Ice Sculptures

The theme this year for Yekaterinburg's Holiday Ice City was China. Everyone brought their children to the carnival like event to slide and to walk the Great Wall made of ice.

Dinner Guests

The Druskov family came to our apt. for dinner this week. Smart little Alyona picked up on my inability to speak sensibly, so she wouldn't even try to talk to me, but would point and gesture with her hands. She helped me put the food on the table with my 2 yr. old vocabulary of "bread, butter, potatoes."

(Incidentally, the door behind the little curtain opens on our sun porch or "balcony." The little room is lined with windows but has no heat, so this time of year it's like a walk-in freezer.)

Fruit Stands

As we look out the bus windows riding home, the fruit stands on the corners are splashes of color in the dark.  We thought they would close up for the winter, but no.

When we got off the bus we stopped at this one and bought a big, crisp red pepper.

Baptism for the Dead

Interesting observations in this article on Mormons baptizing by proxy for the dead.

New

We've been too busy to blog, but today we added a web cam link.  And this map shows a simple view of Russia with the Ural Mountains, the Tran-Siberian Railway, and neighboring countries.

Hail to the Chief

 We were watching in Russia!

Couples Conference

Moultons (NC); us; Nuzmans, (Denver); Allens, (Washington State);

Palmers, (Fruit Heights, UT), Pages, (Lakewood CO).

President and Sister Allen hosted a two-day Couples Conference at the Mission Home. It was good for us and good for the Mission to share our thoughts and ideas. One afternoon the sisters went shopping at the local monastary gift shop, and at the street markets.

When Sister Allen hosts a group for breakfast, she serves yummy make-ahead French Toast Casserole:

1 (10 oz.) loaf of bread, cut into cubes.
8 eggs
3 cups milk (or half and half)
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
topping: 2 T. butter ; 3 T. sugar; 2 tsp cinnamon

Place bread cubes in greased 9 x 13 pan. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt; pour over bread so bread can absorb milk. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning top with melted butter and sprinkled sugar and cinnamon. (Multiply recipe 1 1/2 times to fill a 9 X 13 pan.) 350 degrees for 1 hour or 'til knife comes out clean. Serve w/syrup.

Red Square

Although 1000 miles away, Moscow appeals to all of us here. When we had a 6 hour layover on our visa trip, some of the Elders grabbed a couple of taxis and hurried to Red Square. They said it was beautiful with all the extra lights for the holidays. (Pictures from the Elders.)

Comments in Sunday School

    

    

     Last week the teacher introduced the course of study for 2009, the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History.

     One sister said, "When I first joined the Church [15 years ago] we didn't have the Doctrine and Covenants in Russian, so when it came out I just read and read.  There was so much information."

     Another person said, "We are rich to have this." 

(We got the comments through translators, of course.)

7 degrees farenheit

Elders Anderson and Finch went with us to the Pochta (post office) to translate, and on our way back we stopped by the river bridge.  The people were taking shortcuts across the frozen water.  We couldn't tell if our numb faces were smiling or not!

Called to Serve

Since few foreign missionaries are being called to Russia, the Russians are stepping it up. Here, Tanya has come to the Mission Office to open her Mission Call. Daniel is the local Branch Mission Leader. Olyesa, in red, got her call a month ago. Over twice as many are serving as have in the past.

The two sisters will serve in Vladivostok and Moscow West after they go to the MTC in Provo for a month of training.


The visa problem takes a toll on all the missions because the USA missionaries are returning home, but none are being called. The visa trips themselves are often very time consuming.


If you're wondering what to focus on this Fast Sunday, we would welcome your faith and prayers in behalf of the Russian Missions.


Love to all.
Elder and Sister McEvoy

Holiday Thanks

Thank you to everyone for the love and kindnesses over the holidays. We both appreciate the emails, the cute e-cards, the blog comments, and the cards from Glynn's Primary class. We want to answer every single one. We feel loved and supported. Happy 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We enjoyed the celebration from our window. The numbers grew quickly to 50 or more out in the courtyard with their small children. All the residents set off box after box. They we're going off in neighboring courtyards, too-- as far as we could see in the front and in the back. It was still going strong when we went to bed at 1:30. FUN!

(The 31st and 1st are "in days" for missionaries, so we didn't go out into the festivities.)

Happy 2009 !

Zone Conference

Christmas Day at the Mission Home. Ham dinner with green salad (!) and homemade rolls. The White Elephant gifts were FUN! Clever missionaries with lots of asides.

Merry Christmas

Elders Dial (SLC), Kimball (Mesa,AZ), Vierig (SLC), and Isenbarger (IN) pose with the Snow Princess and Father Frost on the streets of Almaty.

It appears to us that the commericalism of the season has found its way here, if not the Spirit.

For the Spirit, we can turn to the Church Members. Our branch is celebrating Christmas together on Christmas night.

Photos - Elders on visa trip

"So which hat do you like better? Elder Dewey's old hat or his new one?" They voted on the bus. No vote held on the shorts.

Since we were not authorized missionaries in Kazakhstan, we were very careful to respect their rules, which meant no teaching, no regular missionary attire or nametags, etc.

Sister Keleman (Provo) at the top of the 840 step stairway.

Elders in our District we're great, lead by Elders Kimball with back-up from Elder Isanbarger. Besides morning study time, they were able to use the internet, shop at the "reenick"--a type of swapmeet, and hike up the 840 stairs. In the mall they had pizza."I feel like I'm in America," one Elder said.

Waiting at the airport--without Elders Dewey and Campbell! Their electronic tickets were not accepted at the Almaty airport. Elder Kimball tried to work it out but had to leave them in Kazakhstan to take a later flight.

Random Photos - Almaty

Shortest Day

Today's the day with the least daylight.  We're "home" from Kazakhstan now.  We'll give details and pictures soon.

Dec. 20 in Khazakhstan

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?"

We've spent Sister McEvoy's birthday in Almaty where we've had a gentle snow fall this evening. In this humid climate, each tree branch is covered in white as we walked to the internet cafe. These Central Asian people are kind and helpful and quick to smile as we make our way about their busy, clean city.

We're supposed to fly out at 3:00AM tomorrow with 15 of our fellow missionaries, headed to Yekaterinburg via Moscow.

PS: Back home in Yekat, the office employees celebrated. The beautiful birthday gifts are "haklama," a traditional Russian art. More on that later.

Apple

Greetings from an internet cafe in Almaty (meaning "apple" because of the great fruit produced here). The lovely city sits at the base of a range of mountains that rival the Tetons. I can't download pictures so they'll come later.

Elders are managing in various apts. Everyone tries to keep up a study regimen, but in the afternoon they take off. Sometimes a service project is available, but mostly the time is spent sightseeing, hiking, etc.

It's cold here, but not as cold as Ekat.

The faithful Members are wonderful. Since missionaries from all the Russian missions have had to come out to get visas, the members pitch in and help. For instance, three members drove out to the airport to pick us up, a 40 minute drive. When they got there they learned our plane had been delayed/rerouted because of fog. They drove back home and came back out to get us three hours later! We're very touched by their goodness. They speak Russian and Kazakh. We really appreciate and admire them.

(Below, Oleg shows up at the Moscow airport with passports; in Almaty, members Pavel and Natasha were our patient drivers.)