I give Up

I have a page in my drafts that I saved so I could work on later and now I can't get it out of drafts. So I just give up! If you want to see that blog someone will have to explain to me how I proceed in doing that process. We have been mainly at home these past two weeks. Did go to center so we could send things out, as our fax was not receiving until this past Friday. The fax is working now after four months of frustration and you now how that is with your dad, every day asking me if it works or if I am going to get it fixed, how and when . The biggest frustration with him is that he can not seem to remember where he puts anything? We are always looking for his papers, etc. Maybe I should say he is always looking as I have allowed him to solve his own crisises. Actually life is not so bad with him at home all the time. He waits on me more, he does the dishes, cleans the house, vacuums, dusts and even the toilets and he will even take a nap with me.

This week we will have overnight company as all the Senior couples are coming in for a Farwell Dinner for the Davis. This is their last month in Ukraine, Kiev. Sister Davis said that she is in mouring but after being here for 3 years I am sure they will be excited to go home. They have done alot of good things here and the missionaries really like them. I think I was requested to make Sarah's Salad for 20. Hope I can find all of the ingredients.

Wanted to show you a few more pictures of the Dnipropetrovsk Mission (DNP) that we toured last month. We went by train, a 6hour ride per express. Otherwise, it would of been a 10hour overnight trip. As we rode along we saw all these fields of golden flowers. I finally asked a fellow train rider what kind of fields they were. I was told "рапс" which is prounced raps. When I got home I found that the raps are used for oil and biofuel. The fields can only be planted once every six years with raps. Then other crops have to be planted as this crops brings certain bacteria, bugs and will kill the soil if planted every year. Thought that was interesting. The second time we went tthe fields were already changing color so we went at the right time for the color.

Also all along the way whenever we came near a town you could see the babushkas (grandmothers) out tending their gardens.
We had a dicussion with another passenger on our second trip (he spoke English some) about how much of a pension we received in America and how much they received in Ukraine. Did not one to shock them to much so I only used the amout of my mother's pension as an example. Here they receive less than $150 per month but they also have no housing expenses. So alot of the babushkas have a garden where they grow most of the family winter foods or the extra they may take to market or just sale on the side of the road. Another interesting thing was that each home seemed to have a bench behind it so that the older members can sit out and rest or visit.


The hotel was more worn than the Marriot in Armenia. In fact Dad and I had this disussion about the sheets. There was a sheet (white) under the bedspread on the bed then a striped sheet. We just went to bed on top of the striped sheet but we thought it was strange that there was not a mattress cover. The second trip showed us that we had slept on the mattress cover. I'm sure that the maids wondered why the bed was so messed up every night. On the second trip they had the devay (sp) covers on the bed with the bedspread on top of that. There were devay covers the first time but it was so warm that we did not get them out. Should of just taken those blankets out and used the double sheet as the top sheet. Don't know why everyone in Europe like those heavy devay covers on top of them. Just to heavy for us. The second trip to DNK we stayed at the same hotel but the room we got only had twin beds and not upgrades so it was really old. Another thing I have trouble with is the bathtubs. To get in and out of them one needs to be really careful to prevent falling. The tubs are about 2 feet off of the ground so you have to step up into them and when you get out you have to step down as far that one needs to be careful especially since your feet are wet. I don't know how the invalid or elderly make it into these modern conviences. View outside the Hotel DNP.


Our main reason for going to DNK was to check out the medical facilities in the area. Sometimes we were rather surprised about what we saw. Alot of the buildings were built in the 1970's but most of the time they look much older as the upkeep has been very minimal. The stair wells are really dirty as well as some of the insides. Most of the hospital have big (huge) hallways that meander into lots of mass confusion. Even the person showing us around got lost. Sometimes we were surprised that when we opened a door there was a really modern, clean facility with lots of modern equipment. There was an item on the news channel about the ability to buy a educational license here so sometimes one may question the education of their doctors. (Natasha told me this.)



Here is a big wasted area going to the elevator. Not very lighted either. They prefer to keep the light off.
Yet, here you have a really nice modern, clean, new emergency room. It has three new surgical rooms and new triage area.

We also got to see the BYU dance show that came two weeks ago. They were really good and the Ukrainians really liked the performance. We continue to deal with the missionaries medical probles: GB attacks, appendectomies, nausea and diarrhea, allergies, etc.. We can get it all, but it makes the days go really fast. We hope you all are doing good. Keeping in touch with each other. Staying close to your Heavenly Father. May He bless you in all your needs and problems. We love you all and are so thankful that you are part of our family and friends. LUV MOM and DAD, GM and GP, J&J