Elder & Sister Noel: From Russia With Love: Karen's Fourth Letter: October 30, 2012

Hello, everyone, thank you for your emails and comments. It is so nice to hear from you, and no. you are not bothering us. We love to know what is going on in your lives.

This month has flown by, but not without some great lessons, and revelations. The biggest one came one night at family home evening when a new investigator arrived. He is a young man, eighteen years old, who works three jobs. He was found by one of our sets of elders.

While playing UNO (here they say (OONA) I watched him interact with the other YSA and the "vision of family home evening" just came into my head. I realized at that moment, the whole purpose of family home evening here is for these young adult investigators to get to know people their own age. We play games, eat, and visit together. So on Sunday when he comes to church for the first time, he will already have friends, people he knows who will shake his hand and call him by name We also hope that they will feel the spirit, and want to come back.

HUGS AND KISSES; When we first put the little cardboard stove and sink in the nursery, (by the way our daughter Marianne showed me this idea before we even left for our mission) I thought that the kids (five boys) were going to rip it apart. I made the mistake of not glue gunning the sink down tightly. One little boy loved taking out the sink and throwing the play food inside the box. He just continued doing until I held it down. I let go when he walked off, but the next thing I saw was him taking out the sink, tipping the box over and crawling into the sink hole. I got a hold of his legs before he could get all the way in and pulled him out. I thought, wow, this is incredible. I have never before seen kids act like this. But, during the week, I got the sink glued in, and re-taped other places. Dad was able to make a second table for the nursey. It has made a big difference, now they have room to sit without touching one another. The wildest of them all gave me a hug and a kiss during nursey. That's kids for you. Every week we see improvement, and that is all you can ask for.

We also took pictures of the children folding their arms and being reverent next to a picture of Christ. We use their pictures to remind them to be reverent. These kids are a little confused because the chapel is also a rec-hall. During the week it is for fun and games, and on Sunday it for sacrament meeting. I know that they can learn the difference, but it is a bit confusing. We also hung up pictures of children sharing, hugging, and giving each other gifts. We noticed that they love looking at the pictures.

Language struggles.

About two weeks ago Masha, our YSA leader ask us if we would give the spiritual thought at a YSA fireside. (she speaks very broken English). I ask her how much time she wanted us to take and told her that we would. When I told Dad about it, he replied, "I don't think there is a spiritual thought before the speaker at firesides." He checked with Masha, while having a Russian speaking missionary present, and come to find out, WE were the speakers.

Sister Peebles from Ogden, (many of our Ogden friends know her) needed a new bed when she first arrived in Russia, so Dad and I ordered one from an IKEA center, had it delivered and then went over and put it together. She is such a cute girl and we all love having her here.

THE RUSSIAN WEDDING

A couple in our branch Konstantin and Julia, were married on Sept 27th. We realized that we could walk to the wedding ceremony if we knew where it was. We got up early and scouted it out. We actually found the building and then knew how long it would take us to walk back for the wedding.

We arrived in plenty of time and soon recognized many people from our branch. All of the young parents brought their children with them. We have noticed that the children go everywhere with their parents. I don't think that they ever get a date alone with their spouses.

All of the guests were waiting outside in a hall way while a lady held a pillow with a cup on top of it. The bride and groom were waiting for her to open the double doors. She said something, and then the doors opened. Everyone walked in and sat down. Constanteen and Julia stepped up onto a stage about a foot higher than where we were seated. There was a lady at a desk with a mike on her blouse. She began to talk and then she walked closer to the bride and groom. She married them and then they exchanged rings. Here the ring is placed on the right hand. After the ring exchange, they were taken back to the desk to sign the marriage certificate. Here, you must be married by the state first before you have any church marriage.

After signing the papers, the music began and they danced for us. A live, string quartet and a piano player (comes with the wedding chapel) played the music. It was very beautiful.

After the dance, the bride and groom came down and walked around and hugged, and shook hands. As they left the building we all threw rose petals at them. They walked across the street for pictures. There was a park, with benches and it was a nice sunny day for pictures. They took tons of pictures, everyone loves their picture taken, they pose and make big deal out of it, it is fun to watch them.

THE RECEPTION THAT EVENING

There were hand made decorations, which the YSA'S had helped make. They made folded birds out of paper. These birds are the ones who are supposed to bring your babies to you, like in American it is the stork. So I guess they are hoping that they will have many babies. There was games, music, a guest book plus a sit down dinner. The dinner consisted of boiled potatoes, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, cheeses, crackers with liver paste on them and fruit plates. There was of course a wedding cake, and some other cakes. They are big on layered cakes here. Very thin layers and many of them.

Then there was pickled vegetables, carrots, cauliflower, and pearl onions. There were plates and plates of sliced meats. Every kind you could think of. There were apples, plums, and several varieties of tangerines. There was a ton of bread because sandwiches here are very popular. They put a little mayo on and then pile it high with other things. Most of the people eat open-faced sandwiches. The cheese here is very good. There is no added oil, you just get the good old cheese, it is delicious.

Another popular food here is stuffed rolls. The rolls look like normal rolls, different shapes, but just normal rolls. Then when you bite into them there is a filling. Some have cooked carrots or corn, mashed potatoes, cooked hamburger, ham.

The wedding cake was absolutely beautiful. It was made to look like a dozen roses wrapped in a white paper. The roses were all purple with silver glitter on them. The white cake was wrapped around the roses and decorated to look like lace.

When it was time to cut the cake, they both put their hand on the knife and cut it together. They cut the cake for the guests, but not for themselves. We got to eat a piece, it was very good, not, too sugary. It also had a filling in it, but I couldn't tell what it was.

There were games and activities for everyone to participate in. It was almost like a wedding shower that we have for the bride in America, but the groom was playing right along with the bride here. I will just tell you about one game that I played. Five woman stand on one side of the hall, and 5 stand opposite on the other side. There is a ribbon strung back and forth down the line so that it is zig zagged back and forth. Each person holds on to the ribbon. The bride and groom begin to walk down the hall to break through the first ribbon, as they break the ribbon they stop and take turns telling us what a good husband or good wife must do. I have no idea what they said, but everyone was laughing, and having fun as they broke through all of the ribbons.

There was a skit with one of the YSA young men dressed up like a big Russian hunter. He had on this huge fur hat with a rain coat. He began to tell Julia (the bride) how much he missed her, and how much he is still in love with her. He ask her why she had run off with another guy. I guess it was pretty funny because everyone was really laughing. There were other games, and then the bride and groom left.

Frank and I began to help clean off table and put them away. We decided that we would do the heavy work, and then go home. I saw the grooms mom begin to put food in baggies. Her daughter (from out of town) began to vacuum. Her grandson (about 8) began to sweep. Dad and I decided that we had better start washing the dishes. Dad washed and I dried. As we talked we began to realized that these people have to catch buses in order to get home. Then we realized, SO DO WE!! We realized that we could call a taxi. So we stayed and cleaned and come to find out the mother and daughter and grand-kids had to take a taxi also. We got home about 10:30pm, so that wasn't so bad. It was a good chance to serve, we felt good about it.

CHINA TOWN

Isn't it amazing that even Krasnoyarsk has a China Town. We walked to it to find a paper store, paper here is like gold. You hunt for it, and pay a lot for it. As we were walking I glanced over to my right to see an old lady probably in her 80's climbing down some stairs backwards. She was on all fours, working her way down to the bottom. I couldn't believe my eyes, so I left dad standing there and went over to her. By then she was down on the level ground, but I could see that she was hanging on to a cane in her right hand. I pulled on her to help her stand up straight. She looked up at me and said, "thank you" Spaceeba, Spaceeba, Spaceeba. She showed me her little plastic bag with a couple of jars of medicine in it. Evidently she had gone to get her medicine at the building, but couldn't get down the stairs. She had such a sad face, with her little cloudy eyes looking at me. I thought how in the world are you to get home again. We watched her shuffle off on her way. We passed the building and for some reason I looked back. I could see that the company had built a cement ramp for people to walk down, BUT they did not build a railing for them to hold on to.

BOOK OF MORMON CHALLENGE

President Gibbons, our mission president has challenged all of the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon in the same amount of time that it took Joseph Smith to translate it, 85 days, so that would be by Christmas. Dad and I decided that it would be good for us, and also for the YSA's to do the same. We are all reading and it is amazing because even the investigators, and newly baptized are doing it. Our YSA leader, Mausha, who has only been a member four months told me that she couldn't understand why people read the book of Mormon over and over. She said that now she understands because this time she is finding new things to learn. Isn't that so cool. That is what happens to all of us, but it is because we are all in different stages of life and circumstances every time we read it. She is way ahead of everyone else and it having a good experience.

THE BOOK OF MORMON MIRACLES

President Gibbons also told the missionaries a true story that he heard from a man while visiting Kazakstan (in our misson). He said that years ago a man was searching for the truth, he had been bothered by his own religion, and wanted to know the truth. He was out side one day watering his trees. He felt impressed to look up. He saw two young men walking down the street. One of them was carrying a book of Mormon over his heart. The man was drawn to the book, and felt like he had to look at it. He went toward the missionaries and ask them about the book. They of course told him and to make a long story short. He read it, got baptized, and is now a leader in the Kazakstan branch.

President Gibbons has asked all of the missionaries to carry books of Mormon with them at all times. Because of this new idea, there have been some really good experiences for these missionares. One day Elder Probst was on the bus when a lady actually took the book out of his hands and began to look through it. She asked him questions about it, and then he gave it to her. Another day Sister Montgomery and her companion were standing waiting for a bus. This bus came up and stopped and the driver opened the drivers door. That never happens,because they only open their door if they are exiting. The bus wasn't the one she wanted so she just stood there with her arms wrapped around the book. He yelled out of the bus, "What is the name of that book you are holding?" She said, "It is the book of Mormon, do you want it?" He ask, "how much is it?" she told him that it was free. He replied that he did want it. She gave it to him and he drove away.

Buses, here are on a tight schedule. There are check points here where men stand with notebooks and pencils checking their watches to make sure the buses are on schedule. When buses pull up to to a stop,and another bus is there, they immediately begin to honk their horn so that the bus will get out of their way. For him to even stop for one second is unheard of.

We may never know where these books of Mormon end up, but the challenge for these missionaries is to place a book each day and to not go home at night with the book. They must give it to someone. So far they are going through Books of Mormon like crazy.

Everyone is doing well with their reading. they like the book and are asking questions. On Monday Dad always tells a story out of the Book of Mormon and the YSA's and investigators take turns reading it. This Monday a young investigator named Alex was here for the first time. He wanted to take a turn reading, so dad called on him. He read the part about the brother of Jared asking God about light in his ships and about how the ships were build to weather the storms. Dad told him how God sometimes God does not take away our problems, but he prepares us so we can handle our problems. After dad was finished he asked if there were any comments. Alex said, "I know this is true because I have had problems, but now I am here and it is good."

On October 12th we were in the train station waiting for Elder and Sister Gunderson who were coming from Novosibirsk for a CES conference here in Kransnoyarsk. While in the train station we saw two policemen come inside. One of them had a German Shepherd on a leash. He began to walk around the waiting room letting the dog sniff luggage. He went row by row up and down until he came to a lady with a little girl about three years old. She began to cry violently as the dog looked her in the eye, but the police officer did not call the dog away, he just let him sniff at her and frighten her until the dog was content to walk on. It made me so sad to see her so frightened.

As we exited the station and were going down the 100 stairs or so we saw a sight that has been haunting me. There was a small man with only one full leg trying to get down the snow covered stairs. His other leg was cut off above his knee.

Even though it was cold that day we could see his leg because it was only partially covered with his pant leg. He was leaning on homemade crutches with cloth wrapped over the ends of the sticks. We were horrified, thinking at any moment he would slip and kill him self on the rock steps. Dad and Elder Gunderson put down the suitcases and went over to help him, but he did not want help. We just said a prayer in our hearts and watched him make it all the way down on his own.

We went with Sergi and Julia to Russian Orthodox Church that has just been built. They wanted us to see their church, they have been in ours many times. She brought a scarf for me to wear over my head which is tradition. As we walked in there was a whole entry full of things to buy. Books, pictures, and tons of candles. We didn't buy anything, but Julia bought candles. Dad ended up going back to buy two candles because it is a donation and you light them and then place them in a holder to burn. There was an area where you put candles for people who have passed away.

The inside of this chapel was beautiful, a lot of gold leaf, and pictures all over the biggest wall. There were so many pictures that I couldn't tell you what they were of. Mainly different poses of Christ in pain, and at birth, and all different circumstances. There were no benches, or chairs, just a big room. I asked Julia why you can't sit down. She said, "It is tradition that you stand while the speaker talks to you". Then she told me that you can kneel if you have sins that you need forgiven.

On Saturday night the missionaries threw a Halloween party. They don't really celebrate Halloween over here, but there are a few people who like it. Our YSA leader is one of those people. She is also an artist so she made some pretty nice drawings and the sisters painted and colored them. On Friday night after Institute we were helping to hang up the pictures when the custodian saw what we are doing. He did not want those pictures in our building. He thought that they were evil and he was very upset. One of the members of our branch presidency speaks very good english. He asked me how I felt about making them take down the decorations and I told him that it is his building, not ours, and that we would do whatever he wanted us to do. He told us that we could keep the cute ones, and just take down the others. So that is what we did. It was a little us-settling at first because we were afraid Mausha the artist would get her feelings hurt, but she was ok. The party turned out fine and everyone had a great time.

Mixing two cultures with holidays is tricky because we have no idea how they feel about our holidays. Now we know that Halloween is evil in Russia. Mausha is now excited about Thanksgiving, which is totally American. She is so cute, she loves parties.

Our visa trip was interesting and fun we have pictures of it on our blog. We are busy, busy, but that is what we prayed for, so it is "ALL GOOD" which is a saying in our mission. We are so blessed to be here experiencing the Lord's tender mercies on his children. We hope that all of you feel our love and prayers. Elder and Sister Noel

Konstantin and Julia, The Bride and Groom

The "Ribbon" tradition.

The Wedding Cake

Olga, our visa lady. She makes sure we are all here legally.

The Mother's of the Bride and Groom: They meet them at the door to the chapel with this large loaf of bread. They give them advice, congratulate them and then the bride and groom eat some of the bread.