Kastamona

We had an amazing opportunity to deliver wheelchairs to the beautiful town of Kastamona.  This is the hometown of our interpreter, Seda.  She had told us she wanted to take us to her hometown, but never let on about how wonderful this place is.  While there she took us into the mountains to the family farm, that they call the Village.  We found out that this farm is famous throughout Turkey.  Dignitaries and visitors come from all over Turkey to eat at the home of her Aunt.  She had prepared dinner for us and now we understand why she is so well known.  You can't even see the end of the property it is so large.  All of the food you eat there was prepared and grown on this farm.  She must have put out ten varieties of jams and jellies.  Seda told us she spend much of her childhood there.  All the cousins come and help with the ranching duties, the farmhouse, and the serving and preparing of food in this home. 

In the days of the silk road, they didn't have hotels, but did have caravansaries where both the people and the camels stayed.  This one has been converted into a modern facility that we stayed at.  In this first picture you can see the castle which is on the hill above the Caravansary.  The patio is completely enclosed.  You enter through some very large doors.  There is a small one for people and a very large one for the camels.  The dining room, which is very beautiful, was once the place where the camels slept. 



There is a beautiful fountain in the center of the courtyard, it is hidden a bit by the umbrella.  It used to be the watering trough for the camels - maybe for the people too.  But it is very beautiful.  The big round thing by the stairs used to hold water and it sat over hot coals to heat the water.



We thought these little doors were very unique and fun.  We couldn't decide if people were just smaller then, or if they just liked small doors.



This veranda went all around the top floor and looked down into the courtyard.  All the guest room were off of this veranda.  I loved the arches in the architecture.  We also found on each door - the Star of David.  Very interesting.

This is the stable/now dining room.  You can see the buffet set up around one of the pillars.  A typical Turkish breakfast is several varieties of cheese, several varieties of olives,  lots of different jellies, breads, fruit juices, and sometimes salami.

Another view of the inside of caravansary

Close-up of the big big pan used to heat water.  You find these in many old gathering places.  Although, they are not used today.

The legend is, "if you drink from this natural fountain, you will visit this place again 7 times".  I quickly had a drink, because it was very cold and good water, and because I wanted to come back here again.  Duard wouldn't drink the water.  Oh well, I hope he misses me.

Our darling Seda and her son Barkin

This little boy was so excited to have this wheelchair that he would not stay still for the picture.  He was laughing and wheeling around.  Everyone was enjoying the delight of this little guy.  He just couldn't go fast enough or smile big enough.

This young man told us he is going to start a wheelchair basketball team in Kastamona.

Some of the wheelchairs lined up and ready to go.  The names of the recipients are on all the chairs so there is no question as to who they will go to.  All recipients have to be pre-certified that they really do need the wheelchair.  So we have all the names ahead of time.

Duard gave a beautiful speech telling about the church, by its real name, and about how the monies are raised to be able to provide these wheelchairs.  Great job!  Seda is by his side interpreting.

Time out for a picture

One of the women who live at the farm house making some of the breads and food.

I can't say enough about this wonderful woman.  She is as gracious and wonderful a person as I have ever met.  She has a dignity and beauty that is rare.  She grows all the food used on the farm.  On the upper floor they have changed the rooms into places to eat.  The walls are filled with history in pictures and artifacts from the farm.  You just can't quit looking.  They have ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, birds.  She said she has seen bears and a few years ago a pole cat came down out of the mountains and killed some of the birds she had in cages.  She felt so bad that she opened the cages and let all the rest the birds go and then broke apart all the cages. 

The family took us over the mountain to a place where they have started a state of the art dairy farm. 
For my Taylor cousins:  This whole farm gave me a nostalgia trip, remembering Cokeville and all the great stories from there.  I thought of all the milking days.  While we were there, they began their first day of milking the cows.  They were all excited for this event.  What an amazing heritage both there and in Cokeville.

Our Visit to Parliament

We thought you might like to see some pics of our trip to the Parliament.  This man a member of Parliament has helped us find some of our most treasured projects. He aso invited us for a tour of the Parliament and lunch.  Very awesome.

 Duard was speaking at the parliament.  Only trouble was that no one was there except security.  Great pic though.  Nice try Du.

 The parliament is beautiful.  The colors look red, but actually they are a beautiful orange.

 What a handsome couple.

 We had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Culture.  His son was there who is very interested to come to the US to study animation at the film school called"Free Sail".  That is where Regan grsduated.

Hot mikado

 I thought you might like to see a few pics from the play I choreographed.  I had a blast and these kids were wonderful.  All but one of them had only seen tap on TV or in the movies, so it was a big under taking to get the finished product.  But they hung in there with me and it was great.  The first night I started teaching I went home and said, "What have I done to these kids".  But the next day they had it, they had gone home and practiced and learned it all.

 Of course, I have to have a Young Ambassador/Janie Thompson ending.  They performed to almost a full house every night for 4 nights at the Turkish-American Association Theatre.

 You can see their hands by their necks. . . They were singing and dancing about an executioner and what he was going to do.  So fun.

 This number was the funnest one to choreograph.  It was called "Three Little Maids".

 The girl in blue was our lead.  She has a voice as lovely as any I have ever heard.  A darling actress also.

 The little gal in the yellow dress almost quit on me.  She didn't think she could ever do it.  I told her that she had so much natural talent and that the audience deserved to see how much she added to the play. I went over the steps with her again, and she had them all.  So we talked some more, next day - she just was beaming and was wonderful.

 The gal in the front with the white dress would never hold her head up during practice and kind of hid behind her hair.  She had an excellent voice and picked all the dances up very quickly.  One day I took her aside alone and stood her in front of the mirror and told her to look at just how beautiful she was.  That she needed to be proud and hold her head up.  We had a great little chat.   Wow! look at her now.

 This is Abu.  When I learned I needed to teach him a solo tap dance, I didn't think it could be done.  He wanted to learn so badly that he worked really hard and in the end he brought the house down.  He had lived in Utah for a couple of years and totally understood where I was coming from and we ended up being great friends.  He has a PhD in mathmatics and does research in the 4th and 5th dimensions.

It was so fun to get flowers and hugs from everyone every night.

 The fellow on the floor in the blue vest was the director.  He had lived with a Mormon family in Idaho as an exchange student.  So he never even asked me to come to the rehearsals they had on Sundays. 

Duard was amazing.  He came to every rehearsal and performance and never complained once.  He even got invited to come to the center and teach a family history class and he is very excited about it.  I hope I can be as supportive.

Hot Mikado

Helping a little School

This has been one of the busiest weeks yet.  We have been going from sun up to sun down.  We have met many wonderful new people and are This little school has been one of our favorites.  When we first met them the children were the ones mopping the floors and keeping the school clean. 

They invited us to come to the school to see the new desks, cupboars, bulletin boards, and shelves.  She told us that this little village that has no money have been so happy to have these things for their children that they got together and cleaned and painted the whole school before the new equipment was delivered.  She, the principal, said this was the most community spirit she has seen she has been there.  She also told us that she thinks this is the first time these children have had anything that is new.  Everything they have, including all the school stuff, has been hand me downs or used before.  The parents were as thrilled as the children that their children could have a better environment to learn in. 

Mersin and wheelchairs



  This was an incredible day.  We were able to attend two ceremonies that placed several of the wheelchairs that the church donates.  The fellow behind Duard is blind and is a most amazing man.  He had all the documentation for us, which is a big deal.  The first ceremony took place on the sidewalk.  That worked well for people needing the wheelchairs to be able to move out of their cars.  There were many press representatives and a very nice articles ended up in the news papers.  We heard it was on TV, but we had no way to figure that one out.



 The lady Sandy is hugging was crying and so was Sandy.  We felt that by giving the wheelchairs to the children that we had freed many women who could not do anything because they always had to carry the children if they went anywhere.  Some of these children were in their preteen years and this was their first wheelchair.




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The second ceremony was held in a very festive setting.  They had the traditional Turkish dancers perform and also these darling little children.  We did get a video of these children and if I can figure out how to put it on here you can see how darling they are, if not you will have to wait until we get home. 



 LDS Charities had donated equipment to this organization so they can teach sign language.  They are training their people to sign and interpret.  They are also teaching the parents so they can communicate with their children.  These girls are signing the Turkish National Anthem and have graduated from this class.





These are two of the mentally handicapped children from the Center who were doing a Turkish dance in the isle, I joined them and we had a great time.

3 of the 7 churches in revelations

 Ankara Branch less a couple of families: L to R Hasan Pres./Dr. Jeffory Schwitzer [Member of the Seventy & East European Area President], his with JoAnn; our interpetor Seda; Meriç; Laura; Emily; Sandy holding Emily's two girls; Duard holding Laura's son.

Flight from Ankara to Izmir, only the mountain peaks show through the clouds.

 Carpet buying in Izmir, yea I finally bit the bullet, I am still trying to recover.

The konak clock tower in İzmir. For centuries İzmır was known as Smyrna, one of the seven cities John wrote to in Revelation. Until 1922 the city had a large Christian population, including thousands of Greek Orthodox. İzmir is Turkies third largest city with a population of about 3 1/2 million.

 A computer closing in İzmir at a handicap orgaization. They were training the handicap in the use of computers and assist them in finding employment.

While on the Cross, Jesus gave his Apostle John the charge to take care of his mother. The Greek isle of Patmus where John wrote Revelation is just off the coast of İzmır. The Catholic Church along with Muslims believe the foundation to this stone house was Mary's. A small chapel adjoins it.

One of the seven wonders of the Ancient World was the Temple of Artemus, this sculpture is one of nunerous artifacts believed to have come from it. So important was Artemus to Ephesuss economy that Paul was stoned and driven from the city when they thought his conversions would hurt the city.

 

The great theater in Ephesus that Paul was to speak in. Ephesus did become the center for the Christian Church about 90 AD after so many followers left Jerusalem. It was one of the seven Churches, John wrote to.in Revelations while onthe Isle of Patmus, a short ferry ride off the coast.

Excavated starting in 1999 and opened to the public in 2006, the Terrace houses in Ephesus allow you to see how wonderful a life the wealthy lived. Other than electricty, they had running hot and cold water in their kitchens and bathrooms, saunas and swimming pools. beautiful mosaics. The home were even set up so they were cool in the summer and heated during winter.

The famous library of Ephesus. It is said that Mark Anthony gave Cleopatra the volumns of writtings from here and the great Library in Pergamum as a wedding gift and had them sent to Alexandria Egypt which later was lost in fire. L-R Elder and Sister Schwitzer; Elder and Sister Abney and us.

Du & Sandy; Greg and Jo Ann; Marilyn and KC at the Temple of Trajan in Pergamum, the third of the three Churches spoken of in Revelations we visited. The other four are in the same general vicinity, hopefuly we will made it back down and have the opportunity to visit them. Here at Pergamun [Bergama] was another of the Ancient seven wonders, the Temple of Zeus. It was taken stone by stone and rebuilt in Berlin in their Pergamun museum in 1870. Another highlight here espically for Pres. Schwitzer  who is a MD  was a visit to the great mrdical complex built by the famos physician Galen who was born here in AD 129.