Hello Everyone!

We were dodging traffic last night as we left a discussion at a member’s home in an area about 1 hour from our apartment. We had taken buses to get to the member’s home and it was about 8:30 p.m. and dark. We needed to grab a cab to get the Elders home by 9:30, and Elder Johnson took off up the street running after a cab he thought was empty. The rest of us were dodging cars similar to what you see in a movie, and I was thinking, “I don’t want to die in Turkey!” There happened to be two people in the cab and the driver told the people to get out (because he had a better fare as it would an hour to get us home), so the people got out and let us have the cab. We apologized like crazy, and they said “no problem”, they were only a block away from home.

The cab driver drove all the back roads and took us on an unnecessary tour of Istanbul that lengthened our cab ride. This kind of frustrated the Elders as they said cab drivers will do this if they can get away with it. The ride was interesting for what you can see at night, and we learned that Istanbul is one extremely large city!

Our last Sacrament meeting was very interesting as it was Fast Sunday. Those who bore their testimonies all spoke Turkish and we had President Cakir interpret. These people have such an abiding love for the Savior and Gospel. They are so appreciative of the lessons they have learned and how to apply them in their lives. It was a moving meeting. We have French, Philippino/Tagalog and Turkish languages all being interpreted during these meetings, so it makes it very interesting. The Gospel is true in all these languagesJ!

We have District meeting every Wednesday where we get together with the Elders and another mission couple. We are growing to love these people while we witness their love for the Savior and the work being done. I gave them my appreciation last week, and said I realized that they are doing work similar to what the early missionaries did in Switzerland. As you know our Grandfather Christian Kunz had a dream that two missionaries would come to his home in Bern, Switzerland and tell him of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ on earth. Of course we know that the Elders did find Grandfather Kunz and he came to America and settled Bern, Idaho, raising a family true to the Gospel. So, we call these missionaries our pioneers. Sitting in Sacrament meeting with 30 people is so different that attending church with 250-300 in our ward at home.

We are praying the Lord will bless this area and that the people here can hear the truth, and have their hearts softened to the missionaries and all of us sharing our testimonies.

We pray for you every day and hope you are finding joy in your lives.

Love to all of you,

Elder and Sister Ercanbrack