Buying Tickets in another country another lesson

So....   

    We are invited to attend a training session in Harcov, which is at the other end of our mission.   It will require a 11 overnight train ride.    May I remind you I hate Soviet style trains. 

    Now the advice was get your tickets as soon as possible and purchase all four beds so you don't have to share the berth with strangers all night.

     Since I don't know how to do this, of course I turn to someone to help.   Our young missionaires to teach us the ropes.   Now I love my companion but he is terrible independent and things we can do everything for ourselves.   In fact, he thinks I can do things on the computer even in a foreign language.

     We get to the train station and are told we must buy these tickets on line.   So, I write down the web address come home and experiment with it.   I create logins and I do my best to translate Russian (which turns out to be Ukrainian instead) then I ask for help again.   Again, my independent companion thinks I am bothering the missionaries to much.   Again, I push back and ask for help, and keep asking for help.   We think we have tickets but the dollar amount is very small and we are surprised.  I really do want to attend this training, I really am willing to ride a train, if we miss this it can't be redone.   It's a one time shot.

    Again, I ask for help to clarify, again my companion says....  we bought them and just wait and we will show they our paperwork on the day we are to travel.   Yes, the stubborn wife holds out again and and ignores her companion's leanings.   After much effort of our young missionaries we find out that our "reservations will expire in 2 hours" that our tickets are not yet purchased and that we must do to the train station again to purchase them.

    Now, please don't think I am critizing my companion.  Even though he has tried to mislead me on almost every aspect of this train ticket buying effort.     After all this effort and gentle conflict, a now humbled companion said:  I am glad you listened to the spirit and not to me.   He then reminded me of his setting apart that he was counseled to "listen to his companion". 

I am grateful for the Lord to watch over us in small things and in big things and in foreign countries where we think we are wise and are not.   We aren't in the US, things are done differently here and we need to learn of their ways.  

Shoe repair in Ukraine

I suggested before we left that Elder Cannon get new shoes in the U.S.    Knowing from past experience his size would be difficult to find here.   He didn't follow my advice and it didn't take long for his shoes to develop a crack in the soles which now leak.

With the warmer weather there is so much slush and potholes and runoff.  Small wonder that it's not fun to have this problem.

So....  off to the open market to get new soles on these shoes.  Why not new shoes?   They don't carry much in his size.   So at the shoe repair shop, Elder Cannon only give him the one shoe?    I said why not both, so they match and are the same soles and height.    Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happens next.....     Yup the mate cracks and so back to the open market again and the shoe repair shop so he can fix the mate. 

Here is the funny story:   We are trying to figure out a price, and the repair man is drawing pictures and showing us the shoe he has already started to repair and is dismantled....    We can't figure out what is going on and FINALLY.... the repair man looks closer and figures out it is the mate to the original shoe.  It's international, men think different than woman, oh lightbulb moment. 

He is laughing at himself, we are laughing and now it is settled, he will fit both by next Monday. 

Now instead of Rick wearing his good leather shoes, or GYM shoes (his preferred option) he will have  new soles on a warn pair of some old but better Ukrainian needed shoes.

Is there a morale here?   I don't think I have to spell it out do I!!

What do we really do here.....

   For all those of "age" to serve a senior mission the serious answer is don't read this post, close it immediately.   We want you to
    
                                        COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES ....

but for the rest of you curious souls.....   I will give you some insights.

First and foremost we are here to serve the Lord, and in doing so will increase our knowledge our faith and our dedication.   So really we are here for our own benefits and growth. 

Each day is a little different.   The suggested activities for us is to attending  YOUTH night, which is a fun night of activites, games and is a tool for inviting investigators to mingle with the missionaries.

The rules to games are different in that if you lose you have some loser requirement, I did deep knee bends (thank goodness for skirts) the men have to do 3 push ups each time they failed.   I didn't think much about it until I went down the stairs today....    OH!!!!
We also attend INSTITUTE night, which is a kick to try to keep up with our limited language and native teachers are full female speed.

We attend all branch related activities, this week was to watch 17 Miracles. 

We enourage people to take us out on visit to inactives, thus far unsuccesfully.  They are just like us at home, to shy, to busy, to whatever.

We have made a couple of contacts, one is the woman in the grocery store, who has so cheerfully befriended me and we are currently in a note writing exchange between our native tongues.   I have provided her with a Liahona and note of testimony.   I haven't seen her since.  That contact is not yet finished I will not quit being her friend even if she doesn't want to investigate.

Elder Cannon and I walked to the local library asked for a tour and soon had 4 English speakers eager to talk with us.   We left a handwritten note in the registry book and promised to return.   A future contact and more English practice.

When we get government approval we will likely teach English.   Perhaps addition recovery if the Mission President so directs.  We are the first seniors here, it's a learning curve how to best utilize us.
Elder Cannon wants to contact on the street, and I have no doubt he will continue until we makes a contact and finds an investigator.   I have to admit I am more timid on the streets.

We are trying to use the free time to study and learn our own gospel. 

We love being involved with our young missionaries on PDAY's and join in on whatever plans they make.   I told Elder Cannon tonight, when we was sure I was plotting a party in secret.   "I am after all the district mother in Mariupol" and we have a birthday and a farwell coming next week.   Of course we need a party. 

Truly we will do more for ourselves probably in the way of teaching.   But we love these people and that is what we will do best.   Love our Father's children and bear testimony as often as we can.   Is that enough reason to leave our beautiful family?

   Of course it is....  the blessing we receive the blessings our family receives!!!!  It is the best service we can provide      Obedience to our prophet and our Lord.  

Sea of Azov is frozen solid for several inches at least

 The sea of Azov is frozen enough to have foot travel for  as far as I could see.  

We watched others walk for a long time on the sea, they (not me) played a little football, walked a little on the sea and then happily trudged back to our warm apartment to have dinner prepared by a church member and her best friend (investigator)

 It doesn't take long to love the culture, the people and young energetic missionaries.   But most of all I love the elder elder missionary.

 This is our Church meeting house.    It's really quite beautiful.   The entire interior is tiled.   Necessary the streets are quite filthy and so mud, water sand and everything is tracked it in droves.

We aren't in America the culture has it's own wisdom and the church recognizes the wisdom in mopable floors.

This is the overflow/cultural hall/classroom directly behind the chapel.

Valentines day to remember (and laugh)

Valentine Day to remember 
While the rest of you are enjoying traditional valentines day, we too enjoyed the day. Particularly when this day is not only Valentine but our 15 year Temple sealing day anniversay date and, the temperature outside is a sweltering 17 degree Farenhiet.

In preparation for Valentines Day    we bought each other CHOCOLATE candy bars while we were shopping together in the grocery store. We saved them to give to each this day. Ella-Rene bought two cards yesterday also, but when she tried to translate them they didn't really say "happy valentines" in any way shape or form.

We saved the evening to go to a nice restaurant and had in mind a placed called "Пикник" which translates to "PICNIC". We walked there but missed it by a quarter of a mile, and had to turn around and walk back. We ffinally ound the place and went inside asking for a romantic dinner for 2. They promptly turned us down, either because they were full, or we needed reservations, or they simply didn't understand our English. We decided that we was probably because reservations were necesary for Valentines Day.

Since we don't have any others restaurants mapped out and even McDonalds is to far away and we aren't sure what bus to take. We opted to buy a "Charma" and take it home to eat. The first Charma place took to long, (what you do is wait outside in line and they cook them one at a time). We picked a second place and watched them take a pita shell bread, cut off the top and add the ingredience, which we are not sure what is is for sure, some meat, some cabbage, some potatoes and catsup and mayonaise and for approximately $2.00 we bought fast food and came home and shared it.

What is so funny, is that for all our planning, anticipation, getting ready for our first night out on the town, getting directions, going in the early part of the evening to beat the rush. We didn't get our first restaurant date and we don't know why.

Hope your Valentines plans run smoother than ours did.

Oh,  yes, they celebrate Valentines, with flowers, balloons, cards etc. It's a big deal here, unless you are non-Russian speaking Americans.... Without a clue that is.

Down to serious missionary work

We have 110 members of our branch, of course there are a number of inactives. I guesstimate about half. We have a branch president whose entire family of wife and one adult son (returned missionary) are about 8 years active. Branch President for about 6 years. We have 2 deacons. We have thus far two university aged girls who both speak English. We have 4 young missionaries, 2 young sisters (who are about to go home).

We are the only senior couple, in fact we are the first senior couple to this area. Our branch president doesn't speak English, but his missionary son does. We have been asked to involve ourselves in the youth activity night, which is a game night that the young missionaries can invite investigators to. Also  Institute night, again a youth investigation time. The one class that we have attended was taught in Russian.

The youth are eager to translate, but we discourage it so that we can learn to listen to the Russian and try to pick out any words we know. It's tough we know so very little, we try to follow the lesson in English and try to pick up what we can.

We have asked to be invited to inactives homes, but we need someone to take us there, once we know where htey live we can follow up. Right now we can't figure our way to them. The apartments have a locked outside door, without a phone call or a per chance open door we can't access the interior of the building.

Summer time will probably give us more access to people. Since they will be less bundled to the max, more leisure in their travels

I did have one intersesting contact opportunity. In the "peterson type" grocery store. You check your purse before entering. The first time I am decked out head to toe in hats, scarves, gloves and all manner of paraphenalia. The woman checking purses rattled off at top speed something to me in a friendly manner. My insecure reply was "I don't understand" in Russian. But I shop almost every day, so each day I try to make sure I greet her and smile at her. I wanted to eventually approach her about the gospel.

Yesterday, she slipped me a handwritten note, IN ENGLISH, it said:

Let speak with you by letters.
1) I like you
2) what is your name?
3) where are you from?
4) what are you doing in Mariupol?
5) what is your family?
6) my name is .......
7) Thanks, I translate all text with translat

How about that!!!!! I am so excited to exchange notes, and build her up to options of missionary work. I am trying hard to be lead by the spirit in what I write to engage her in a meaningful way and timeframe. I will begin our notes exchange on Monday.

If you question why we shop so often, think about lugging all your groceries home from the local store.  By foot.   All you laundry soap, softener, drinking water, food, paper needs.   Think about how it is nicer to carry such in smaller increments.   Oh yes, and think of a new apartment without essentials like waste paper baskets, and simple tools, a hammer and a nail.  

This blog entry is all because a loving son-in-law wanted the meat of our efforts, not just the fluff.   We are so blessed by our loving family, and by a Loving Heavenly Father.  Serving the Lord isn't hard, it's the initial shock of knowing our families can do just fine without us that is "a hard thing".

                               WE LOVE YOU!!!!!



Our apartment building entrance

 Here is our DOMA (home) for the next 18 months unless we really mess up and get moved elsewhere even colder.

(Can you see my Martha Stewart curtains in the lower area under the bright blue overhang.   They are pictured below in case you can't. 

I like the bright blue, most things are grey, it is cheery and helps me spot my apartment entrance now that I don't have a neon pink sheet on my front windows, which was the previous marker for me.  

This is the view the apt doorman see's.   Kidding no front door man. 



This is the job for a front door man (which we don't have) instead you hope you remembered to slip on your gloves before you find the frozen latch in the dark to open the door from the inside.   You have to have a key to gain entry, or as our young missionaries gain entrance they knock on our kitchen window, we run out and open the door for them.



Just inside the outer door a few steps up to our apt.  The plan metal heavy door on the right
I don't know what is downstairs beyond the green cage doors, I don't want to know.   Whatever is it, it smells.  Of feral cats and whatever.    Don't tell, don't ask sort of thing.

I figured my grandkids would love to see the locking mechanism here.   The keys are funny shaped, the more turns the deeper the deadbolts are released.  



My next door neighbors front doors, fancier than mine.   I got to say Hello (Здравствуйте) to them today for the first time.   They were polite but in a hurry I guess. 

New life in the apartment stairwell

It is not unusual to have cats in the apartment corridors.  It is not unusual to hear hissing and growling either.   But I noticed a box on the landing, didn't think much of it until Rick said we had a litter of kittens.

There eyes not yet opened, I think 6 but I am not going to touch or interfer with a new mother's charges.   Nor do I wish stray cat fleas to be transferred.

I did give the mom a couple of slices of soft lunch meat and a bowl of milk.   Nursing mothers need a little extra care.   It's tough to be a stray in Ukraine I would think.  I see a few dogs around the doorways to the store, more on leashes with sweaters and today one with booties on all four paws.  I have no idea how cats manage, I am sure their lifespan is short.  Nevertheless, I feel like a protective grandmother.   No I don't want one in our apartment as a pet.

So you ask, how to I have time to blog

Well I have a head cold and my loving husband is protecting me from the exposure to others and more cold.

So, I have been home resting, drinking water and associated activities that go with having a cold.

But you need to see us in our outdoor gear.....   we look like Arctic explorers.

My hat was one from Moldova, but with the wind force I have to wrap my scarf around it to keep it on my head.   I'm looking pretty stylish I have to admit but hey we are to be a "a peculiar people" so I think it's Ok. 

Privacy at night

Our apartment is furnished, we have sheer curtains at the three front room windows.  One privacy drape on one window.   The yellow on the right, it is thumbtacked to the window frame.
There is a small window above the privacy drape and it's pleasant to have the outside light.

The lovely pink and yellow sheet was provided by our landlord for our bed.  Wow, it is not very soft so I figured it would work for privacy. and it does of  sort.

So I decided to have some privacy curtain made, I didn't know how I was to hang them, perhaps with thumbtacks.   Since the window on the right is really two windows, I thought I would leave the top open for natural lights.  

This hair clip worked great to open the curtain during the day.  

So off to the drapery store, well, I forgot that you buy the entire swatch of fabric where you need it or not.   It's ok I have a bunch left over to make matching pillows and cold air blocking tubes.

I have to admit thumbtacks look like a solution to allow my curtains to be open or close and open the windows in the summer if I want.

Hard to see, they are sage green, I know am quite sophiscated and tye the up during the day with a matching green ribbon, and let them down at night.

Hey Martha Stewart couldn't have done much better by herself without her bevy of support staff.  

Dad stood up last week to bear his testimony

A young elder popped up to translate for him, dad waved him back down.

Elder Cannon with his great posture stood at the podium of our very nice church/chapel and bore his testimony in full Russian.   He had memorized what he wanted to say and did it all from memory.  He had everyone's attention.   He made one small mistake and then corrected it to the beaming smile from his companion.

Russian is very difficult to say perfect, there is an issue of " noun gender" and then the word endings change based on the gender of the word.   Amazingly he had it all correct or so we are told.  

It was genuine stated, with the power that a testimony can carry, and it was an effort of love to speak in the native tongue. 

I am blessed with a good companion, I think I will not ask for a transfer.    (of course you know I am the blog writer, right)

I have my first Ukraine head cold

We brought one bottle of Nyquil.....    Oh how I wish it was going to last 18 months.   We haven't been to a pharmacy yet to see what we can buy.   So I am a little hesitant to take much.   We can buy something similar I am sure. 

There is a bright side, I was up in the middle of the night, and got to talk with my girlfriend for a bit.   There are blessings in all little things.  

Besides that it is only "feels like" -10 today according to the website for Mariupol weather.   It is really 0 degrees Farenheit, but the wind gives it the "feels like" reading.    

Banana bread here one minute gone the next

We had district meeting yesterday.   We have 4 elders, 2 sisters and us.   It's interesting to sit in a meeting conducted by these young missionaries and try to gage how much input without appearing to take over or "be the authority".   We want to see them teach each other, expand upon their gospel knowledge and allow them to be in charge.             

I was in charge of a treat, well happy day I found my "all time favorite in the world"; black, narrow bread pans.    Sour cream banana bread is was, and it smell so good.  I wrapped it up in towels to keep the warmth in, with the weather -17 it doesn't take long to cool my warm bread. 

Two loaves were gone in moments but 8 missionaries and a couple of visitors.   I got rave reviews and the story that a member "made banana bread" but the sister missionary thought she left out the bananas.

When I buy a cookie sheet, I will try a cookie next.

What is the culture like, we were asked

I am a little timid to take my gloves off to take pictures yet. 

The culture is very similar to Moldova as I can tell, the people are curious why American's are here, why we have black badges on.   However, cold, good manners, fear keep them from approaching us mostly. 

You check your purses at the entrance of the grocery store.  But you can take your shopping bags inside.  The first day the purse check woman make some friendly comment to me.   I had no idea what she said, but I try to be friendly each time we shop.   I need to learn more Russian, they speak so fast occasssionally we can pick up a word or two but that is not sufficient.

I think the culture is similar to Moldova. People are curious about us, but afraid to say much. Even if they do it is so far beyond our abilities we have to say I don't understand.

Shopping if funny, we found a "home depot" type of store. The security man was always at the end of hte aisle no matter which aisle we were lookign down. I tried to ignore him, finally I approached him and pantomined what I wanted. HE spoke English. After that he wasn't hovering over us....

He have Metro which is similiar to a costco, but it is to far to walk and we don't know the public transportation yet. Besides there is a larger type Walmart store within 30 min walk which carries most of what we most want.

Shopping is strange, seem almost every day we shop. Of course you have to carry what you buy over treacherous sidewalks and for two blocks so we buy smaller increments that are easier to carry. Plus it gets us out of the house.

It is so cold, we are bundled with only eyes showing most of the time, hard to communicate much that way also.  The older woman waddle, I suspect is from years of sleeping on rock hard mattresses.   That and hard hard physical work.

Our apartment living space is pretty big and until we brought some chairs from the church pretty bare.  Yes, the pepto-bismal pink is subdued in this photo.  It's very vibrant you can see our front room windows with sheer curtains.  Behind the sheers are a bright pink and yellow sheet to get us some privacy.   Curtains forthcoming as soon as I can find some thumbtacks to install them with. 

The door is the entrance to our bedroom, and around the corner the front door. 


Our kitchen compares to a mobile home in quality and size.   Lovely color of walls as you can see color is vibrant.


The washing machine and I had an almost immediate misunderstanding.   I was trying to reach something that had follow behind the washer.   In moving this heavy little machine I broke the water line.   So I am holding the broken hose like the little boy with a finger in the dyke while yelling for Rick to come help turn off the water and rescue me.

The washing machine only takes 3.5 hours to run a full cycle and holds about 2 bath towels at a time.  I am happy for it but it seems a bit undersized.