BACK TO OUR ROUTINE AND LOVING IT

It is always good to get back into a normal routine after traveling.  Our week this week has been pretty much what we would expect it to be....busy, fun, and rewarding.  Let's start at the top.

Our usual Monday shop was done on Saturday so we would have time to go to the mission office and get our papers updated.....something we have to do anytime we leave Russia. We are to carry an updated migration card on us at all times so the office has to process the new dates, send them in, and get a new migration card as fast as possible. The trip to the office takes an hour each way and it takes at least an hour in the office to get everything processed and copied. That was a big chunk of the day especially when we stopped at the Metropolis Mall on the way home for a late lunch. We raced home to get things ready for family home evening only to find out that no one was coming. All of our elder's and sister's investigators canceled out on them. That's a first since we started holding these evenings but it will be the last. The area presidency has asked all young adult family home evenings to be moved to another night and be renamed. They are putting a big push in the Eastern Europe Area to get members to hold family home evenings with their families. It seems that young parents think FHE is a young single adult Monday night activity and not for their families. By not holding anything on Mondays, the members should come to know of the importance of being with family. The missionaries in our ward are setting up times with our ward families to visit them and show them how to hold a family home evening. The area presidency feels strongly that the saints in the area are ready for this new level of commitment. We will support them one hundred per cent but will miss our Monday meetings with our missionaries, their investigators and our YSA ward members. 

We have a new Assistant to the President

in our district.  Elder Friar,

on the right, is now serving with

 Elder Jewkes.   They make great team

and are invaluable to the President.

Tuesday was our usual district meeting....the first one held in our home since transfers. We have three new companionships in our district and this week was their first lunch at our home. It was wonderful to get to know our two new elders and one sister.  We look forward to spoiling them a bit. The office elders brought us a much welcomed package. It was from Ryan and Katie...a belated Christmas package.  We loved opening it and especially loved the new pictures they sent of their darling family.  Of course, we had to show off our grandchildren to our whole district. 

Pictures of the family, special notes, a puzzle of Seaside, Oregon,

four bags of chocolate chips and a jar of oregano.

So fun!!!!!

Elder Braun, on the right, 

joined Elder Davis

Sister Hunter, on the right, is

Sister Simmon's new companion

 

 Elders Braun and Davis came early to district meeting.

They had stopped at an Apteka (drug store) and bought some

wart remover medicine.  It seems both of them have a wart on the bottom of their feet.  They applied the medicine then covered it with

duct tape, a remedy for wart removal that Paul found on the internet.

At the end of the night, being exhausted, the only thing that sounded good to do was watch a movie.  I tried a new recipe for kettle corn and it was yummy (to 3 Tbs. hot oil in a pan, add 1/2 c. unpopped corn that has been tossed with 1/4 c. sugar and a scant teaspoon of salt. Cover and shake over medium heat until popped. Watch carefully because the sugar will burn easily). A great way to end a busy day.


On Wednesday we were involved in our lesson preparation for Institute, and then that evening, facilitating English discussion group. Thursday was when we put the final touches onto our lesson for teaching that night. We taught from 2 Nephi 9 which is a beautiful discussion on the atonement. We found a powerful video to show that was centered on an Easter talk by Elder Holland. It was the perfect conclusion to help us all appreciate our Savior's greatest gift to us.

My yoga instructor,

Jeanie Pierson

Friday brought something a little different....a yoga class for me.  While Paul watched the BYU versus Santa Clara basketball game, I walked to the church to attend a newly organized yoga class. This old body was able to do everything asked of it during the class, but it began to complain a couple of days later....a little sore. It felt good, though, to exercise my body in that way

That's Sasha being silly.  He

is our Institute President.

Friday night we attended the new format for our once a month YSA family home evening. We had a YSA Activity Night (the new name for now) at the church in place of or in conjunction with our game night. There were lots of people there including 5 investigators and three sets of missionaries. Games were played and refreshments served. Everyone seemed to have a good time.  

We spent part of the time working the new puzzle Ryan and Katie sent us. The puzzle we had been working on for the past couple of weeks was almost done. We were looking forward to finishing it but Leelee and Masha completed it before we got to work on it. Leelee seems to know exactly when a puzzle is almost finished. She delights in putting in the last few pieces of the puzzles we have worked so hard on...much to Paul's dismay. (She had completed the last three that we've started.) It is a standing joke between them now.

Masha and Leelee celebrating the completion

of our puzzle

Saturday we went on an adventure with two other couples.  We all wanted to find an IKEA store. There are two here in Moscow.  We headed for the one on the north end of town. The adventure came when we got off the metro at the last stop on the green line and boarded a small van to take us the rest of the way to IKEA. It is always interesting to get on a bus when you don't know exactly where you are going and don't speak the language. We just had to take the driver's nods as confirming that he understood where we needed to go. We did get there and found some much needed items....like fitted sheets. We should have brought them from home but didn't. Very few places carry them and if they do they are grossly expensive. We also bought two new towels that are lighter weight. Now I won't have to do a separate wash for each of our towels. The ride home was a little more interesting. Again we trusted the driver's nods that he would take us to the metro station. He did take us to a metro station but to a different one than we had come on.  We ended up on the purple line instead of the green line. At least ,it was a metro station. Once in the Metro, we could quite easily figure out how to get back home, even though it it did take a few minutes longer.

These are the Ropers, one of the couples that went with us on our little adventure

to IKEA.  We were riding on the metro train on our way to the specified meeting place.

 When the doors opened up at the Sokal station, there were the Ropers, 

waiting for the train to stop so they could get on. 

Quite a coincidence when you consider the number

of trains that pass through the stations every minute or so

 and the number of cars on each train.

 We couldn't have planned it better if we would have tried.

The Milestrups, in front, and the Piersons joined us

for a fun evening.

Saturday afternoon we taught Isaac a double seminary lesson and then raced out of the apartment to meet two other couples for a night out on the town. We all met at the Belaruskia metro station and walked to the Torro Grill restaurant. We were all needing a night out and decided to go to dinner. It was a nice change....the food was good and company was even better. An interesting thing happened as we walked out of the metro. A young man passed us and said, 'welcome' in perfect English. He had not heard us speaking but could figure out we were American just by looking at us. We were dressed casually and no one had a missionary tag on. We don't think we look that much different but obviously we do. This happens often to us. Twice in MacDonald's, people have come up to us and started speaking English. We must really stand out.

LIFE IN RUSSIA SPOTLIGHT

The mop Paul was not

allowed to use.

Russians are very intent in not letting old people, like us, do any physical labor. Friday night at our YSA activity, Paul went and got the mop to wipe up some juice that had spilled. One of the girls, Inessa, ran over and grabbed the mop away from him and would not let him do it.  Instead, she mopped up the floor.  It is the same when I try to move chairs.  Someone always comes to do it for me.

The art train

Russians love cultural things - music, dance, drama, and art. There are many museums and theaters where you can go to take part in these arts. Who would think, though, that the metro would have a special art train. We had heard about this train that runs on the blue line but had never seen it until last week. The train is an art museum on wheels. It is painted in brilliant colors on the outside and on the inside of each car hangs beautiful pieces of art. Amazing. 

Inside the cars of the art train

......and that ends another wonderful week in the life of the Millars.