Hope you had a Happy Halloween last Wednesday... and now it is November!  I can't believe it is the halfway point in our mission.  We entered the MTC on February 6, 2012.  America...be sure to get out and VOTE.

Halloween is not a big deal in Russia...but it was a big deal at our FHE!   The party was so fun!  These young adults had an evening of good clean fun...well except for the flour and candy game! jk  We started off with a contest of who could devour the donut the fastest!  There is a little tiny store fairly close by that sells mini donut-like cakes for 99 rubles (approximately $3.00) for 1 kilo of donuts.  When we got home, we were pleasantly surprised to find 26 donuts...for $3.00!!!!  They didn't last long...

I borrowed a large pan from the branch for dunking apples...here Andre' shows his delight despite the fact that his head was totally submerged.  He got his apple!

Buried in the flour is a tasty candy...I was amazed at what a YSA will do for a piece of candy!

This is Ignot...he is a friend to our newly baptized Stass.  Ignot is now taking the discussions...under all that flour is a really cute kid.  We had a great visit with Stass and Ignot one night after a discussion and we complimented them on being such good guys.  They don't drink, they don't smoke (which is pretty amazing over here...so many of the young people do both.)  It was a choice they made together and they have supported one another...how great is that?!  Recently our son-in-law sent us an article about President Putin's desire to try and discourage the people of Russia from drinking and smoking so much.  It stated that since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 there are approximately 500 million less people in Russia due to alcohol and tobacco abuse.  They estimate that smoking and drinking kill 900,000 Russians a year.  Cigarettes cost only $2.00 a pack!  There will be an increase in the cost of the products plus they hope to have designated smoking areas.  These habits costs the Russian economy, $104 billion a year.  This change in policy will certainly bless the Russian people if they will understand and embrace it.

Pumpkin carving was a serious science with these guys!  A really great time was had by all.  We caught this photo just as the last of the gang were on their way out and they had removed their costumes...so sad.  The winning costumes were Tanya as "Little Red Riding Hood" and Peoter as a doctor in his scrubs!  Fun, fun night.

The fun ended late and our third visa trip came bright and early the next morning.  We were at the Perm airport at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday for our flight to Moscow and then on to Finland.  We were able to participate in two sessions in the temple.  Finland is four hours earlier than Perm...so we got out of the temple at midnight, our time!  It was a long but gratifying day.  This is the Finnish temple at 7:30 a.m. their time...just before we took off for the airport to return home on Thursday.

Finland is getting ready for the holidays.  This is outside the airport in Helsinki.  What I loved was how they have mounds of pine boughs beneath the trees with lights all over.  A great look, don't you think?

From Helsinki, we had a long layover in Moscow.  There we got a phone call from the Bices.  They are a senior couple in Moscow that are over the Area 12 Step-Addiction Recovery Program.   Just checking in with us because they were coming to visit our little class on Friday night.  As it turned out, we met at the airport and rode the same plane to Perm.  The Bices travel all over Russia, helping start new groups of recovery in this important and needful program.  While we were on the phone, they cautioned us to remove our badges due to demonstrations going on in many of the larger cities in Russia targeting the Mormons. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/pro-kremlin-youth-target-mormons/470887.html#.UJP0X8gNLEE.email

Back home in Perm, we met with the Sisters and Brat Ganady from the branch.  His wife passed away 25 years ago.  His daughter joined the church as a teenager and later he joined.  He is a stalwart member...serves in the Elder's quorum, always at church with a smile, always serving others.  We often visit the active members to encourage and make sure they feel loved and appreciated.  I baked Brate Ganady his favorite chocolate chip cookies and he shared his home baked spice cake. This man is so easy to love!

This picture was taken out our kitchen window at 9:00 A.M....no not P.M....A.M.!  Our daylight is getting to be a premium.  Also...this week we had our first major snowfall.

The remodeling at Olga's apartment, at least the wallpapering, is almost finished.  Here is Olga and her niece that lives in the studio apartment across the hall.  We met Tanya for the first time this week...she is delightful.  She is a graphic designer...very creative and talented.  They are happy to have one another close by.  Remember how I talked about how the people had taken one large apartment and put a wall down the middle to be able to sell two apartments.  The wall was cement with cheap siding screwed into it.  Olga saved her money and had a professional put in studs, insulation and wallboard.  This wall is so much easier to paper than the previous three that are plaster with multiple layers of partially peeled wallpaper. It is looking so nice and clean...we're thrilled for her!  You can see where the wallpaper ends ...we ran out of glue!

This week we have felt so loved.  The knitted slippers below were made by sweet Sister Margarita from the branch.  During the winter months...the road to the church gets so muddy and messy.  She made about 25 pair of slippers (from old sweaters that she had donated for the yarn) for various people in the branch to put on when they take their muddy boots and shoes off at the front entryway to the church.  What a job...what a sweetheart!

Our Ninna.. the amazing storyteller on our last blog entry...gave me this crocheted doily.  It is made from plastic strips, not sure where she got this material.  She had it wrapped in newspaper and made me promise that I wouldn't open it until I got home from church!  Can't wait to talk to her next Sunday.  The circles are stitched together and then plastic flowers decorate where they are attached!  These people have so little and yet they are always thinking of what they can do for someone else.  

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful...but the fire is so delightful."   This is as close as we will get to warming ourselves by a fire.  On P-day...all the missionaries met at the church for a farewell barbecue.  Sister Denning is going home next Tuesday.  Stepan, just recently married, grilled us some pork on skewers with lots of herbs and spices.  Yummy!  Sister Denning has been a very faithful missionary...we hate to say goodbye.

After the barbecue, we played our own version of ping-pong!  Here Elders Flitton and Holbrook go at it.  Holbrook had the most hot air and...

he now faces off with Elder Smith!  Elder Wimber watches to make sure all the rules are followed.  Whoever blows off the ping-pong ball wins!  Holbrook does it. Sounds simple...just try it.  Elder Pocock and I gave everyone a good laugh.  We ran out of steam and air!

Off to another less active visit.  We walked by the nearby outdoor market and then took an underground tunnel under the busy street.  Little shops are located on both sides of the walkway beneath the road.  These people are in kind of a dungeon, but at least they aren't out in the harsh weather. All a part of shopping in Russia.  I wonder what next week will bring?!