Giving Thanks

The Yekaterinburg Zone took half a day to celebrate with dinner at the Mission Home. The other Zones had their own gatherings. (Pictures from them later). Russians don't have a holiday like it, but our one Russian in the Zone, Elder Yazvinsky, was a good sport about it all.

Sister Nuzman, Pie Baker Extraordinaire, helps President and Sister Allcott while President carves one of their two five-pound turkeys imported from Germany. Jello and canned pumpkin were brought from America; dressing made from scratch.

Since this counts as P-Day, Elders relax and play Settlers of Catan, and "Pounce" with Rook cards. After dinner, Elder Isenbarger tells a story about his former companion, Elder Campbell.

After Dark

Winter nights are surprisingly friendly here. Our little camera doesn't do it justice.

First of all, it's never really dark. Of course, the snow reflects, but the lights of the city shine against the overcast sky, so everything has a pink glow. One Elder called it "warm." We carried a flashlight at first until we realized we never used it.

Lots of people are out and about, often even walking babies in carriages or strollers.



(Elder McEvoy with Lydia and Elders Smith, Cutler and Holden a the Botanika Church door after a meeting; the roads we walk near the Office; holiday lights on the tram stop near our apartment building.)

Fast Food

After a baptism, missionaries stopped at Subway before heading back to work.

FYI, the other familiar franchises are McD's, KFC (called Ros-teeks') and Cbarro, that pizza place in all the mall foodcourts in the US.

When we eat out, we like trying something Russian, but once in a while the American missionaries like good ol' fast food.

Holidays in the Air

It used to be when Thanksgiving was over, Christmas got the green light. Now it's more like Halloween. They tell us that here, the first snow gives everyone permission to think about the holidays--the 10 day New Year celebration which has Christmas rolled in with it--so the lights and decorations are going up in stores.

If you're mailing to your missionary, we're having consistent success with USPS Priority. Packages arrived today that were mailed from the USA October 30-November 4. As for normal letters, a Pouch with letters arrived today that left SLC via DHL on Nov 17. It's not always that fast, but it's not uncommon.

South of the Border

Stani workers come from the south, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, etc., to do a lot of the menial labor. Cheerful, friendly people, they send their earnings to family back home.

Crews work non-stop in the malls mopping floors during winter and the muddy seasons.

(Pictures last month just before the snow fell.)

Tram Window - 5:00 pm

This is what we saw out of the frosted window panes as we rode the tram-vye to the Mission Home one evening last week.

New Elders

Five new Elders came last week. We were holding out for better pictures, but we're going with what we've got:

Elder Fife (AK) eats dessert; Elder Hanson (Draper UT), at dinner with his trainer, Elder Shreeve (AZ), and sisters; Elder Lunt (VT)meets his trainer, Elder Krogue (Alpine, UT) while Elder Cordon (LA) looks on; Elder Pearson (Park City, UT) at a baptism on his third day here, and heading out with his trainer, Elder Isenbarger (IN).

Couples

These WONDERFUL young marrieds have an uphill climb.

Krill and Inna (by the elevator) and their pre-schooler have lived with his parents in their apartment since they were married some five years ago. As a furniture designer, he makes 12,000r per month ($400). They just moved to Ukraine to live with her family to see if things can improve.

Nina and Vasilevy, married less than a year, live with her mother. She tells about meeting him at a young single adult activity. "I knew he was my prince," she says, smiling confidently. Nina was alone the first six months while he worked out of town. He's an electrician.

Masha and little Katia are so happy to have papa, Vladimir, back from Latvia where he worked for the last year in computer programming. Masha stayed here in their apartment--her mother's actually. The babushka, bedridden for several years, needs them. To make a little extra money, Masha rented one of the bedrooms to a mother and her three teenagers for the summer.

The average apartment generally measures roughly 1000 sq. ft.; to rent one costs between $600-$1000 or more. The older generation owns the apartments that the Soviet government gave away in the 50's or 60's. (Edit: Apt. size may be closer to 800 sq. ft; we're approximating).

(We like inviting members in for dinner when we can. Elders Smith (Spokane WA) and Cutler (Draper, UT), both here for just two months, did a great job translating during one dinner meeting.)

Homeward Bound

Elders Dial, Finch and Murphy head to the ostenov'ka (bus stop) for their last "transport" ride to meet with the Mission President, en route home. First the requisite final pictures, and a farewell from Elder Mac at the Office door.

WELL DONE, ELDERS!!

"Sisters, Sisters.There were never such devoted sisters..."

New Missionaries!! All the sisters in our mission were gathered because we had six new missionaries arrive, so ALL the current sisters were made trainers--including some who have been here a short time.

Great Elders came, too. More on them later.

(Sisters after late arrival and no sleep, listening to orientation with President and Sister Allcott; ALL our Sisters in the Mission.)

Talent Night

A sample from the YSA talent night here last year. Anya performed her favorite pieces on the domya, similar to a balilaika.

What's for breakfast?

With America's current interest in international and specialty foods, you might wonder what gourmet foods to expect here. In reality, Russians seem more sensible. Let's start with breakfast. GRAINS are their mainstay. Yes, they love other foods, but they have survived on whole grain cereals. They call it porridge or "kasha."

BUCKWHEAT
We see a variety of cereals here, such as oats, rice, and mixed grains. However, most importantly, Russians eat gretchka. гречиха or buckwheat is prepared like rice and served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. (It's the flour in America's buckwheat pancakes or Japan's soba noodles.)

A popular missionary breakfast is Super Gretchka: Scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and sausage or kil' ba-sa, mixed all together with cooked gretchka. Really filling and healthy.

MILLET
Another common cereal here is millet. One Russian sister says, "During the 90's when the shops were empty we ate it," but she thinks it's less popular now. Once we were served millet cereal for breakfast and we really liked it. You cook it like any hot cereal, but stir in milk and a very little sugar at the last. You serve it with butter--no milk.

The fruit picture is cute, but when we showed it to our Russian sister she just chuckled. it may be Russian but it's not typical.




















(pictures from purcell mountain farms; thisfoodthing.com; healthhomehappy.com; FB note.php...75009733)

Holidays in Russia

Missionary families are fixed on Holidays, and Halloween is no exception. Elder Taylor (SLC)received Halloween toys and candies well in advance of Halloween.
The holiday is not common in Russia, but Elvira, our sedate, lady-like office expert, understands the ins and outs of Trick or Treating.

Russian Steam Bath

Our Office kitchen looks innocent enough, with the little steam-heat radiator under the window. Yesterday, however, we arrived to find a window blown wide open and 18 degree f. outside temperatures were inside. We closed the window and turned on the oven to begin warming the icy room.

In less than an hour, someone found the kitchen floor FLOODING furiously. The tidy little radiator was spewing hot water with the force of a strong garden house. It was impossible to get at the leak so we organized a sloppy sort of bucket brigade. Lots of mopping, raised voices, and frantic emptying of heavy basins. (Nothing like the buttoned up look in the previous post!) The whole room was a steam bath!

Two men from Public Works arrived, couldn't turn it off, and left. Before long, the entire building had the hot water shut off and the flooding finally stopped. Our PW men returned with a new radiator, attached it, the water came back on, we dried out everything, and we're back to business as usual.

Group Photos

Zone Conferences and District Meetings lend themselves to taking pictures.  Our mission has five zones:  Chelyabinsk, Perm, Siberia, Ufa and Yekaterinburg.  We're in Yekat.  New members have the best chance if they have a large church branch to meet with, so we work in the centers of population. 

Freedom to Worship

We're laboring in a country that had atheism forced on its citizens for most of our lifetimes.

This week Valari told us a Bible couldn't be obtained during Soviet times. "I wanted to look at a Bible at the Library in our city, just 3 kilometers from here, and I had to go to many offices and wait in line and get seven signs (signatures) from government officials. I told them I wanted to see that it was bad," he said with a little laugh.

It adds to our appreciation of this talk by Elder Dallin Oaks, outlining threats to religious freedom today.

Fathers and Sons

For they remembered the words which their father . . . spake unto them. Hel. 5:5

Elders love their moms; they appreciate the letters, the packages. But they quote their dads.
For instance:

Elder V. (SLC)
"When I was coming on my mission my Dad told me, 'I don't know much about religion, but I do know people. If you're trying to convince a man to buy a bigger and better house, you don't do it by tearing down his old one.' "(His dad is in real estate.)

Elder S. (NJ)
"After I got transferred to the Office my Dad emailed: 'When your mom and I joined the Church 20 years ago we made an unspoken agreement to accept any calling and to do it the best we can.' " (Working in the Office is not every missionary's first choice.)

Elder T. (Provo)

"My Dad says, 'Don't do things that are stupid.'  He said if a person does the same behavior over and over again and expects a different result, then that's stupid."

Elder R. (TX)
"Since I'm going home in a week, my mom and my sisters emailed, 'Oh, we can't wait! We're making plans!' But my Dad, whose not a member, wrote, 'You only have a week left, but if you concentrate and keep working you might still touch someone's life.' "

Elder B. (Provo)
"When I told him I was feeling overwhelmed--I was still pretty new and Branch President and trying to learn the language and had a near-greenie companion--he said look up Jeremiah 12:5 'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?' "

(Photo, USA Today.)

Fall

Can you see this man's birch broom? They're standard here. Last of the leaves are falling.

Speaking Our Language

We like "talking" to children because our language skills are similar. Deniel thinks Dyedushka (Grandpa) McEvoy is a crack up.

Patriot

On a holiday last week, this guy rode by flying a Russian flag. He gave us a big smile when he saw our thumbs up.

New Assignments

Here's our former crew in the Office--until Elder Shreeve was transfered. Great missionaries!! l-r, Elders Shreeve (AZ, Ass't.), Campbell (NJ, travel), Anderson (Sacramento CA, membership), Krogue (Alpine UT, Ass't.).

Visiting in Elmash

It was dusk when we arrived at the apartment of this dear mom and her three sons. They're members of our branch so we visited with the missionaries and our branch president and taught about the priesthood. President Prihodka brought a sack of apples from his dacha for them.

Sunday Dinner

Elena and Zina came to dinner last week. Elena refused to let the missionaries teach her grown daughter. In fact, she wouldn't let them in. They had to stay outside her door in the podiez, (the stairwell) and sit on the floor on spread out newspapers so she could have lessons. Elena herself finally listened and joined the Church one year ago. ( with Elders Brown and Sare)

Recycle

Every dom building has a lineup of dumpsters for household trash. It's not uncommon to see people help themselves from the dumpsters. It's standard to recycle by placing furniture or clothing or food near the dumpsters where others can pick them up. The weather is turning cold, and someone has left coats.

General Conference

We watched the morning sessions of Conference--from 10:00 to 12:00 at night! The others we have gotten via recordings. Sessions translated into Russian will be played on upcoming Sundays at the local branches.

Julia's Baptism

Yulia turned eight and was baptized last week by her home teacher, Yuri. Members of the Branch came to support her. Sister Druskova, the Primary President brought roses; President Prihodka came to preside; her mother and her babushka and some of her brothers and sisters came, too.

Wearing a tiara, she passed out chocolates to everyone who came. Still some leaves on the trees on this beautiful fall day.

Reinforcements!!

Sound a cavalry charge! Nine new missionaries!! After watching so many of our Wonderful missionaries get released, it's a huge boost to have this contingent arrive early this morning from the MTC.

Welcome to:

[front row] Elders Gillming (Yuba City, CA), Cutler (Draper, UT), Sister Mezinets (Ukraine), Elder Steiner (Sandy); [back] Elders Stanley (N.Ogden,UT), Haag (Bountiful UT), Smith (Spokane, WA), Cooper (St. George, UT), and Heuer ( Highland, UT).








(Paperwork for 2nd passport; meeting companions/trainers)

Moroni

"I, Moroni . . . exhort you to come unto Christ. . . .
Yea, come unto Christ,and be perfected in him."

Everyone here has been celebrating the placement of the Angel Moroni statue on the Kiev Temple spire last week. It's all over FB.

Actually, Yekaterinburg may remain in the Helsinki Temple District, but the Kiev Temple is still a great blessing. For example, one member who is not permitted to leave Russia because of a debt, should be free to go to Ukraine.