The First Days in Ukraine: October 2012

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!

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

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.)