A family uniting, the KGB boxer, our oldest friend and our youngest friend...

Introducing a few of the people we love in our Zelenograd Ward...

Our bishop, Roman Nobotnikov and his sweet wife, Elena, have 5 children.  Their oldest daughter will return from her mission to Finland in October.  Her fiance will return a few weeks later from his mission and they are planning a wedding soon after.  The Nobotnikovs have little space or money but big hearts.  They have adopted a 16 year old girl whose parents died in a car accident.  The only family she has left is her grandmother.
 The missionaries began teaching the grandmother, Valentina, and she was baptized last night.  It is wonderful to see the joy and hope that the gospel has brought to this young girl, Sasha and Valentina.  They now have the promise of uniting their family on both sides of the veil.  Lots of tender tears.  This is Valentina with Bishop Nobotnikov and Elena.

  Boris is a bear of a man whose favorite thing is to come up behind Elder Pierson, wrap those huge arms around him and squeeze really hard.    Boris won acclaim as a national champion in boxing. Before his conversion to the gospel, he was also known for his prowess in the spy world as a major KGB officer.
Now he is best known for his  love for the temple.
This is a tough time for Russian men between the ages of 18-60.  Travel to the Kiev, Ukraine temple is prohibited for them and the travel to the Helsinki and Stockholm temples is too high.  "Why is God doing this?" Boris ask Elder Pierson.  One of the misconceptions among Russian members is that if we are long time members from America, we have an inside track on the mind of God.
Boris is sweet, tender and prone to cry when he bears his testimony.  We all pray for the removal of anything that hinders temple work.  Boris will be one of the first ones back.

Our sprightly 90 year old friend, Tyeecya, invited us, along with the sister missionaries,  to her tiny apartment to show us how much she loves playing the guitar.  She has written the words to her favorite hymns in gigantic letters in a huge notebook.  She sings with abandon.  Her lungs and her handshake are decades younger than her years.

Tyeecya was born just 7 years after the Bolshevik Revolution.  She worked in an armaments factory during World War II, married an actor and toured widely as she raised two children.  She was invited to church in 1995 by a friend who was also a musician.  As she heard the teachings of the restored gospel, a feeling came into her heart that she had never experienced before.  She knew that God was aware of her and loved her.  She has retained that feeling and she also loves the temple.
 Tyeecya is very proud of her 5 temple trips.  4 to Helsinki and 1 to Sweden. Her health no longer permits her to travel but she was privileged to do the endowment work for 40 family members, with untold initiatory and sealing ordinances.  She has the temple cards for each one is a beautifull box with instructions to her children to place them in a special family history file when she dies.

This little darling has become our special friend.  She actually runs to us.  You think we don't miss our grandchildren?  We adore all of these people..

Missing the greening up...

One of my favorite quotes from Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley:
"Don't be gloomy.  Do not dwell on unkind things.  Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.  Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face.  'Accentuate the positive.' "

"Look a little deeper for the good.  Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart.  LOVE LIFE!"

Often in the evenings we take long walks through the woods behind our apartment building.  Last fall, following an extended period of cold and little moisture, we noted the sorry state of lots of  new plantings of evergreens along the path.  With dismay we predicted that the oncoming winter would finish off the already dead-looking trees.   They were  a drooping, dry, sorry looking bunch of vegetation.

We continued to monitor the landscape through the bleak winter months, predicting that the brittle plants would be yanked out in the spring.  Then, having predicted their demise, we kind of forgot about them for several months.

Quite a shock when we strolled the same path lined with vibrant, bushy little trees. Because we had written them off,  we  missed the greening up and skyrocketing growth taking place without our noticing.  Some of the lower branches are still dry and brittle but the overall structure and appearance of these trees is a lush,  healthy green.  They are well nourished, bushy and loving the sun.  If we had looked more carefully months ago, we might have seen the budding of new growth all around the dead-looking lower branches.

Don't we do that with ourselves or with others?  We judge situations, personalities or circumstances by what is happening now or has happened in the past and make negative assumptions.  "I always", "You never", etc.  Are we making space for and encouraging positive change?
  Do we look deeper for the "greening up" that may be below the surface?  As Pres. Hinckley said, we have the opportunity to look deeper for the good.

This week we met and were impressed by a truly remarkable  couple, Andre and Marina.  They were one of the first baptisms into the church in Russia and were the very first of this  country to be sealed in the temple.  They were committed atheists, and were well on their way to careers in medicine.  Andre is an orthopedic surgeon and his Marina is a pediatrician.

In 1990 they were hired as interpreters for a visiting LDS family from Finland.  This Russian couple was immediately impressed with the loving, helpful spirit of the children in the family.   They became friends.  Visiting church, meeting and being taught by the missionaries created an interest in the church and it's teachings.  Andre and Nadia wanted a family with the kind of love that this sweet family had.  They sensed something they had not experienced before.

It was in reading the Book of Mormon that a feeling started to grow within Andre's heart that he had never experienced while reading other scripture or any other text.  He knew it was true.  Miracles occurred.  Too many to relate.  After 6 months, Nadia knew it was true as well and joined her husband in baptism.

Andre and Nadia and their family continue to assist in the "greening" of the Lord's kingdom here in Moscow.

As we enjoy the verdant, blooming physical landscape around us, I remind myself that the gospel is permeating this land and lives are changing.  As we live the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are happy.   We radiate that to others.

We may need to  look carefully to see "greening up" in testimonies that are growing, families that are strengthening, knowledge and faith that are expanding and  covenants that are kept.

I took a midnight photo last night of the view from our apartment.  (Yes, children, I really stayed up that long.)  I wanted to record  twilight at the longest day of the year.  I love this northern light.  It is soft and soothing, not blazing.  I need an eye mask to sleep.

We believe that each person born into the world is endowed with the Light of Christ to guide and bless each life.  Some call it conscience.  Conscience is a manifestation of the Light of Christ, enabling us to judge good from evil.  The light of Christ is the divine energy, power or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things.  Just like this branch, we all reach toward light.

I am committing myself to look more carefully for the "greening up" of myself and those around me.

Last week at yet another "Celebrating all things Russian" festival, we were captivated by the dancing of this happy woman.  She danced all by herself as crowds shuffled around her.  She often closed her eyes.  Just her and the lilting music, and probably lots of memories.

Hearts of the Children turn to the Fathers...

Russians love their families.  A few weeks ago, President Putin conducted a special ceremony for parents of 7 children or more in Sochi.  Nine families were given the Order of Parental Glory.  I assume our invitation was lost in the mail.

Father's Day in America has brought both Elder Pierson and me to reflect on sweet memories we have of our own fathers.  I loved being carried by my big strong Daddy, Ferron E. Hiatt.  It was a sad day for me when I turned to my dad with my arms reaching up only to be told, "Jeanie, you're too big for me to carry anymore."  I was crushed.  (I was about 15, I think).
Favorite memories:
Still shivering from our night time baths, Diane and I were  scooped up by Dad in  sheet blankets freshly warmed on the kitchen coal burning stove.  Dad's strong arms carefully tucked us into our roll-away bed.  Absolute heaven.  We drifted off to sleep to the sweet sound of our self-taught Dad playing old favorites on the piano.

Mom fixed the meals but Dad, Diane and I did the dishes.  How grateful I am we never had a dishwasher.  That is how Diane and I learned to sing harmony and learned some really fun songs that have become favorites of our children and now grandchildren.   We heard hundreds of stories.    I cried each time Dad told of dog, Ol' Shep was proud of how Dad became a champion at oratory and voice.  He taught us of faith, family and testimony.

My Dad had the soul of an artist.  Like most artists, he spent his working years doing a job in an environment that he absolutely hated.  Quite often, Mom would organize a surprise picnic. We would drive to Provo and meet his car pool at the park corner.  I was usually the look out to flag the passing car with our unsuspecting father packed inside.  I loved the joy on his face when he saw his family and knew how much we loved and appreciated all he did for us.

I'm not proud of the fact that one of the two times  I met my future father-in-law, I was in the back of a police car with his son (details if you are interested).  He thought it was very funny.

 Lea Ross Pierson was a World War I veteran who, at age 50, was over-the-moon  with the birth of his only son.  Two teen aged sisters become second mothers.

My husband remembers lots of time with his dad.  He  taught little Dick how to shoot a bb gun, how to ride a bike with no seat and no brakes and of course, there were lots of rounds of golf.  Because Dick was able to live at home while obtaining his undergraduate degree, almost every breakfast, lunch and dinner found the 3 of them together.  Many sweet moments.

His Dad was at every ball game, track meet and golf tournament.   Every photo we have shows a beaming Lea Pierson, so proud of his boy.  He taught his son how to be a gentleman and how to treat a wife.  His favorite sweet name for Irene was "Babe".  Every night, as Dick was drifting off to sleep, he heard, "I love you, Babe"  I have  enjoyed the blessings of that training.

As we were talking to some of our Russian church friends about Father's Day in America, they shared with us some of the joy they are finding in Family History research.  The faithful saints in Russia have a passion for finding their ancestral lines and taking these names to the temple.

Many records were destroyed or lost in the soviet era.  This has been a frustration for many but miracles are occurring.  Because the church is so young here, many are gathering all of the recent family histories they can from those who can remember the names, dates and stories.

Today we heard the story of a faithful sister who was unsure whether or not to have the temple work done for her brother who had died from alcoholism.  She prayed about it and had a vivid dream.  Her brother appeared to her and told her to "Do It!"  After the temple ordinances were performed for her brother, she had another memorable and meaningful dream.  Her parents were there with her brother and all of them were happy and were obviously grateful for her service in their eternal progression.

We were taught by Elder Bednar that this work is all about families.  I know that as we are faithful to our eternal covenants, we are endowed with a portion of the same divine love that the Savior feels for us.  It is this love that will draw us to each other and to Him.  That is the only power we have.  How grateful I am that we are able to be part of this great work!

Our hearts are truly turned.

Parker's baptism...Proud of him, technology failed us...

We were so hoping to Skype or Face time Parker's baptism on Saturday.  We knew when we came on our mission that we wouldn't be home for it but we so wanted to participate via technology.

 Unfortunately, the connection in Yekaterinburg wasn't strong enough to reach Arkansas.  So sad for us but proud of the fine young man Parker is becoming.

We love him and  the way he is learning the gospel in his home. Parker has a pure, kind heart.  He is loving to everyone and tries hard to be obedient.  His big brother Cole is providing a great example for his brother and sisters.

Joshua and Amanda are wonderful parents. They are teaching their family to hear the voice of the Lord.   We are proud of them all!

Two weeks with no hot water! Off to Yekaterinburg!

Every summer, homes and apartments in Russian cities have the blessing of trying to stay   acceptable in society with no hot water at home.  Our two frosty weeks began on June 3.  A legacy of Soviet systems, the aging giant boilers and pipes are serviced at different times.  Because the infrastructure is slowly being upgraded, the all- frigid water time has been reduced from the month + of just a few years ago.  Actually, some cities are still out that long.

In our neighborhood, we began our arctic sponge baths several days ago, and it will conclude in about 4 more days.  Fortunately for us, we were blessed to be in Yekaterinburg for four heavenly, hot shower days right in the middle of our ordeal.  We treasured the experience of washing our hair and feeling really clean.  The things we take for granted.

We were happy that we had already planned to be traveling this week. We were invited to Yekaterinburg by Nikolai, the CES coordinator for the Yekaterinburg mission, to assist with Seminary graduation, speak at a youth fireside, and do some contacting of young adults with the YSA council.  We did all of that and loved it.

The youth of Yekaterinburg are happy, faithful, strong and loving.  Just like our LDS youth everywhere.  We loved meeting them and feeling the joy they find in the gospel.

Another reason for our trip was to orient a new CES senior couple, Elder and Sister Dastrup.  Their assignment is in Perm, a few hours away from Yekat.  They arrived there two weeks ago and are already teaching a class on Family History and reaching out to those who need their love and nurturing in the gospel.  They met us in Yekaterinburg for the graduation.  We loved getting to know them and feeling their joy in serving the youth and sharing their testimony.

We are always impressed by these amazing folks with whom we serve.  For 13 months Elder and Sister Godfrey have been blessing the lives of the many youth in Yekaterinburg.  In that period of time, Elder Godfrey has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.  Many of us would have taken the first flight home but he happily continues on.  Elder Godfrey's father has been dealing with the same thing for 20 years, so they know all about what to expect and how to make the symptoms manageable.  Elder Godfrey still jogs several miles a day and is ALWAYS happy.

A few hours before we arrived, Sis. Godfrey fell hard on her face on some gravely pavement. No permanent damage but she looked awful.   She couldn't move her mouth or open her left eye.  Bandages, drying blood, swelling.  She didn't want to get out to have dinner with us, but she did it anyway.  And she just kept going.  So like both of them.

The following day, Elder and Sister Godfrey organized, cooked, fed and honored the 100 plus young people in the day long seminary graduation.  These sweet  youth who had completed their gospel study courses were not aware of Sister Godfrey's pain.  I saw her wince more than a few times as these young people couldn't resist hugging her.  We did what we could to assist but the Godfreys were the only ones who could give directions.

She still wasn't done.  Sunday, she prepared a beautiful meal after church and before the fireside for about 20 people and had baked dozens of cookies for the youth to munch on afterward.  Amazing, but so typical of these dedicated missionaries!  In the picture below, Sis. Godfrey, (on the far R) still can hardly open her mouth or left eye.

Saturday evening, we loved zipping around Yekaterinburg with Nikolai and the YSA President, Yulia, to visit those young people who haven't been coming lately.  Yulia is so full of love for others and the gospel, she truly bubbles over. Her joy is contagious and irresistible. She had prepared a gift packet for each person we were visiting.  A copy of the Liahona, a few YSA pamphlets and her testimony were wrapped in a ribbon topped off with a candy bar.  We visited many people that night and no one could turn her down.  More than a few asked us to pray with them and Yulia pulled out her much-used missionary scriptures to share some verses with these dear young people.  Hearts were touched and commitments were made.  Mine weren't the only tears shed.  Love what missionaries do!

This is Yulia and Andre, also on the YSA council.  He also visited young people that night.

Four sweet days with these dear people.  We are so blessed to have gained more eternal friends.
We love them and love our mission!

Now to endure four more cold water days!

An Apostle Visits & My Long-Lost Twin!

It is getting trickier to keep up with the flow of life here.  As more seniors are answering the call to serve, we are getting really busy.
We are thrilled to welcome several more couple to their service as church education missionaries here in East Europe.  They come with experience, testimony and love in their hearts for the young people of the church.  We are doing our best to greet them at the airport, show them around Moscow or let them rest a bit before their connecting flight.  We then let them get settled in their new environments before our orientation visit.   These are instant friends and inspiring people.  It's an exciting process and we are doing our best to keep up.

 Each couple loves the youth and the youth love them!

Two week ago, Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, Susan, visited the Moscow Stake. After many hours of teaching all of us missionaries, Elder Bednar asked each one to consider what we each observed, learned and felt in the sacred meeting.  We were then asked to consider what we would now do with this new understanding.  Each of us felt the power of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the truth of the Gospel of Christ and our part in helping to build His kingdom.

A few hours earlier, we had put 3 of our children on the plane to America and I missed family terribly but at that moment, I knew that I was in the right place, doing what I was supposed to be doing.  I am so grateful for that knowledge.

The following day a beautiful luncheon was hosted for all of the wives of the visiting authorities and us senior sister missionaries.  Sis. Bednar, Sis. Causse and the wives of the area presidency were gracious and very funny.   Sis. Bednar, in front of me, is bending her knees a lot.  She really isn't that short but she wanted us in the picture.

One circumstance has become just a bit awkward for me.  I have met my twin!  Sweet Sis. Steele, from Arizona, arrived a few months ago and we kind of looked strangely at each other as if in some Hayley Mills movie.  Same size, basic features pretty close, even same weird husband-done hair cut, colored about the same.  Jewelry big and showy.  Hands flying as we speak.  Spooky.  It is taking me some time to get used  to it.

She, obviously more secure in herself,  thinks it's the greatest thing ever and grabs my arm wherever we go.  I am drawing the line at matching outfits.
She says people come up to her all the time and tell her they are interested in yoga.   She just smiles and says, "That's nice".  This is the fourth mission for the Steeles so they have learned to relax and enjoy the experience.  We are learning a lot about service from all of these wonderful friends.