Cookie Sunday

Yesterday was another beautiful Sabbath day. It appears that our branch has some sort of theme each Sunday and yesterday was cookie Sunday! Probably one of the best themes yet. Its definitely motivation to stay for all three hours and then to mingle afterwards too. Not that I need ANY motivation to mingle (anymore). Back home in the states I would probably grab a cookie and leave without talking to a soul if I could help it. But here, I talk to anyone who will listen and come to think of it...I didn't even have a cookie! What the heck has happened to me?

*I'm turning into my mom. Socializing after church when the rest of the family is OVER it. Oh crap. Sorry Kawika....I know waiting for mommy sucks lol

After church we were invited over to a senior missionary couple's house for dinner. Brother and Sister Schmidt are awesome! Sister Schmidt, or Sue, is the best. She was the very first person I met at church. She is a grandma herself and is missing her kids like crazy so I let her borrow Kawika during church. She is such a bomb babysitter and K loves her.

They live on a really cool street that would probably be considered "ghetto" but I like it. Kids literally play in the middle of the street over there and people just hang out together outside at all hours of the day. They live on the top floor of their building (no elevator) and have a gorgeous view....

This is looking North...notice the contrast in buildings...old apartment homes, a mosque, and a brand new office building...

This is the view to the South...

I wish I would have caught pictures but I didn't think of it at the time so I'll just have to write about it... vendors walk along the streets just yelling out what they have for sale. For example, one man came through with watermelons. If you want one, all you have to do is lower your bucket down by rope with money inside. He will then grab the money and replace it with a watermelon. Then you just pull it back up to your balcony! Brother Schmidt was telling me that for awhile he paid his rent in this manner. He walked over to the landlords house (which is just down the street) and called out for him. He came out to his balcony, lowered a bucket, and Brother Schmidt placed the rent ($1400 TL) in the bucket, and the landlord pulled it back up! No receipts, no confirmations, nothing. How crazy and cool is that? I'm just relieved his money didn't blow away before it got up to the landlord! Brother Schmidt said that since then they have a new secure way of paying their rent (since they have a bank account over here now). I love learning new fun things about Turkish life. Thank you Kevin and Sue for cooking us dinner and welcoming us into your home. We loved it!