Friday, July 27, 2012

I spoke a little too soon when I said that everything had gone smoothly.  At the airport in Novosibirsk we checked our bags and kept our carry-ons, just as we had done before.  When time for boarding came we were placed in a small bus and driven out on to the tarmac, quite a distance from the airport.  As we boarded a large burly man came flying out of the airplane (this was a commuter jet) and pointed to our bags and said “nyet, nyet nyet.”  He would not let us board with our carry-ons.  He called a supervisor and she came storming out, however she was going to just check our bags, put them on the plane, and we would be gone.  But the first man would have nothing to do with that. 

        He was going to make us go all the way back to the terminal, through security and back to the check-in to check our carry-ons.  This made the second woman quite mad and she spent the next several minutes yelling on her phone at everyone who we had passed with our carry-ons.  But we got back on the bus, back to the terminal, back through security, checked in our carry-ons, then back through security, back on the bus and back to the plane.  All this time the other passengers were waiting for us and I am sure getting more upset by the minute.   One of the other passengers was very helpful to us and had helped us carry our bags to the plane and seemed quite concerned for our welfare.  Anyway everything worked out and we were off to Krasnoyarsk with only a small delay.

  We were met in Krasnoyarsk by the elders, sisters, branch president and counselor in the district presidency (who is a taxi driver, lucky for us.) 

Outside the entrance to our apartment.  Left to right: Karen, Sister Erekson, Sister Montgomery, Elder Barnes, Frank, Pres. Vettsel, Pres. Kotov.

The kitchen in our first apartment.

Living Room

Bedroom

We have no dryer so this is how the clothes are dried.

It is customary in Russia to remove your shoes when entering anyone's home.  So there is always a long shoe horn nearby (they call it a "spoon" or "Lozhka") to help you get your shoes back on.

Just outside the door to our apartment #7.  We are 4 flights up and no elevator.  You can see the sign put there by the Young Single Adults.  It says "Welcome".