Sunday 20 March 2011

Life is so busy here is Russia.  It is a good busy.  But not much time for blogging or other things that do not pertain to missionary work.  We are doing great and enjoying most every minute that we are serving.  We are having so many expierences that we will never forget and would not have if we were not on this mission.  And the blessings are the best.  We recognize many in our lives and in the lives of our children.  Because it has been so long since I have updated this blog and will post pictures and then tell about them..But make sure you have a lot of time.  Very long...But there is alot to say and to show.









This is what the snow looks like after collecting all winter.
We have made it up to 32 degrees Farenheit.  But not
much melts until it gets warmer.





This is our district from Zeleongrad.  They came to the office for District meeting so that we
could be with them and also President Sorenson was there.  Elder Gronning bought
Pizza for them.  Of course they loved it.

Beauatiful flowers for women's day from President Sorenson

Womens day is March 8. It is a very big holiday.  Schools and work close.  They buy present
for all women and girls and have parties and celebrations.  This was a party at the branch for womens day.
We had so much fun.  We loved it

 Tiesha is talking a mile a minute to Elder Gronning and
Sister Knudsen is doing the translating.  Oh how we wish that
we could talk to them.

 Tiesha is 86 yrs old and she taught herself how to play a 7 string
guitar.  She also writes her music.  If you look close at her
music you can see she has written it.

Children singing song MaMa,  Two little girls on the end are twins.

Elder Morgan played You are My Sunshine.

Sisters singing the song MaMa.  They take their singing
quite seriously.

 Brother playing the button accordian.

Cute little family sang.  Anna standing sang a solo and her sister Masha
played the pan with drumsticks and it sounded so good.  They
are very talented.

 Anna playing a piano solo.  She is very good.

 Elder Hansen and Elder Bogdonov singing karioke.  (How do
you spell that word?) The little boy in front of them was
baptized last Saturday.

 Elder Gronning enjoying the Karioke.  They would really sing with it. Not shy!!

 And then they danced and danced.

And how cute is this?  On Womens day the office elders were not
in the office.  So the next day which was their P Day they
came to the office and on bended knee gave me this beautiful rose.
I love them so much.  They make my mission happy.

 Here comes a package from Michelle.  This is what the box
looked like when we opened it.

 And then things just kept coming out and out.  We could not believe
so much was packed in one box.  Notice how she packs.  She puts pills in
ziplocks then unfolds the boxes and lays them in the bottom.

 Happy St. Patrick Days to us from Clay, Gracie and Dane and Michelle.
It was one yr on St. Patricks since we received our call to Russia.
We for sure thought it would be Ireland where it came on
St. Patricks Day.  Not quite Ireland!!!

 Specialized training.  This is the Sister Misssionaries, Sister Jones
and Sister Barash giving a lesson on using all the tools
you have to get goals accomplished.  Sister Carlson was trying
to arm wrestle Elder Bogdonov and of course she could not win.

So she brought out all her tools and she got it done quite easily.
Cute lesson.

Elder Croese and Elder Hansen came over for one last dinner before
they go home.  They were both suppose to go home next week,
but Elder Croese had a death in the family so he went home Sunday.

 We will miss these two so much.  They literally saved us the first weeks
of our misssion.  They taught us everything we know and we
love them and always will.

Elder Hansen and Elder Morgan baptized Daniel last Saturday.  He is from
our branch and it was a wonderful occasion.  We were so happy
to be a part of it.  We will always remember our 46th anniversary was spent
in Russia at a baptism.  How great is that?

 His famiily

Elders singing song with children for the baptism program. 

 Our beautiful anniversary flowers.

 And jsut as we were ready to sit down and eat Elder Gronnings's
phone rings and the elders say we are at your front door.  Can you let
us in?  We were in our pajamas we had just got back from the
baptism in Zeleongrad..it was about 8pm.  So he said wait a minute till
we change our pajamas.  So he goes to get them and their they are again
on bended knee with a rose for me and chocolates for Elder Gronning.
They just make being on a mission so much fun!!

So the rose was added to the anniversary flowers and it just matched perfect.
Then they stayed and we all had Taco soup together.  It was also Elder
Lex's birthday..so we celebrated together.

























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.