Ay Haziran (month of June)

Holding hands in Izmir.  Life on a mission

A new month and a couple of brand new experiences.  We held our first Sunday meeting with no one but the two of us in attendance.  It certainly cut down on the discussion time and the testimonies seemed rather well known.  All of our out of town guests have returned to their home lands and our local people have not been able to come today.  It is such a unique and lonely experience to have only each other to share the beautiful day.  Of course that is true of many days because we are so completely connected in this experience with no one but the other.

What is truly amazing is how differently we seem to see so many events and how we understand what is going on.  Whenever I hear Nori talk to someone and describe our activities, they seem different than my observations.  I suppose in reality they are only different in what she emphasizes versus what I would emphasize.

This mission is perhaps the biggest learning event of my life, with the exception of loosing two sons.  There are so many perspectives that I see and wonder about.  It is truly hard to understand how the events of life really work and what really drives us to do what we do.  I think I am held captive by my pragmatic thought process and just can not get my mind around the strange and foolish things that seem to persist.  My brain is locked in the quandary of the illogical and persistent lack of reality in how things are carried out and what seems to receive focus.  There is no plan, there is just act.  Sounds like Yoda, but running into a dead end seems to be the objective and redirecting is never in the cards.

New best friend.  This guy is handicapped.
He constantly wants to give me a hug.  Yes
that is approved mission dress.

The following is a typical response from Moscow for a requested project:

"E/S Weaver

The cost per beneficiary for subject project is out of our desired range – but not something that would disqualify the project.  Is there anything that can be done to get the cost down, i.e. increase the number of beneficiaries for example.  If it was 200 not 100 the cost would go to $33 and 300 would put it at $20.  Now, maybe there won’t be that many handicapped people who will use the lift over its useful life.  Just a question.  If you think the number of beneficiaries can be increased let me know and I will send the project back to you for correction.  Otherwise I will go forward representing your project tomorrow.  Best wishes."

The following is my response:

"Dear Elder

Unfortunately the numbers are based on typical usage.  It certainly could be increased, but it is just dependent on the community over the next years.  The real benefit is the Church contribution to the community that the Church functions in and the building of strong community relations.  It is creating a visibility that touches everyone so in reality the numbers could be increased to the population of the surrounding community of over a million.  This is one of the philosophical questions of a project.  

When our boys got their wheel chairs, how many benefitted? One boy, a family of 8 or the entire community that could now aid in supporting the boy?

I know the cost per beneficiary is a key measure in our projects, but our scriptural reference would be D&C 18:15.

I do not know the answer to your question, I only know the feelings of my heart.  I feel the need to support the neighborhood and unfortunately serving just the individual, one soul at a time is the real way we serve as a religion.  Meeting needs of the people just like the Savior one soul at a time.

Sometimes money and service do not link so well.  best regards and thank you for your support, Elder Weaver"

As you can see, I remain a very difficult person to deal with and I am sure the folks in Moscow will be most happy when my mission is over.  There is so much politics in the Church organization that it is just not fun.

Note the swimming attire.  Talk about hard to swim.  Beach in Çesme

I have certainly come to appreciate my family even more.  We were talking as we listened to the protests down the street from out apartment about how we could be kidnapped and carted off somewhere and in reality who knows how long before anyone would actually know we were missing.

From a Church standpoint, it would take at least a few weeks before it would be apparent and I suppose even the family would be totally unaware for who knows how long.  Makes one realize how totally alone you can really become in a strange assignment in a strange land.  We are truly on our own.

Waiting for the protesters, the Polis
gather in the hundreds. Fuar Park

As many of you may be aware, we are in the 7th day of protests and outrage from the local citizens.  It all began in Istanbul Taksim Square with a protest about the demolition of a park for a propose mall.  Of course now the government says there really is no plan for a mall and the protests were in vain, but the discord has spread throughout Turkey and has expanded to a major attack on the current Prime Minister and his policies to minimize secularism and promote more Islamic philosophy.  He has been very successful in moving the country into a growing economy and the GDP is one of the best in the world right now, but he is now moving into his religious agenda and is promoting restrictions in alcohol consumption and sales as well and criticizing public displays of affection.  He is very pro Islam and would like to reduce secularism throughout the country.  The young people are not happy with this so called change in direction to his original plans.

Of course you in the states have your own nut case leading a bizarre and lost organization to promote their own agenda so you are well aware of how off track politics can get.  What is interesting is that in the States everyone has just rolled over and is doing nothing to display any outrage of the loss of freedom.  The people here are so patriotic and committed to the policies of Attaturk that any deviation ignites anger.  It is really the minority that is pro Islam.  It is a unique experience to see how well and completely organized a country can be to express their opinion.

On the road to Efes.

Watching and waiting in Turkey.

Selçuk road to Efes.