18 February 2008

Dear Family,

Did not write last week as we spoke to all of you on the phone. The past two weeks have gone rapidly by. As I look at each of us, Dad and me, sometimes I wonder were the last forty years have gone. Not that I want to return to being 20, but I just hope that all of you are enjoying the time of your life right now. Appreciate each day that you have and enjoy, cherish the ones around you because soon you will turn around and wonder! We have had a few missionary call us with their sickness. One of our main concerns right now is the way to make sure the missionaries are careful around people who are coughing. A missionary who went home from Armenia about 3 months ago now has converted on his TB test. They also have a member there sick with TB and wonder what to do for the Elders who contacted her. We are in the process of getting some TB test and hope to go there to evaluate the situation. The missionaries on their return home are to get a TB test but only about 20% comply with that request. See that principal of odebience is always important. We may try to set up a program to get them tested before leaving the mission field. Last Sunday we had dinner with the Lees but yesterday we had the Elders over again. Have actually discovered that I can still cook if I but take the time. Made my Sweet and Sour Pork for them which I haven't made for ages. Dad is enjoying the renewal of this old skill. Thurs. night we had a member couple and their two children over. Made Sarah's easy lasagne receipe and it was the best ever. Even made a chocolate cake from scratch. I thought there was to much baking soda in it but John thought it was great. We bought a cake from the market for Sunday, turned out to be a $13/oo pound cake that was dry. Won't try that again. We are going to have FHE every other Monday night with the couples. I will host it next week. Will need to come up with some new dessert receipes. All help is appreciated. Well enough about food. We did meet with a member doctor who works for the Peace Corps. He gave us a lot of help about medical care in the Keiv area. He was also able to get us some medicine that we had trouble getting. Basically you can walk in and get any medicine you want except for the sleepers and controlled one. Just have to be careful where they are manufactured. We went to inspect the missionaries apartments this week, surprising they were pretty clean just a little sparse and not very big. We went to a district leadership meeting and they made us a pizza. We also went to a stake concert where they hired a violinist and pianoist/singer. The music was also all original. The music was high quality but the singing was very Ukrainian. As our tutor told us they love to sing even if they don't sound very good. Saturday we went into Kiev for the International Branch RS meeting. This time we learned to make chocolates. John came down with me so I wouldn't get lost! You don't know how many times I have had to correct his directions on even getting to the church. Sometimes I feel like just going his way to see where he would take me! I did finally get a pair of dress boots. It snowed some and this week has been the coldest since being here. We are still walking and walking and walking. We have made a few appointments for this week. Will meet with Olena, she makes the missionaries Dr. appt. in Kiev for us. Are trying to learn how to bypass her because everyone gets a cut. We had a sis. miss. we sent to her clinic for sleep disturbance and because she had a headache they wanted to do a CT scan. They are big on ordering lots of test here for the miss. The more they do the bigger cut they get. Only get paid for what they get done. The PC Dr. said that was a big problem here. There is a baptism planned for Saturday for the 96 yo. Yesterday in church there was an investigator who introduced herself. Then this 96yo started telling her about the church and its correctness. I thought it was a great moment even if I couldn't understand. till trying to learn that Russian. Luv MOM