Random notes of interest:

• When you go to the grocery store you have to take your own bags, or you can buy one.  When checking out, they always ask, "Packet nushen?"  (Of course spelled differently with the Russian alphabet.)  It means do you need a "packet"- a sack.  If so, you buy them as you're checking out.
• You have to take all fruits, vegetables, loose nuts, candy and cookies to a lady which mans a scale nearby the produce section to weigh them, tag them and tie the sack.  We've noticed that one new store that just opened does weigh them at the checkout stand now.  
• There are always an abundance of yellow and red bell peppers.  Green bell peppers are a rarity.
• Probably most people don't have scales at home for weighing themselves because there are always people on the street with a scale that people can pay to use.  I think it costs one grieven - about twelve cents.
• Our English students tell us we don't look Ukrainian because we have "smile wrinkles" and most people in Ukraine don't smile :)
• Things we love here - yoghurt, bread (wonderful, fresh, tastes homemade), watermelon, peaches, tomatoes, fresh herbs.  
• Things I miss - lined paper - it's all graph paper
• Weddings are interesting.  They drive through town honking their horns like we do.  The cars are decorated, and the bride and groom car always has very large wedding rings (I suppose styrofoam) on top.  At night they often light fireworks as part of the celebration.  In fact, the first time we heard the fireworks we were in our "Soviet" apartment with the double steel door and my mind instantly pictured a gun attack.  We're told that at some point in the wedding celebration a special cloth is placed on the floor and the first one to step on it (bride or groom) will be the head of the house.  The best man and maid of honor each wear a red sash over their shoulder - can't remember the name, but it's like a Miss America pageant sash.  

We've heard it's already snowed in Salt Lake.  It's still Fall here - low 60's today :)

Meet our hard working missionaries:

From left:  Me, Elder Sedrick (AK), Elder Graham (UT), Sister Johnson (CA), Sister Kotchel (Canada), Elder Welch (GA), Elder Kennedy (VA), Elder Atkin (UT)  Seated:  Elder Beutler (ID)  Such a fantastic group!

Conference in Yalta

Last week we met with the mission president and the other senior missionary couples in our mission for a couples conference in Yalta.  Yalta is a gorgeous town on the coast of the Black Sea.  Very many tourists during the summer - in fact we've seen pictures in National Geographic showing wall to wall bodies on the beach in the summer.  It is also very historic as this is the location of meetings between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin in 1945 to decide the fate of war-torn Europe.  

We traveled six hours by train and then one and one-half hours by bus to get there. We got to talk a lot with Paige from Va, who has been in Ukraine for two years with the Peace Corps.  She asked many questions, so I think we gave her all of the discussions during our ride :)  Her father is a Presbyterian minister.  

Compartment mates - one Ukrainian lady and a Peach Corps Volunteer .

Our train compartment.

More Ukrainian countryside viewed from train window.

Ukrainian countryside viewed from train window

We had conference meetings in the morning - always very inspiring, and went sightseeing in the afternoons, followed by a group get-together in the evenings.  

Conference Room

First a couple of thoughts from President van Bruggen during the conference:  

Often missionaries say something like, "The Lord sent me here or there on a mission."  In reality, the Lord didn't "send" us, He brought us here, and He is still here.

"The position you're in right now, where you have more time to study the scriptures and more time to devote to serving, you're walking very closely to the Lord - you're in a place right now to receive revelation more than any other time in your life."

From the area presidency:  "The Lord is hastening His work here."

Afternoon Adventures:

On Monday, after a long day of travel, we walked along the boardwalk.

Have you ever seen a fancier McDonald's?  They also have a "walk-up (not drive-up) take-out" window.

Every city has a Lenin statue.

Plenty of things for kids to do along the boardwalk.

Notice the fake pirates in these two photos?

On Tuesday, we all toured the Livatia Palace where the talks mentioned above took place.

Livatia Palace

The "Big Three"

Churchill - England, Roosevelt - USA, Stalin-USSR

Us

View from Livatia Palace and interesting entertainer on the grounds.

Evening stroll...

Famous restaurant

McDonalds "Express" (can you read the sign?) as mentioned before.  No, we're not eating there; we're just buying ice cream cones.   (That's not me in the black and white - I'm taking the picture.)

Boats on the Black Sea

On Wednesday afternoon we had lunch in a fabulous place and then some of us took a cable car ride to the top of a 1900 foot mountain.  Beautiful!

On the way up.

At the top.

What a view!

Handsome guy I found up there!

Swallows Nest Castle - Symbol of Crimea

President and Sister van Bruggen at the restaurant.  Notice the cool server uniform  in the background.

View from the restaurant

Views from our balcony...

Interesting roadside stand on the way home - selling Yalta onions, honey and bottled goods.

View of Black Sea from car window on a cloudy morning.

Yalta purple onions hanging.

I loved the light shining through all the jars.

Arriving back in Kherson after a great trip.

They have very long, and very full trains here.

Of a spiritual nature...

We have been privileged to have four baptisms since we've been here.  

The first was for Vera.  Vera means "faith" in Russian.  Vera saw the missionaries on the street one day and began talking with them.  As they taught her, she was eager to hear everything they had to say.  She began coming to church, family home evening and English practice, and soon wanted to be baptized.  Since we don't have a baptismal font in Kherson, we rented a marchutka and took the branch members and investigators to Nickolyv, about an hour away, where they do have a font.  Many of the Nickolyv branch members came to the baptism also, even though they had never met Vera - just to be supportive.  The next day when she was confirmed, Vera described the experience in colors.  She said a feeling flowed down from her head and into her heart and it was like her heart was being filled with white and gold.  

Vera

The next was Yuri.  I have asked Yuri to write down his whole story, which I hope to share some day as it is fascinating, but for now just an outline.  Yuri has said there were three distinct times when the Lord prepared him.  Once working in a field with a large strong man, the man said something about God or spirituality to him, but he dismissed it.  Then some time later his mother told him that there was more than just this life.  He again dismissed his mother's thoughts and words.  There was a third time, which I'll have to clarify with him.  I also hope to get the rest of the story of meeting the missionaries.  But after quite a while - perhaps a year or more - of reading and praying he wanted to be baptized.  The date was set for a April Sunday morning about 9:00 am, just before the branch was due to watch the delayed broadcast of general conference.  Yuri wanted to be baptized in the nearby river.  The district leader inquired about using a very nice private beach near the church, but was told that he could not  He then tried renting it, but was told that was impossible.  There was another small public beach nearby, but it was peppered with all sorts of litter.  So, the evening before the baptism, the missionaries gathered to clean up the beach to prepare a place for the baptism.  We picked up 21 bags of trash.

 The next morning we woke up to rain, but Yuri was not going to let that stop his baptism.  We gathered on the walkway above the river, umbrellas in hand, only to discover that the steep dirt trail down to the beach was very muddy and slippery.  There was no way most of the branch members would be able to   get to the river.  Assessing the situation, two of the branch members walked a short distance to talk with the guard who was watching over the private beach next door (the one Elder Hansen had tried to rent).  After some talking, we were told we could use the private beach, right then, at no cost!  (Tender mercies) This beach had stairs and changing stations to change into dry clothing after the baptism.  It was beautiful!  Also, during this time, the rain had completely stopped.  We were able to hold a beautiful, memorable baptismal service that morning.  

Gathering on the newly acquired beautiful private beach.

Walking into the waters of baptism.

Oh what joy filled my heart....

Next, Leoneda, the mother of a branch member and Volodia were baptized at the same time.  Again, we rented a marchutka and drove with more investigators than members to Nickolyv.  (Leoneda has leg problems and was not able to be baptized in the river.)  Volodia received a testimony of the Book of Mormon  almost immediately upon beginning to read it.  I am anxious to find out more about the details of his conversion. The language differences  require that we have an elder present for any in-depth conversation, so it sometimes takes longer to find out things, but smiles and warm eye contact say a lot :)  Just before the baptism, as Volodia, Leoneda and the two elders were all dressed in white, I could understand Volodia as he said to me, in Russian, pointing to Leoneda and the elders, "They all look like angels." And so did he!

Angels


"Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, acting in the authority which I have given you, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."  D&C 68:8