Service Project

Members of the District, the couple missionaries and anyone else that wanted to, came to a care center for seniors to do a service project. We had so much fun. The sun was shining and that is always great for a start. We rode the metro down to a pretty part of town. There were not many tall buildings and I think we saw a park. We all waited to go inside to sing. (I do not know what the green building is, our building is to the left.) We sang "I Am a Child of God," and "O, My Father," and "As I Have Loved You." The American members all sat down after singing and just the Russian members sang Russian folk songs. I loved it! The folk songs were just like you have heard and imagined. The people in the care center would sing the songs too. It was so fun! After they sang we passed out bags with gifts inside. Later we went to the Burton's home and had lunch. Great day!

This is the Russian members singing their folk songs. The care center has a stage and seats like in a theater. It was a very nice place.

The people in the care center were having so much fun with the folk songs that they got up and started dancing. I took a video of some of the music. I felt like I was in the REAL Russia!

Our Missionaries

WOW - Moscow was going to get a Stake!
Elder White, Elder O'Briant, Elder Bruev

Sister Trunova always wanting to help!

Elder White, Elder O'Briant, Elder Bruev, Elder Boldakov, Jim

Sisters Bullough and Turnova, Me, Jim,

Elders Bruev, White, O'Briant, Boldakov

Elder Boldakov, SisterBullough, Natalia, Elder Bruev

Elders Cordoza and Jessee

begging cookies from our FHE

Elders Nelson and Miller

Which way out of the metro?

District Meeting on Saturday evening after a service project and baptism. Sister Trunova, Elder Anderson, elder Baldakov, Elder O'Briant, Elder Bruev, Jim

Our neighbor, Natalia, gave us a whole fish (not cleaned) that had been prepared in a salt brine. The Russian missionaries helped Jim prepare it and LOVED it! Clean it, skin it, slice it, add sliced onions, oil and vinegar and eat. Serve potatoes with it.

Elder Bruev, Sister Trunova, Jim Elder Balakov

Sister Perry made lemon glaze to top a Betty Crocker cake. It was delicious!

Sister Trunova wanted to learn to make rolls (and I still do not have a rollilng pin).

Missionaries for dinner! Tacos and Fajitas!

Jim, Elder Anderson, Sister Perry, Sister Trunova, Elder Dunn, Elder Baldakov, Elder Rudd

We were getting ready to sing in church that day.

Sister Trunova, Me, Elder Dunn, Elder Rudd (on the piano), Irina Kolomitseva, Sister Perry

Omlets for breakfast at district meeting! Elder Hansen was not able to eat because he was recovering from food poisoning. Yuk!

Elder Dunn (Florida), Elder Ablett (London), Elder Hansen (Arizona), Elder Bolikov (Russia), Sister Trunova (Ukraine), Sister Chapenois (Finland/Utah)

Sisster Khmelinina, me, Sister Champenois

District meeting with a role playing discussion about prayer.

We had just finished eating omlets.

Elder Dunn, Elder Bruev, Jim, Sister Kmelinina,

Sister Champenois, Elder Jessie, Elder Baldakov

We had our mission district meeting on July 3rd. We decided to have a Red, White and Blue party for our American Independance Day and also the Russian independance that was celebrated on June 12. All of the missionaries wore red, white and blue. We had pancakes with rasberry syrup and jam and blueberry syrup and jam and spray whipping cream to top them! We also had scrambles eggs with ham and cheese. The training was on our strong nations and how to make our mission strong. Great missionaries!

Elder Trotter, Sister Abram, Jim, Elder Baldakov, Elder Jessee, Sister Khmelinina, and Elder Bruev

Elder Kaderov

He taught many times at our home (apartment).

For Districk meeting we had the missionaries over for omlets. Elders Artunyan, Cardoza, Miller, Trotter,Sisters Dayberry and Abrum and us We invited the missionaries over to have a Christmas dinner. They decided December 26th was a good day for them. We had pot roast in the crock pot, fried potatoes, beans, fresh bread with butter and strawberry jam, and peach dump cake for dessert. I thought it was just OK but the missionaries said they loved it. I won't question their motives! Back row: Elder Hanson, Sister somebody, Elder Miller, Elder Demchenka. Front: an extra guest (a member friend of the Sister), Sister Visitiv, Sister Abram, Elder Arutunian. The missionaries called and wanted to use our computer to use "google earth" and mark members and priesthood holders on a map for the mission. They said they would make us dinner. We said great! So here they are making Borsh in the kitchen. It was delicious! Elder Breedlove is grating the beets. He is wearing one of Jim's t-shirts to protect his white shirt from beet juice. Grated carrots are in front and there are two bottles of filtered water from the filter on our sink.

Sister Perry, Sister Dayberry, Elder Hansen and Elder Breedlove in the kitchen. Elder Kodirov and Elder Hochstettler on the computer.

The Sun

This is a picture of the sun at 12:00 noon. The picture was taken on January 16th. We see the sun come up in the Southeast and a few hours later we see the sun set in the Southwest. This is the kind of day that I saw the rainbow.



This picture was also taken at noon from Jim's office window. Look at the long shadows.

The Sunday Train

CHEWKLINKA

This is where we get off the train to go to church.

I finally took some pictures of the train we ride to church. We buy our tickets (billits) in the little building and then walk through a gate to the train. I am sure it will look more inviting in the spring and summer. I am told that on week days the train is filled so full it is hard to get off at the stop you want.

Jim is holding a small red matrushka doll with flowers in the top that they made in YW. They all made these and there must of have been extra. We have a very small YW. After church we were talking to the brother that was demonstrating the craft and he went in and made me one. We are in a Russian branch. All of the YW are Russian. Like Jim's smile? He really is happy, he just didn't know I was ready to take the picture.

The Office

Here are some pictures of where we spend our days. The first picture is outside our office. Jim and Rick are standing by the signs that tell who we are and what kind of office it is. One sign is in English the other is in Russian as you can tell. The third picture is the sign in front of the administrative building down in Sokol. It is where travel plans are made and where the welfare office is and the physical facilities office is and a few other things I'm sure. Jim's office has a big window (yes those are apartment buildings you can see) and my desk is out with Denis, Alexandr, and Vladimir (who you can see in the back) and yes I did wear my hat that morning to the office because it was cold.

The Metro

Moscow has a wonderful metro system and the stops are very beautiful. On New Years day 2010, we decided to go and take pictures of some of the more ornate stops. The metro would not be very busy because of the holiday. They are decorated with marble and bronze and beautiful statues and mosaics and pictures. I took a picture of the names of the stations and some of the stops and also a metro map. There are some large statues of Lenin we didn't get. That wil be another adventure!