HOME TEACHING IN MOSCOW.......... AN INTERESTING EXPEREINCE

Going home teaching is a little different in Moscow. You can't just jump in the car, pick up your partner, and drive to the family's home.  Home teaching here means riding several minutes (sometimes up to an hour) on the metro, meeting your partner at a metro station, possibly then taking a bus, and when finally in the neighborhood,walking several blocks to the apartment building. Once there, you have to punch in an entrance code, be buzzed in, and then take the elevator or stairs to the appropriate floor. Never a quick happening.

Paul with his home teaching

partner Vladimir

Paul went home teaching this week for the first time since we've been here.  Last month he was asked to partner with our friend, Vladimir, to home teach 2 families. Tuesday, late afternoon, Paul boarded the metro to meet Vladimir at the appointed metro stop.  When they both arrived, they walked up and out onto the street and started walking.  Vladimir was sure he knew where to go so they walked for a long time until he finally decided they were going in the wrong direction. They turned around, walked back to the metro, crossed under the street, and started walking in the opposite direction.  After several minutes, it was determined that Vladimir really didn't know where he was going.  Finally, they called the family and got directions. When they arrived at the apartment, an hour late, Paul realized it was located right across the street from the apartment where we had stayed the first week we were here. Luckily the family could still visit with them and they had a good visit. Paul was thrilled when he found out the family was the parents of the little boy he adores. (The little boy reminds us of our little Nathan, Ryan and Katie's youngest.) This sweet family sent them home with cookies. 

Neen, and Elders Burton and Shepherd just

finishing up the cookies we offered them.

Tuesday was a busy day for both of us. It was our district meeting, as usual. We served spaghetti, so it was easier than most lunches. Paul left as soon as the meeting was over to go home teaching and I had some quiet time by myself until the International Elders, Shepherd and Burton, brought our friend, Neen, over for a discussion. He has a baptismal date for July 27 and they wanted to help him gain a greater testimony of President Monson as a prophet. After a short discussion, we watched the hour long video on President Monson's life. It was hard to tell Neen's reaction to it but the elders challenged him to go home and prayer about the things he had seen and find out for himself if President Monson is truly a prophet.  Hopefully he will do that before his baptismal interview.  

Also on Tuesday, Paul had the opportunity to be a good Samaritan.  As he was coming home on the metro, he noticed a young family who spoke English. They got off the train at our stop and Paul asked where they were from.  They were here with their two small children on a vacation from Philadelphia.  Paul noticed that they looked a little bewildered when they got outside the metro so he asked where they were going. The dad pulled out a map and pointed to the spot where they had rented an apartment for the week. This couple asked if they needed to get a taxi to get there but Paul could tell it was pretty close by.  We have walked down that particular street many times so he offered to take them to where they were staying.  Ten minutes later they were safely at the apartment building. They were so appreciative of Paul's assistance as both the parents and the two children were very tired from all their travels and had no idea where to go. It felt good to be of help to someone.

So sad....no more Baja salads

Wednesday, we decided to travel to Metropolis Mall to go the Stockman's and have lunch at Paul's favorite place, Wendy's. We got to Stockman's and they didn't have what we were looking for (Rice Krispies) so we went up to get lunch. Paul went to order at Wendy's and found out they no longer offer the Baja salad which is our favorite...so sad. We ended up at Burger King and knew right then that we had probably made our last trip to Metropolis Mall for a long, long time.

That night we went to English group an hour early so we could sit in on a discussion with Elders Holland and McKibban.  Their investigator's name was Alexander and we got the impression he had met with the elders several times. They were trying to motivate him to read the Book of Mormon more frequently so we read a few verses together and tried to answer his questions about what we were reading.  It seemed to go pretty well even though our answers had to be translated for Alexander.

Thursday we met with our Senior Council to listen to the Burgeners, one of our senior couples, tell us about their first mission to Kenya. It seems when they arrived, after training as perpetual education missionaries, they were told the Mission President wanted to change their assignment.  They were sent to Tanzania as a counselor in the mission presidency in charge of the church and the missionaries in that area. They were the only senior couple in the whole country and could not speak the native language. They said that the electricity and water was a questionable luxury as it came on and off at unpredictable times. We had to leave early as always, but we left grateful to be serving our mission in Moscow.

Our visual aids for our lesson

Our Institute lesson was on how to anchor our souls to Christ....taken from the last chapters of Ether. It was a good lesson but we were a little discouraged. We only had 5, instead of the usual 10 to 15,who were in attendance. Often their cell phones would ring which caused a distraction as they got up to leave the classroom to answer the call. Most everyone finally showed up by the time our gathering started, so both those classes went better. This was the last week for several of our students as they will be at a young single adult conference next week when we hold our last Institute and gathering for the semester.

Our last English gathering when all will be present

Friday morning, Paul got a call from Elder Genys who asked if Paul would consider going out on a lesson with him and his companion in twenty minutes. We quickly changed our plans so Paul could meet the elders at the appointed time. It was a lesson with a Felix from Ghanna.  The discussion was held on a park bench. It was a new experience for Paul as we have only been in on lessons at our apartment or at the church...never in a park. He was glad he had put forth the effort to go with the elders. When he returned we ran a few errands and then headed, on the metro, for Evonne's shop, the business of the man from Ismylova market where we bought some gifts last Saturday. His shop was very hard to find as it was back in off the street, but Evonne came out and showed us where it was.  He has a nice shop where he carries many more Russian gift items than we saw at his booth at Ismylova.  We were successful in finding what we were looking for to round out the gifts for all the grandchildren. Now we have to think about the adults and what we want to take home for ourselves.

Even the bags our purchases were put into reflect the Russian culture.

The first time we went to Ismylova we purchased a few movies, three of which were the first three seasons of Downton Abbey.  We had heard so much about this series before we left but hadn't watched any of it.  Many senior couples were watching it here so we decided to see what it was all about....and now we are hooked. That's what we did on Friday night and several nights thereafter.....Season 1 and 2 done. We will have to go back to Ismylova and get season 4 sometime.

The entrance arch at VDNKH park

We decided to do some sightseeing on Saturday as we didn't have any pressing plans. The Piersons and ourselves traveled up to the VDNKH park. (That is an acronym for a long Russian name.) It has recently been renamed the All- Russian Exhibition Center and is being restored to its once glorious state. It used to be called the Exhibition of Economic Achievements of the USSR During the Soviet Union time, it was the prime tourist destination as it was built as a representation of the economic success of that era. The entrance is a triumphal type arch which stands at the front end of a long walkway along which one sees the Pavilion of the Peoples of the USSR and a beautiful fountain featuring 15 golden statues.  

A beautiful fountain

Each stature represents a former republic of the Soviet Union and each is depicted in the native dress of the region. It was beautiful. There were many other beautiful buildings, most of which were being renovated so we had no idea what they were representing. At the end of the park, there was a rocket and airplane on display as well as another fountain.  Another interesting feature was a house built upside down.....go figure. Many people were buying tickets to walk through it. We did not.  On both sides of the walkway were an amusement park rides complete with one of the largest ferris wheels we have ever seen. We ended our walk through the park with lunch at a delightful little restaurant located inside the park...very expensive for lunch but very good food.  

The Pavilion of the People guarded by a statue of Lenin.

One of many beautiful buildings along the 

walkway. The word on this building 

spells Armenia so we are

 thinking the buildings used to

 represent each of the former 

republics of the Soviet Union.

The rocket

The upside down house.

Notice the car, the dog house, and the dog.

Beautiful gardens seen along the way

The huge ferris wheel with the amusement park in the fore ground

Just outside the park was the impressive Space Obelisk. As you stand in front of this monument representing a rocket lifting off, one can easily see the pride of the people in their country's accomplishments in space. It was built in 1964, three years after Yurly Gagarin's historic flight into space.

The monument to Russian accomplishments in space 

It stands 328 feet high

The base of the monument

Sister King helping Yvonne

 read a recipe and measure out peanut butter. 

Sunday brought with it an opportunity to teach a young African sister how to bake. The International sisters, King and Miller, are teaching a young girl named Yvonne. The last time they were all together she expressed an interest in learning how to bake. She had never baked in her life. The sisters immediately called me to see if I would be available after church to help her bake some cookies.  She loves peanut butter and one of the sisters said she loved a banana cookie I make, so those were the two type of cookies we baked. Some of the peanut butter cookies we dipped halfway in chocolate, some we left plain, and some were stuffed with a Snickers bar.....yummy.  

Enjoying the finished product

Yvonne was so cute as she and the sisters mixed up the dough together, put the cookie dough on the baking sheets and, when cooled, dipped or frosted the cookies. The banana cookies were frosted with a cream cheese icing. A fun afternoon.  While the cookies were cooling, we had a discussion with Yvonne to review the plan of salvation.  She is very knowledgeable and believes the Book of Mormon is true.  We were so grateful to have met this dynamite young girl. A great way to spend the Sabbath.

Our lesson in Gospel Principles class was on sacrifice.  When asked to comment about sacrifices we had made or observed being made, Paul talked about the  sacrifice of serving on a mission in Moscow. He commented that when we first received this call, we definitely felt we were sacrificing much.....but since we have been here and come to love these wonderful people, it is no longer a sacrifice but a great blessing in our lives. It will now be a sacrifice to leave here, knowing we probably will never see these people again.

LIFE IN RUSSIA SPOTLIGHT

This woman hung her purse 

on the back of a chair

Here the purse in sitting on the chair

but not on the floor.

While we were at Evonne's shop in town, he made an interesting comment. When I took my purse off from around by neck and set it on the floor next to the couch, he said that Russians never put their purses on the floor.  When we asked why, he said it is thought that they will lose their fortune if they do.  Every time I go to a fast food restaurant I put my purse on the floor under the table.....a sure give away that we are Americans.

Another Russian superstition is about smiling.  We have commented many times about how sober the Russians are, especially while riding the metro.  The reason....if you smile you are a fool. It seems that to smile randomly at people you make eye contact with is not the thing to do.  Smiles are supposed to be genuine and should only be shared with friends. Again, it is obvious we are not Russian.

As we were leaving the park on Saturday, we saw a new kind of taxi.  We have never seen a bicycle taxi before in Moscow.  Maybe it is unique to this park although this was seen on a street leading to the park.

WHAT A GREAT WEEK!!!