Occasıonally Senior couples have the opportunity to take a few days to site see around the mission area. We visited Cappadocia which is in the Anatolian Region of Turkey last week and saw some amazing things. The town formerly known as Ikonium became one of the greatest Christian communities of its time under the Apostle Paul and Barnabas.

People lived in these dwellings until Turkey and Greece made a trade of 1,500,000 Greeks for about 500,000 Turks in 1923. People lived in these dwellings carved into the mountains as recently as 1985 when they were condemned. What a site! We also visited the underground city in Derinkuyu near Cappadoccia where Hittite people lived to escape persecution of Roman and Bysantine invaders. Frescos are painted on the walls and some have been quite well preserved. This underground city extends 14 stories beneath the earth! We stayed in a Cave Hotel and literally slept in a cave that had electricity (barely), but the temperature was quite pleasant.  We also saw the Whirling Dervishes perform their type of meditation in which they twirl effortlessly for quite a long period of time. It was a beautiful site!  We hiked all over the area and had a great time! If you get a chance to visit this area, you will be amazed.

We’ve had some great experiences teaching the Gospel with the Missionaries. Their enthusiasm is so contagious! They are so well versed in the scriptures and they speak the language so well. These young men impress me so much. We traveled to Anakara for Zone Conference last week and stayed in the apartment where my sister Jean and her husband Wayne lived. It is so much fun to meet people who know my family and think so much of them. We learned some wonderful things that helped put things in perspective regarding where our priorities in life should be. I left with such a great feeling of peace and purpose for which I am extremely grateful.

Our language tutor’s name is Ilkar. He is a good teacher and is “holding our feet to the fire”! We are learning so much so quickly which is good.  Now if we could just remember what we are learning that would be great!

We love hearing from home and how things are going. We receive new letters from our old ward in Bountiful and from our Woodland Hills Ward, so we feel kept somewhat up to date on our friends. Keep them coming and any other emails with updates. We love to hear from all of you!

April in Istanbul

Hello Hello!
We had an International evening of food last Friday evening where everyone brought a dish from their country of origin. We ate well! We had a program after dinner where a man (whose name is Knowledge), from Nigeria, danced a native dance and told a story through his actions and motions. He also told a couple of jokes that were more funny in the way he told them than were the contents of the jokes. It wouldn't be funny to you if I told them to you, but it was pretty hilarious coming from him in his broken English! He laughed at himself and it was so fun and entertaining. We had 10 non-members with us and it was such fun!

This is an exciting place to be, doing what we're doing! Every day is filled with Gospel messages and the sublime love of Jesus Christ. We are either talking, reading, listening or studying about that concept all day long. As you all know, that message if lived and understood, is the change that is needed in the world. I was overwhelmed with peace and quiet joy as I listened to conference. The gratitude I felt for these wonderful, humble men and women as they delivered their messages was heart felt. It made me happy to know you were listening and learning also.

My love for family and friends is deepening. Relationships are the very fabric of our learning process aren't they? They teach us more about living a Christ like way of life (except our own physical illnesses), than anything I am aware of. I know I have much to do to understand these principles and to live them rightly. Being with my companion/husband, 24/7 is a classroom of it's own and I'm grateful he is a good man!

The weather is getting warmer and the plants outside are window are growing so tall! The Lord knew I loved plants and put us in an area with trees and shrubs, as opposed to the buildings and graffiti that is not far away from where we live. I'm attaching a picture of the trees outside our window. I love the view!

Please, please take Elder Ballard's suggestion and obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel. If I had to be stranded on a desert island I would want the scriptures and that book with me. It's full of truths and how to apply them. We have heard some powerful blessings that have strengthened my faith and we've seen the good and blessed results of living close to the Spirit. How can I tell you more how much I love the Savior and his atonement? The Gospel contains abundant truths on so many levels, and I feel it a privilege to have the focus of my life be towards gaining a greater understanding of it.

Take care of yourselves and know how much we love you,
Sister Ercanbrack and (Elder Ercanbrack who read this and agrees:))