Dear Family,
Yesterday was officially our six-month mark in Russia! In some ways, it seems like we've been here forever--I can hardly remember my life before coming here! But, Gpa George and I both realize the wonderful opportunity we have being here on the ground level of this mission. We just continue to try to find ways to utilize our time and talents the way the Lord would have us do while we are here!
We had Zone Conference this week on Friday.
I was able to tell about the miracle of Gpa and me meeting the same young woman twice and then getting her telephone number. The Mission President wanted me to write it up and send it to him so he could put it in the Mission History book. I was actually able to get a hold of her this week and she was so sweet. She definitely wanted to get together and even sent me a picture of one of her kids eating her pancakes.
I told her I made pancakes for my kids and grand kids, too! Anyway, as it turned out, her little girl got sick, so she told me she would have to arrange a time later. I am still hoping we can get together soon.
Also, on Sunday, we were able to be in on a discussion with an elderly Russian gentleman (non-member) who has been on-again, off-again for quite some time. He started out with inviting Gpa and me to his home, which after the lesson, I told him we would LOVE to come, but of course, we would have to bring our interpreters with us--the missionaries! So, we are all going out there on Wednesday. Hopefully, it will be a very positive experience. We can't teach according to Russian law, in homes--only at the church, but we can definitely get to know him and meet his wife. We are looking forward to it!
On Saturday, we had tickets to the House of Music where we saw the Vienna Imperial Philharmonic Orchestra. We thought we would hear their choir, but it turned out to be all orchestral music. We really did enjoy it, however. They played music from Hollywood including "Phantom," "Forest Gump," "Magnificent Seven," etc. When they started playing "The Viennese Waltz," everyone really started cheering and they all really smiled. They knew the audience would especially LOVE that since they are all true Viennese themselves. I LOVE how the Russians love the arts, music, ballet, etc. I have tried to be very selective on what we see because Gpa George isn't quite a fan of all opera, all ballet, or long productions of orchestra that he doesn't recognize! Hah! But, he's a very good sport, and I think he's enjoyed what I've picked so far! Seriously, you could go to something every single week if you signed up for everything!
Moscow is really beautiful at night.
We took a taxi home and our taxi came on the opposite side of a four-lane road on each side and it would take so long for him to get turned around through all the traffic, so another taxi drive came by and offered to take us. Neither driver could understand English, so thank goodness for my Google Translate, we got the other taxi driver cancelled, which he still charged us 101 rubles for--about $1.68, which since we pay by cash (they don't like American credit cards), I don't know where he is going to get that from. Anyway, we tried to tell the new taxi driver we would drive with him for the same price the first taxi driver said we could ride--575 rubles. He motioned for us to get in. When we got to our street, we got out and Gpa gave him 1,000 and asked for the change--400 rubles since we would give him a tip. He wanted to take the whole 1,000 and Gpa George said, "No! (Net!) You agreed to take what the other guy said he would do it for!" Then Gpa jumped out and went in a store to get change and left me with the angry taxi driver who kept yelling Russian at me! It seemed like Gpa took forever coming out--there were four people ahead of him in line and all he had to do was buy one item in order to get change--then he finally came out. He handed it to the driver who was still yelling, and we quickly made our way across the street and made sure he was well on his way before we turned into our apartment. There is always a lot of excitement here, for sure, especially when you can't converse very well with the language!
Tonight, we are having the YSA Family Home Evening here at our apartment. I am having cut-up veggies, cheeses, meat, and chocolate chip cookies. We aren't supposed to provide a meal--just snacks. Anyway, since I am out of my American chocolate chips until someone next comes here, I'll have to chop up candy bars in order to make my own! This will indeed be a new experience!
Lastly, in the time that I'm not in the office helping Gpa with the Area Auditing, I am re-typing a Family History Book that Gpa Jim (Gpa George's dad) and his living brothers and sisters put together in 1971-75. It is an amazing book and I am putting it on Family Search so that everyone will have a chance to read it. Without the aid of computers--just on a little old typewriter and going to tax collectors offices, marriage license offices, making many calls and writing who knows how many letters, they have so much information in there that includes many family members who aren't on Family Search and surely would have been forgotten had they not done this. They truly were such a close family and had such a desire to perpetuate the Copeland Family Legacy and the great pride they took in it. One story in particular stood out to me. This was about Jesse Hampton Copeland, the first born child of James Jackson Copeland. George Fleming Copeland, who our family descended through, was the 12th child, so this happened to his brother. (As you know, Gpa George was named after this grandfather.) I am going to put the story exactly as it was recorded in the history:
Jesse was on a journey, going somewhere on foot. It was a hot summer day. He passed a farmer's field filled with water melons. As was the custom when traveling long distances on foot in those days, he climbed over the rail fence and picked a melon to quench his thirst. The owner of the field came upon the scene and condemned him on the spot. The neighbor was so enraged, there was no power that could reason with him. So our uncle decided to climb over the fence and go on his way. As he was in the act of climbing the fence, the neighbor suddenly stabbed him in the back with a knife to the extent that he would later die. He must have been able to get back home in some way. Before he died, he told his family the story. He made a special request that set him apart as someone very special. His request was, “Please don’t prosecute the neighbor for stabbing me. I should not have picked his melon.” Only about one in a thousand would have a heart filled with charity and forgiveness as this.
How did Uncle Jesse’s family react to this heartless stabbing? The commendable part is his entire family refrained from condemning the neighbor. They granted their loved one his last request and left it with a higher power to pass judgment on the neighbor. In those pioneer days, the law didn’t reach very far. There were no authorities to notify when there was a death. There were no morticians. Whoever was capable, built a pine box for a casket and the loved ones prepared the body for burial. The commendable thing is the entire family displayed self-control. Uncle Jesse had brothers from age 30 to age 12. None of them tried to take revenge on the neighbor. Two of the younger boys, while walking down the road one day, saw this neighbor on his horse turn into the road from a side road ahead of them. The small boys had their rifles. One of them lifted his rifle and took aim, but it was reported that he refrained from firing. This family story puts the grief-stricken father, the heart-broken widow and mother, and his six-foot-tall brothers on record as law-abiding, peaceful, forgiving people with self-control almost beyond understanding. There was no evidence of radicalism in this family. Uncle Jesse, the first-born of this large family was forced to give up his life, but by so doing, we have this true story that helps us place more value on our Copeland family.
Wow! What a story of forgiveness! It is amazing to me that someone could have that kind of heart to forgive someone else and be able to have a clear conscience when they met the Lord. Amazing!
Well, better close. Got to get those chocolate chip cookies made! We surely love you all!
Gma Laura
P.S. This past week, they have been trying to scoop up snow and ice that has accumulated for the past two months. I snapped this pic of these little boys playing on top of the snow. Kids are the same wherever you go!
And I made Beef stroganoff with some Black Angus hamburger that I had. Many times, we still find pieces of bone when we eat hamburger, but this time, I got a real surprise! When I took it out of my mouth, I saw this:
It was probably part of their grinding machine--but the back side was very sharp! I have been traumatized!
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