Record day in Ankara

Ístiklal Street, Taksim to Tunnul.  Perhaps the most famous of the streets and streetcars in Istanbul.
A beautiful day.

Our apartment, daire was filled to capacity Sunday after church.  The Branch President thought it would be a good idea to hold our scheduled baptism mid afternoon so that the members could go home to get some lunch before the baptism.  Of course this meant that all the non ex-pats that rely on public transportation or walk to church would have 2 ½ hours to waste.  The three, yes three new converts live so far away that it would be impossible for them to leave and then return in time for their own baptism.  So of course we invited everyone except the ex-pats to our place for lunch and conversation between events.  Nori treated all 18 guests to a “Nori meal”.  If we do nothing else on this mission, Nori has spoiled the appetites of everyone with food they have never tasted before.  They start off not sure if they will like the different looking food and take small portions, then they go back and load up their plates and nothing is left over.

Reza and Nafas, now all of my Iranian
students have joined the Church.

It was an amazing day.  All three new members are people we have been very involved in teaching.  1 Turk and 2 more Iranians.  This gives us 4 baptisms this year or fills 25% of the mission goal.  We have now baptized all of the Iranians from our English-Farsi class. 

The Turk, Tasim came to our Noel, Christmas party and essentially never left.  He gave up smoking, changed his life and is an amazing young man.  He has a great sense of humor and can speak a fair amount of English.  When he first decided he wanted to join the Church he committed to give up smoking within three months.  Then he just said why am I waiting to quit when I will quit anyway so he went cold turkey and never turned back.  When he shared his testimony he said, “I will never leave the Church!”  He calls me Baba and cannot stop thanking us for feeding him and having him in our apartment.

New member, friend and young volunteer.
Note, there are no missionaries in Turkey.

The two new Iranian members are Reza and Nafas.  They are such special friends and good people.  I am not sure I have met more humble, dedicated and loving people than the Iranians.  They have an amazing spirit and desire for freedom and life.  What they have done and what they will have to do in order to find a new life and break the bonds of their country is beyond imagination.  I was particularly touched in Nafas’ testimony when she said she is grateful for her country and prays that the people will be made free.

Nori's girls making cake pops in our Daire.
Sticky icing everywhere

I get so upset when I see so many people being hurt by the impact of poor leadership.  How men of such evil or incompetence ever get control is extremely frustrating.  Perhaps it is our own fault because the good people just try to get through the problems and let the despots’ rule.  After all even America is being driven to a totalitarian state.  Why have individual rights when some bozo is willing to run your life for you.

The newly married couple.  Another amazing
story.  Great friends.

We spent a couple of days in Istanbul again this past week.  I am finishing up the annual branch audits.  We walked the old routes and saw a few things we had not visited when we lived there last year.  We were reminded how totally crowded that city really is.  It is over whelming with people and noise.  I had forgotten the noise!

This week we will travel to Adana and conduct the audit there.  We are going to take a day and visit Tarsus, the home of Paul.  I also want to discover the Turkish Mediterranean coast and see if it is worth seeing.  This will be our last hurrah for any adventures.  One more trip to Izmir in March to close out all the rest of our long forgotten humanitarian work and we will wrap up our paperwork and shut everything down.  I wonder how long before they start doing the work again or if they ever will.  It is just a shame to let everything and everyone simply end.  So much for creating “sustainable projects”.

Steps up to the Galata Tower, Istanbul

Galata tower.  Original lighthouse
overlooking Marmara Sea, Bosphorus Straight
and the Golden Horn.