Hi from Perm...this week's blog is filled with glimpses of what has happened since we returned from the YSA conference.  We walked into our apartment building upon our return and the remont (remodeling) was completed.  Oh happy day!  Doesn't it look beautiful?  No more planks to walk, saw horses to weave around, sanding dust to wade through...

and no more climbing six flights of stairs...our elevator is easily accessible!!!

Since we got back, we have three new missionaries.  Elder Flitton (L) from Utah, is training a brand new missionary, Elder Riddle, from where else...Utah!

Sister Denning (R) is training our brand new sister missionary, Sister Robins.  These two gals attended the same high school in Orem, Utah!

Elder Wimber (L) originally from Georgia now from Oregon and Elder Weber (R) from North Carolina are a team for at least another transfer.

Our Zone Leaders are Elder Dugger (L) from New Mexico and Elder Smith from Baker City, Oregon. Elder Smith gives the greatest teddy bear hugs!

 Every transfer I think, how is it that I can wrap my heart around yet another group of young men and women...but when you're all working so hard for the same cause, it isn't hard. These missionaries are just amazing!

We are thrilled that our Olga (L) who used to live an hour and a half out of the city, has now purchased a studio apartment in Perm.  She has also been blessed with not one part time English teaching job but two universities have hired her!  Olga is so deserving of this.  Alexandra (R), age 82,  is our sweet investigator. She has been investigating the church for about four months and today she set a baptism date for September 29.  We are thrilled, she loves the gospel and we truly love her.  Last Sunday we had invited Olga over for Sunday dinner because her apartment is in remont, and when Alexandra came to church and needed someone to go with her on the bus...we decided to have a party.  These women are my dear, dear friends.

Our "white nights" are over!  We now go to sleep in the dark and wake up in the dark.  Another sign of winter coming!

We now have a new trade for when we come home...we are going to open up our own barber shop.
Our P-days often include one or two hair cuts.  Here both Elder Pocock and I are working over Elder Flitton.  They either really trust us or they desperately need to save some money to make it to the end of the month!

Probably the highlight of our week was a missionary activity that we all planned about three weeks ago.  We asked the members of the branch to invite their non-member friends and to come and enjoy an evening where they could feel the spirit.  The Elders set up a great display, we served a light dinner, those in attendance viewed the film, "The Testaments", dessert was served and then questions were answered and a tour of the building was given.  We had 56 people in attendance, eight of those being investigators.  At our missionary coordination meeting yesterday, we have already started to plan for our next activity.  This branch is on fire!!!

The week has been filled literally with rain and more rain!  Here you see the streams that we must wade through at the intersections.

All week long we have had not only rain but the lows have been in the 30's and the highs in the 50's!  Please tell me that you are having a wonderfully warm Labor Day weekend.  Many of the leaves are changing color, the hedges are loosing their leaves and coats...yes coats are a common sight!

Today as we walked from the bus stop to our apartment, we saw an uncovered manhole (see the center of the picture, with a warning sign that had been blown away (see the blue sign on the road to your right) and the manhole cover laying in the road just below the black car's front tire.  We watched in horror as cars dodged the hole when they realized that it wasn't covered.  As our Russian young adults would say..."normalna"!  I just hope they get that thing covered before dark!  The joys of another week in Perm, Russia.