Gronnings in Moscow: 09 Jan 2011

Hi to all
We are enjoying each new week in Russia. Everything we were told about winter had us really prepared for the worst and the only thing that has been awful are the icy sidewalks. We do have lots of snow because it will not melt till spring but the temperatures for the last couple of weeks have been in 20's and 30's. We have been told it has been an unusually warm winter but we will take it. Still cold when you walk everywhere you go, but could certainely be worst.
This week we enjoyed another specialized training meeting. We finished the Book of Mormon study underlying scriptures in blue that would help us be better missionaries and red for those that would increase our faith. Many scriptures were shared at our training and what they meant to the missionary that shared them. So interesting how different scriptures meant different things to each of us. But it was a wonderful way to read the Book of Mormon and we cannot believe how much we learned after we read it this way. We will start another reading in Feb but I do not think the topic has been decided yet on what we will look for. so we are excited for that.
The branch had a Christmas party on Fri night the 7th. Russia's Christmas. We went to it and what a surprise to us. No one in the branch presidency came. A little older lady from the branch just organized it with the help of the missionaries. Very simple and probably only 20 people there. Not like the USA would celebrate a ward party. And the missionaries told us they had to tell the little sister how to organize what she did. This was the best part. Michael's family had sent candy canes for Christmas for the children in the branch. So we thought this would be a great time to give them one. But probably only 5 children were there. Elder Morgan took the candy canes and went to each person and offered them one. If you accepted one then Elder Bogdanov would have to do 10 push ups and he does them on his knuckles. After awhile people did not want to take one because they could see his knuckles bleeding. Then if they did not take one Elder Bogdonov still had to do push ups anyway. The lesson he was teaching is that Christ suffered for us so we would have the gift of the atonement. Christ payed the price for this gift whether we accept it or not. We cannot take his pain away. It was really a good object lesson. some of the older sisters on the front row got mad at him and told him not to make tlder Bogdonov do anymore. His knuckles were bleeding and he hardly had any strength left. In fact they were really mad at him for the rest of the night. But it taught how much pain Christ bore for us so we could repent and live with him again. It was also fun to watch the Russians look at the candy canes. They do not have them here,
Hope you all have made great New Years resolutions. I have a hard time keeping them so I usually do not make them. However..I am going to try and learn one new Russia word each day..so we will see how that goes.
Da c don ya to you all...Gene and Marcia