Hi from Perm...this week the Sisters invited us to go with them to visit one of the first members of the church in Perm...Sister Tamara. She joined shortly after the first missionaries were allowed in Perm in 1995. She is delightful...she's very proud of her claim to fame.  Unfortunately her health is poor and she isn't able to attend church but she looks so forward to her visits from her home teachers and visiting teachers and of course, the missionaries!

Just a peek at what the intersection near our apartment is like between 5-7 p.m.  If you look closely...the traffic is literally at a standstill.  The buses and cars continue on into the intersection and then the light changes and the cross traffic can't proceed...you wouldn't believe the honking and yelling.  I just stood there in disbelief. As the Russians say, "normalna!"

Just to give you a quick look at our stomping grounds...this abandoned house is located right below us in the middle of businesses and tall apartment complexes. Our apartment building can be seen right behind it.  We look out our kitchen window and we can see people behind this house all day long taking their smoking break.

This is another view of our building taken just after high winds blew down a section of the metal fence.

This shows the balconies on the back side of our apartment building...our balcony is the third from the botton.  This is where we stored the many vegetables the branch members gave to us, especially the eight large zucchinis.  Now we have had to bring the remainder inside...so they won't freeze!  The first three floors of our apartment building are businesses.  We have mostly clothing stores on the three commercial floors...wedding gowns are even sold here.  Right below our apartment is a dry cleaners. The majority of apartment buildings here are this way...the lower floors are businesses and the upper floors are apartments.

Another view of home...Pushkina 80...

Here is a view of the grocery store that is also part of our complex.  Talk about convenient!!!

To the left of the Cemya..."family" grocery store is this alley.  We walk through here multiple times a day...through the puddles and past the garbage cans!

Hence, this is what Elder Pocock's pants look like every night!  That's right, every night he hangs them on the door to dry and then in the morning he brushes the mud off...sometimes it has to be washed off.
It will almost be a blessing when the freezing temperatures are consistent and we go from walking through puddles to sliding on ice!  I think today his pants will look better, the high is to be 21 degrees F

We were on our way to pick up a set of Elders for a member visit when we were so shocked to see a "STOP" sign in English.  Just had to take a picture of this because the next photo shows what all of our stop signs look like:

cton=stop!  The Schows, another senior couple, told us that during their first few days in Russia,  they were in a bus and they kept seeing this horizontal sign that read cton.  They couldn't figure out how so many streets could be given the same name...later they learned that what they were seeing was not street signs, but STOP signs.

As we continued on to the Elders, we came across a street that was not open to traffic but just pedestrians.  Along this walkway was this adorable florist business.  Can you believe how ornate and in mint condition?!  So cute.  I must get back and go inside.

This lane must be so fun in the summertime...this is a restaurant with pianos in the foreground and a deck for dancing.  I don't suspect this weather is too great for those pianos.

Then we just happened to stubble across this little courtyard that had several small, unique businesses that created items out of wood and metal.

Look at these creations out of wood...

and more...

and more.  This had to be our favorite..a giant birdhouse.  Look at the claw-like base.  Those are roots of trees that are shaped and then wrapped in burlap.  I felt like I was in Harry Potter land!

We finally hooked up with our Elders and travelled to the home of two faithful sisters in our branch.  We have visited a number of members and and non-members in our nine months here and this is one of only two homes that we have visited.  All the others have lived in apartments.

This is the living room/dining area of Maria and Natalia's home.  This home is rich in antiques and collections of every kind.  If you look closely you can see the amazing molding around the ceiling.  Everywhere you look, you find a piece of the puzzle from their past.

A close up of Maria, the mom, and Natalia, the daughter.  Natalia has a daughter of her own, Elena, that is now serving a mission in St. Petersburg.  Elena was the first to join the church in their family, then her grandmother joined,  then her mother.   We tell all the members not to prepare food for us because we have a time limit as to how long we can stay and we don't want to burden them...but this mother/daughter wouldn't listen and cooked up the best luncheon ever. We are developing a real taste for some of the Russian traditions.  Grandma Maria is so upbeat and pleasant...and Natalia is always worried about my health.  She's afraid Russian winters are too hard on me.  They are two of the most caring women in our branch.  It was a delight to get to know them better and to visit their lovely home.

On the bus ride home, Elder Pocock snapped a picture of this typical Russian Babushka...grandmother.  You just want to take them home, love them and get them to smile.

Well it happened...our zone has been split up again!  One thing you learn quickly...change is a part of life in the mission.   Elder Flitton (L) is leaving us for Ufa, way south of us.  Sister Denning is going home to Orem, Utah after serving a very committed and successful mission and Elder Smith is headed to Yekaterinburg to serve as a  Zone Leader there.  We will truly miss these fine, dedicated missionaries.  The blessing is that we will get three more to love!  Good luck to all three of them.

November 11, 2012 was our mission's "Invitation Sunday".  Each branch in the mission was to encourage the members to "invite" friends and relatives to attend the block.  A special sacrament meeting was planned and the young single adult choir sang, Sunday School was taught by the missionaries with help from the members, and after the third hour a light luncheon was served.  We were thrilled with the response from our branch.  We had 120 total in attendance with 33 of those being non-members!  The meetings were filled with the spirit, the response was very positive and our missionaries enlarged their teaching pool.  This is Andre'.  He is married with three little daughters.  He has been to discussions in our apartment and was invited to attend church.  He speaks some English so he spent the block with Elder Pocock.  He belongs to the Unification church...his marriage was arranged and performed in mass.  His family is very important to him and because the church focuses on family life and eternal families, he is wanting to know more.  You can tell he is such a great father!

This shows some of those that attended, enjoying the luncheon and one another's company.

Remember our sweet Alexandra?  She knows the church is true...she loves meeting with the missionaries in our home...she loves the Book of Mormon...but she has a son and daughter that keep
discouraging her.  She comes to church regularly.  We love her like a mother.  She is so good through and through!  After church, we always ride the bus with her to her stop and then...

make sure that she gets safely to her apartment.   She and Elder Pocock...best buds!

You have met Tanya and Lena before.  Tanya is a less active, Lena a non-member.  They are great young women that are so kind to invite us to do things with them.  This week we went on a walk with them in a forested area in Perm.  It had snowed and the forest was beautiful.  Elder Pocock and I went prepared in our winter boots, coats, gloves and hats. The biggest obstacle was staying upright on the icy path!

This forest was enchanting with pines trees as well as the beautiful birch trees.

We took seeds and crumbs to feed the birds and squirrels.  Here the squirrels look so different.  Their ears look much larger because there is a tall, tuft of fur that comes up behind the ear.  It is almost comical.  In this forest, the squirrels are pretty tame because everyone loves to feed them.  Here we are filling the bird feeders.  It wasn't all that cold and so enjoyable.

On a trip to the outdoor market in search of warm tights...I had to snap this picture of an adorable toddler.  This little sleigh was for him to ride on but he preferred to walk behind pushing his package of diapers.  So cute!  When I posted this picture, I noticed something else to point out...see the gal behind the little guy...short skirt, long tights and tall boots.  The Russian women like to be fashionable in all seasons.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We are having two this year...one with our Young Single Adults and one with our missionaries.  We have much to be thankful for...Count Your Many Blessings!