End of Haziran, welcome Temmuz

Got'ta love the variety of folks

So, do we shape the world or does the world shape us?  Do we become something and then try to drive everyone to be similar to us.  Do we espouse the grandeur of choice and then attempt to limit and direct the choice of others?

It is so easy to wax philosophical in this world of foreign experience and our attempt to understand and truly love our fellow man.  To really try to find the best in every thing and not just assume that our limited view and experience in this world is in fact the best view.

I am not so sure our Sunday’s will ever be the same after the experience of holding Church in our own place of residence and establishing our Sunday routine.  I am not so sure Nori likes the complexity of the day, because she ends up with the burden of determining what we will eat and how she will attempt to fix a meal without the ingredients that she needs in a kitchen that is entirely too small.  She is really so amazing with her ability to get things just right, but she still does not like the process.  Everyone is so complementary of her food and will say that her hobby must be cooking, but I know she is just good at it and hates the whole process.  Nevertheless, we have a fabulous meal after our abbreviated schedule and then we talk for hours about the world and the gospel.  No negativity because we are on our best behavior and we learn so much from the viewpoint of our guests.

 

Inside the Grand Bazzar

The past two weeks have been a real treat as we get to know our Twin investigators, Yigit and Suat, 24-year-old young men.  Not an easy task, they speak little English and we are kotu with Turkish.  They seem so genuinely happy to visit with us and to learn about our beliefs.  We have learned so much.  Our viewpoint is constantly changing except for one thing.  I am not sure we will ever find a place that can compare with the ease of life like the United States.  However that single fact gives rise to the question of whether we truly understand the real world because we are so blessed to have all that we have and the freedoms we have been granted.  There is no doubt that for pure comfort and convenience, we won the lottery of existence in the States.

Well we are melting with the heat of the Mediterranean summer.  The heat and humidity wear us out and we hide in the comfort of our air-conditioned apartment most of the day.  We have finally won the battle for projects and got our Wheelchair project approved.  We will supply a minimum of 300 chairs over the next year to those unable to get the government assistance.  We also got our canes for the blind, airbeds for the bedridden and crutches for the lame projects approved.  Now we have lots of work to do to get all this underway.  Unfortunately lots of work is not really that much work.  It is just details, paper work and meetings.  Hopefully we will begin to meet the families and recipients of the medical devices soon. 

Buses, vans, cars and of course wagons.  No blinker on the wagon and he is turning.

We must prepare for Ramadan and a month of questionable support.  The Muslim month of fasting begins on July 9^th and coincidentally the contingent of Church employees in Moscow begins their semiannual vacation period at the same time.

 

Love the dress code.

Best news of the Mission.  Adam and his family arrive on Monday July 1^st.  We are so excited.  

A morning jogger, outfit not LuluLemmon