Dear Family,
This past week was the funeral of Larry, our brother-in-law. We so appreciated the many reports and pictures you all shared to help us feel a little more like we were there. Thanks, also, to Kevin for representing the family by attending. Everyone said it was a perfect farewell for such a dear person in our lives. He will be missed immensely! We all send our love to Beverly and her family.
Tuesday - The mission president and his wife spoke at our Senior Meeting and answered many of our specific questions. They did a very good job in helping us understand better our roles here. Sister McGhie was telling us that no patriarch is called until a stake is formed, so the Moscow area didn't have a full-time patriarch until one was called three years ago. Prior to that, there was just a traveling patriarch who came once in awhile. Anyway, after giving many more patriarchal blessings here, Elder Russell E. Nelson's wife asked in a big woman's meeting for the women to stand as she went through all of the twelve tribes to see what their lineage was. As soon as she reached the 12th, every tribe was represented except the tribe of Levi, and later a young volunteer came who said he was from that tribe. So all 12 Tribes are represented here in Russia. Amazing! This is a very unique country, for sure! At what we thought was the end of the meeting, Elder and Sister Wheeler came forward who are over Church History in Russia and have been here about eight months. With tears in their eyes, they told us they were informed by the Church that they are to end their church history assignment in Russia to comply with Russian law and have been re-assigned to Africa. Some of the details are still in process, but they will be leaving Moscow possibly as early as this week. We were all crying afterward because they are such wonderful people and they were heartbroken! They won't even be going home, so I don't know what they are going to do with their huge $350 coats and heavy clothes as they make their way to Ghana! Every day a new experience for us all!
Gpa George and I are getting ready for some major training coming up. This Friday, we leave for Rostov-on-don (the city Rostov is in Russia on the Don River). We will be there Friday through Monday. I am looking forward to seeing it and meeting the wonderful people there. Rostov-on-don is one of the eleven cities who will be hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer. After we get back, we will have two days to get ready for the AAA Meeting that Gpa has organized to get the three Assistant Area Auditors together here in Moscow for a work meeting and getting to know each one better. Elder Foley is in Kiev, Elder Smith is in the Siberia region, and Elder Cook is actually at the area office, too.
Saturday - Gpa George and I took off for Red Square and the Kremlin. Since Christmas isn't celebrated until January 7th because the Russians use another calendar to calibrate when Christmas is held, we knew it was going to get crazy down there when so many people would be there as the real festivities start in the middle of December. So after riding two buses, then the metro, and then a little walk, we arrived there.
It was really getting decorated and so many fun little Christmas shops are being set up that added to the Christmas spirit. You don't see many actual trees and decorations in these big high rises, so it was fun being a part of all that.
Then we walked along the Kremlin wall behind which is actually a cemetery where almost all of the Soviet leaders are buried, including Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space and a Russian.
As per usual, Gpa George made a new friend while standing in line. Every time he would say friend, he would give Gpa a big hug. It was pretty funny! He asked me if my husband drank! He thought everyone who is happy had been drinking. Hah!
For lunch, we walked over to the GUM (pronounced goom) and I tried calamari in pesto sauce and noodles. I seriously thought they were going to wiggle off my plate, but I am determined to be a good sport and try many new cultural things while I'm here. Besides, after watching "Survivor" for 24 seasons, is it?, I think I can eat something like this prepared in a restaurant!
Walking over to the Kazan Church, beautiful Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
The "Ruins" grotto was built in 1841 to commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon in 1812.
We about killed ourselves on the ice climbing to the top, but we did it!
The Kremlin Gates with the two-headed eagles.
Walking across the little bridge over to a multi-level submerged shopping center.
The Changing of the Guard was very impressive, too, inside the Kremlin. I didn't have as good a vantage point to record it as I did in Bulgaria, but it was really a thrill to watch, nevertheless.
Yesterday, was church. It pretty much takes all day to get there, have church, and get home with all the buses and waiting we do for the buses. But, the people are starting to know us and we try to help out however we can. Dad bore his testimony yesterday with one of the young volunteers translating. It is a hard way to do it because you have to say a few words, then wait for the translation, then say another few, and wait, but he did a great job.
Tomorrow, Kyle gets here!!! Sooo excited to see family again, I can't even tell you! I couldn't believe when I found a box left on our balcony filled with a small tree, some strands of lights that don't match, some Dollar Store-like tinsel, and some pink ornaments! I put it up and it added so much to our little living room with its plastic couches. Hah! Anyway, we are going to enjoy it even more when Kyle comes!
Thanks again to all of you for keeping us up on all the events and for sharing your time when you call or send e-mails or whatever. Our landlord told me about Whatsapp, so I put it on my phone. He says with internet, you can call anyplace and it's just like Facetime, or you can text, talk, or whatever. If some of you want to try it, I think it might work even better than Skype!
Love to all of you,
Gma Laura
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