Finally...Family!

We spent an absolutely fantastic week with 3 of our charming, witty, adventurous children.  We had so much fun.  Elder Pierson commented as we were saying goodbye that the nice thing is that it could have been any combination of our 7 children and their spouses and they would have had just as much fun and been just as good a mix.  We are blessed with a jolly group.

We met Lindsey, Amanda and Aaron (who one day earlier graduated with an MBA from UT with a perfect 4.0) at the airport last Sunday.  As we saw all of the obviously Singapore crew and passengers deplane with no sign of them, we became concerned.
Five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty five, thirty minutes ticked by and we were panicked.
The photo from their settling into their seats in Houston assured us that they had made the plane.

 They finally emerged and we discovered the hold up.  Lindsey's passport had been marked M for male and our very feminine mother of 6 had a stare down with the Russian authorities.  "Are you a boy or a girl?"  It took intervention from the Russian consulate and a new visa to make our daughter officially feminine.

After that rocky start, we sailed along famously all week.  Sapsan bullet train to St. Petersburg for 3 days, marveling at the history and culture created by the Romanovs, particularly Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.  Our guide knew everything and anticipated our every question.  Our rental apartment had the patina of a European flat.

The beauties of the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Peterhof and the European flavored city.  We loved it all.

Our 3 days showing off our beautiful city of Moscow passed all too quickly.

A jam packed week.  Thanks to their spouses who were troopers.  Welcoming Amanda and Lindsey will be new puppies (these dads are pushovers) and a new car for the Clausens.  

We have the itinerary down, now.  Anyone else want to make the trip? You still have 6 months.   We will make it worth your time.

Krasnodor & Sochi...

We love it when we can spend some time with our fabulous CES couples in the area where they work.  And they do work! These ranchers from Wyoming left their cattle, horses and family to seek after and bring the youth of the church in Russia to Christ. See how they love this seminary student?  

This past weekend we spend with our missionaries and young adults in Krasnodor, near the border with Crimea, and Sochi, a 6 hour train ride away.  

The wonderful CES couple we visited are responsible for 4 branches.  As is always the case here in East Europe, the distances are daunting but traveling through the gorgeous Caucasus mountains and emerging to the beauties of the Black Sea is breathtaking.

In Krasnodar, we  observed an animated  faith-filled Institute class.  Even though we didn't understand much of what she said, this teacher is fun to watch  We know she taught a great lesson topped off with a well planned object lesson.  We have a vague idea of what she was teaching but the youth plainly understood  and they loved it and her!

In Sochi, the branch president is a missionary as sometimes happens in still-growing branches.

All missionaries grow as they serve and this missionary clearly has.  

We spoke in sacrament meeting, partook of the same sacrament and heard the same inspired messages we do in any ward or branch anywhere in the world  The Relief Society president told me a bit about her conversion.  She taught Russian literature in college for many years during the Soviet era.  When she heard the truth of the gospel, it rang true to her and she was baptized with her family.  Her long-held belief in the reality of God was confirmed.  Now a widow, she is grateful for the reality of eternal families.  She loves the sisters in the branch.

 We loved accompanying the missionaries on splits, visiting less-active members and hearing their testimonies and desires to become more involved in the Lord's kingdom. 

  

This darling young woman is leaving for her mission next week.  She is so excited!  

One sweet sister in Sochi welcomed us into her humble apartment on Sun. evening.  In church she had asked the branch president for a blessing.  As Elder Pierson and the President placed their hands on her head, the spirit bore witness to me of the reality of Priesthood power.  The words didn't matter and I don't know what the Lord said to her in the blessing but I do know that God works through 20 year olds and almost 70 year olds, anywhere in the world.  Peace and comfort settled in that tiny room in southern Russia and a sweet sister was assured of the love of the Lord for her.  I felt a sister-in-the-gospel love for her, even though we had just met and I will probably never see her again.  I know that we are eternal friends.  What a great church!

As we did some sight-seeing on Monday in Sochi, we rode a tram to the top of a 500 acre botanical garden.  As we exited the tram, the view was stunning.  I was content to stay, enjoying the view there but Elder Pierson, as always, saw a narrow stairway and wanted to climb.  6 flights later, we reached the very top of the tower and observed so much more.  We could see further with far fewer obstacles to our vision. The vista included mountains, then more mountains on one side and the Black Sea on the other, with Turkey outlined in the distance.  

 It reminded me of what God sometimes asks of us.  We are often content with who we are and what we see but if we continue to climb and grow, even when it is hard, we are given a greater degree of knowledge and we become more than we could ever have imagined.  As we tell those who are investigating the gospel, keep the truth you have and build on it.  There is so much joy in the climb.

May Day in Moscow

We learned from our office staff that May Day is a huge deal in Russia, as it is in many parts of the world.  The honoring of workers and military heroes begins on May 1 and continues until May 9.  Since our office was closed on May 1, we invited the Moscow senior couples to our office for a brunch, followed by a brisk hike through the woods behind the building.  It was fun.  We fed 20 some people.  Lots of waffles, hash browns, eggs on toast, all the usual stuff.
I didn't take pictures but others did.  I will try to hunt some down.

What was really amazing on May 1 was the patriotic fervor of the Moscovites.  They have not had a May Day parade since Soviet days and they were thrilled to celebrate and show their love for their country.  Red Square was packed with dignitaries, families, soldiers and babushkas.  A warm and sunny day greeted these proud people.

Parents are anxious to further a love for their native land in their children. We all want to feel pride in our home and country.  These people  want the same things we all want.  We pray for their peace and prosperity.

My proudest moment today was playing with this sweet baby during Relief Society so that she quickly fell asleep on her mother's lap.  The blessings of wearing lots of fun jewelry.  She would only come to me.  Her mother, Sveta, is our RS President.  I love her and so many others in our Zelenograd Ward.

Our bishop and friend, Bishop Nabatnikov shared a sweet story with Elder Pierson today.  When he joined the church,  20 years ago, he was nurtured in the gospel by a wonderful branch president who loved him and guided him in gaining strength in knowledge and testimony.  At the dedication of the Kiev Temple, Bishop Nabatnikov was given a white handkerchief by his friend, the Branch Pres. to remember his participation in the dedication of the temple.

The Bishop's friend passed away this week and he was asked by the widow to assist in dressing the body, preparatory to burial.  He told Elder Pierson that it was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences he can remember as he placed sacred garments on the body of his friend.  He then took the handkerchief from the temple dedication and gave it back to the widow as he shared with her how much her husband's love and testimony had influenced his life and decisions he had made. It was a tender moment for both of them. 

This is our Stake Presidency.  Each one has a fascinating story to tell of  conversion to the gospel.  The Lord is in charge of this work.  They and so many others heard the message of the restoration and knew it was true.  We sustain them with all our hearts.

So interesting today in Fast and Testimony meeting how the spirit bore testimony to us of the strength and truth of what was being said, even though we understood very little.  I love watching the faces of these sincere people as they talk.  My knowledge of Russian is limited but I know that they know that the gospel is true.  Spirit speaks to spirit and testifies of truth.   Witness is borne of the power of the Savior's atonement and the reality of Priesthood keys.  I know this is true and so do so many others.  The spirit speaks to us individually.

 This knowledge is my most precious possession.