3/27/2016 Sister Clain, 17 Rubles, Buildings, Easter Eggs

The young sister missionary from France that was injured in the Brussels bombing was headed to the Ohio Cleveland Mission where Mike's sister and husband - Cecil and Carol Leavitt - are serving as the office couple.This is from Carol's letter:

    The KHS means she is called to serve in the Kirtland Historical Sight. The S could be for Sister, but there are no Elder's serving in the Historical Sights, so I am saying Sight.  That poor Sister has had a long struggle trying to come from France to serve her mission in the Ohio Cleveland Mission. Each transfer her name would be on the list, then the closer it gets to transfer time, her name would be taken off due to no Visa. Then when her Visa finally comes through, and she gets all the way to the airport, and through check in, those darn terrorist decided they want to mess up people's lives. She is now on our list to arrive in our May Incoming, if she is healed enough to come. (the picture shows up on this, but when I checked the blog on another computer, it didn't - but hopefully you've already seen her picture.) 

    This next story was told us by the zone leaders.  We have a young man being baptized next week.  He is working and saving his money so he can go to chef's school.  His work is close to the Institute building and although he usually buses to work at a cost of 17 rubles (23 cents) to save money, he often walks the two hours home.  Sunday after the block the Elders brought him here because they didn't have time to go home before the fireside by our new Patriarch.  He tasted his first peanut butter sandwich which fortunately he liked, because there wasn't time for anything else.  After the fireside, because it was later than usual, he decided to bus home.  The Elders walked with him and as they were waiting, a lady who "looked like she was in poor circumstances" - that is how they described it - came up to them and asked for money or bread or anything. They said that, without any hesitation, this new convert reached in his pocket and gave her some money.  Then he turned to them and said simply - "I read in Mosiah that you should share even if you don't have much."  

Any guesses, we hadn't seen this sign before .. 

There used to be a Carl's Junior on the walking street, but the name and signs changed .. This sign loosely translated into English - Zhunior Star.

 
In it is pretty much the same.  After you order the food, they give you the number that goes on your table and they bring your food to you.  The cook line doesn't have the little slanty tray slots where the workers can just grab what you order.  The hamburger is cooked after you order it.  You don't bus your tray and trash - you leave it and someone picks it up.

The least expensive hamburger is the best for me - just enough sauce, plenty of lettuce, onion and pickles.  Mike's had onion rings as a layer on his hamburger - the Western.  Good onion rings, again, they don't cook anything until you order it, so it is always fresh - and greasy and good. 

 
We rarely see a group of dogs - all quiet - just enjoying the warm spots on the walk.

 Spring cleaning and planting has begun.  This is out our apartment window.

The Markelovs got us tickets (Lena went with us while Zhenya tended kids) to the Russian Folk Celebration - it was really amazing.  We do like the Russian Folk music - and the concerts are great.

He was so cool - good conductor and such a kind, pleasant looking gentleman. 

Here are some of the instruments -  the balalaika and others.  They usually play with their fingers - and can play so quiet that a whole orchestra is like a whisper and increase the sound as they increase the speed and intensity of their fingers - it really is amazing.

Many of those performing have studied and practiced since they were young.  They have accordions and another instrument that looks like an accordion, but has buttons on both sides called a bayan,

The flute player came in from Moscow - and he was exceptional.

Maxim and Angelina took us to take pictures of all the buildings the Dachney and Solnechney Branches (now Wards) have rented space to have Sunday meetings in.  They used whatever building they could get, and stayed usually, for as long as they were allowed.  In Bunkerville NV Mike has gone to church in two buildings, easy walking distance.  In Snowflake, I had only one - and it was a block - a Snowflake block, not a Salt Lake City block and certainly not a Saratov Russia block.

Lenin Statue

When theater or opera/symphony buildings were not being used much because of the economy, they would rent to whoever would pay to use it.

The part of this building they rented is now a magneet (like a 7-11)

One building we had to walk down stairs and through a tunnel to the other side of the street to be able to reach the it - kind of fun, reminded me of the old tunnel when you went through Salt River Canyon from Snowflake to Mesa. (Arizona)

last three buildings

One of our Elders celebrated his 19th birthday - they seem so grown up sometimes as they take on the responsibility of finding and teaching and keeping and helping in the wards and branches, it is almost surprising to realize their age.

 In Angelina's family, part of their Easter tradition is to decorate eggs.  We had not seen this before.  They put grass or leaves or pieces of the onion or whatever the want on the eggs, wrap them tightly in pieces of nylon stockings to hold them in place and then boil them in the outer peelings of onion. Wished we could have kept them like they were and brought them home.

She made this cute basket too. 

 There was a talk by President Eyring in the October 15 conference.  Here is a part we liked.  There are things we get used to saying in our prayers, it isn't that we don't mean them, but we don't have the "pleading" in our hearts.  This reminds us of the importance of having the spirit with us at all times and for specifically asking - pleading  to have that.  

My purpose today is to increase your desire and your determination to claim the gift promised to each of us after we were baptized. During our confirmation we heard these words: “Receive the Holy Ghost.”1 From that moment, our lives changed forever.

We can, if we live worthy of it, have the blessing of the Spirit to be with us, not only now and then, as in such remarkable experiences as we’ve had today, but always. You know from the words of the sacrament prayer how that promise is fulfilled: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them.”

And then comes the glorious promise: “That they may always have his Spirit to be with them” (D&C 20:77; emphasis added).

To always have the Spirit with us is to have the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost in our daily lives. We can, for instance, be warned by the Spirit to resist the temptation to do evil.

For that reason alone, it is easy to see why the Lord’s servants have tried to increase our desire to worship God in our sacrament meetings. If we partake of the sacrament in faith, the Holy Ghost will then be able to protect us and those we love from the temptations that come with increasing intensity and frequency.  The companionship of the Holy Ghost makes what is good more attractive and temptation less compelling. That alone should be enough to make us determined to qualify for the Spirit to be with us always.

Just as the Holy Ghost strengthens us against evil, He also gives us the power to discern truth from falsehood. The truth that matters most is verified only by revelation from God. Our human reason and the use of our physical senses will not be enough. We live in a time when even the wisest will be hard-pressed to distinguish truth from clever deception.

    Our weeks continue to be filled with meetings and missionaries and members and investigators. The days are full and there is always fun mixed in somewhere.  We have learned much - from the scriptures and other studies, from the inspired words of our prophet, other church leaders and our mission president, from the members and missionaries we associate with, from the Russian people and being in another culture, from each other. and always just from life itself.  Our Father has watched over us and our family and we are grateful!.