Catch 22

Simplicity of life in a manger.  Our nativity.

“Catch 22”.  Joseph Heller coined the term in his 1961 novel Catch-22, which describes absurd bureaucratic constraints on soldiers in World War II. The term is introduced by the character Doc Daneeka, an army psychiatrist who invokes "Catch 22" to explain why any pilot requesting mental evaluation for insanity—hoping to be found not sane enough to fly and thereby escape dangerous missions—demonstrates his own sanity in making the request and thus cannot be declared insane.

"You mean there's a catch?"

"Sure there's a catch", Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."

Yeni Yillar (new Year) decorations
The Malls look like Christmas, but
It is not Christmas decoration.
No Christmas joy allowed here in mudville.

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane, he had to fly them. If he flew them, he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to, he was sane and had to.

Ergo, the world and so many of the idiosyncrasies of life.  Here in the Middle East this is not really just a “catch”, it is the way it is.  The most apparent of this phenomenon is the plight of the refugee ….!

…. Stay in your country and die or flee in pursuit of freedom and end up starving, freezing and scrounging for a bare existence.  You have no home, you have no means of support and you simply exist each day hoping that something will happen and you will break out of the system and the UN will process you to the next step.

As each of you think of your blessings and the gifts of the Savior this Holiday Season, I would like you to think and share the various conditions of our refugee friends here in Turkey.  The following are simple statements of existing conditions that we know personally.  They are not unique and they are wide spread.  These are just some facts to consider:

Sheraak and Eskan looking at the small
gifts we gave them for Christmas.
If only simplicity could return.

·      Their only belongings are what they could carry across the border.

·      They live in small apartments with no heat.

·      They never know if they will eat each day.

·      They burn whatever materials they can find to stay warm.  They say that an old shoe is a great find because it smolders for a long time.  Carpets or rugs burn warmer and longer than wood or paper.

·      Charcoal is too expensive to buy.

·      Their heaters leak fumes and they are often dizzy from the level of CO in their homes while trying to stay warm in temperatures that are about -15 (below zero) degrees C.

·      They have no hot water unless they heat it on a stove.

·      They have no oven.

·      They cannot work legally.  They get no subsistence.

·      The Muslim refugees will not help the Christian refugees, but the Christian refugees help anyone they can.

·      During a UN medical exam for processing, one man was found with levels of metals in his larynx, another has soot in his lungs (results of working and living without safey equipment and proper ventilation).

·      They are simply hoping without any knowledge that something good will happen to them.

·      They expect America to answer all dreams.

(Will you make room for them in your INN?) Watch this video!!!  http://sethadamsmith.com/2010/11/20/do-you-have-room/

Nori's young women, hand made decorations
Our Christmas party was a blowout.
We planned for about 45 and had 87.
It was amazing.  

We are so torn each day and so amazed at the testimony of those who have joined the Church.  We are also so impressed with all of the refugees in their effort to survive.  Keeping faith and hope alive in a world of sorrow speaks highly of their commitment to their Savior.  We feel sorrow that their dreams may be dashed by the realities of the world they think will secure their lives.  We feel so blessed to know these good people, but the pain is almost too strong to bear.  It is so much easier to simply hide our heads and hearts in the blessings of our abundant life in the States and try to ignore the trials of the world.

We were asked to provide a report on the cost of our mission so that there is a better understanding of what it costs each couple to serve.  We have been instructed not to give our money to those in need, but to contribute through the Church.  Unfortunately giving directly is the only way the people here would get the funds.  The Church does not have a means to support in this part of the world.  We cannot report the money we give away, but it is almost equal to what it cost us to live a life far above the refugee.  We also cannot measure the cost of our broken hearts and the pain we feel for the good people trapped in an unbelievable condition.  Most days the price to serve just seems too big.  Not because we are not willing to share, but because we feel that there is no way we can give enough.

 

Unknown, unnamed young volunteers singing
Silent Night at a branch Christmas party in a land
far far away.  Their parents would be proud.
After reading please forget you saw this picture.
We can not even show the "good works".

It is our hope and our prayer that during this holiday season we all can realize the amazing gifts we have been given, the tremendous blessings in our lives.  One cannot list the things we simply take for granted.

Merry Christmas