Dec 26 2010

What a super busy week.  I could type the whole night to tell you about it but I will mostly just send pictures.  It is not Christmas here yet so Christmas day was quite different for us.  We went with the seniors to a Chineese restaurant for lunch. Ra Ra Ra from the Christmas story.  We spent all day Christmas eve day in a missionary christmas confernece packed full of fun, food and messages and skits. We enjoyed a Christmas party with the seniors.  The week went on and on.  We were going to do Red Square on christmas but there is still to much rioting going on so we were told to keep our badges off and not gather in groups in public places.  We  are good obedient missionaries so we did not go there.  On Christmas day we had an ice storm that was terrible.  The sidewalks were already slippery and then it started snowing ice.  It actually hurt when it hit you.  It made a thin layer of ice on top of the snow that was around.  But we had gone grocery shopping and it all started just after we left.  Coming home and pulling our groceries behind us was so scarey.  It was like walking on an ice skating rink.  Every morning we say our parayers that we will not slip and fall on the ice because it is so slippery and we walk so much.  I am sure that is the only reason we did not fall.  We were so happy to be home and skype with all of our wonderful children and grandchildren and hear all about their Christmas. We had given them all an equal amount of money and told them that this year we wanted them to go buy one family gift that would remind them of their parents or something that their parents loved or about our mission.  The things they did made me so happy. That was just what we needed for our Christmas away from home in Russia.  They will send pictures and then I will post them.  They are good obedient children..I love them so much. 
Well the rest will be pictures or there will be to much to read..love you all and wish you a very happy new year.  New Years eve is Christmas Eve here..and then they celebrate until the 7th of Jan when they have a spiritual Day of celebration.  Gene and Marcia   Lots of pictures,,probably will bore you..sorry..but I hope to print this blog off as a journal.

Cute office elders know how we do not like to walk on the
icy sidewalks so they left us this note..thinking that
we would believe it...

Senior Christmas party

Both mission presidents President Sorenson Russia Moscow
and President Woolley Russia Moscow West President



Gene's cousin Francis Ann and her husband Jack

 

The Dear Carpenters they are over the senior couples and this is at their apt

Francis and Jack at the Christmas conference

Skits from the missionaries

A lot of Babuskas in Russia..grandmothers

Gene is enjoying the skits with Elder Hansen

This was I hope they call me on a mission when I have grown a foot or two

Our district where all the accidents have happened.  They made a song
up to the tune of the Battle Hymn of Republic called "Crutches, Stitches
and a band-aid.  It was so funny..but true

Office elders...sometimes they are a little bored in the office

Everyone performs old or young..this was the nutcracker dance...sort of

Only in Russia do you eat and give shots on the sacrament table!!

Beautiful singing..we have a lot of talent in our mission

Christmas day for us

most of the senior couples

The doctor arrived.  This is the new Europe East Area doctor and
his wife.  they are assigned to our mission..but they will travel for different
medical things.  Elder doctor Harvey and Sister Sharon Hatch from Cedar City Utah.
We are so happy to finally have a doctor!! 

The best gift ever from our dear family.  All of our precious grandchildren.
I wrapped this around my neck and just hugged it close.  I miss them so much.

This is Pa's and he loves his too!!

And all these wonderful Christmas gifts from home.
Our children are truly a part of our mission and they help us
and serve with us.  We love them for that and they are
blessed for all they do

Dec 19, 2010

Been a wonderful cold and slippery week.  I do not know how we walk without falling other than there is someone walking with us. Also this week there have been riots going on over a sports game with another country.  After the game big fights started with tons of people and then someone shot a little child and I guess it has escalated since then.  Every time we go somewhere people will say did you have any problem getting here or did you see any violence?  We just reply no.  We have a heads looking down consentrating on walking.  In fact we would not even know about the riots if President had not advised us we need to be very careful.  Do not wear name tags in public.  Do not speak English around a lot of Russians and be in early and so forth.  When we went to the Christmas program at the Central bldg last night we took one bus and 2 subways and then a walk.  When we got there the President said...Did you see the bus loads of police at the metro station?  No we didn't.  We saw a couple of buses but we thought they were tourist.  So on the way back we glanced quickly at the 3 buses and they were full of police.  There was suppose to be some rioting going on.  But we usually feel safe knowing that we are in Heavenly Fathers care.  So we just go about our business and try not to pay to much attention to anything.  Always something interesting in Russia.  This week I am going to just post pictures with a little explanation on them.  It has been such a busy and full week.

Sister Carpenter cheering up Elder Nielsen who broke his foot playing ice hockey
on sports day.  We had to send him home 3 months early for surgery.

Elder Nielsen has a broken foot..so sad

Missionaries enjoying our zone meeting on Tuesday.  Aren't
they all so cute?

Elder Carpenter is having a deep discussion with President Sorenson
at Zone meeting

Sisters singing lullaby..It was so sweet and to hear it in Russian
made it even better

Sister Johnson and Sister Jones.  Sister Johnson the one on the left
went home this week.  She had completed her 18 months.  We will
miss her.  She was lots of fun.

The Elders singing a song.  It was quite funny.  It was a song
they had to just get up and sing about pulling together.

Presidnet played the piano for them.  Good pianist..

Icy sidewalks.  And they are icy almost everywhere.  Some have
gravel on them but not to many.

We stuffed Christmas letters for the President on Friday.  We had
to bribe or maybe reward the office elders with pizza.

Elder Lex and Elder Grover.  Our office elders.  Elder Grover is from
Washington and Elder Lex is from Austria

This is the stage for the manger scene at the district
Christmas program.  They have so little to work with but make
the best our of what they have.  The program was wonderful and we
will never forget it.

Manger scene

Elders singing We Three Kings at Christmas Program.
So good.  We have a lot of musical  talent in our mission

Elder Hansen playing the violin.  (This is the secret package that
Michelle helped us get here.)

Look what the elders sculptured outside of the branch.
We also have a lot of artistic talent.  The elders will do
chalk drawings of The Sacred Grove or just diffferent Book
of Mormon things to attract people and they do an awsome job.

Loves again from Russia and have a very special and Merry Christmas.  Gene and Marcia

Sunday Dec 12 2010

Happy Birthday today to Mark and Callie.  We will think of them both.  And Happy Birthday tomorrow to Mitch.  A big 30..we will think of him tomorrow.  We love them all and hope they have very happy birthdays.
This week the weather has been a little warmer.  Ususally in the teens and once in awhile in the low 20's.  But the very worst part is that the snow on the sidewalks has now become ice and it will not melt until next spring.  Coming home from the office the other night we tried to walk down the hill on it and after just about after falling a couple of times we decided to go out in the field of snow and walk home in that. Everywhere is just sheets of ice.  So you have to walk so slow and carefully.  They put a little gravel on some of the sidewalks but not very many.  Anyway a new challenge. 
Last Sunday after Relief Society I walked down the hall to where these cute little children were standing.  I think it is the nursery.  But they just looked at me as I took their picture and then they looked at each other and laughed.  Little children are cute all over the world. And then as we were walking into church we noticed that the soccer field was now an ice skating rink.  They use it more for ice hockey.  It is sprayed every night and really looks fun for the kids.  And the elders.  They have sports day every Sat morning and invite investigators and others to come participate.
On senior night we said good by to our dear friends the Conlins.  He has been working here for the church for 6 months and we have been blessed to have them join us as seniors.  He has been called as a counselor in the stake presidency and they need him home as soon as possible.  Geri Conlin is the one who taught me that there were good things to look for in Russia.  I was unhappy for a number of weeks and one week she said to me "tell me just one favorite thing about Russia."  I could not tell her one thing.  That is when I decided that it was time to start looking for the good and be happy.  So she taught me a big lesson.  I do love her.  And now I have many favorite things about Russia.  Just look at those 3 precious little children.  Anyway we will miss them so much.
Friday night we went with the elders to visit an investigator. It was a great expierence.  We loved participating in the discusssion and getting to know this gentleman.   He is a scientist so it is a little difficult for him because he wants proof and whys of everything. But he has read the Book of Mormon and he took both a Russian and English one that we gave him and he invited us back.  So we hope we get to go back. He speaks very good English and it was so nice to be able to talk to someone and understand them.
We stayed home from church today.  I have had a cold and a bit of a toothache.  So we just did a lot of sleeping today and hopefully that will help.  But we really missed not seeing the branch members,
Hope you are all getting ready for the holidays.  It is really nice to not have a lot to do.  But I am not sure that trade is worth being away from home.  But we are going to have a very special Russian Christmas.
We love you all..Gene and Marcia

Precious little Rissian children.



How cute are they?  I think this is the nursery



Soccer field that is now an ice skating rink

Our dear friends the Conlins.  We love them

There is a pizza place next to the office and this is in front of it

Look at our cute little Christmas tree!!  We love it.
And it has a present under it from home!!!

With the pretty lights on it

Parents pull their children in these sleighs instead of
strollers when it is slick.  so Gene decided it was a great
idea for our groceries.  So this is ours.

Sunday Dec 5 2010

It has been a very busy week.  I think we only had one evening at home.  Our days start at the office around 8:30am and end between 4:30 and 5:00pm.  So all the extras after the office make for  a very long day.  Without a car we do not get anywhere quickly. So many nights we do not make it home until 9 or 10pm.    But everything we do is so worth it that we just have to go.  So this Monday we went to the Snow Maden ballet after work with the Conlins.  We went to a theatre at the Kremlin.  It was a great event and ballet is a big part of the culture here in Russia. I especially enjoyed it where I took ballet as a young girl and Gene did enjoy it but probably not as much as me.  More a girl thing.  Tues was our one night at home.  The weather turned freezing cold on us.  It was 14 below 0 and that is Farenheit a couple of mornings when we walked to the office.  Our walk is about 20-25 min. You just have to dress in layers and pretend you are Randy on the Christmas story. Wed we enjoyed our night at English club and we had a couple of the kids join us for our spiritual thought so that was great.  Thursday was senior night and it was a wonderful night with the seniors.  We were asked how we thought Christmas would be different this year for us and our families and we all had to answer that question.  It was good to hear how other parents and grandparents felt being away at the Holiday Season and made me understand that it was a little tough on everyone  but that they had found ways to make it a good Christmas.  One couple said they spent last Christmas on Red Square.  Anyway we will think this through and come up with a way to  enjoy our Russian Christmas and make it special and know that our children will do the same.  Friday night was spent shopping for some warmer socks and a few other things.  Nylons do not cut it in this weather.  It is heavy warm socks and everyone wears them.  Keeping warm is the issue not looking good.  Then Saturday we went to Zelenograd where we had a baptism.  Her name is Sevetlana and she is 72 yrs old.  The custest litte Babushka ever. That is what they call grandmas here.  She just couldn't wait to baptized.  Many missionaries who had taught her came to her baptism.  It was a wonderful day.  It is these times that make the sacrifice of service so worth it. Even if you do not get to the grocery store until 8pm in the dark, cold and snow.  And pulling the groceries home it in.  Gene has decided he is going to look for a sleigh to pull our groceries on. All the people with small children pull them on a small sleigh that has a seat and sides and they just sit and ride.  Once it snows that snow will be here until spring.  It never gets warm enough for it to melt. We are loving our mission more everyday.  We have a few aches and pains we wish we could get rid of but that is probably normal.  About as normal as it will get.
Well what a great week in Russia..keep in touch... Gene and Marcia

 
                                             

At the Kremlin going to the ballet

It was a very cold night

this is the theatre

Taking our picture in the mirrors

headed to performance

The next few will be theatre pictures

Leaving for the office on  a very cold morning

Notice the eyes on Gens scarf and eyelashes

The elders have to dress warm also..Aren't they cute?

The next few pictures are the great cookie project.
I have never seen cookies decorated so good

Office tree that I decorated

2 Charlie Brown trees

This is the baptismal font.  Notice the color of the water

Svetlana with the first two elders that found her

Elder Bogdonof baptized her

Elder Cordoza also taught her

Just to reiterate the challenge of shopping
Which of these is black pepper?

If you guessed this one you are right.
It took us 4 trys to get just black pepper.  One was red pepper
one was salt and one was was what we think might be garlic pepper

Big blog this time..