What We Can Learn from Enos

We finally did get to the Armory Museum on Monday. I have some pictures and tales to tell from that excursion, but I will get to that on another day. Today, I just want to reflect on some doctrine and principles that Chris and I have been studying.

Enos, as everybody in the church knows, is a story of a righteous man who spends an entire day (and probably most of the night) praying to the Lord. We can trivialize his experience by thinking about this as the "longest prayer." When we do (and I have certainly been a guilty party), we miss the point. His experience is very much an illustration of what Elder Bednar taught in Moscow last year.

[When Elder Bednar was here in Russia, I posted my personal summary of his talk on the blog (my longest and perhaps my most important post that many probably did not read). I recommend it to you again. (See the November 13 post, "We Are Back!!!")]

Enos begins by telling us that he was taught by his father and that these teachings came to his rememberance one day while he was hunting. It came to him, in what must have been a very powerful manner, such that he subordinated his need for food, as he began to ponder and then to pray for a greater understanding of what his father had taught him. He explains "the wrestle" he had before God, before he received a remission of his sins. Toward the end of the day he says that a voice came to him saying, "Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee... "

I think that happens next is very instructive. First, he knew that his sins were forgiven (the atonement had effect). Second, Enos said that he "knew that God could not lie (doctrine), wherefore my guilt was swept away." How often have you prayed for your sins to be forgiven, but can't quite feel like you can just accept this truth because of your guilt--because you know that you have been given light, but still you lack patience, are less forgiving, or not as grateful as you know you should be. But Enos felt the reality of it. He understood more clearly and believed more faithfully that Christ did suffer for his sins and that redemption really is possible (doctrine).

Then he inquired, How is this miracle possible? How is it that this guilt could be swept away so completely? The Lord answered, "...they faith hath made thee whole (principle)."

Immediately, the atonement now began to have affect in his life. He was moved to action. He, like Lehi when he partook of the fruit in his dream and desired all of his family to partake, he (Enos) began to feel a desire for "the welfare of my brethren." And he poured out his heart on behalf his brethren and the Lord said that he would grant unto him his desires, "because of thy faith."

And what was his desire? That the records that he had kept, that contained the pure and precious doctrines and principles of the gospel, that he had been taught by his fathers would one day be lost by the Jews, should somehow be preserved. And more than that. He said that if his people were destroyed and only the Lamanites remained (who desired to destroy the plates and the Nephites) he wanted the record preserved for them, "that they might be brought to salvation. "

The Lord then convenanted with him that he would grant him this desire, not just because of his righteous efforts but because of the efforts of his fathers, because they had "required of me this same thing...for their faith was like unto thine."

And when he heard these things he said,"my soul did rest."

He was saved and he wanted salvation for the rest of mankind. He preach valiantly, but he says "our labors were in vain," so hard were the hearts of the Lamanites. Nonetheless, he continued.

It is my desire that I can pursue a remission of my sins with the confidence that Enos had, that my guilt might be swept away, that the atonement will have a greater affect in my life. And as I endeavor to approach this state, I too, will feel more intensely the urgency of this great work and become a tool in the Lord's hand to bring these great blessings into the lives of my family, my friends and the good people of Russia, so that my soul might rest.

Mom Assaulted...by a windmill!!!!!!

Today was very warm (almost 40 degrees). We experienced our first thunderstorm and it rained and rained. It was a national holiday today, The Day of the Defenders, to commemorate the defense of Moscow against Napoleon and Hitler. We went to Red Square, where we had hoped to see the Armory Museum, but Red Square was encircled by Army officers, about one every 50 feet. No one was allowed in. So we just walked around, had a hot chocolate and took this video of your mother before strolling through a part of Katy Gorod, which is an old suburb of Moscow, with many interesting old buildings. But alas, the weather got the best of us so we will have to go back on a better day.

A New Day

Well, the day has finally arrived. Nick got the job he was looking for. Nick we are all very proud of you. You have worked very hard and deserve this wonderful assignment.

Abby and Lore will be moving to Dallas to live with Dale and Gaynell for the four-month training period. Then heaven only knows where they will be sent. There is an office in Moscow headed up by a member of our ward...just kidding...I think!

Today was a catch-up after Sochi day. Tomorrow we are reconfiguring our conference room and conducting training with the Area Presidency on Decisionpoint, a software program that we will use to collect and organize meeting agendas, minutes, and action items. There is a lot to it. I am not sure I am the best one to conduct the training, but I am the only one. I have spent about 12 hours with it so far. I am sure we will learn together. We are also getting large flat screen monitor that will eliminate the need for a projector. By eliminating the projector, we eliminate the distraction from the hum of the projector and the fan during our meetings. Silence is golden!!

Back from Sochi

Our first Mission Presidents' Seminar is history and it was not without incident. The host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics has a way to go!! Even without the crowds that will be associated with the Olympics, it took one of our groups over two hours to get from the airport to the hotel. We were one of the fortunate groups that made the same distance in only 30 minutes. There is only one road in and out of the city.

Our first view of Sochi was from the tarmack. It is a beautiful mediterranean building graced with lovely palm trees:

This is the view from our first hotel room. We had to switch rooms because of the construction noise (that continues until about 3:00 a.m. every day) from a building adjacent the hotel.

The weather was a bit colder than we had hoped for...but that was nothing compared to what we were greeted by the next morning!!

The snow has a way of slowing down the babuskas!!!

By the afternoon it had cleared,

By eventide, it was spectacular!!

Friday afternoon we had a chance to go to an art museum. We saw a number of works by Russian painters, a massive model of the city of Sochi as they hope it will be by the time the Olympics gets to town, and a few sculptures. While they are planning an ambitious project to create a man-made island, there are still no plans to create a better road to the city!!

A portrait of Pushkin in St. Petersburg.

A model of the city of Sochi, showing the island to be built in the Black Sea. Our hotel was located in the northwest portion of this photo. The airport, which is not shown, would be to the far right. They do have a new airport, but it is has not opened yet.

A sculpture that I thought my grandkids would get a kick out of!!

Friday night was a game and talent night. President Cranney, our mission president stole the show:

The mission presidents were edified and were very much appreciative of all that had been done to make this event all that it could be for them and their wives. The hotel rooms were nice. The food was good. The weather was eventful. The service was good at times. I was disappointed when I asked the Hotel Director to turn off the 4 foot by 6 foot television set in the hotel lobby, that we had to walk by every time we went to dinner or to our meetings, and he refused. It was showing provocative scantily-clad women in a number of rock videos. Not quite the environment we had hoped for. Not everything can be completely anticipated.

When we arrived back home in Moscow, they had had a little snow (but not as much as we had in Sochi) and it was about 10 degrees colder, about 16 degrees below freezing. Tomorrow it is back to the grindstone. Next stop, the Meridian Hotel in Moscow for the new Mission Presidents' Seminar and Helsinki, Finland in August for the 2nd Annual Mission Presidents' Seminar. Stay tuned.

The Countdown to Sochi

This past week was very busy. Three days of meetings. Last minute arrangements for Sochi. HIV tests for another visa trip to Estonia in March (That's our third HIV test in 5 months!!). We had the Price's over for dinner and games on Friday. We ate pork chops, potatoes and onions! I just felt like a good old fashion Okie dinner. Mom made a wonderful salad to go with. Then we ate some cake and ice cream that we picked up at Ashwans (big hypermarket) where we had shopped with our friendly driver, Yuri, earlier that afternoon. We try to get out at least once a month to either Ashawns or Metro.

Saturday we went to a massive WW II memorial (Kutuzovskiy) with the Prices. I will let the pictures and video do most of the talking.

This is your mom at the Belaruskaya station on the Metro. Next, here comes the train.

This last video is of a new metro station. Our last stop on the way to the museum. It reminded me of a scene from a 1950's sci-fi movie.

The next series of pictures are of the outside walking up to the front of memorial; then inside (photos of a series of dioramas depicting the key battle scenes of WW II, including the 900 day seige at St. Petersburg, the Battle for Stalingrad and Moscow. The first picture, though, is coming out of the Metro. The escalator is a three minute ride straight up!!

A year marker; one of four place about 100 yards apart as you walk up to the museum which is just behind the oblisk.
A Giant Oblisk. Slaying the Nazi Dragon
St. Petersburg Seige
St. Petersburg Seige A artist's rendition of a 2400 tank battle (1200 on each side).
A monument that is waiting for interpretation.

We were back on the Metro by 4:30 p.m. and home by 5:3o; just enough time to change clothes and head back to church (all the way back on the Metro) to attend the Church's Annual Leadership Training which was open to all adults. The subject was families. This was President Monson's first worldwide address since being set apart as the President of the Church.

Today we attended church, after having eaten our fill of pancakes with real maple syrup. When we got back from church we video conferenced with Jason and the girls and mom spoke with Auntie Val on the phone, while I worked on the blog.

We leave on Wednesday morning for Sochi and return on Sunday. Wish us luck!! We hope everyone gets there on time and that no one gets stranded because we forgot an important detail!!

I will try to post one more time before we leave, then we will surface again next Sunday.

New First Presidency Announced

It's late in Russia, but I thought this news was worthy of a quick post. Thomas S. Monson, formerly the First Counselor to Presdent Hinckley was ordained on Sunday to be the President of the Church. On Monday he named Henry B. Eyring as First Counselor and Dieter F. Uchtdorf as Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. Boyd K. Packer was ordained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Thomas S. Monson, President
Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor
Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

As members of the Church we will have the opportunity to sustain these changes during the Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church in April. General Conference is broadcast in meetinghouses throughout the world by way of the Church's satellite system.

These actions still leave a vacancy in the Quourum of the Twelve Apostles, where Elder Uchtdorf was previously serving. Elder Uchtdorf is the Europe East Area's first contact to the Council of the Twelve. He attended our Mission President's Seminar, this past August in Tallinn. Obviously, this assignment will change. I am sure our Area Presidency will miss their frequent contact with this wonderful leader.

We are truly blessed to have such capable and inspired leaders.

The Making of a Man

The funeral services of Gordon B. Hinckley just concluded. It is 11:46 p.m. in Moscow. We watched it on the internet, live on the BYU channel, with the miracle of streaming video in our apartment. What a blessing technology can be.

What a special moment in time, as those who served with this humble man made their tributes and recalled many personal experiences that they had shared with him over the past 45 years and more. These men have been together for a long time! I believe this is quite a unique experience in today's world (to have spent so much time together). With the whirlwind of change about us, sometimes resulting from job changes, relocations or just simply the pace of living, it is hard to maintain relationships for that length of time.

One of the most important takeaways for me was the unique mentoring that President Hinkley received at the hands of the prophets and apostles. The importance of these relationships were outlined in a recent conference address. Oh, how I would love my sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, nieces and nephews to have the opportunity to associate with such brethren. Mixing with optimistic, inspiring, and capable leaders is, I believe, critical to a child's development, and not bad even for a grandfather, who is enjoying the opportunity given to him to work with the caliber of such men. We need experience with people that have confidence in the Lord--those that move forward in faith, not fear and to learn from those who have greater knowledge and experience; so that we might gain more knowledge and experience to perform a great service for our families and the Lord.

D&C 50: 24
That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

I am talking about President Hinckley's relationship with other priesthood leaders, but the principle obviously applies to sisters, as well. Who can forget the inspired address by Sister Julie Beck , the General Relief Society President, in the last General Conference? I was sitting next to two young coeds from BYU when she spoke. I could see that they were taking lots of notes and really listening to what she had to say. They later commented on what a wonderful example and mentor she is to them (one of them actually knew her).

Not everyone will get to have the opportunity that President Hinckley did to learn at the feet the prophet and the apostles nor will all of our our young women have a personal relationship with Sister Beck, but I could not help but reflect upon the quality of the leadership we enjoy in our own stake and wards. I hope we all recognize and appreciate the quality of leaders we have in President Wright, Jones and Fisher. You will not find a more capable stake presidency. What great examples these men are. Take the opportunity to introduce your sons and daughters to these men. Don't let them be intimidated by their position. I know these men and they would love to look your children in the eye and shake their hands.

Our bishops and Relief Society Presidents have all been called by revelation. We have two of the very best in the Allen 2 Ward and I am sure that you feel the same way about your bishop and Relief Society President. Don't let your children be strangers to these wonderful leaders.

The more willing we are to serve, the more likely we are to be in their councils, seeing firsthand how the Lord directs and inspires these men and women and, most importantly, building our testimonies that these men and women are called of God. And no where in the church does the Lord place more capable mentors than at our universities, institutes, seminary and youth programs.

Take advantage of these opportunities. Stand in holy places, serve when called, do your very best and the Lord will make sure that your sons and daughters have the mentors they need to be the very best that they can be.

Getting Ready for Sochi

This week found Chris out three days with a bad cold. I had a chance to find my desk again by about 5:00 on Friday afternoon! I had a scare and thought that I had inadvertantly deleted some files, but one of our secretaries reminded me where we had put them. The two of us are working as a team and reorganizing the computer files. When we view the folders alphabetically, we are in the "D's," so we have a way to go.

We are making final preparations for the Mission Presidents Seminar, which will be held in Sochi, Russia, the site of the winter olympics in 2014
It's also Russia's biggest summer resort. Chris and I will travel a day ahead of our group. The rest of the group will arrive on Valentine's Day. Sochi is in southern Russia, along the Black Sea, so we are hoping for some warm weather.

We will stay in this weekend, and give Chris and chance to recover.

Talked to Benj tonight. It's his birthday today (26). He is in San Francisco working on a new album. He says he has about 5 to 6 weeks until he will complete his work. I think he might want to give some consideration to writing a travel book, "How to visit San Francisco on less than $10 a day!!!" It might be a big seller. Of course, I'm not sure how many tourists would want to sleep on a mattress in the recording studio!

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.

Now He Belongs to the Ages

Gordon B. Hinckley
June 23 1910 to January 27, 2008

Said of Abraham Lincoln upon his death, it seems to me that it is a fitting tribute to Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15th President, a prophet,seer and revelator.

His leadership spans nearly 47 years as a General Authority, 27 years in the First Presidency, including 13 years as the Prophet.

He was an example of everything I have ever wanted to be. He was kind, optimistic, a man of great vision, a spiritual giant and man who loved to work. He was a man of great faith. The atonement of Jesus Christ had affect on his life. He was, in some ways, an extraordinarily ordinary man who followed the doctrines and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He accepted the invitation to perfect himself, and in pursuing this path he became extraordinary. He encouraged us to do the same.

I was but a young pup in the church (7 years membership) when he was called to be Spencer W. Kimball's third counselor in 1981. Since that time I have had the opportunity to be in his presence on several occasions. The first time was the dedication of the Bishop's Storehouse in Carrollton. I was in a priesthood leadership meeting in which he presided in the Meandering Way chapel. I was in the temple in Dallas when he dedicated it. I was in Fort Worth when he presided over a regional conference there. I have attended 7 sessions of general conference where he has presided. But my most special memories are attending and hearing his addresses in General Priesthood meeting, twice a year, with my sons. The memories are too precious and sacred to relate here, but you should know that I owe that man a great debt for helping me develop my testimony and the testimonies of all six of my sons.

Thank goodness for a father's counsel to a son who had written to his father that he felt he was wasting his time and his father's money while serving a mission in England: "Gordon forget yourself and go to work!" How grateful I am that he listened to his father's counsel.

Thanks be to God for a humble man who shared with us this simple, but profound, approach to life. "I get down on my knees and pray to God for help, as though everything depended on Him. Then, I get up and go to work as if everything depended on me."

Who will ever forget the story of the walnut tree that was in his backyard, that is now the podium in the great Conference Center of the church.

Will the youth of the church ever forget what they can "Be?"

Who will ever forget Sister Hinckley admonishing her husband "You can't just leave them here!", speaking about the first six missionaries he left in the Philippines. (Today there are hundreds of thousands of members of the church in the Philippines.) Or when she said, "I didn't marry a prophet." And "Yes. He does leave his wet towels on the floor, occasionally!!"

President Hinckley wasn't a rich man by the world's standards. In fact, when you read his biography, you learn how he used to take out or move walls in his house (on more than one occasion) to accommodate a wedding reception for one of his children. But who wouldn't trade the riches of the world to be as beloved as he was by all those that knew him?

In one of his recent conference addresses he declared that he had made over 200 addresses over the past 40 years in General Conference. Then he quipped, "And you expect me to tell you something new?!" Didn't we love his sense of humor?

So the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. But the Lord hasn't left us to grope in the darkness. He has prepared another to stand in his place. Soon Thomas S. Monson will be sustained as the prophet of the church. We know him and love him. He was called as a bishop when he was in his early twenties. He presided over a ward of widows. He loved those women and saw that they never went without. How we marvel at his ability to tell a story. While I have spoken of the presence of Gordon B. Hinckley in our General Priesthood sessions, so too has Thomas S. Monson been. In particular, to one in our family he is a kindred spirit. What sweet communion they have enjoyed.

To my nonmember friends, I only wish that you could have known him. That you might have come to know him and love him as millions of others have. He was extraordinary. He will be missed but never forgotten. Now he belongs to the ages.

My How Time Flies

This has been a very productive week. With two of the Area Presidency out on mission tours, I was really able to catch up, after a long series of meetings and the long holiday season. I even discovered that I have a desk with a wooden desktop, once I worked through all the paper that was covering it.

I created a little spreadsheet to help me keep up with my own action items. I have about 17 items that I am working on currently, which I have taken as far as I can (each of these items require someone else to do something before I can complete the task). The spreadsheet is simply two columns with the action item in one column and a brief summary of the status of the item in the second column. I number each item and color the cell, if I have taken the item as far as I can, when the item is still in process. I take the color out of the cell, whenever I am able to work on the item. I was finding it difficult to remember where I was in the process (the next step). For example, I may have sent an email which requires someone in the field to respond, but 5 days later, I might not remember who I sent it to, or which mission the person is from. That part is getting a little easier, now that I know the missions and some of those who work in the office, but I still have a ways to go. It would be easy if you could just complete the task, but when you have to suspend items, waiting on input from others, it makes it a little more challenging to remember. What I would give for a good memory!! Once the item is complete, I remove it from my To Do list and paste it on my Completed Items list on another worksheet in the same file. This document remains open all day and is updated throughout the day.

Tuesday night was our FHE and all but two of the seniors couples went to the ballet. We at dinner at McDonalds. I had a Cheekyin Meefeet and a Shocolad Cocktail (a chocolate shake). We had a great time. What a beautiful theater. We had seats all over the first floor, but Chris and I got seats on the second row! I have never been that close for any event before!! We saw Cinderella and it was great fun. There were three acts and lots of little children staying out past their bedtimes. I wanted to just take pictures of all the little girls in their party dresses. They were all so cute and proper. I did happen to catch this one, without a flash (that's why it is a little fuzzy), with gold lame slippers.


The crystal lights above were stunning. The photos do no justice. Every color in the rainbow was being reflected. They were so shiny and rich looking. It made you feel as though you were in the Tzar's palace!!
As you watch this video clip of the theater, you will notice a bunch of shiny lights that are really too bright to video. These are all crystal lights.

After the ballet, we went out onto an island, where two large city streets converge in the theater district (Tverskaya) and took this picture under a statue of who knows who!!

On Thursday, a few of us gathered at the Ireland's to continue our Russian studies. We had the translator (Nastia), that the Ireland's use in their humanitarian efforts, to help us with our pronunciation. We need a lot of help.

On Friday night, the Prices joined us for a casserole, conversation and some games.

On Saturday, I worked most of today learning how to use a new software program that we are implementing in the Area to help us organize our meetings, minutes, and action items. The program is called Decisionpoint and was developed by the Church for the Office of the Presiding Bishopric. Apparently, in one year, the Presiding Bishopric takes over 20,000 actions!! Can you even imagine trying to organize records like that without the help of a good software program?

Mom baked cookies, made a stew and cut my hair. She can do it all. It has been snowing a lot here, so we never left the apartment. It is a winter wonderland outside and nice and warm, just above freezing.

Well, its about time to hit the sack, so I will say goodbye for now.

Just a Half a Day

Just a half day is what they used to say in Mexico. How long did you work? Just a half day: 7:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening! We started the day with a web training session that was conducted on my computer in the office, by the IT manager in SLC. Then we just ran from pillar to post until this evening, when I called it quits, having organized about a weeks worth of paper and completing an important email to the participants for our Februay Mission President's Seminar. It was the travel details for 48 people, coming from 12 different destinations, flights, hotels and shuttle service. Just thinking about gives me a headache. We finalize the details on Monday and finalize our purchases and bookings on Tuesday. Then we can actually get into the details of planning the Seminar!!

So this weekend will be a slow one. I still have to finish my talk for Sunday. I think Chris has already finished hers. We may have a couple (the Brown's) in tomorrow afternoon for dinner and games. We'll see. I am going to look for a movie now, to see if I can't catch some ZZZZs (inside family joke).

A New Look

I thought it was time to give the old blog a new look. I have been getting pretty tired of that little picture of Red Square, so it was time for a change. This was a picture taken while we were in the MTC. We had posted it earlier. We will continue to look for other photo opporunities.

Three in One

We just got back from FHE and we have the internet again, so hear is today's post plus the posts for the last two days. Very busy. I never get to the bottom of my in basket. We are in the middle of finalizing travel schedules for 50 people, coming from 14 missions and staff from Moscow to Sochi. Hopefully, by the end of next week I may have a chance to catch up. Mom got new water filters installed today and reclaimed our internet.

From Sunday

We had a very nice Sabbath Day. We got to sleep in a little later (our new meetings are from 1:00 to 4:00 pm). We had a great family presentation in our sacrament meeting, on being directed by the spirit. We had our first lesson from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Joseph Smith. We discussed the first vision. We had warm weather, just a little below freezing, for walking to and from the metro. We find that if we miss the bus, it takes about 25 or 30 minutes for the next one. Since it is only a 15 minute walk from the bus station to the metro, we often walk.

I am writing this post in Word, so that I can copy and paste it into the blog tomorrow, since we lost our internet connection today (who knows why!), but it was nice just to read and study. I just finished 2 Nephi. The last 7 chapters or so of 2 Nephi (which is what I was reading today), is one of the most complete discourses on pride, its consequences and how to overcome it. Isn’t it interesting that, today, we were asked to speak in sacrament next week and our subject is, “Overcoming Pride.” So, we have a pretty good basis for preparing our talks.

Mom has a driver tomorrow to take her to Oshans, one of the big grocery superstores. I was going to go with her, but I got a call tonight from the Area President, and it looks like our agenda for tomorrow is a bit more than I can manage by noon, so mom is trying to get another sister to go with her. It takes a half day to go grocery shopping, when travel time is considered.

By the time this gets posted, we will all know if the Cowboys are going to the Championship Game! I hope there is joy in Mudville tonight!! And Cody, I hope for your sake the Packers win their game! Wouldn’t it be something to see the two of them play each other again!

From Monday

We found out yesterday (Monday) that they cut off our internet for lack of payment!! The internet office is in the building right next to ours. Here is the real story. We started by paying 1350 rubles for the first three months. That was at the slow internet speed. The high speed which I got a month later is at 600 rubles a month. The installer said I could make up the difference (three hundred rubles) the next time I paid the bill. So much for what he knows! I still have 300 rubles worth of credit, but I guess if you don’t pay the bill in full, they just cut you off. No communication either by email or to our company representative who gave the company his cell phone number in case there were any concerns. The good news is the same guy who is going to change out our water filters tomorrow, will walk next door to try and straighten out the internet service. I would love to be there but this is my week of meetings, so I will just have to delegate it. It is nice to have that kind of support.

Tonight would be FHE but we have moved it to Tuesdays, so that two other couples can attend. So we probably would have watched a movie tonight, but I guess that will have to wait. So I think I will study my Russian!

P-Day

It is about 20 degress outside, and it snowed (just a dusting) over the past two days, and the 10 day outlook, for the most part, stays about 20 with some snow flurries and one day of freezing rain. It will be interesting to see how that goes. It's treacherous enough without freezing rain. But so far winter is setting up to be "mild" by Russian standards. Still, we are only into three weeks of winter, so we have 9 weeks left! Of course, by U.S. standards, we have about 20 weeks left!

Today is a day to catch up. I am going to venture out and see if I can find the local internet company, for bill paying purposes. It is supposed to be in one of the buildings close to our apartment. We'll see. It will also be a good day to study my Russian!

We had date night last night (dinner and a movie (both at home). The movie we watched on the internet. We discovered the motherload of free internet movies (http://www.watch-movies.net/movies/d.html) about a week ago and have seen some good ones. They are not always the very best quality, but they are great in Moscow. Here are a few I would recommend; The Debaters, with D. Washington, On Becoming Jane (bio on Jane Austen), August Rush, the story of a young, gifted musician, and No Reservations Needed, with Catherine Z. You have to watch them in sections, mostly, but sometimes you can watch the whole movie without interruption. The faster the internet, the better!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am studying Russian with the two other couples, the Yorgesens and the Irelands (I think the Prices will join our little group when they get back from their visa trip). The Shepards, Yorgesens, and the Ireland all studied with Jonathan Snow, my instructor. Jonathan, if you are listening,we have a what we think is a great idea for future students. Once they have learned the alphabet, have them practice reading and pronouncing the stops on the metro, on the green line and the red line (this is where we all spend most of our time). That would be a very practical and valuable skill set, for those coming to Moscow. Just a thought!

I found the internet company, but the business is closed on Saturday's. It was about 50 yards behind our building. I will check back next week.

Just had a visitor at the door. It was Galina, our next door neighbor (the one who teaches English and has translated for the church in the past). She has been out for almost two months, for the holidays and to help a sick family member. She came bearing gifts. She bought us a beautiful linen table cloth when she was in the Ukraine, a box of chocolates and a bottle of champagne! We were a little overwhelmed. Then she asked us for dinner. We said yes, we would be happy to. Then she asked us if we wanted to go on a River Cruise this summer to visit the "real Russia." She said she could arrange it for just the price of food (about $100). She said the cruise would take about 7 days!! We immediately went out to the florist across the street and bought some tulips to take when we go to dinner. This is the kind of impression the Russians make when you get to know the real people!! P.S. We had to tell her that we didn't drink and gave her back the champagne. Then she asked in disbelief, "Not at all?", to which we added no coffee or tea, so that we could get that settled early.

Now we are going to watch a movie, for the afternoon. It is called the Game Plan. Couldn't quite finish the movie, we are being called to dinner.

Dinner was great. We had leg of lamb and many other culinary delights. We met Galina's husband Sasha. Very nice guy. They have a very nice apartment, which they had remodeled a couple of years ago. We stayed until about 9:30, we had an interesting dinner conversation. They are very nice. They followed us home (our doors are about 12 inches apart!) to look at our apartment, then they left and we finished our movie. Typical Disney feel good movie. A pretty good day!

Davstree eche (see you later)

What a Cute Video

Today is Nick's 30th birthday!~ I (his Momma) am only 29 so I don't know HOW he got that old!!! We called to wish him Happy Birthday, and just caught him for a minute before he had to be in court...he attends a lot of bail hearings in his new job. He told us to check his blog, for a new video. What a treat to get to see Lore first thing Christmas morning, as she found her new trike and baby doll. She was so proud of herself for climbing on, and didn't seem to care that she had knocked her doll off the seat to the floor! First things first! My how she is growing up; almost two, come mid-February, and what a cutie-pie!

I met tonight in our apartment with one other couple and Elder Yorgeson (his wife was sick) to study Russian! (Mom made dessert!) It was the first time, in some time, that I had cracked the books and I was amazed at how much I had forgotten, but at the same time, I was much more comfortable with reading and pronounication than I remember. Of course, we didn't have any natives with us to really measure my progress. But I do think trying to read all of those advertisements on the metro is paying off. Now I will have to follow that up with some independent study and let's see where that takes me! I will be a long road, regardless!!

Back to Work

All of Russia went back to work yesterday, after the New Year's shutdown. The country virtually shuts down for about 10 days. Tuesday was their Christmas. On the internet, I saw that one news source says the Russians spend about 25 billion dollars on celebrating New Year's. That sounds like a bit of a stretch to me, but if it is true, about half of that amount is spent of fireworks. We still hear them, from time to time!

Yesterday, was our first real day back to work, though I went in on two occasions and worked about a half day each. Lots to do getting ready for the Mission Presidents seminar in Sochi, just a month away now.

It is still cold, but we expect snow to return tomorrow and that should warm things up a bit.

Happy New Year to all. Happy Birthday Nick! We will stay in touch!

A Room with a View

We took a little hike today to what is commonly referred to as Sparrow Hill, at least by the senior missionaries! Walking through a grove of birch trees we came to a vista that gave a rather nice view of Moscow below. There are not a lot of vistas of Moscow. Unfortunately, even as clear as the skies were, there was still enough moisture in the air to keep one from seeing "forever."

Along the way we stopped off at the first and largest McDonalds in Moscow. It is located just off Tverskaya, which is just kitty corner to the deli, shown in the last post. This is a very touristy area, with lots of things to do and only a short distance from Red Square.

I talked with one of the vendors at the top of the hill. He was selling bronze busts of famous Russians, like Lenin, Stalin, Pushkin, etc. He started to tell me a little bit about the history of Russia. I asked him who his hero was and he said Stalin! I told him he was not my favorite and began talking about the valiant stand the Russians made against the Germans in WWII. He agreed with me that winter was a special season, since it delivered Russia out to the hands of two great dictators, Hitler and Napoleon. He told me about a gathering in 2005, when Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. He told me about a veteren with medals draped on both sides of his uniform and how he gave up his seat to him on the metro. He said that when he contemplated what this man had been through, that a tear rolled down his cheek. The Russians have a lot of sentiment for their WWII heroes. At McDonalds
At the Metro near Sparrow Hill
Looking over the Moscow River
The University of Moscow, across the street from vista point!!

Gastronome No. 1

This is the famous delicatessen we have spoken to many of you about. It was the ballroom of an ex-tzar. It is quite the place to buy your groceries. Of course, you don't buy too many, because with each purchase you pay for a little bit of the posh surroundings. We did find SF style italian style salami. It was about 15 bucks for one pound. You would get a whole stick for that price in the City!

Also picture below is what the Russians call Catherine the Great's Palace. They say that, but everything in the palace is brand new (finished, for the most part, in the last couple of years but they are still working on it). It is quite the building and the grounds will be quite lovely in the spring. The big dome is actually a fountain, a la the Belaggio Hotel in Las Vegas, with music and programming. Apparently, some small part of this palace was actually built for her, but she wouldn't live it because Masons worked on it and she thought they may have put a spell on it. Mostly, it is a museum, which is interesting, but probably not quite as interesting as the story they are promoting!!

Some kind of Delicatessen!
Catherine the Great's Palace from a distance
Catherine the Great's Palace
Catherine the Great's Palace
Catherine the Great's Palace (inside ballroom)

Happy New Year

On New Year's Eve, a few of the senior missionaries took off on a walking tour of downtown Moscow, with the intention of eating at a famous deli. Well, we never found the deli, thanks to my misinterpretation of a map, so we will save that for another day. But we did have a nice lunch (I had babyback ribs, Russian Style and they were great). The cost of the ribs was between 6 and 7 dollars! Every once in a while you can find a deal!

The following are pictures we took as we walked through the city. I tried to give you some idea of the preparations for Moscow's New Year's celebration, a Moscovite's biggest celebration of the year. The last one in this series is a video of fireworks outside our window. Imagine fireworks like this by the thousands going off all over Moscow (all night long!). That's New Year's in Moscow! This video was taken at approximately 2:00 a.m. Chris and I were awakened in the morning at about 7:30 a.m. with other local bombs blasting!!
Coming Out of the Underground Cross Walk and Entering the Red Square Area.
Our Group
The Metropol Hotel (One of the Oldest and Grandest Hotels in Moscow
Inside the Metorpol
An Interesting Building
Mom Inside the Ritz Carlton Hotel
Happy New Year in a Big Way
Snowman with Coins (People lick coins and put them on the ice scupture. There were about 10 of these!)
Statue of Moscow Founder (850 years ago), but still in the spirit!!
Happy New Year in a Small Way!

Later that afternoon, we all went home to the Price's and ate all of their chicken soup! What a great improvised dinner! We were going to play games but settled on conversation instead! After dinner, we then went to the Ireland's to watch the fireworks. They have a great view of the city. We left there just before 10:00 p.m. and got home at just past 11:00. We actually could see more from our apartment, because we are further north, but we just see some things smaller, unless, of course, the fireworks happen to be in your backyard!

At just a little past midnight, I found a streaming video channel from CNN on the computer showing the Moscow New Year's celbration at Red Square. It was great seeing the performers on the stage that we had seen earlier in the day. And it was a lot more fun seeing it on the computer, in the warmth of our cozy apartment.

On New Year's day, Chris cut my hair with the new trimmers we bought in Tallinn. She did a great job! Then, she frosted her hair, while I put our receipts together for the last 10 days. Later, we invited the Price's for dinner and played Pedro (well there was no football)!!! They caught on pretty fast. We had stuffed celery with cream cheese and olives, salami and cheese, brownies and ice cream, M@Ms, and more chicken soup, that we had made the day before! Since no two chicken soups are the same, we didn't mind having it two days in a row.

Today we are going to see Catherine the Great's Palace in Moscow. While she never visited there, it was still built for her!! Talk about extravagance!