Living in the Garbage

In my last note, I talked about the families in refugee status in Turkey.  There are several various situations that I should clarify.  Getting into Turkey is easy.  Anyone can come in and pay the $20 temporary resident fee.  Anyone can get a legal status for 90 days.  Unfortunately after the 90 days, the issues begin, if you came in the front door legally.  If you sneak in, which does not seem to be that hard, you start out always hiding and avoiding the legal system and you either sneak out or live out your life in hiding with little support structure.

Hagobian's  Sheraak, Olga, Hashkan
some of the great people

I want to focus on the legitimate refugees that have come to Turkey because it is the only country they could come into with their current passports and request refugees status with the United Nations.  Although Turkey becomes the temporary host country, it is the UN who really controls the the timeline and ultimate destiny of these poor people.  Turkey is cautious not to create a welcome and receptive situation, because Turkey would like all the refugees to go away and not add to the local burden.

It is this group of refugees that includes 3 families that also belong to the Church and were Church members before they came into this country to be assigned to live temporarily in the garbage.

Tazehabadi family.  From Iran.  Great people,

Many of the other refugees in this group are Christian and have fled their country of origin to gain some relief from persecution and brutal treatment, but many just want out of the misery created in their home countries and hope for a residence of peace.

I would never claim that I fully understand the situation or plight of these people, but I think after living in the border of the real middle east, I think I actually have more experience in the region than our former Secretary of State, Hillary.  I think I understand better than most news shows, and I certainly have a different perspective than many folks.  Of course my perspective is always different from most people anyway so what else is new.

Our investigator pool.  This is the most amazing story.  We visited their university.  We had a crowd of students.
When they ask me what I thought of Muhammed, I told them we have modern Prophets so of course we believe.
They were astounded.  A remarkable story.

Face it, the reality of the middle east is that there is oil and sand.  The oil has made brutal men rich and poor men greedy.  The survival of people leaving in the worst possible places on earth now have the means to be jealous of the rest of the world and would leave their homes of origin in a minute if there were somewhere to go.  The poor with no access to the wealth of their homeland and a desire to have more than their country can offer, leave in droves.  The rich simply leave in their private jets anytime and then live pretend lives in the western world only to return home and fund the knuckleheads.

Picnic at Kadifekale, Izmir

The culture that is ingrained in them for their entire lives is Insha'Allah.

No one is encouraged to explore new ideas or question the premise of the cultural belief.  No one wants to become an infidel or risk eternal life by embracing western concepts.  Nevertheless, abandoning minor rules like alcohol or ignoring the daily prayer ritual or a dozen other minor annoyances is just fine, just do not embrace the west and the wickedness of reason.

The deep seated hatred and fear is nearly disabling. I can not even imagine living with so much fear of your religion, fear of your government, fear of your culture, fear of your community and fear of everyone around you.

What is most amazing to me is that even culturally and religiously similar parties cannot get along.  As an example for our own religion, it would behoove us to kill off any other christian with slightly different concepts.  How do you explain Muslim killing Muslim? What is that about other than hate.  No wonder fear permeates the entire culture.

Pomegranate tree in bloom.  100's 

Ok let me tell you a story, imagine you and your family of 4 have decided to leave your home and move to a new location.  Using the similarity of states, you are moving from Colorado to Utah.  You have arranged to use a friends car and he will figure out how to get it back or simply does not care or perhaps he goes with you to drive.  You take only your personal items because you can only fit them in a car or on top of the car.  There is not much, but you have decided you must leave.
When you get to the Wyoming border there are men with guns and they control the road.  On the Colorado side the Colorado men yell at you and make you get out of the car.  They line you up and poke you with guns.  They threaten you and call you a traitor for leaving Colorado, they hit and spit on you and finally take all your belongings out and off the car.  They throw your stuff in the dirt and take your Ipod and a pair of your shoes.  They kick you again and then let you gather up your stuff and cross the border.

The men on the Wyoming side just a few yards away again drag you from your car and shove you to the ground.  They call you an infidel and once more dump your stuff in the dirt.  They slap your children and threaten to rape your wife.  Ultimately they let you travel through good old beautiful Wyoming. 

 

Flowers here are amazing.

At the Utah border it begins again.  This time the Wyomingites take your car and throw what remains of your stuff into Utah.  They shove you across the border and spit on you.  They tell you if you should ever attempt to return, they will kill you and your family as well as find all your relatives and kill them too.

The Utahites take the rest of your personal stuff and let you keep your clothes.  They send you to Helper and tell you that you cannot leave Helper without permission.  You cannot work and the home they assign you has no heat.  You are to just wait until someone lets you know what to do and you can ask what is up, but they will just tell you to wait. 

Welcome to the world of the refugee.  Hope my story helps you to appreciate what you have, the amazing blessings of the gospel.  Hug your family and give thanks for your homeland.