FHE

Tonight was a small group, just the Prices, Irelands, Browns and me. Chris stayed home with a cold. I ate dinner at the KFC with the Prices. Not quite your father's Kentucky Fried Chicken, but not bad. We sailed down the metro and skated for about a mile to the Ireland's. Today was as treacherous as any we have had so far. Nothing but ice. But we made it safely and on time.

Tonight, we shared some definitions of friendship that Elder Ireland had researched earlier. Some great sentiment. You could tell that he has really been impressed with the friends he and Narene have made in such a short time. We all echo that sentiment. We have a wonderful group of seniors. We actually have more outside social activity here in Moscow than we ever participated in Dallas. In three months we have all been to the ballet, symphony, and several museums. Others have been to the circus! We get together at least twice a week, FHE and Russian study, and then kick around on most weekends. We work hard in the office. The work never seems to stop, but we enjoy many good times with all of our new friends. The Browns, who will be going home at the end of the second week in February, will be sorely missed. They have been our SENIOR senior couple. Their experience and willingness to help has been a wonderful blessing to all of us newbies. They have been the catalyst for much of our social activity. So, we will have to pick up wherever they leave us and carry on.

I have read a number of articles on President Hinckley since he passed away. All that I have read have been very complimentary. The press seems to have sensed that he was a special man. We continue to share our special memories of him with one another. We are just not quite ready to let him go. I hope that we will be able to pick up the BYU broadcast of his memorial service on the internet or on the satellite broadcast at one of our chapels.

Hope you are all doing well.