District Activities

After talking about weather last week, we do have to mention that we can now go home from work in the light! Sunset is after 5 pm. Sunrise is still after 9 am, but getting closer to that hour.

And today, Sunday, it is blizzarding. Snow all day, blowing sideways. Good day to stay home. 

The early part of the week was quiet, as usual. But on Monday Sue had a new companion! Here is Sister Davis. She is currently companions with Sister Anania-Matafai who had foot surgery on Monday morning. While President and Sister Rawson took her to the hospital, Sister Davis hung out in the office with Sister Allen for a bit until other Sisters could pull her into their "triple" for the day. Life is never dull....

The Allens, Elder Packer, Sasha & Masha, 
Elders Thieme & Herrin

"Monday night dinner" was on Tuesday this week. The Assistants and Elder Herrin brought Sasha and Masha. Masha is a Church member from Belarus, and Sasha is her friend--and now our friend, too.











Wednesday was a lunch office party--always fun, but this week also sad. It was retirement party for our wonderful Mission Office Housekeeper, Tatiana. The missionaries all call her "Mama Tanya." And she is everyone's Mom. She takes care of us all and keeps the Mission Office and Mission Home both immaculate. She's a fabulous cook and is a favorite dinner invitation for the young missionaries. She's the one who taught Sue and Sister Rawson and Sister Peck to make borscht a few months ago.

Br. Leostrin, Elder Packer, Sister Efimova, Br. Lermontov, Vladimir, Br. Igor Kiselev, 
Elders Thieme, Herrin & Allen
Veronika, Tatiana, The Rawsons,  Sister Allen

Thursday evening we had our District Cultural Activity for this Transfer. A couple of weeks ago Elder Packer asked "Sister Siri" [aka Sue] what was on of interest coming up. So she looked online and found an orchestra concert with cello soloist. Since Elder Packer plays cello, this seemed like a good fit. The whole District decided to go together. Sue bought the tickets--only 440 rubles each for fourth row seats! That's a little over $6.50. Quite a bargain.  

It was in a theater we hadn't known about before, The Looking Glass Theater, but right downtown near the Fontanka LDS Institute Building. The building was beautiful, but the theater hall was quite small--only about 400 seats.  

We had two other friends join us, Alyona (Helen) and Stefanie. More about Alyona below. Stefanie lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but her father is Russian and she skips out on beautiful Argentinian summer vacation to come to cold snowy St. Petersburg to visit him. That's true love!

Sister Gursch, Sister Stockman, Stefanie, Alyona, Sister Allen
Elders Herrin, Thieme & Packer (Photo by Elder Allen)

The program was not the one we saw on the Internet, but was still cellos and was great. The online blurb said a cello concerto and a piano concerto.

The first piece was Violin Concerto #1 by Max Bruch. It's a very familiar piece, and was played amazingly well by a young woman of about age 15!

















Then two young cellists played the Concerto for two cellos and orchestra by Julius Klengel.

The final piece was the orchestra playing Brahms Tragic Overture.  

"The District" Gursch, Stockman, Allens, Herrin, Packer Thieme

Friday we traded Hermitage times with the Elders who usually do mornings. They had a conflict, so we did morning and then came straight back to the office to work in the afternoon--so no downtown adventures on Friday night. But we did stop by the Hermitage volunteer office and pick up the 2019 badges for everyone. Last year it was almost the end of March before we got them for 2018. This year is much better.

Notice the absence of the Russian flag--not a language we speak, unfortunately. We tried hard in the beginning, but then kind of gave up. We are around English speakers too much, and what we learn just doesn't "stick" at our age. We are sad about that.

Saturday afternoon we went over to the "Religious History Museum" of St. Petersburg. We've seen the outside often because it's across the street from the main post office. We gave up the PO box a month ago, but Ken still has the key, so we wanted to do a last check. Nothing in the box (good).

The museum has religious artifacts from very early times and primitive civilizations up to modern times.  

This was part of the room devoted to Jewish religious culture.

Of course the room about the beginnings of Christianity had beautiful Russian icons. This set is Christ at the Final Judgment in the middle. It's one of those paintings where the eyes follow you wherever you stand. It's a powerful look. There is John the Baptist and Mary on the left, with apostles Peter and Paul on the right.

We only got to see about half the museum because we ran out of time. We had to get back to our Church building for the baptism of Alyona!  

Sisters Stockman, Karlsson, Brown, Alyona,
Sisters Davis, Gursch & Anania-Matafai (notice boot.)

She was brought to an English game night activity at Avtovo Ward by her friend, Sasha. He is also now being taught by the missionaries in that ward. She is Russian but is an English teacher by profession. So, her English is great!

Alyona lives in Center Ward area, so she was taught first in Avtovo and now in Center. Many people from both wards came for her baptism. She was grinning from ear to ear all evening--except when she was teary. She was baptized by former St. Petersburg Missionary, Colin Hawkins. He's back here teaching and is in Avtovo Ward.

Also notice Ken got a very short haircut this week.
But it only cost 200 rubles ($3.25)
He went to the Missionary favorite barber.

After the baptism we still hadn't done our grocery shopping and needed to pick up Ken's suit at the dry cleaners. So it was a ride on the marshrutka to Okhta Mall. The young missionaries had all gone to KFC for dinner before the concert on Thursday, so we did the same on Saturday--but at the Mall food court. You can see McDonald's next to KFC, and on the right of McD's is "Чеву Room" which is purely Russian food. This food court is an interesting mix. There is also a Burger King, a sushi place, a schawerma place (Middle Eastern wraps), a blini place (Russian stuffed crepes), etc. We've watched this mall evolve over the last two years. When we first started coming here the mall was only about six months old and very empty. We didn't know if it would survive. But now it's jam packed--especially on Saturday night. But some things have changed. There used to be a Chinese place in the food court called "Hard Wok Cafe." It disappeared, and the spot was empty for awhile. But this week there is a new place--selling Siberian Burgers! We'll have to try that before we go home. 

Recently our Prophet and Church President, Russell M. Nelson, asked us to use the full name of the Church instead of the nickname, "Mormon." We are The Church of Jesus Christ, after all. But if people think "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" is a mouthful, they should try it in Russia. This is the plaque on the entrance to the Church here with the full name:

The Central Religious Organization
"Religious Association of The Church of
Jesus Christ of The Saints of The Latter Days
 in Russia" 

But whatever the name and in whatever language, the important part is that we are The Church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. We are trying to be His Saints and to follow Him.