Root of Discouragement

Our struggles with the conflict between do the work, and do not do the work, leaves us with the quandary of Adam.  We constantly have to make a choice that seems to make us disobey one rule in order to obey another.  The sensitivity of the Church here is extremely high and there are threats to the family and people who consider joining the Church.  Unfortunately there is a very strong anti LDS faction made up of people who have left the Church or been excommunicated and are very vocal about the Church trying to disrupt the Muslem life style and religion.  It has cost us several investigators.  It is such a sensitive subject that we have been asked not to go into details.s  We will have so much to talk about when we get home.  There is no way we can explain the strange situations that arise in this calling.

It is like the soldier in the glass box.
Explain that?
Yes he is real and alive.  Guarding an
uninhabited Palace.  Dolmabahçe.

The Elders go through major highs and lows.  They can not tell their families what they are really doing and they have to exercise so much caution that they run into dead ends continually.  They have been told if they talk they will be sent home.  One elder was rehearsing his conversation with his family at Christmas and he went something like this:

Missionary   Hello mom and dad, Merry Christmas

Parent   Hello how are you and what are you doing?

Missionary   I am fine, but I cannot tell you what I am doing.

Parent   Ok, how do you spend your day?

Missionary  I cannot tell you.

Parent   Have you any investigators?

Missionary   I cannot tell you.

Parent   Have you had any baptisms?

Missionary   I cannot tell you.

Parent   Ok, so is your mission difficult?

Missionary   I have been asked not to comment on that.

Parent   Well what can you tell us about your mission?

Missionary   Nothing.

Marching to the box.  Nice gates to guard.
No guns!  Maybe the box is bullet proof.

Most of the time when I post, I am not sure if I am breaking the rules or not.  But we are not suppose to talk about the young Elders and send no pictures that could not be taken by anyone.  We try to keep their identity somewhat confidential in public documents.  In other words, no private pictures where only members are present.

The sensitivity of our local involvement and our relationship to the Church as Humanitarian Service Missionaries is a real unique situation that unfortunately leaves us often discouraged and frustrated.
We do not question that we are doing stuff that needs to be attended to, and perhaps every person who knows us will simply say, "yep, they are hopefully learning some patience.  Particularly old fred!"  Because!, why because?  That fact is what so much of this is all about.  It is the Lord's time and we have seen things that let us know he does have a plan and he expects us to learn in the process.

The old city from the sea shuttle going to
the Asian side.

There has been much progress and we are expecting some major changes that we are unable to talk about.  These changes are big news and very positive.  We, like Maxwell Smart can only talk about certain things if we are using our shoe phone and speaking in a secret language.  Hopefully we can share more later.

We are working on two projects right now.  One is for the Little Sisters of mercy and involves getting hospital bed tables and some chairs for the elderly.  The other one is with the Jewish Center for the aged and elderly (same thing, strange title).  We are putting in television systems so that they can have something to do beside just looking at an old fuzzy black and white screen.
Saturday we went to Asia!  In other words we took the sea shuttle across the Bosphorus and visited the Asian side of Istanbul.  It has a little of its own flavor and a very unique market.

Olives (Zeytinler), who knew there were so many colors?

Some days we think there is nothing new and then we discover some new and exciting view and a whole new perspective to make us grin and appreciate what an amazing memory this is becoming.

Fresh flowers

The weather is warming up and you can feel Spring.  Tulips have burst through and the daffodils are starting to bloom.  Flowers are always around and the Roma (gypsies) sell them on nearly every street corner.

Daffodils starting to bloom along the
sidewalk in Beşiktaş

However they are hard negotiators and start with the most ridiculous price imaginable.
One never knows what one will see or experience in such a remote and exotic location.

Wait a minute, is that ?

Mrs Claus on vacation in Şişli !!!

Tomorrow is a big day.  We go for our hearing to determine if we can actually stay in Turkey.  When you enter this country you get a tourist visa at the airport that is good for 90 days.  You are suppose to leave the country in 90 days or apply for a TRP (temporary residency permit).  If you apply like we did about 6 weeks ago, they give you a hearing appointment and a number.  We are 331 and we are to appear in court at 19:00 hours tomorrow (Tuesday Feb. 26).  It will be decided if we can stay or have to leave the country immediately within 24 hours.
So this is the make or break point of our mission.  It was last summer at this hearing that the young elders were thrown out of Turkey and then the new Elders went through the same process again.  This time they were given their TRPs just last Thursday.  So they are now legal for the length of their mission.  We will see how we do.  So the next posting will be from Turkey or some other remote and strange place wherever we are sent.