Elder and Sister Canfield from Instanbul came to train us, Monday June 25 and Tuesday Monday June 26.  They are orginally from Las Vegas, Nevada.  We spent two days with them; they gave us valuable counsel and direction about our service here.  We are very grateful to them and feel much better about venturing forth!

While they were here, we would work diligently (sort of) for a few hours and then walk down the hill from our apartment to have lunch or dinner at a nearby sidewalk restaruant.  These restaruants are lovely with hanging flower baskets everywhere and linen table clothes and napkins.  The food was soooo good.  My fear of being on a mission with food I wasn't use to is not a concern any longer (except when I cook).  The frest fruits and vegetables are so flavorable and abundant. 

The Canfields related story after story of the missionary work in Turkey. It was a very wonderful two days.  

This is the Mosque next door to us.  This is looking out our bedroom window. We live on the third floor so we actually look down on the roof of their home.

Today we went to a school for the blind and delivered canes to 31 students.  This school has 160 students total, most of which are highly intelligent.  (One student plays 22 musical instruments!)
Two-thirds of them have passed entrance exams into universities and government paid jobs.  It was a wonderful experience for us - our first project, and we look forward to helping more of our Turkish brothers and sisters for the next 17 months. A month of our mission is over already!

Yusuf Sayyadan is the director of the school.  He is in front with the tie.  He is also blind.  On the far right and on the far left are youth from our branch who came to distribute the canes. (The branch members - youth especially -  are encouraged to participate in the ceremonies of these projects).   In the center are a few of the students of the school.

These are trophies the students have won in competition in academic and sports activites.

This is a computer lab.  The girl in the back is the teacher and

is a volunteer from one of the universities.  As the students type on the computers,

each key makes a different sound so they can tell which letter they have typed.

The is our interpreter, Seda.  She is helping us understand what the
director of the school is telling us and what Elder Edwards is having her tell him!
Seda takes very good care of us.  She drives us around, and is helping us now establish our residency
here among many other necessary things.  I honestly don't know what we would do without her.

This is one of the students at the school receiving a cane from Seda's son, Barkhan. 
Seda and her son are not members, and we were happy that he could be a part of the activity today. 
I think he enjoyed the experience as much as we did. 
We fell in love with this student.  He was so cute with us, and wished
us well on our trip back to the states.  Not for while!

June 15, 2012
We left for Turkey a week ago yesterday, and have seen much since!  The following are some pictures we would like to share with you:

When flying to Turkey, we missed one of our lay overs and ended up being in three different countries in one day:  London, England, Istanbul, Turkey, and Sofia, Bulgaria. 

(then back to Turkey the following day). 

The day we arrived, a Court of Honor was held that evening, so we were able to meet the members of our Branch.  There are approx. 40 members.  The man standing by the American flag with his back to the camera lived in Lehi a few years ago (Glen Lewis), and served as a counselor to Bishop Davidson, who is now Stake Pres. Davidson in Lehi.  Small world.

 

Speaking of small, our Branch Pres. here lived in Gresham, Oregon when we lived there 40 some years ago and he was a small boy in the ward there. 

Okay, thats kind of lame, but it is a small world.

We visited old downtown Ankara.  We have come to realize how young America is. 

The following are some pictures of our visit there:

Roman Bathhouse

When building these structures, different generations would use
whatever materials were available to construct their buildings. 
Notice the brick layer above the stones.

Picture of a castle where they would shoot their arrows.

The missionary couple we replaced, The Pedersons, from Sandy, Utah. 
They seemed a little too happy when they were leaving.  Should we be worried?

Statue of Ataturk, a Turkish leader who rebelled against the Ottomon Empire
in the early 1900's and won Turkey's indepedence.

Beautiful clothes.  Click on this picture to see them better.

There is also a very new part of the city.  There are many nice malls. 
This is a picture of an Embassy (in the back ground on the hill).  There are approximately 150 embassies in Ankara.

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Can you tell I have a few extra minutes?  I was looking through the pictures Thayne

 took after our farewell Sunday, May 28.  Here is a picture of our family that day.

The family in our back yard after our 'farewell."

Monday, June 4, 2012
Today we were in Salt Lake and had a tour through Welfare Square.  It is amazing what the Church does to take care of the poor (physically and in spirit).  It provides a way for those who need assistance to work for what they receive.  The more I listened, the more I came to believe how inspired the program is.  Bottom line, it builds character and helps people to feel better about themselves.  The work ethic - what a blessing!

Here we are at the JSMB

We then went to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and had a wonderful dinner.  When we were full and sleepy they began to give us lots of instruction.  The six humanitarian projects the Church has are:  Clean water, neonatal resuscitation, mobility and wheelchairs, vision, food (planting gardens - raising your own food), and service (helping with disasters).


Three days before we leave!!

MTC

Today is Saturday, June 2 and we have completed our first week at the MTC.  It has been a wonderful week!!!  Last night we had a short meeting where the Elders and Sisters were invited to stand and tell their most memorable experience about the week.  The first thing that came to mind was the devotional on Tuesday night when I sang in the choir.  Of course there were many more Elders than Sisters, and I cannot tell how wonderful those men's voices sounded.  The harmony was outstanding - even with just one practice.  Elder Zwich from the Seventy was the guest speaker.  He is a twin of my friend Connie Allen from the temple.  Carolyn Ristrup (Darren's mother) was there passing out music, so we were able to visit, and she introduced me to the organist, I think Bro. Mendenhall who knew Susan.  It was all so wonderful.


Another highlight of the week was to have met a first cousin Howard Ashby, Uncle Rod's youngest son.  What a sweet reunion, one of those tender mercies.  We decided we must have seen each other at family reunions 55+ years ago and maybe played together while our parents visited.  I remember going to his wedding reception and thinking what a lucky beautiful couple they were.


 I will include a picture of us and our spouses at the MTC in one of the blogs (when I can get it off the camera).  Howard (Elder Ashby) will be in charge of medical treatment for all the missionaries in the North West: Washington, Oregon, up into Canada, and over into the Dakotas.  (I would guess like cousin Richard Ashby's assignment was when he served in Russia).  I like to think Grandpa and Grandma Ashby were aware that they had two grandchildren missionaries in the MTC that week!


We have been studying "Preach My Gospel" all week, which ended Friday.  This morning opened up our instruction for Welfare Services.  The meeting was very touching with the information they gave and the scriptures they included.  I was in tears most of the meeting.  Monday we will be bused up to Salt Lake City for a tour of Welfare Square, then have lunch at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and be taught by Glen Rudd (Wayne's former Mission President when he served his mission in Florida).  Elder Rudd has been very instrumental in building up Welfare Square and wrote the book Pure Religion, which I have mentioned to in a previous blog.


Tuesday and Wednesday of next week we will receive instruction from the Brethren from Church Offices (they will come to the MTC) and Wednesday afternoon we will leave to come home and pack, and then off to Turkey.  Its hard to believe after seven months, since we received our call, it is finally time to leave.  With all we have been told we will be doing, I'm already feeling very busy.  That's all I ask, that they keep us busy.  

Elder and Sister Edwards - First Day at MTC - 28 May 2012 (Monday)

Sister Edwards and First Cousin Elder (Howard) Ashby
(Youngest Son of Rod Ashby)