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