’t want anything we were eating (waffles). But later she saw a jar of skittles and wanted some of them. The members of this family were very sick a couple of weeks ago, and Kent and an Elder went to their city to administer to them. It was a 13 hour day for them. Everyone in the family is in good health now. </div>
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Dad mentioned that we have lots of visitors in our apartment. At one point it got to be too much for me, so we asked the elders to not come between 6-7 each evening. They have respected that, and we can usually now have dinner. I often invited them for dinner because they were here, but I didn’t really have enough food. They are often here for lunch though. We are not a mission area where the elders get invited to homes for meals. Now and then it happens, but very rarely. They have long distances to travel to return to their own apartments to prepare their own meals. I imagine they eat out a lot. The local food is pretty inexpensive for them. I do notice that some are HUGE eaters. So when they eat here I dish up the food and then let them have extras after that. </div>
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You father has done very well as a presiding church leader here. He seems to handle all the twists and turns that arise in an emerging church area. He gives wonderful talks, he is very gracious to everyone. But he does have his vulnerabilities. In his church positions he has always had clerks, executive secretaries, etc. But he “gets” to be everything here. Most recently a young elder was called to be Branch Clerk. That should help. But prior to that he’s done all the finances, reports, etc. He had to open bank accounts, deposit funds, withdraw funds, hand-create tithing settlement receipts, etc. </div>
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The Area has now instituted IMOS for Turkey. Dad went to Istanbul to be trained. He took his counselor who is quite tech-saavy with him. They gave them a large PC and printer to haul back to Izmir for IMOS. That counselor was deported shortly after the training. That left Dad, the un-tech-saavy person, with the boxed computer and printer. He delayed as long as he could in opening the box. (2 months) We had to purchase a table for it. It now sits in our dining room. We set up the computer and when dad tried to log-in nothing worked. I looked at his notes, and we found a work-around. Then he brought in his clerk and he couldn’t log-in. Then someone from the Russia office said they’d come to Istanbul to help everyone but everyone had to bring their PC’s to Istanbul. Dad was really excited about that! But then the Russian guy got sick and didn’t come to Istanbul. So we took the computer out of the suitcase. This is not a small PC. </div>
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This week someone from Russia (our Ares) called dad to help walk him through the process of logging on. He spoke to dad for one hour while he was standing on a cold street corner. He called back the next morning when dad had the young elder here. When he failed to help him, he told dad to call SLC and get help. Dad said he didn’t have international calling and couldn’t do it. The young elder was also part of this conversation. They worked and worked at it and finally got him into the program. They were also able to add the young elder as a clerk. IMOS has all membership records, finances, etc. And of course Dad is finding lots of misspellings in the membership records that he is trying to correct. And if you are still reading this, it goes on and one. Please give the ward clerks of the church your thanks for saving people like your father from near annihilation. </div>
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And his cell phone also has a mind of its own. It shuts off for no reason, drops calls, etc. It really makes your dad happy. He may have been happier if the computer world didn’t evolve during his lifetime. But then I guess it would have been harder for him to write 1,100 pages about Luke.</div>
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We were saddened at the passing of Joel’s father this week. His service will be next Friday. WE had the opportunity of visiting with his father when we visited Colorado. One time he picked me up at the airport when I went for the birth of a baby. He will be very much missed by his family.</div>
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We expect the elders shortly. I have some cold waffles I’ll give them if they are hungry. </div>
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I hope you are all doing well. WE love hearing from you.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Mother</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-91977105005174877462017-02-05T18:31:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:31:20.192+02:00#138 "Bunches of YV's" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_27765">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_27764" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_27763" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_27788" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_27787" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;">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.</span></span></div>
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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.</div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_29505">It's about time for me to go in for a procedure on my voice. I surely do not look forward to the experience. The two prior occasions left me a bit smashed, to say the least. I am to call the doctor's assistant in his local office for a pre-procedure appointment. (Fat chance because she speaks no English and I speak minimal Turkish.) Then he will schedule me for a hospital experience. And an experience it will be. More later, I am sure. I just have to expect a sore throat for a few days. Don't cry for me. He has not yet charged me anything for these voice fixings. Except for the regular doctor's visit. Those run about a hundred dollars a pop.</span><br />
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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.</div>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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I love you and pray for you all.<br />
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Grandpa Brown</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-88372470696348808192017-01-29T18:27:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:27:32.680+02:00#137 "Sunday, January 29, 2017" (by Grandma)<div class="yiv5665422889MsoNormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_20020">
Dear Family,</div>
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I’m not going to ready your dad’s letter before I write mine tonight. So you’ll probably get two reports of the same week. But of course, we are different people, so the reports may vary a bit. Dad’s reports will be profound and a bit spiritual, mine will be profound and a bit ornery. </div>
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I feel like we have very busy weeks but I can barely remember individual days as they fly by. Our week included another trip to Istanbul for Zone Conference. We had been invited to stay at the Mission Home with another couple that was travelling from Ankara. It is very comfortable and the MP’s wife always provides a variety of cuisine. We try to contribute to breakfast, but we notice that our contribution goes uneaten. We usually dine on yogurt and granola when we are at home. We take our own granola when we travel, but usually we leave a full granola box. </div>
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Zone Conference consisted of talks by the MP and his wife, the Zone Leaders (we have no AP’s), and talks by Dad and me. We were given the topic of the BofM and Joseph Smith. I told about my history of BofM reading and quoted a lot from Scott’s talk on what the BofM says about fathering. I figured that the elders would be fathers one day, and there are some wonderful examples in the BofM. Dad gave a very good talk about Joseph Smith. We almost always have pizza for lunch at Zone Conference. I was interested that they announced that you shouldn’t take more than six slices of pizza to begin with. Then, after everyone was served, you could take more. Some elders immediately loaded their plates with six slices. I ate two slices. I’m not sure how many dad ate. You can ask him.</div>
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We went to dinner one night with some of the senior couples. One couple from Ephraim is going home this week. WE have really enjoyed them. They have been the Office couple. They have invited us to stay with them when we go to Cassidy’s games. They were newlyweds when they first came. Both had been widowed. They have lots of children and grandchildren between them. </div>
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Most clearly in my mind is what happened today…. Sunday. I began some spaghetti sauce, and then walked to church lugging two heavy bags of stuff. Dad had gone earlier with other heavy items. The elders now bring the sacrament trays, so we don’t have to carry them each week. But today, they forgot them. So we had sacrament on hotel plates. Luckily dad had the sacrament cloth and the cups for the water. I had reminded the elders Saturday evening to remember to bring them. They said they’d for sure remember. But they didn’t. </div>
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Church went well, and we had 18 people in attendance, and a bunch on Skype. Dad gave the Fifth Sunday Lesson on the beginnings of the church. We need to be very basic in our talks. And since they are all translated, we have to write shorter talks.</div>
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BTW…. I’ve begun to sing all the songs now in Turkish. Our congregation is sounding better and better. I’m probably not pronouncing things correctly, but I’ve made a lot of progress.</div>
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After church I hurried home to prepare dinner for one set of elders. They were bringing an investigator to our apartment for a discussion, and I told them I’d feed them after that. So I fed them and the investigator.</div>
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After they left another set of elders arrived for a Skype lesson. I told them I’d feed them after that lesson and before the next lesson. As I type, they are giving a Skype lesson in Farsi to some Iranian refugees. </div>
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So I spent a bit of time in the kitchen preparing food, serving food, cleaning up, and then repeating the process with the second set of elders.</div>
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I’m enclosing a photo of a mother and daughter. The daughter was baptized a couple of weeks ago. She is eleven years old. She is very good with her hands, so I took her some yarn and told her how to make the sashay scarves. Today she and her mother showed up in church with finished scarves. I was very happy to see the finished product. She is a very talented little girl and pays the piano like a professional. She also speaks 3 languages, but English is not one of them unfortunately. </div>
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<img id="yiv5665422889img652884" src="https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2%5f0%5f0%5f1%5f1%5fAJ1UimIAB9EzWI4erAd2KKewl0Y&m=YaDownload&pid=2&fid=Inbox&inline=1&appid=YahooMailNeo&uploadId=cGFzdGVkSW1hZ2UucG5n" style="max-width: 99.9%; overflow-x: auto;" /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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I am remembering that I took our YSA to lunch this week and Dad and I took a woman from the Hotel where we hold church to lunch. We are good at going out to eat.</div>
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I made a very good dessert for the elders today. It was actually vanilla ice cream with a fantastic hot topping. It is made from buttermilk. I will make it for all of you when we return home.</div>
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I hope you are all surviving the snow. Well, I’m sorry the Browns aren’t included. The Pearsons said their driveway was blocked by snow from the snowplow. I imagine you are all getting lots of exercise. I wonder how the elderly are surviving. I know that the Rowleys can’t shovel, and there aren’t reliable youth on their street to help out. Greg Moon often has a snow blower that does some sidewalks in our neighborhood. It must be a good investment this winter.</div>
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Time is speeding along.</div>
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I love you!</div>
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Mother<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-55206553816990270742017-01-29T18:24:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:25:18.165+02:00#136 "Prophets" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19351">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19350" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19349" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19362" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19369" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19368" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">After holding onto the books in the Islamic Translation Series that BYU Press publishes and BYU’s Maxwell Institute sponsors for about eight months, I finally donated one set of the 14–volume collection to one of the local universities. Another set still sits in our apartment, looking for a new owner. All in good time, say I. I have sent an email to a professor of archaeology at another university whom I met about four months ago. I expect him to put me in contact with the librarian. I hope. These books form a very distinguished set of publications. On-line I have checked the library holdings of these two universities, and they own none of the volumes. From what little I have seen of the library where I visited with our YVs last week (yes, I dragged them along), I judge it to be a few steps below the standards of most universities in the USA. Perhaps the gift of the books will lift the quality of the holdings ever so little.</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19376" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19375" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19376" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_19375" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">I have a heavy heart when I think of our few members in a city to the east of us. They are all Iranians. As refugees, they are hoping for a future in the West. But their nationality is now on a list that is part of a directive signed by the new US president. One of our acquaintances here, with her husband, had been accepted for relocation to the US during the coming summer with UN help. But now they are in limbo for another several months. Perhaps they will be lucky and will still be able to immigrate. Perhaps not. All of that sort of movement is now halted. I think it odd that a piece of paper — a passport, in my case — can aid or deter a person’s ability to move from country to country.</span></span></div>
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A new SV couple has arrived in Istanbul and the prior one is about to leave. The positions — secretary and financial manager — are very important to the overall functioning of what we do around here. The former couple, who arrived a few weeks after we did, has mastered the ways of doing business in this part of the world and have become enormous helps to us and to everyone else in the mission. The incoming couple have enjoyed a couple of extended experiences as SVs, including one in southern Italy, actually in Malta, with our current MP. So they are a known quantity, so to speak. The couple just celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary and he came to Helaman Halls the same year that I did as a new BYU student, 1958. We are about the same age. He is an engineer. I don’t know what his wife’s background is, but she raised a family of seven children. That is worth a lot in my mind.</div>
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We went to our next-to-last zone conference last week, from Wednesday to Friday. The conference lasted most of Thursday. Grandma and I were featured speakers for about an hour. We were given a slot in the morning. Usually, any slot allotted to us comes in the afternoon when the conference is winding down and time has shrunk, largely letting us off the hook. On this occasion, we were prime time, so to speak. Grandma was to talk about what the Book of Mormon has come to mean to her over the course of her lifetime. I was to treat Joseph Smith similarly. Grandma did a bang-up job, as I knew she would. I was a different story. I said that my real acquaintance with the Prophet began only during my young mission days when I recited the story of his First Vision to investigators. On those occasions, the Spirit would come to me and sweetly let me know that the story I was retelling was true. After that, I quickly retreated into the Book of Mormon where I feel much more at home.<br />
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Today we were twenty-six in our sacrament meeting, eighteen in the hotel room and eight by skype. Our numbers at the hotel were buttressed by two visitors from the States, a couple of fellows who are in the sunflower seed business. Four in the hotel room were investigators, one coming for the first time. Two of our brethren helped with the sacrament for the first time, one youth passing the sacrament and the older fellow blessing the bread. I crafted our two meetings to answer questions of one of our investigators. She has been over a barrel on the issue of a modern prophet. Actually, any prophets besides Jesus. The YVs who are teaching her have spent two lessons on the matter of prophets, trying to help her to understand what a prophet is and that God has not left us to our own devices in the modern world without divine help. </div>
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For our sacrament meeting, I had asked two of our YVs to talk about how Heavenly Father answers our sincere prayers. In our combined meeting, I led a discussion on the First Vision and events that followed that event, drawing on the first lesson in the new manual based on the teachings of President Gordon B. Hinckley. In a followup lesson in our apartment, she said that she now believes that the presence of a modern prophet makes sense and she believes President Monson to be that person. We have been praying hard for her to see the light. Now she is on track to be baptized in a couple of weeks. Whew! Thanks be to the Lord for His help. We ended our meetings by giving a blessing to an investigator who is going through a rough patch in his life. He came for the first time in a couple of months. It was a sweet conclusion to our meetings.</div>
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I am finally beginning to feel the tug of home. I almost feel guilty making such an admission. I have pushed this sort of sense as far from me as I can. But, if any justification exists, I can sense that more and more pieces are falling into place here, pieces that are needed to make the branch a fully functioning unit which the Lord will recognize as His own. Ever since Elder Holland showed up in Istanbul about fifteen months ago and talked to the YVs and SVs about shaping church units that the Lord would welcome as His, I have been working to make our branch into such a place where He could come, or His servants could come, and recognize what is happening in meetings, as well as before meetings and after meetings. Among other things, I saw the wife of my new first counselor holding his hand during our combined meeting today. Why is that important or noteworthy? Because for about a year she has been less active, attending perhaps twice in that span of time. Now she is our Sunday School teacher and comes all the time. It is hard for me to describe what I feel like when she walks through the door each Sunday morning. And there are other little stories that I could tell. I don't know what the branch will look like after our departure, but it will work fine, I am convinced. At least I hope so.<br />
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I love you and pray for each of you.<br />
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Grandpa Brown</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-63136960589035363212017-01-22T18:20:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:21:27.423+02:00#135 "Letter Home" (By Grandma)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18579" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18578" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">What can I write about? I do want to communicate with all of you at least once a week. I love getting your various replies, or little blurbs about your lives. Most of the time I'm telling about things of days past. And the fact that I'm writing about them means that I have survived another week, as we all have. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18593" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Sometimes I read your father's emails before I begin my own. I did today. I'm still amazed that he can write with such clarity and depth. I usually just relay an event, but he can capture the poignancy of it... Notice the big word I just used. He really is gifted. I hope that you have all inherited that from your father. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18598" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">He had a busy week and I only went on one of the bus trips. They are very tiring. Why should sitting on a bus be tiring? All you have to do is sit? But after a 13 hour day, I could barely gather myself together for church today. And your father had to gather himself ready for church and perform lots of functions, conducting, set-up, carrying computers, ordaining new priesthood holders, and not falling asleep while sitting in front of everyone. I only have to lead the music. Well, I had to make refreshments, package refreshments,<span class="yiv7988868832apple-converted-space"> </span>choose the music, print copies, print names of songs and pages for a poster, carry my Bose, take the Turkish Hymn books, take my i-phone,<span class="yiv7988868832apple-converted-space"> </span>load my tote bags, try to pronounce the Turkish words as we sing, look pleasant, and stand in front of everyone<span class="yiv7988868832apple-converted-space"> </span>with my feet killing me. I walked to church with my Sunday shoes on. Not a good idea!</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18602" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The baptisms yesterday were very special. We took two elders with us for the<span class="yiv7988868832apple-converted-space"> </span>long trip on the bus ride. One of the elders had been teaching the couple in Farsi. Can you imagine going on a Turkish speaking mission and then teaching yourself Farsi? We have some very sharp elders here. I see that dad has written about the day. I think I’ll just copy him for my journal, if I only kept a journal.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18607" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Today I sent the following email to the parents of an elder who was recently transferred from our area:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I just wanted you to know I miss your son Elder Brady. He was transferred from our Branch last week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I know that transfers are part of the program and we must "endure", but we do miss his presence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18623" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He had a light in his eyes that attracted others to him and to the message he was teaching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18620" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">But most of all I miss his observation of the needs of others. My husband and I have carried every item needed for church services to our hotel every Sunday. It is a long walk for us, and much to carry. But we have done it, and have been grateful to not stumble along the way. When your son arrived he offered to take care of the Sacrament trays and supplies and to bring them each Sunday. That was a big help. One less thing we had to remember to take. He never missed a Sunday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This week-end we had two baptisms in a distant city. We carried all the clothing for the baptisms and brought back to our apartment all of the wet clothing. Your son would have offered to help carry the heavy wet clothing. I noticed that all the elders pushed ahead of me when going through doors. Your son would have let me enter first, or at least noticed if I was nearby. He always offered to help when he was in our apartment and found a way to actually help out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">So we have been spoiled by having him in our branch. It is too bad we have to share him with the Ankara Branch now. Oh well, such is mission life as you know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Our original return date was December 2016. We extended to March 2017 because there was no one out there to replace us. Our Branch is very young and the "volunteers" have been the mainstays. But we had five baptisms this month and several more on the horizon. So we hope that Izmir Branch will continue to thrive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">We've had 3 grandsons serving missions as we have been out. Our children have said they loved hearing from the Senior Couples who served with their sons. So we thought that you would like to know that we give your son an A+++++ rating for his service to our Branch and to us personally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Thanks for raising a great son.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I assume that others could write the same about our grandsons who have served…. And future grandsons and granddaughters. It helps when they think about the elderly people they work alongside. We really appreciate any time anyone offers to lighten our physical load. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18675" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">A set of elders is here right now giving skype lessons. Another set followed us home from church and asked if they could do some translations for a couple of minutes. We said okay. Two and a half hours later they left after I fed them some French toast. I didn’t have much around to feed them since we’d been gone so much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We’ll fly to Istanbul this week for Zone Conference… and again in three weeks…. And again in about two months…when we leave. We’ve received our final departure notice… March 21. Dad is trying to pay for an upgrade so he can endure the miniscule legroom. He isn’t happy cramped in tiny seats. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18667" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Thank you all for your continued support and your prayers. I know that we have been lifted up. I do trip now and then. I know that one bad trip could be fatal for me. Each time I’ve stumbled I’ve been grateful to not land on my face. I only did that once. We could not serve here if we were not ambulatory. There are random obstacles on the sidewalks, many irregularities, and cars speed up if they see you in their path. I’m amazed now and then at a bicycle’s or motorcycle’s sudden appearance just behind me. I could have stepped to the right or left, right into the path. And we have flown safely more than 80 times. We have been healthy with only a minor cold or two. And I didn’t get rabies!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Be careful in the snow in Utah. Watch out for the sunshine in Arizona. </span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18664" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I love you all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18657" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18656" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Mother</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-75405158972296866032017-01-22T18:17:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:21:08.381+02:00#134 "Bus Personality" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17965">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17964" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17963" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17933" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17932">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17961">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17931">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17930" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17929" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Some weeks take on their own personality. This past week was a bus personality, topped by sweet ordinations. After arriving back from Gaziantep about noon on Monday, it seemed that I was either getting on a bus or climbing off one. During a Skype session with a sister in Bodrum, the two YVs teaching her learned that her young daughters had been very ill, ill enough to go to the emergency room in the local hospital. She asked if someone could come to give blessings to her daughters. Of course, we agreed, either Thursday or Friday, if the MP approved the travel of one or more YVs. Then Grandma said to me, "You are free tomorrow [Wednesday]." It made sense to go as soon as possible rather than making her children wait. Because we had a YV threesome for a couple of days (one YV was still taking care of matters where he was living before coming to our city), I took one with me and left the other two as a companionship. Wednesday morning, off we went to Bodrum, the birth place of the important, fifth-century Greek historian, Herodotus. It is a cool three hours and fifteen minutes from the bus station here to the city limits there. But the ride is gorgeous and pleasant.</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18011">
<br /></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17957" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17956" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17955">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17957" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17956" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">At the first check point, a soldier climbed on the bus and, after strolling through an almost empty bus, asked the YV to step off with him. Because YV’s papers were in order, the officer in charge asked the soldier why he had taken this guy off the bus. So the YV climbed back on. At the second check point, a policeman walked straight through the bus and stopped at our seats, asking, "Where are you from?" We evidently stood out. Not surprising, given the color of our skin. At the bus station, the sister’s husband met us and drove us to their home where we enjoyed a nice lunch. One of the girls was feeling pretty good and was very playful. The other was not. She didn’t touch any of her lunch. When the time came to give blessings, we gave four, one to each family member. I don’t know how many blessings the YV has participated in, but he did a good job. A report a day later from the sister told us that her daughters, especially the one who was really sick when we arrived, were doing much better, as was her husband who has not been at the top of his game for several weeks.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17957" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17956" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">
</span></span>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17957" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17956" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17957" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17956" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_17959">
Saturday saw another long bus trip. Instead of heading south, we headed east to Denizli, a city not far from one of the seven churches addressed by the Lord in the letters that he dictated to John the Revelator — Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22). This time Grandma and I went, accompanied by two YVs, one of whom had just arrived the prior Wednesday evening and speaks Farsi, the language of the couple whom I was to baptize. One of the YVs had arranged for a hotel pool where we had baptized another brother some ten months before. After changing clothes, we held a short service, virtually pool side. Then I stepped into the pool. It was not warm and inviting, as I thought from looking at it. Instead, it was cool, though not cold. I baptized the sister first, then the husband. Both from Iran. They have been with us faithfully for almost five months on Skype each Sunday, even though they are not able to understand more than half of what happens. (At Grandma’s suggestion, I have invited our Farsi-speaking YV to summarize for five minutes, at the end of the sacrament meetings, what has been talked about during the meeting so that the Farsi speakers know what the speakers have said.) We went to their apartment where the sister had prepared a lunch. We then confirmed them members of the Church (I performed the ordinances with the Farsi-speaking YV translating my blessing by sitting in front of them.) After confirming the brother, I had him remain sitting and ordained him a priest. I judge that if a man is worthy to be baptized, he is worthy to receive the Aaronic priesthood.</div>
<br />
Even though our numbers were down in our Sacrament Meeting today — eighteen total between those in the hotel room (13) and on Skype (5) — it was a wonderful energizing experience. We sustained six brethren to receive the priesthood; three to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood in other branches and three to receive the Aaronic Priesthood in our branch (actually, we ratified the action of ordaining the brother as a Priest in Denizli on Saturday). Then one of our new converts, a fellow who is about forty, spoke about recognizing and overcoming sin in our Sacrament Meeting. At the end of our Sunday School, we ordained the two new male members from last week who were in our hotel room today, one as a Priest and one as a Deacon. As soon as we finished ordaining the two of them, I told each of them where I wanted them next week, one sitting behind the sacrament table and one sitting so that he can pass the sacrament. Perhaps significantly, the entirety of our two meetings today was conducted in Turkish, except for my conducting, with English translation only during our Sacrament Meeting. We are getting there.<br />
<br />
As an added note to what was above, it was not that the bus trips were so bad. They were enjoyable for me. It was the time. In each case, I/we were away from the apartment for some thirteen plus hours. Returning was a pleasant experience, to say the least. The first time, when the YV and I went to Bodrum, we got back in town, took a shuttle bus to a metro station through streets clogged with traffic, and then traveled to the airport to meet his new companion, a YV arriving from Ankara. The thing that saved the day was giving the four blessings. Those were sweet experiences for me. I dearly love the non-member husband who welcomed us to his home. He is a gentle, loving husband and father. He has earned my respect as a wonderful human being and brother. And he is a Muslim man. Of course, with an LDS wife, he will continue to run into the Church and its teachings throughout his life. I shall be most interested to see what happens to him during the next few years. It will be good, I know.<br />
<br />
I love you and pray for you each day.<br />
<br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_18018">
Grandpa Brown</div>
</span></span></div>
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-25528655426903116352017-01-16T18:13:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:20:44.672+02:00#133 "Losing It" (By Grandpa)<span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6348" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
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<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6346" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6345">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6344">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6371">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6370" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6369" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Losing it? It seems that I am losing things at a slightly increasing rate, things that have importance to me. About three weeks ago, I lost a pair of sun glasses that I have had for a good ten years. They were cool looking cycling glasses with light gray rims. I knew that the fellows who run a nearby glasses shop looked enviously at my glasses whenever I wore them and walked by. Now I am reduced to my backup pair that has black rims and, sadly, has no distinctive flare about them. Woe is me. Then Saturday I must have dropped my nice gray beanie hat that covers my ears in the cold. It must have fallen on the floor of the hotel lobby while we were waiting for our taxi to the Ankara airport. It’s a rather distinguished hat that keeps my head warm and my hair in place. I called the hotel the next day and the clerk had not seen it. But he remembered me as the "old man." Sheesh. Now I shall have to wear a backup that I wear when riding a bike. That one has white writing on it which is not so cool. In light of these two losses, I now worry that I might lose my PJs or some such item and really be hurting. I guess it comes with the territory that I now accustomed to wander in.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6384" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6383" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6469">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6384" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6383" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">That is not all. Two or three times a day Grandma will ask me what I remember about something important. Like when our flight is supposed to be (yesterday’s test). Of course I respond with an answer that is supposed to show that I know the correct information. And often I don’t. How embarrassing is that? The old brain isn’t what it used to be. As if I were ever good at remembering details. Ha! Well, details that aren’t at least 1,600 years old.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6384" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6383" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6426">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6384" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6383" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">This week was a travel week. We ended up in Ankara for fireside on Friday and in Gaziantep on Saturday. It is sort of like our final tour. In Ankara, we spent dinner time with a former colleague and his wife. They are serving as humanitarian reps. They have plenty to do, especially with those who have special needs. They have been in the country since November and enjoy their work. He had once thought of a CES assignment. But there was no meaningful work for his wife. They passed it up and came to Turkey.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6384" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6383" style="font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">
<br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6408">
This past weekend saw a shake up among our YVs. One was transferred to Ankara. His replacement will be our Farsi speaker. Our other YV is headed to Germany with visa problems. His replacement will be a YV who left our fair city a few months ago. We hear he is happy to be returning. On our part, we shall be glad to welcome him back. He has warm connections here with members and investigators alike. The whole transfer process can really change the character of a small branch. And it will.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6300">
Missing the entry of three new members into our branch yesterday I counted as a loss. At first I did. But perhaps strangely, I felt perfectly at peace while it was all going on, we in Gaziantep, a real distance from our branch members. I knew that it would mean something both for us and for the members of the branch for us to be there. Yet, it now seems right that my new counselor conducted for the first time on the day that he would bring his daughter into the Church. And it seemed right that the meeting would be conducted in Turkish rather than English, which has happened regularly for the past nineteen months. I can feel that the branch is becoming almost fully Turkish except for two couples -- the Hungarian couple and Grandma and me. That development has seemed such an important step in my mind. I am glad that it came before we were riding off into the west.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6404">
According to our branch clerk’s report, 27 were in our Sacrament Meeting yesterday. (Grandma and I were in Gaziantep.) 16 were in the hotel room and all stayed for the making of the three new members. Eleven joined by Skype. The activities at the pool seem to have gone off without a hitch. We received a call about two o‘clock from one YV asking for the proper prayer in Turkish for the confirmation. We sent him to one of our Turkish branch Presidents who knew. So the three are now full members of the Church. I shall interview the two fellows during the week (the third was a young girl) and ask for a sustaining vote for their ordinations next Sunday to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. I don’t want to wait on something so momentous in their lives.</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6402">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6396">
I love you and pray for each of you every day.</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6394">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1486310812734_6392">
Grandpa Brown</div>
</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-47050760764887165292017-01-15T18:09:00.000+02:002017-02-05T18:13:33.141+02:00#132 "A Week of Changes" (By Grandma)How come we have to go through so many changes in life? I'm not good at changes. I like keeping the same car for years and years. I like the same family members for years and years. I've even liked the same husband now for 50+ years. <br />
<br />
But this experience has brought daily changes. As you know baptisms can get rescheduled. This happens all the time. It is part of the territory. This happened in our branch. We had three baptisms today. But guess who wasn't there? We were in another part of the vineyard. The dates had moved a bit around the calendar and when they finally settled we had other commitments that could not be moved round the calendar. <br />
<br />
So dad's new counselor, who speaks no English, conducted for the first time and was involved in the three baptisms. And the elders also had the opportunity of doing everything without dad. They called just before the confirmation and asked if he had the words in Turkish. So there was a scramble to find the right words while everyone was changing their clothes. Luckily we were with a BP who had the words and could tell them what to do. You can't translate such things directly. We fly back to Izmir tomorrow. <br />
<br />
Another blast to us is transfers. One of our elders leaves for Germany in the AM before we can even say goodbye. Another elder leaves Tuesday AM for another city and we'll get two new elders. I'll have a farewell dinner tomorrow night. The two who are leaving have had a huge part in the baptisms and the new members are hurting. We shall see how we can survive without the two vibrant elders.<br />
<br />
We spent one night in Ankara, the Capitol of Turkey. We were able to have dinner with the Huntingtons prior to dad's fireside. The H's are a new humanitarian couple there. Ray taught at BYU. <br />
<br />
The next day we flew to Gaziantep in southern Turkey. The BP picked us up at the airport. We took him and his family to dinner that night. It was a fun restaurant with specialty food. Good thing we love lots of kinds of foods.<br />
<br />
Dad and I spoke in sacrament meeting and dad taught SS. It is a small branch and the only time they use English is when visitors come. We had dinner at the BP's home in the afternoon. She makes very good food and says she loves preparing food for us. We love eating it. She gave me a bunch of stuff to bring home. I'll feed it to the elders tomorrow night. <br />
<br />
So we'll try to survive the next few weeks. Things just keep swirling around us. We may have more baptisms this month. <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Mother<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-20491020142911684662017-01-08T19:55:00.000+02:002017-01-09T19:56:05.233+02:00#131 "72 Days" (By Grandma)<div class="yiv7729055119msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Dear Family,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv7729055119msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_38112" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">72 Days!!!! What does that
mean? We received an email from the Office Secretary telling us to notify
the mission office of our final plans for our release… Stake Pres, Bishop,
Family, pay our bills, etc. It hit me like a bolt of thunder.
Actually I guess it is like a shaft of lightning. Does it mean that our
time in Izmir is coming to a halt? Part of me wants to put it off way in
the distance because it means a lot of exit stuff to deal with. Part of
me wants to hurry it up because I’m anxious to see all of you. Part of me
worries that I’ll run out of sleeping pills before we return. Part of me
wonders if I’ll get enough fresh produce before we leave. Part of me will
miss our new friends here. Part of me longs for a trip to Costco.
And so it goes. I guess I have lots of parts. And some of those
parts have fleshed out a bit. The bread here is wonderful and
cheap. And it is especially good with honey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv7729055119msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_38128" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv7729055119msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_38129" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I really like FB. I know it
can be junk, but for us it has been a wonderful connector. We were able
to see the 2-3 feet of snow posted in Istanbul this week. Our friends to
the north are slipping and sliding. The elders will have lots of service
opportunities shoveling snow. We had 13 flakes of snow fall on Friday
morning. I ran to get my camera, but it was all gone in a
flash. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv7729055119msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We’ve had a bunch of rain, and our
ceiling drips with the rain from the roof. But we have a bucket under it,
so we are okay. I also see many of the people we have interacted with in
the past on FB. Some of my FB friends are from college. That
was a long time ago. Some live in distant lands and I’d never be able to
know their addresses or phone numbers. One of the women Dad worked with
in Egypt… Madame Ida… contacted us on FB. She told us to tell all of our
children hello. If I remember correctly you didn’t enjoy her Egyptian
food. I’ve even been in contact with my best childhood friend’s daughter.
My friend Joyce died when she was 62. But her daughter posted a photo of
her daughter who is getting married. She looks just like my friend
Joyce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We had a bombing in Izmir this
week. It was at a courthouse. We have several friends who have
worked there. The security guard stopped a vehicle that was trying to get
into the courthouse parking lot. So the car blew up and killed several
people. But if it had reached its intended destination, it would have
been much worse. We are saddened every time something happens here.
We know lives are lost, jobs are lost, the economy is impacted and no one wants
to come to Turkey. If I weren’t already here, the news would keep me
away. But our day to day activity seems peaceful and safe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv7729055119msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_38131" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">One of the challenges for me….
Have I already said this? I forget from week to week what I write.
But a huge challenge for me is the shifting landscape. No decision here
is the “final answer”. Each phone call, text, and email changes the prior
one. I know that this happens with missionaries a lot with
baptisms. But this happens with everything we seem to be concerned
with. We can never do a weekly planning because we are lucky if we just
do planning by the hour. And we have four elders who are also inserting
their plans, and their change of plans into our lives. Then we have
mission-wide change of plans, then we have local and national events, then we
have power failures, leaking roofs, etc. But the bread is still cheap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">So church was good today. It
is amazing that I’m starting to stop worrying that no one will show up.
We seem to have people now. And 17 today in the room and 11 on
Skype. Six of them were investigators, and good investigators. Two
of the men there have firm testimonies of the Book of Mormon. I still
take some food for our “break”. I usually take some sort of cookie,
orange bits and some crackers or nuts. Someone brought a package of
cookies today. I’d made banana nut cookies for Christmas Eve and froze
some. They are still very good. Yesterday I had a surprise group…
for a baptism interview and I had some banana nut bread in the freezer that I
microwaved. Everyone liked it. So, all the baking I did before
Christmas is paying off. And if I just have something I want to get rid
of I can put it out and the elders will consume it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I hope you are all well and
enjoying school and work. I’m surprised that several of our grandchildren
do not like school. I actually liked school. But in my day and age
there wasn’t much else to do but go to school, come home, and study. I
didn’t own an i-phone, a TV, a car, a snowboard, or a drone. But I did
have a cat and a ping pong table for entertainment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I love you all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Mother <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-57196030210552752612017-01-08T19:45:00.000+02:002017-01-09T19:56:16.481+02:00#130 "Close (with an ss sound not zz)" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35603" style="background-color: white; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35602" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35611" style="background-color: white;">
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<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35608" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35612" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35607" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35606" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It seems that we are really close to seeing new members in our branch. Eight persons have baptismal dates set for this month. Today we were to see two, but they were postponed because of the illness of the mother. These two have been moved to next Sunday when Grandma and I will be out of town. We shall be sad to miss them. A third person, a fellow who has been coming off and on since last May, also appears ready to join. That will be next Sunday too, with us away. This man has a long reach. We expect that his teenage son will join in the summer after his intense schooling has ended. The man’s good friend has come three times to church services and to our Christmas Eve party. He told one of our YVs this morning that he has read almost through Second Nephi and feels that Nephi is his good friend. And he now has a testimony of the Book of Mormon.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35634" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"></span></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35635" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I sat with the man who is to be baptized next week and interviewed him with the help of one of our YVs. In short, we talked about his faith and his testimony and his commitment and his willingness to live new covenants. I didn’t ask him questions in quite this way, but asked him about his belief in God and his Son, and so forth. He is very well grounded, I judge. And he will make a very solid member of the Church. I hope to see him receive the priesthood within a week of his baptism.</span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This man also works at the courthouse where the bomb went off last week. It is about four miles from our apartment. He said that the vehicle packed with explosives and other military grade weapons was trying to get into a parking lot at the end of the work day where about 200 employees in the building come to catch small buses that take them to various destinations around the city. The perpetrator’s intent, apparently, was to drive into that area among the gathering people before detonating the bomb. The vehicle was stopped at the entry and not allowed in. Whoever the guard at the gate was, he saved a lot of lives.</span></span></span></div>
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35637" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35636" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps oddly, as an SV, I felt I had to pull the plug on a pair of baptisms in a distant city that were scheduled for yesterday, Saturday. At first, a pair of YVs and Grandma and I were going to travel to the city and perform the baptisms and confirmations, basically taking the whole day. But the couple had not received their last lesson from another pair of YVs (in Farsi by Skype) and, after that, they had to be interviewed by one of the zone leaders, usually an hour’s process for two persons. Add to that the fact that the woman had to work late every night last week, coming home after nine at night after going to work at seven in the morning. So there was no way to squeeze in the lesson during a weekday evening. And I thought of her madly scrambling to get her apartment in order yesterday morning, and fixing food for guests, all the while sitting for a lesson and an interview during the same morning. It seemed a bit much. And the timing was too close if something needed to be fixed. For instance, for those of us going to the distant city from here, all of this action would occur while we were on the train, heading to the baptism. There was no room for any last minute adjustment. So with Grandma’s encouragement, I said, "Let’s wait two weeks." And that is what we are doing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35640" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh yes. It snowed here a couple of days ago. The flurry lasted less than ten minutes. But the snow was genuine. Some of the plants around here have taken a hit from the sub-freezing temperatures that have grabbed at us during the past couple of nights. Nothing like Istanbul where hundreds of flights were cancelled a couple of days ago because of severe snowy conditions. Glad to be living in Paradise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_35638" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our numbers in Sacrament Meeting reached 28 today, seventeen in the hotel room and 11 by Skype. We heard one of the YVs give a lesson on pride by Skype to a sister in Bodrum. It was impressive enough that I wanted others in our branch to hear its main points. For our Sacrament Meeting, a good feeling prevailed in the room the whole meeting. Of the eight whom we project to be ready for baptism this month, seven were with us — five in the hotel and two on Skype. Under the leadership of our MP, our YVs are to wait until a person has attended church services at least eight times before leading them to waters of baptism. These seven are walking the walk, and will be good, solid members.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me, one of my daunting tasks has been to move our branch out of the paper record-keeping materials and into the world of e-records. That means going to MLS for keeping records of expenditures, contributions, etc. And much more. Simply stated, I lack the confidence that I can make all of this work. I have called one of our YVs, actually the youngest one, to serve as the branch clerk. (The MP encouraged me to take this step.) This YV seems destined to be here for a few months and can serve as a bridge between us and the persons who come into the branch leadership at our departure. He speaks both English and Turkish. And he is well suited by temperament. So I shall set a weekly time for him and me to meet together to see that our records are up to date and up to snuff. The call of a Turkish-speaking counselor and the call of this YV are intended to make the hand-off of responsibility as seamless as possible. I hope and trust that it will all work. (Here is where we all clink our glasses together.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love you and pray for you all every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grandpa Brown</span></div>
</span></span><br />
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Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-34552883300468710812017-01-01T19:32:00.000+02:002017-01-09T19:32:18.050+02:00#129 "Kaput!" (By Grandma)<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Dear Family,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24749" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24717" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I should be summarizing our events
for 2016 in Turkey, but I don’t remember much. It appears that events
whirl around us so quickly that by Sunday I can’t remember the prior week, let
alone the prior year. So you’ll just get some random memories. I’m
sorry that Karilynne isn’t here because she has never missed a day of journal
recording. But I imagine she is so perfect because at some point we
taught her the principal of journal keeping and she, being the eldest child,
wanted to be an example. And she IS an example. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24755" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24756" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We retired early on New Year’s
Eve. But I was awakened at some point by some shouting and
fireworks. I didn’t look at my watch, but I assume it was midnight and
thereafter. FYI… Heather used to set her clocks 2 hours ahead on New
Year’s Eve so her children would celebrate 2 hours early and they could all go
to bed. Smart woman! I doubt she can get by with that now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24757" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24758" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We awakened this morning to news
that there had been another terrorist attack in Istanbul. We had hoped
that peace was on its way. The Mission President had earlier told all of
the missionaries to be in their apartment by 4:00 PM on New Year’s Eve to avoid
any potential problems. We heard that a lot of Turks stayed home that
evening for the same reason. We have received numerous US State
Department warnings about threats out there. Our basic instructions are
to avoid crowded places, places where tourists gather, police and army
facilities. No place on earth is 100% safe, but following a few
guidelines can bring comfort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">As we headed to church we were
saddened that some had died early that morning, and that dozens of others were
injured and in hospitals, and more unrest exists among us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">But our church meeting seemed a
safe haven. It was our Fast Meeting. We hadn’t heard that other
units had delayed their Fast Meeting to another week. I don’t think it
makes much difference here anyway. Most were not out partying all
night. Those who wanted to fast, could. Our meeting was very
good. Dad bore his testimony but also taught about fasting, including the
spiritual and donation aspects of it. We had 3 non-members bear their
testimonies. Those three are very close to baptism. One of them
loves the Book of Mormon. We held RS and Priesthood meeting after Fast
Meeting. We hold those meetings twice a month. This is the 3<sup style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px;">rd</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>time
we’ve had RS. The RS president wore her baby in a sling for the lesson
she gave. WE had one sister join us on Skype, and three others in the
room. The lesson was given in English, Turkish and German. Go
figure!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24762" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We were happy to speak or see all
of you except the Browns on Christmas. I spoke to Roger and Toni a few
days later. It is wonderful to be able to step into your lives, if only
electronically. The elders all skyped their families form our
apartment. They were given 45 minutes to talk. I don’t think I
could talk that long. I’m glad four of our families could be together for
New Year’s Eve. Thank you Cleggs for hosting AGAIN!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24761" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24760" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">We had a great outing with two
other Sr couples and the MP and his wife. We went to Cannakale, Troy and
Gallipoli. The MP and wife travelled with us from Izmir and the other
four joined us from Istanbul. We had a travel agent friend arrange the
trip for us, and he met us there and was our guide. I’m amazed at how
much history I do not know. Dad, of course, knew a lot about Troy.
And he recited a part of the Illiad while we were there. I’ve never been
much of an historian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24759" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The trip included meals and
transportation. We had a van take us to places, and Gallipoli required a
ferry boat ride. It was rather cold, but on the day we did most of our
touring the sun shone. Gallipoli was the location of fierce battles and
many deaths. The sea was red with blood in 1915. I took some photos
of the gravestones and I’m going to put them on Find-a-Grave. Most of
those who died were in their early 20’s, and were from Australia. A
pretty somber place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I do spend a bunch of time in the
kitchen. If the elders are here over lunch-time or dinner I feed
them. That seems to happen often. I don’t seem to be able to get
ahead. I made a big pot of chili last week and it was all gone at one
sitting. And so it goes. I often add a bunch of bread to every meal
because bread is very cheap and good. I worried about all the left-over
goodies from the Christmas Eve party but most of them are now gone. I only have
to put a plate out when the elders are here, and stuff disappears. So
that is good. Some of it goes to my waist-line also. But not the
entire amount!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Well, I assume that dad will write
in wonderful detail the events of the past week. He really is a gifted
writer. Did I ever tell you that I married a wonderful man! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="yiv9839559859msonormal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24769" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Mother<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-51507469153908832342017-01-01T19:30:00.000+02:002017-01-09T19:39:59.424+02:00#128 "Troy & Galliopoli" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24243" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; padding: 0px;">
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24242" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_24251" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It continues to amaze me how much my old chosen major of Classics still pulls me toward it whenever present. Last Monday, Grandma, the MP and his wife, and I climbed on a bus and headed north. Almost seven hours later, we were in Çanakkale and in a nice hotel. Two other senior couples joined us from Istanbul. The day was mostly overcast, windy, and very cool. The next day we headed for the ancient site of Troy, the place that saw the eleven-year war between the Greeks and Trojans as celebrated in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. I had visited once before with a group of faculty colleagues in the summer of 1997, almost twenty years ago. As on that occasion, I recited the opening lines of he Iliad, lines that I memorized as a student more than fifty years ago. Remarkably, no breeze, a bit of sun, and very few tourists and visitors at the site. As I walked around, I tried to visualize the city as it stood more than three thousand years ago, the setting for Homer’s long poems. It surely did not appear as it does in Hollywood recreations of the town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there, we drove north with our guide, a good friend. On a ferry we crossed the Dardanelles, the waterway between Europe and Asia. We landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, the scene of a set of very costly battles in 1915 between the Turks and the allies of the British Empire. (The peninsula was also the scene of the decisive battle between Athens and Sparta at the end of the forty-year Peloponnesian War in 405 B.C.) At least a quarter million soldiers lost their lives in the protracted conflict of 1915 as the English and their allies tried to push to Istanbul to get the Sultan to submit. The Turks, who resisted with all their might, kept them from their objective. The conflict had to major effects — the allies of England began to doubt their roles in the British Empire, sending cracks in the Empire’s unity, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk came to the fore as a military leader, the man who would give shape to the Turkish Republic that would replace the Ottoman Empire. For me, it was a melancholy day, even though it was full of sunshine and no breeze. To walk in a few of the cemeteries that dot the peninsula, with tombstones that name the dead soldiers, most of whom died in their early 20s, slowly tore at my soul. I believe that everyone else in our group felt the same way. I had read a book on this campaign perhaps thirty years ago, but I recall almost no detail, just general impressions. In all, it was well worth the trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next day, as we returned in a car that the MP had rented, we were under rain most of the way back. We need rain badly in these parts, but little has come. I can only hope that lots of moisture hits this place in the next couple of months or harvests from the fields will be a big challenge next summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were all chagrined to wake to the news this morning about the murderous attack on New Year’s revelers in the night club in Istanbul early this morning. These sorts of things always have an affect on life around here. I can only pray for the Lord’s comfort to be with the families and friends of the dead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">My cell phone has a crack across its screen, the result of an accidental drop. I did not mean it. I promise. My laptop has a number of indentations, at least my mental indentations. I have not actually struck it. But my patience with certain functions runs short on occasion, I am sad to admit. Grandma is regularly trying to get me to calm down. She will even get into the middle of my online crises to solve them. And she almost always does. I was snorting around here about not being able to get into the computer that the Church supplied to take care of tithing entries and the like. She took my notes with a number of passwords scribbled among them and, with a little patience, figured out which the right password is. Because of my challenges with electronics, in my worst moments I have thought about going dark when we get home, dumping all but the most essential services. I don't know. For some reason, I don't seem to be cut out for the world that electronics presents me. For example, if I want to find a library book online, I have to know the name of the author or the title. If I miss, there is no forgiveness in the system. None. In the old days, I went to the card catalogue and, besides the book that I was searching for, I would sometimes find a bunch of other books that were relevant to my interests just from browsing among the nearby cards. A totally different experience which I have relished in my advancing years.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On a cheerier note, we were twenty-five in our Fast and Testimony Meeting this morning, sixteen in the room and nine joining by Skype. Of the eight who bore their testimonies, three were non-members. For two of the three, their membership in the Church will be secured during this month, plus two persons who have been with us by Skype for about five months. I was encouraged to see twelve brethren in our priesthood meeting, four of whom are YVs and three are non-member investigators. I am happy with the promise of better things marching steadily toward our branch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love you and pray for you always.</span></div>
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Grandpa Brown</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-44905459759890435712016-12-25T19:25:00.000+02:002017-01-09T19:25:49.230+02:00#127 "Merry Christmas 2016" (By Grandma)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_22934" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
I'll let Dad's letter suffice for today. I need to make waffles for the elders in a few minutes. I thought I'd send some photos of our Christmas Eve dinner/party for the blog. I spent days making desserts, and lots of time cutting up stuff for the main course. I wrapped gag gifts, printed words for Silent Night, made a M & M jar with candies to count, and put out a puzzle for the children. We had 33 people in our little apartment. It was a miracle that it all came together.</div>
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I'm very grateful for ALL of you and I look forward to talking with you over the Holidays. </div>
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Love,</div>
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Mother</div>
Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862191837349107097.post-70993251493976188632016-12-25T19:24:00.000+02:002017-01-09T19:24:50.933+02:00#126 "Merry Christmas" (By Grandpa)<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_15958" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px;">
<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_15957" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Dear Grandchildren,</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_15971" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Ten days ago, Grandma and I went with a pair of our YVs to a small mosque where a charitable organization was passing out blankets to Syrian refugees — one blanket per man or one blanket per woman with children. We were to help with crowd control and to chat with these people. Well, it has been a long time since I tried to engage someone in small talk in Arabic. And it showed. I did learn something about where people were from and other things about their lives. But no one asked me about myself. That said, the experience was a stark reminder about how blessed we are. My goodness, yes. When I was told that the earliest in line had been there, sitting in the below-freezing cold, since five o’clock or so, my heart sank. And multiple blankets were not in the works. Just one. From the stack in the little office, I guessed that all the men in line (25?) received a blanket. But the women’s line was four times as long. Fewer than half of them received a blanket. The women with small children in their arms kept trying to creep near the place where the blankets were being handed out. But they were shooed away. Many did not seem to have the required card that would allow them to get a blanket. I suspect that these people are living three and four families to an apartment, sharing the costs with one another. And trying to stay warm.</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_15977" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1483981098970_15976" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday, December 21, we celebrated Winter Solstice and passed our original release date. Ummm. We didn’t exactly celebrate the Solstice. But we bobbed our heads and noted that summer will soon be here. In passing our original release date, I was interested in how I did at packing certain items that I expected to use up in eighteen months. I ran out of my original supply of deodorant a couple of months ago. I am now on a local brand licensed under Dove. The special shampoo that I use once each week — I hasten to add that I wash my hair (what is left of it) every day — has lasted me well and I even have some for the next three months. The small bottle of Vaseline has just expired, or almost expired. I have maybe a week’s worth of it left. I hit that one exactly on the spot. I feel all warm inside to think I got one right. The pills? I still have an adequate supply thanks to help from family, especially Heather.</span></span></div>
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The big deal this past week happened Christmas Eve, last evening. It was the branch open house. As usual, Grandma did basically all of the work — thinking through the menu of foods for a light dinner, shopping and bringing the food items home, preparing and cooking the dishes, figuring out how to accommodate twenty plus people in our apartment, and setting up the whole experience. By good fortune, we had a couple of cancellations during the week before. Why was that fortunate? Because thirty-three showed up, many more than we could accommodate with any reasonable ease. Besides the YVs, the MP and wife, and ourselves, only three church members were among the guests. Twenty-two were either active investigators, semi-active investigators, contacts, friends of these people, or friends of ours and their relatives. Without the help of our MP and his wife, we would have sunk under the weight of our inability to work fast enough while moving through an impenetrable crowd. (See the photo of the shoes, which are three pair short because three persons came after I took the photo.)</div>
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Two moments were especially memorable. An eighteen-month girl discovered one of the gingerbread houses made the week before by one of our YSAs. One quick grab and she had a mouthful of hardened frosting. That encouraged her to go for more. By the time her mother caught her, she had cleaned off and consumed the decorated cookies that were stationed along one side of the house. The other was more traditional. Grandma thought that it would be good to sing "Silent Night" while our guests were together. So she assigned me to learn how the song was created and then to tell the story to everyone before we sang. I did so. She had printed out the song in Turkish and handed copies around to those gathered. With the help of one of the YVs translating, I told the story and then, with the help of Grandma’s Bose speaker, we all sang the hymn. That was surely a first for many who have never sung a hymn about the Savior.</div>
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As is customary, when we see a successful Saturday activity, the attendance at church meetings suffers the next day. And so it was today. Fourteen showed up in our hotel room and nine joined us by Skype for a total of Twenty-three. I was hoping for better because the MP and his wife had come to town. But I am happy with those who came. One of the investigators (five in all) is really solid and will be baptized next month. I see him as an eventual leader in the branch with a high potential. Now if we can get his wife and teenage son to come with him, I shall think that we have hit the proverbial home run.</div>
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This morning in our Sacrament meeting, our MP did something that I have not seen for a long time. He sang as a part of his talk. I spoke first and then his wife. He was our third speaker and, as usual, he did a wonderful job (as did his wife). At the end, he wanted to sing a hymn that is not in our hymnal -- "Did You Hear?" He asked if anyone in the room knew the song. No one did, at least not well enough to sing it with him. I had heard it long ago, but that qualified me for nothing. Besides, my voice would be no help. So he sang sweetly and tenderly. He had a difficult time singing some parts of it. He was obviously touched. And so were we.</div>
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I love you and pray for you every day.</div>
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Grandpa Brown</div>
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Julianne Clegghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08426076963049239989noreply@blogger.com0