Sunday 27 Feb 2011

February is almost gone.  I hope that means winter will be coming to an end.  We warmed up to between  5-10 degrees above 0 F so we did make some progress.  I would just love to see blue skies.  We have not seen them for awhile and I miss them.  Gene is battling another cold.  But a lot of the senior missionaries have them right now so there must be a cold bug in the air.  But it has been a wonderful week and we have enjoyed our missionary expierences as usual.  The mission field in just such a wonderful environment to be in.  Being around missionaries all the time is such a blessing.  We love them all.  They are all our family away from family. You really grow to love each of them and when they go home it is very sad to see them leave.  We miss them.  But in come the new ones and then we learn to love them just as much.



This is Elder Player from our stake.  He is in the West Mission
which we share an office with.  He was an AP for Pres. Wooley so we
got to see him quite often.  But he got transferred on the last transfer
and is now far awy opening up a new city.



This Elder Hansen and Elder Gronning.



Cute Russian hats





The elders are sure Elder Gronning needs a hat like this.





While we were waiting at our bus stop by the office
this limo drives up and out comes a bride.  We think
they were headed to the restaurant downstairs for dinner.

                                                                               




This is what a cold winter morning looks like out of our apt window

 The office elders had us over to do their apt inspection.  And

they had one clean apt.  then they cooked us a big hamburger.

Elder Jenkins and Elder Lex

This is half of the huge burger.

 Young single adults were having a big party and they
asked the senior missionaries to help with food
and serving.  It was way fun

Elder Gronning out being sociable

I think he is picking up garbage here.

Seniors working in the kitchen to prepare
the food

 Another story.  We took a 1 hr bus ride to a store about
half the size og walmart to get a few items.  We needed a clock
for our bedroom that we could see in the night.  So from the
picture this one looked good.  Can't read the boxes. But the word Lazer
should of been our first clue.

 It took forever to figure out which buttons did what and then
when he did get the time set it did not show on the face of
the clock.  You had to lift this arm and aim it to where you
wanted the time to be.  On the wall on the ceiling.  Go
figure.  I do not even think they have these in the USA

But he pointed it right on the ceiling and said that was
perfect for me because I would not even have to move
to see what time it was.  I could even just open one
eye and see it.  I love my sleep and a lot of it!!!



14 Feb 2011

Oh it is cold.  We have been 5-10 below 0 F for the last few days plus the wind blows which makes it even colder. But all is great and the mission is going wonderful.  I will post some pictures and then just tell about them.


5 generations in our branch.  Little one is Olla her sister Galya their
mother Nastia their grandmother Olga and great grandmother
Maria.



New roll recipe that I have finally mastered.  But that is
a lot of rolls for 2 people so we had the elders over
the next night.

Valentine Package from Michelle and cards from Mitch.  Oh how we love packages.
Gracie had wrote some cute poems.



Cupcakes baked on Valentines day and shared with my office family.
They loved them



This is one of our branches in Lotoshino.  We had a driver take us and the elders to visit them one Sunday,
Gene also needed to do an audit.  What a humbling expierence.  There is one couple that is active in the
branch and doing all they can do to live the gospel all by themseleves.  This was a very old Drivers Ed
room that they meant in.  They used a boom box for music.  Our elders blessed and passed the sacrament.
When they passed it to Sister Garbooz she bowed her head with tears in her eyes and said Spaceiba.
That is thank you.  I will always remember her when I take the Sacrament.  She was so thankful to have
the sacrament passed to her and we just take that for ganite every week.  Notice the sheet on the wall that they hung up and then pinned church pictures on it.  This was one expierence that we will never forget.

The Garbooz couple with Elder Lex, Elder Gronning and Elder Jenkins





This was the Sacrament table on a desk




The pulpit

 


Brother and Sister Garbooz.  They were so happy to have us.  He was in the street waiting for us to come.




Where they hold church.  Old drivers ed building



Big blue van that Alexander the driver has to take us places in

Driving down the road as we left Lotoshino



Family night at a members home.  I cannot remember the last name.  Furthermore they are very
hard Russian names.  But this is the father Valadimir and his daughter Nastia playing a duet for us.



Youngest daughter Anna

Nastia and Tusha loved dancing and performing for us.

This is Tusha.  She is 6 or 7 but oh so cute.

She just kept dancing and dancing

Refreshments.  You can see the tea cups.  I do not like tea and somehow I
have to make a little go down to be polite. 

Gene's cousin Francis and her husband Jack.  We will say goodby to them this week because
they have completed their 2 yr mission.  Gene has loved getting to know her better and
they have had a lot of fun together.



Gene and Sister Carpenter deep in a discussion at Zone Conference




We had Zone Conference this week.  this is our Zone.  We are in the North Zone.




This is how all the children look in Russia in the winter.  We do not know how they walk.
They just remind us of Randy in the Christmas Story




3 precious little girls in our branch.  They are about 9 yrs old.
On the left is Anna in the middle is Sonia and on the right is Samone.



Another picture of winter

One of our dear friends.  The Carpenters are another senior couple here.