Sunday 28 August 2011

Just a few fun pictures and expierences to share.  It has been a wonderful week with beautiful weather in the 70's. 
We had a very good senior council at President Sorenson's house last Thursday night.  They barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs and we had delicious potatoes and choc cake and ice cream.  Elder Palmer told us all of their goal to give away 1 Book of Mormon a day.  They have a short testimony and picture and phone number in the front. He said we have beenn told to flood the earth with Book of Mormons. So as a group we were challenge to go to the water park on Sat night and give out 1 Book of Mormon with our testimonies in it to at least 1 person.  I said "I cannot speak Russian.  How do you do that?"  He says just start up a conversation by asking if they speak a little English and then go from there.  He said if you will pray to be guided to someone the spirit will guide them to you.  Oh boy, panic set in.  I knew I could not do this.   And Gene was not to excited either.  So in the following pictures I will tell you a little more about Sat. night.

Our dear friends the Carpenters.  They are our hero's.  Sister Carpenter
has had knee replacements and now she needs a hip
replacement.  But they came on a mission anyway and she does
her best to walk around.  And you can tell it hurts her so much.
They are a great example for everyone.  And Elder Carpenter can
speak a lot of Russian.  He practices all the time.  He loves Russia.   He
says if it was not for his family he would live here to help the gospel
move forward.

Elder and Sister Craythorn.  This is the couple that some
of Michelle's friend know.

Pres. Sorenson teaching us.  The couple close to him, she is in
yellow are the Luekenga's.  They are the new West Mission
office couple.  So they join us on Senior Coucil night.

Couple looking at President are Elder/Dr, and Sister Hatch.
Sister Packard is sitting next to them and Elder Packard looks
like he is bowing his head.

A new disposal after 14 months.

We searched and searched for a drain stopper and this
is what we used for 14 months.  A measuring cup.

Entering the park on Saturday night.

Many beautiful flower gardens.

I love the castle in the background.  It is Kathryn the Great's
castle.  But it reminds me more of Disneyland.

Now you think we need to start looking for the one to give
our book of Mormon to?  But guess what?  I gave it away at
the metro station with a lot of nudging from Elder Gronning.
We were all meeting on the green platform and some of the
couples were not there yet.  So we were all standing around and
we seem to be a bit noticeable in white shirts and name tags.  It
does draw peoples attention.  Ayoung boy about 17-18 was looking
at all of us trying to read our name tags.  So with a shove I went
up to him and asked if he spoke English? He said Choo Choo( means a little.)
I showed him my badge  told him what it meant and opened our
Book of Mormon with a picture of our family in it and started to
tell him about our family and how much this book meant to all of
us. I asked him if he would accept it as a gift from me to him?
He acted like he needed to give me something for it and with sign language
I was abale to make him understand I wanted to give it to him for nothing.
 And he took it and held it close to him and said spaceba (thank you)
and jumped on the metro.
O.K. we were done...Elder Gronning says lets go home, but of course
we didn't.

More pretty flower gardens.

The fountains before the lighs come on at dusk

This explains the obvious look.

He's so cute.  He is going to give away that family proclomation
in his pocket.

This is Sister Carpenter and then Sister and Elder Palmer.
They are the couple that give a Book of Mormon away
every day.  He always carrys one in his hand as you can see.

As my children would say I have a flashing red light that goes off on
my head that says talk to me.  I guess that is because I am a little shy.  Many
of you do not believe that but it is true.  This is Neena and Gene and I were
sitting on the bench and she came over and asked if she could take our picture
for us.  So of course we let her.  Then I asked her about all the tree leaves she
was carrying.  She takes them to a 100 degree sauna and fans them all over her
body for 10 minutes and they take away all your sickness and make you healthy,
according to her.  She also puts them in tea and sleeps with them.  She offered to
give them to me but I told her she better keep them.  I was not going to a suana
any time soon.  I do not think Gene would let me sleep with them...

Sister Sorenson came and joined in our conversation.  Neena did speak some
English.  I had a little photo book and I showed her my family and grandchildren
and she had pictures in her bag of her family that she showed us.  But they were
all dead.  I asked her if she thought she would see them again and she said she hoped
so. We told her we believed in the eternities that we would all live together again.
 She is Orthodox and has had many family members who were devout orthodox.
Long sdtory short, Sister Sorenson was able to give her their Book of Mormon and
we got her name and telephone number to give to the missionaries in that area.

A georgeous sunset that night.

It was dusk.  Now the colors would start.

They were beautiful  So many different colors and lots of fountains.

One of my favorites

Another favorite

Add captionLoved the green in this one





This is the 2nd couselor in the stake presidency.  So young.
His little boys name is Mark.





Morgan and Karlees new puppy.
Our new grand dog.  Her name is Lucy



22 Aug 2011

Wow, August is almost gone.  So much has gone on.  I will just tell it all with pictures.

On Sunday we went to vist the Garbooz family in Lotoshino.  We had been
there once before.  It is about a 2 hr drive each way.  Brother and Sister
Garbooz are the only active members in their city.  Every Sunday they
hold their own meetings in their home.  They are very faithful members.
I do not know if I could do that if it was just Gene and I.  They teach each
other the lessons, they give talks, and he passes the Sacrament.  You can imagine
how happy they are when someone comes to visit.  This is their living room
and bedrrom.  Very humble little old house.  Sister Sorenson sitting on their bed.
And notice the pretty rug hanging on the wall behind her.

Alexander is the mission driver.  He is such a nice man.
Of course we cannot understand a word he says, but we
gesture back and forth and do sign language.

Sister Sorenson, then guess who and Sister Garbooz

Brother Garbooz, Gene, Pres. Sorenson, Elder Page, Elder Bruev and Alexander
I think we quadrupled their church attendance.  Gene did an audit while we were
there.  They pay tithing and fast offerings and then a few other financial
things are involved.

No in-door plumbing.  This is the out house that they (and us) use.  I cannot
imagine going to it in the cold winter.  And it is truly an out-house.

Path to the out-house and to the garden at the back
of their house.  And guess who is coming out of the
out-house.  Sister Sorenson

Wood for the winter.  This is the back of the house

Big bumble bees were everywhere. Lots of pretty flowers

They collect rain water to water their beautiful garden

Path out to the front street and a small shed

Entrance to house

Lunch in a very small kitchen

President and sister Sorenson and Brother and Sister Garbooz

Grandpa and the dog.  He is not a member

Mission van.  We are packing up to drive back home.

Yummy Peanut butter from home. We have found peanut

butter here but it is not skippy or jiff and we have to

go to the mall to buy it and it is $5.00 a bottle

Our usual lunch for the day..no fast foods by the office...
Honey Peanut butter sandwhich in the bag.  No ziplocks unless
you go to IKEA to buy them and then they are expensive and
it is way far away.  So we have got very use to ties or knots on
our bags.

Michelle sent me a cute P-Day skirt in another fun package
from home.  I had some pictures of the box and everything
that was sent.  But we were taking some pictures off my
camera card at the office and somehow deleted a number
of them.  But there was a skirt, a shaver, candy, pills,
jerky, nuts, lemon extract and so much other stuff.  Our children

take such good care of us.  It is kind of fun for a change.

Gene's new shaver from Michelle and he loves it!!

Making new steps outside our apt.  This is the path

we take to catch busses and go to the grocery stores.

Making the stairs up the hill