This is Mine and Jo. She is the R.S. President here in Istanbul. She lives in an area called Besiktas. We took a taxi from Jo's. We had to call Mine and have her give the directions to the driver because we couldn't explain where she lived. She was very gracious and had lunch ready for us. It was a traditional Turkish potato salad...potatoes with a little lemon and lots of green onions, a twisted bread with cheese inside, juice, and cake. Delicious.

Mine is a convert to the Church. She joined the Church in Malta with her family. The first time the missionaries came to her door she told them was Muslim and wasn't interested. The next time they came, her husband answered and invited the missionaries in...primarily because they were American. He was a University professor and was interested in hearing about their University. He invited the missionaries back and when they finally asked who was ready to be baptized Mine said she was. All her family joined the church. Her husband was very active for several years, even serving as the branch president. Then they moved back to Istanbul and he became inactive and very antagonistic. He told her that if she went to church she could not live in his house. She went to church any way and when she came home he tried to keep her out. She said they fought at the door for a couple of hours and he finally let her in. He has passed away and she knows he has seen the light on the other side.

I asked her how she got to go to the temple and she shared this story. She is not very well to do and didn't think that she would ever get to go to the temple. If she did go it would be to London. A couple of her sons live there. (They are no longer active.) One day the branch president called her and said that an American couple was coming to Istanbul. The husband had meetings to attend to and they were looking for a sister to show the wife around. She was happy to oblige. They toured for two days and became very dear friends.

The sister asked Mine if she could go to any temple where would she want to go. Mine told her that if she could go anywhere it would be to Salt Lake but that that would never be possible. A few weeks after the sister got home she called and told Mine that her huband had a ticket for anywhere in the world and they wanted to give it to her to come to Salt Lake to go to the temple. Mine told her she could not accept such gift. After much persuasion she finally accepted and flew to Utah. She took out her endowments, had the work for her husband done and then was sealed to him.

She is such a blessing to the sisters in this branch. She is a very talented artist and dress designer.

She walks a 1/2 hour to church every week come rain or shine. She has a testimony and is very willing to share it. She is truly a great example of a valiant daughter of God.