Was planning on calling everyone but just went to the laptop and it seems totally down. Won't even turn on. The lights were flickering earlier but did not know if it affected the laptop. If any one knows what to do email us. Luv MOM
It is the night before Christmas -- at least it is for us Americans who are in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Christmas is not till 7 January so we are in for a long 3 weeks of lots of time off, holidays and drinking. We will have the Elders in our District over tomorrow for the customary soups, games and maybe a film - or that may not be until New Year Day activities. Most of the snow has melted but some areas are still very slick and Dad slips and slides his way along. We have two couples coming up to watch the Christmas Special from a couple of years ago. Have the Wassail ready but that oven is giving me trouble again and the cake has been cooking for over an hour!
We are doing good. Keeping busy this week - helped out in the office on Monday and had Zone Conference yesterday so I actually was a little lazy today and did not give up at 6:30 like I did the first two days to get everything done. Friday we will travel to center again and maybe try to do a little post Christmas shopping - do you think they have such here. Did hear that the Spuss did have a sale after Christmas just don't know which Christmas.
I have learned a few more things here in Ukraine. Found out that beans can harbor bugs. Went to get out some white beans we had bought about a month ago and there were bugs in the sack with holes in the beans. I have kept beans in the panty for years at home and that never happened. So went to the internet and googled bugs in beans and sure enough it does happen. Usually found in old beans. Now my questions if that is an indication of old beans and the bugs come out when they hatch were they not in there to begin with? So do we eat them as larva - if I think to long on that I may never eat anything again. Also found bugs in the carrots. I thought those little holes were from maybe sticks that get stuck when harvested only to find a moving thing onse. Maybe it is best to use pesticides. Any way there are bugs abounding. We are doing good - will try to call everyone sometime on Christmas or the next day. Luv to all M&D, GM & GP, J&J
The hot water has been turned off again in our apartment for the last 4 days. It is do to the "crisis" we are told. Even the PM here said she was without hot water! As we had our friends up when we heard this on the news they were all laughing and said that she "lied". They would not dare turn off any of the hot water in the Center area where all the politicians live and where the businesses are. However the hot water also controls the heat in the apartments and it is colder in here than it was last winter and the registers are cooler so they somehow must also control the heat by how hot the water is that flows through the pipes. We were to go downstairs last night to play games and about 20 minutes before we were to go down we had a knock on the door and it was them. They said it was to cold in their apartment so they came up - they live on the ground floor so it is colder. We fortunately have two units that are either heaters or air conditioners so we turn them on and in Sept. we bought a small space heater that can warm the place up. I just wonder how the children and the "older" citizens survive! They also said all the bills aren't getting paid so they will just give less money to the pensioners to pay the water bills. Oh, well life in Ukraine as usual.
We had a good trip to Bulgaria. For the most part the area was about the same. It did have mountains around the city as we flew in and Dad thought it reminded him of home. The streets are narrower and the buildiings not as tall and not as many but the litter is still there, the old paved streets, lots of cracks in the sidewalks and buildings with no outward care. We did enjoy the few days we were there. Stayed in a really nice hotel and actually had some KFC and even a Buger King hamburger.
We will not be traveling much the rest of the time here as we have been to all the countries except the Baltics. We continue with English and a few calls from the missionaries. Had a broken finger and foot, 2 different people, this week. Not much else. Which is good.
Hope things are going good at home. we know that there are a few trials but just rely on the Lord. We do love you all. May this Holiday be full of fun family times. Luv M&D
Just a quick note to show you that we are ready for Christmas here in Ukraine. The ornaments are the ones the grandchildren will get for their next year's ornaments. Will be gone for the next 4 days so have a great weekend. PS. The tree is only about 3 ft. tall just wanted you to think it is big. Luv MOM
This is the latest picture of your Mother and Dad having dinner with the RS General Board Member and the Primary Pres. They were touring the Ukraine Mission.
This is our District after the Thanksgiving meal. Forgot to take one before the meal. Elders Rupp, Hamilton, Trasdahl and Wahl. It was great to fix a meal for them since no family showed up for the day. One IOP teacher's mother and sister surprised her!!!
We are doing good. Hope this month is a White December for our Mission!! Remember the real purpose of this month and share what you have as much as you can. Teach the kids it is a great time to do service for others.
We will be going to Bulgaria on Friday to renew our Visa. A requirement that we have to do every year. So you can tell we are coming up on the year anniversary - 7 Jan. 2009!! Will stay a few extra days to give a presentation - that area is also in our assigned mission coverage. For the most part the mission has been relatively healthy. The missionaries must be following the rules - OBEDIENCE- does bring results and blessings. May you all find joy in this season - our tree is up. The lights have already burned out after one day!! Oh, as the saying goes - only in Ukraine. But it is up - hope your greatest desires come true as you remain valiant in your doings. Luv M&D, GM&GP
Dear Family,
During 1941, a notice in the newspaper notified all the Jews in the Kiev area to report here, bringing with them all of their possessions. They incorrectly thought they were being sent back to Israel or a gehtto. Instead they were executed, told to go to the ravine and then shot. There are reports of 33,000 (documented) - 100,000 killed, according to inscription on base of monument. Then the bodies were covered with dirt and another group was executed on top. This was during the Stalin reign in Russia. What a great tragedy in the history of Ukraine!
"All [Jews] living in the city of Kiev and its vicinity are to report by 8 o'clock on the morning of Monday, September 29th, 1941, at the corner of Melnikovsky and Dokhturov Streets (near the cemetery). They are to take with them documents, money, valuables, as well as warm clothes, underwear, etc. Any [Jew] not carrying out this instruction and who is found elsewhere will be shot. Any civilian entering flats evacuated by [Jews] and stealing property will be shot." Copy of newspaper article and posters. This was supposedly in retaliation for some bombings that occured in Kiev after the Germans came in and the Russians had fled. 
The monument errected to the memory of those that died.
This man came up to me while I was standing at the monument and told me that his grandfather had lost his life here.
We visited this area a couple of weeks ago - but wanted to share how careful of our freedoms and blessed our country has been so far. We need to willingly continue protecting those freedoms with which we have been blessed.
At this time of year our thoughts go to pondering about all of our blessings. So here goes the top 10 things we are thankful for:
10.Opportunities that we have in America
9.Freedoms that we enjoy in America - especially religious
8.Our ancestors that have dealt with things we will never haft to face because of their willingness to go before
7.This beautiful land/earth that we are blessed with
6.Everyone's good health - now stay that way
5.The increase faith and blessings that come by living and following the commandments
4.All of my extended family-including the 24 grandchildren, that they have blessed our lives with
3.All of our children - even the trials they gave us, notice I did not say give, they are now yours, we can only spoil them :)
2.Each other
1.Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ
We will have Thanksgiving dinner here for our District and then go to Center for a evening with the Senior Couples. I need to make pumpkin pies so I guess I had better cut up this pumpkin and make the base for them. Oh, that was so long ago when I did things like that!
We did go to Odessa this past week. Rode the train down - interesting night of sleep. It was really a rough, swaying ride and we must have stopped at about 5 train stations during the trip. We survived which was the most important thing. Got in about 6:30 and went to the Church to hang out for Zone Conference to begin. Gave our presentations and that evening met with a Doctor, church member, and wife who had helped us make appointments to look at medical facilities the next day. They were a great couple , he was baptized during the first year of the church here.
The next day we went surveying medical and dental facilities. Found some good ones. That evening we had supper with Pres. and Sister Piper, Area Pres, Sister Lant and Sister Thompson who both had been in Ukraine to help with training of the local auxillaries. We had met them last week when they gave a fireside in Kiev but we enjoyed talking with them again.
We returned Saturday evening. Church on Sunday and this last evening the couple from downstairs were to come up for FHE with the missionaries. Unfortunately the husband had to work late and did not get here until the missionaries had to leave. We still watched Finding Happiness and had a small discussion. They are really good about reading the Bible and have a good basis. I don't know what will eventually happen but we are to play games at their home Friday night and go bowling on Saturday with them, oh, those bones, those aching bones.
Tonight we will teach English, tomorrow is a farewell supper for Sister Lee, Thurs. English again, Friday game night, Sat. bowling and RS VT meeting. Think that about does it for this week and then next week is Thanksgiving week! We do fit some medical help in there as it is needed. May you all have a great week is our prayer. Miss you all. Luv. M&D, GM&GP, J&J
Our week was again a very quiet one. District Meeting, lunch with the missionaries, teaching our two nights of English conversations, taking our neighbors to Fridays and then to a baptism on Saturday night. Oh, and on Wednesday we had zone conference where we gave our power point presentations and at the end receiving word that mother had passed away. We were saddened about that news but so thankful that she did not have to suffer long - she had already lost so much of her ability to remeber and function physically that it was good that she went rapidily in the end. As Jan and I were talking I think the hard thing to realize is that we are now our mother's age and we are getting closer to the end than the beginning. The facing of mortality on this Earth becomes more real. I appreciated the poem Sarah posted on the Lackey Legand. This is but a short time here and we have the eternities to learn more and to interact with others. Life is good.
We are traveling to Odessa on an over night train - will see how well we can sleep on it. John has really not wanted to experience this but the Pres. is going down and we are going with them. Will fly back Saturday evening. Going to check out some clinics.
Hope all is going well at home. We do love you all. Take care. Luv Mom and Dad
