Taco Night

Alice at the big event. She didn't want me to post her pictures because we were caught in a downpour as we left our apartment. Please don't tell her....I still think she is beautiful!! Elder Stegelmeier was the chef for our Taco night. He made everything from scratch!! We love this big guy. He has a great sense of humor and a huge heart.

Jump on in and enjoy the ride is this spacious elevator. Oh I wish you could hear the noises it makes on the way up or down.

This is the 3rd floor. This is where the elevator starts in this 9 story building. It is also where they throw their trash and someone comes by and sends it down the chute for local pickup.

This is what it looks like without a flash in broad daylight. You ought to see it at night.

Taco Night Live

This was taco night at the Vlasiks home. I wanted to give a little action with the still shots above. Alice also speaks some words on this clip.

TREES, TREES, TREES!

Buses,Spit and Trees

BUSES!-I would like to talk a little about the mini buses that you can take if a big one doesn’t come around. They should hold only 10 people at one time. When we were with the tiny Relief Society president (100 lbs. soaking wet) she had Breck and I jump in one and it ended up that there were 13 people in it already. Breck and she were on the floor cause it was the only place left when it ripped away catapulting down the bumpy road. We had to take it cause she had just prayed for a bus since it was dark and wanted to get out of the area. Well a couple of days ago we jumped on one and the missionary we were with took the only good seat which left Breck and I on a kind of makeshift board seat behind the driver's bench. It was so close to the first seat that you can be pretty uncomfortable. I looked at Breck and the lady facing him had her knees between his knees. Just then I realized that the rail I thought I grabbed on the way getting in the bus was not a rail at all but a guy’s leg. I looked up to see the innocent missionary sitting in the back comfortable seat with his head bobbing like a golden retriever on a Sunday drive.

TREES-So for some unknown reason the Russian people cut trees in town off when they get big and leave about 15ft of stump. The next year the top of the tree starts to branch again and it looks like a bulb on top. Sometimes they don’t grow for a while. Next they white wash the bottom 3ft. of the tree and even the little bushes. I have heard that it is suppose to keep them from splitting, maybe it is because of bugs but I haven’t seen many bugs. The left over white wash is used to paint the curbs but it doesn’t stay on them for long(except for the globs on the sidewalk). Russian thinking I don’t really get it!

On our preparation day the missionaries were kind to the old folks and asked us if we would like to go bowling. As luck would have it I pulled out my camera an took a little movie of Elder Roberts (no I am not stalking him). Well, you can see how well he does under pressure. We have so much fun with these Elders. It is especially nice to see them in another setting and learn more about them.

Bowling one more time

Nice spare!!!

This is Ludmela and her son Sasha. Ludmela is a nurse and Sasha turns 3 on Friday. They live in a 105 year old home. Notice the size of the lumber in its construction. She has no bathroom, no running water, only one room, a wood buring stove to cook and heat her home. She also has other children that are grown. She is a new convert to the church and is a wonderful person. Her house is very clean and she and Sasha love each other deeply. I have included a couple of pictures of her neighborhood and as you will see it is not ideal.

I love the 105 year old wood joints that are still in very good condition.

This is the community outhouse and is a few homes away from Ludmela and Sasha.

This is what sits on the side of the road on your way to Ludmela's home. I show you this to remind us all of what we have. And to remind myself that Ludmela is happy and productive even in this environment. Perhaps you and I could not do as well as she if the tables were turned.

Beautiful new church kitty corner from our apartment.
My little buddy Kiril. He will be 2 years old on April 24th.

4 top Russian athletes with their American smiles on.

4 top athletes with their Russian attitude looks on.

Get use to this view if you are going to compete against these guys. Cause all you'll see is dust and the back of their jackets. Okay maybe minus the tag on the back of elder Camp. Did I mention we just love these guys? Cheri said (one of our 4 daughters), hey dad maybe these are the sons that you never had. I would be honored to have any of them be my son. Just like the 4 wonderful men that married our daughters.

Happy Birthday March 27th

Talk about out of sequence. This is my surprise birthday party I hit 56 but the blow was lessened by kindness of these fine men. I thought their parents would like to see them in action again. They got hats, horns, food, etc. but now that I think of it we didn't dance like "Italian Night". Well there is always next year.

More of the men

I am sorry for the poor sequencing of these pictures but I just received these today from one of the members of the branch. It shows more of the men that made it happen.

This is the fantastic six. Six of the most energetic and creative missionaries around.

Everyone Dance!!!

The waiters

Some of the finest Italian waiters I have ever worked with!!
I don't know that I would buy a used car from either of these guys!!

This is the hit man. Man was he a hit!

Yeah, no used car deals here either!

And this guy......we blurred the picture to make him look thinner.

Really though we had a blast. These missionaries are some of the finest. It is such a pleasure to work side by side with them. They are affecting lives here in Ussurisk while they are building their own.

Italian Night in Russia

This was Italian Night at our little Branch. The missionaries planned a great night of fun for the Branch. First was something spiritual, then some games, then this dance, and finally a spaghetti dinner with real sauce (not found anywhere in the mother land of Russia). This is the movie of the elders teaching the dance to everyone. They loved it!!!

Slava's Baptism

This is Slava Vlasik's prebaptism picture. He is a wonderful man. His eldest daughter alaysa is on his right. To Slava's left is elder Temus, his daughter Marionna, his wife Onna, and his grandson Kiril.The Vlasik women all wore matching outfits to the baptism. It doesn't show up well in this picture but they were pretty bedazzeled too. This is one sweet, kind, and giving family!!!
Here is the whole group that attended the baptism. The thing you don't see here is the pile of cameras that everyone handed to one girl who took a picture or two with each camera. By the time we got around to my camera we were all feeling the burn from being in this position for a pretty good chunk of time. President and Sister Everett, our mission President and his wife made it to the baptism from Vlad. They had one other baptismal service to attend today in Arteom (4 were baptised in the ocean there....yes still pretty chilly).

The woman I love!!

This is the woman I love. Can you see how happy she is!!! This was taken from a little taxi ride we took on the way back home to our apartment.

Keep those cards and letters com'n

This is our mailbox. It is a little hammered and not really reliable. I think that is why all of our mail is to come via the pouch or to the mission office directly. Our bill for heat and water comes to this mailbox and it is a real roll of the dice if we ever see it. Luckily they can't shut your water off because there is only one line for the entire building.