Have to brag a little...

This week we were blessed with grandchild #22...an adorable baby girl!  Cara, Kyle, Ollie and Milo are thrilled to welcome her to their family.

Welcome back to Perm...

These past few days have been filled with more sights and sounds of this huge city.  Two dear friends, Olga and Nadeshda invited us to spend our P-day morning at two of Perm's fascinating museums.  All of the ancient animal replicas and skeletons on display have been discovered in the vast Perm Oblast region.  Here is a replica of a baby mammoth ... the preserved original is in a museum in Moscow.  

Our recent episode with a meteor in Chelyabinsk, Russia is not the first.  Here is a piece of a meteor that fell closer to Perm on August 30, 1887.  The flat, dark side shows the affects of the heat upon entry into the earth's atmosphere.  We took a picture of the plaque describing the meteor blast in English:

More models of prehistoric mammals that roamed the lands of Russia.

They had about five replicas of creatures that were found in the Perm region that haven't been identified anywhere else in the world!  This is one of them.  Fascinating!  It was a free admission day and many schools were taking advantage of the learning experience for their students.

The next museum was about a 20 minute walk.  In the distance is Perm's Opera House, renowned for its' productions.  Beautiful ice sculptures still dot the town.

Loved this beautiful, old brick building and then as we walked on, we found that it is a school of learning...

and was actually much larger than we had imagined...all three buildings are connected.  Wish I knew  how old this building was...it had definite signs of wear and aging.  Perm was first mentioned as a village in 1647.  The city was officially founded on May 15, 1723.   Love the old architecture!

The second museum is located in the mansion of Nicholai Meshkova, a shipping magnate, that built this beautiful home facing the banks of the Kama River.  The home was built around 1889.  Just touring this unique home was as fascinating as the collection of historical items inside.

Meet Nicholai Meshkova...this picture hangs in the entrance of the main floor.

Elder Pocock took this picture across the street from the mansion with his back to the Kama River.  It is beautifully maintained and what a view it has!

Inside we saw many of the original furnishings.  In the corner is a porcelain fireplace that was in really good repair. No amount of money was spared for the furnishings.

Historical reliques were on display...here you can see handmade wooden farm equipment and children's toys.

Various tribes are represented in Russia...these are some of their traditional dress.

Notice the wearing of the marble steps over the years...

We met a group of children that wanted to speak English with us.  We would talk for a while, then view some more of the museum, and then we would meet up again and they would have another list of questions about America for us to answer.  They were absolutely delightful...with very impressive English skills also!

This was one of those museums that you needed to have a full day to read and explore all of the displays.  It was so fun to go back in time with many headlines involving the United States and Russia from the days of our youth.  After the museum...Olga and Nadeshda joined us at our apartment for a hot bowl of homemade soup.  We talked of the many sights of the morning and how our two worlds have interacted over the course of history.

For us, shopping in Russia has been all the way from delightful to very frustrating.  We know the alphabet and can sound out the Russian words...but we often don't know what they mean!!!  Hence, we can see a store and unless it has visible windows or we go inside and see the merchandise or we have our Russian/English dictionary with us, we don't know what the store offers.  We have four levels of stores right below our apartment.  Level five of the building is where the apartments begin.  We frequent the grocery store but haven't been to the other levels...so we went on an adventure right in our own building.  One floor is filled with wedding apparel.  There wasn't such a thing as a simple wedding gown!

Another level specialized in shoes. The steletto heel is all the go over here.  These are the dressy partial boots that they wear.  However do they manage the icy sidewalks in these shoes?  I guess practice makes perfect!  We were thrilled to discover a place to print our photos, and a store where I can buy sewing supplies (I've been walking to a store six blocks away and here I have it right under my nose!!!)

All along the streets you see these little shops.  Right in the center is a little window that opens and you place your order.  If you enlarge the picture, you see a word that looks like it says KNOCK with a backwards "N"... but in Russian it states Kiosk...which is what they call these little shops.  These stores vary in their products from magazines to bakery items, to drinks and cigarettes, to sweets of all kinds, to fruits and vegetables.  It is a very handy way for people to purchase needful items to take home all while they are waiting to catch their bus.

I love their seasoning stands.  Here you see a variety of seasonings and if you want, say an "Italian mix" or a "Mexican flavor",  the owner works his magic and takes some of this and that and mixes up a fantastic creation of spices to be added to your recipe!

Hopefully the following video will help you invision life at the market place.   This particular one shows what we can purchase at the produce and fish building.  If you look closely, you can see how fresh some of the fish are because they are still gasping for air!  The vegetables and fruits are amazing.  Close by there is another huge building that has all kinds of poultry and beef.  The cuts look amazing but we are cautioned to purchase only packaged meats.  

This video, oh I hope this works, will show what is available to buy in the outdoor area of the Renock.  These people set up their little cubicles each day...except for their day off on Monday!   Rain or shine, -30 degrees or 110 degrees...they are out there selling their wares.  Elder Pocock walked a straight line by the rows and rows of cubies, with his IPhone, to give you a feel.  We are only passing by some of the clothing areas...there is so much more you can purchase. You are seeing approximately 1/10th of what is available.  Elder Pocock and I have purchased my coat, Elder Pocock's hat, hand-knitted socks for all of our grandchildren, a purse, a shoulder strap briefcase, sun-glasses, kitchen and bathroom rugs, a large rug for the living room, shampoo, lotion, paper supplies, light bulbs, pans, dishes, nylons...you name it we have found it at our outdoor market.  Many people come here because there is the option of dickering with their prices...we're not very good at it...but the venders are very friendly and kind and the merchandise has proven to be of great quality.  Hopefully this gives you a feel for a shopping day in Russia.

We have displayed many of the beautiful Russian Orthodox churches in Perm.  This one is located close by our apartment and is scheduled for renovation.  

Not far from the Russian Orthodox church above is this Jewish synagogue.  You will note the Star of David on top and at the roof line you can see the menorah.  The main floor is the bank where our dear friend, Dima, works.  In order to make rental space more affordable, often they have a store or bank on the first floor and then a church or apartments on the upper floors.  You can see that this is for a small congregation.

We were off to visit a family in the branch and decided to take a different route...a short cut!!!  Yikes, I didn't know that the short cut would entail climbing a million stairs.  I kept telling myself, "I can do hard things".  And as if the stairs weren't bad enough...we faced the muddiest roads ever!

For a few days the temperatures soared into the low 30's!  With the drastic change in temps...the snow melted fast and the "mud" season was in full swing.

Suddenly the most dangerous place to stand was close to the curb.  Look at that splash!

When we are walking to a meeting, I honestly am so thankful for the splash guard that is alongside some of the busier roads!!!  At this particular intersection a little, elderly lady was walking with a cane and trying to avoid the mud and potholes filled with water.  I helped her across two streets and it wasn't easy.  The elderly really face hardships with the harsh weather conditions here in Russia but they are tough and determined.

Suddenly we are all wishing for snow...it is so much easier to walk in snow than mud.  But we all realize that we have to go through the "mud season" before we can truly get to spring!  Bring it on....

Here Elder Henderson is trying to see out the bus window in order to know if this is the bus stop we want or not!  We have had to start counting the stops or catch glimpses out the front windows and when the doors open,  in order to get a perspective of where we are when travelling to meetings.

The snow has melted and our step is revealed...oh no, more deterioration!!!

The Relief Society sisters have set a goal to feed the missionaries once a month at the church.  They rotate through the sisterhood of the branch.  We are so blessed to have these fine sisters who prepare a delicious meal and take such pleasure in serving us.  I might add...they are great cooks!

Elders Prestwich and Dugger are looking for a suit.  Both want to take a Russian suit with them when they go home.  They asked Elder Pocock and I to come with them to give them honest opinions on the fit and color.  Some time ago, we went with another Elder and helped him buy his suit at the outdoor market, but these elders had found a really nice store not far from our apartment.  The selection was pretty good...the trick was finding a Russian suit that isn't shiny.  Many suits have a distinct shine to the fabric and this isn't appropriate for a missionary.  I have to say that the suits here are quality.  Both young men found a suit to their liking...and Elder Duggers was even on sale!!!  I had to shorten Elder Duggers pants but they both seemed pleased with their purchases.  It looks as though Elder Pocock's suits are going to make it to the end!

Elders Christiansen and Ashjian invited us to visit a wonderful member, Svetlana.  We went to her work place for the meeting.  You may have guessed from the bottles on the table and the picture behind her that she works for Xango...that's right Xango is in Russia and is doing well.  We had a great lesson in helping Svetlana strengthen her testimony.  She has only been a member for a little over a year...her family and her circle of closest friends are constantly criticizing her for her beliefs.  They wear her down and she needs the support of missionaries and branch members to help lift her and encourage her.
She is a very giving person who wants so badly to remain strong and faithful.

On the way up to her office, I fell on the stairs.  I don't need snow and ice to fall when I have uneven stairs.  If you notice, the first stair is quite deep and that sets your pace...but then when the next stair is half the depth...you quickly loose your balance and down I went, face first!  No worries...I bounced back up.  We have climbed many uneven outdoor steps and I have been aware of their differences but this staircase caught me off guard.  So much to watch out for!!!  It seems there are absolutely no building codes in Russia.

Another thing to watch out for...falling snow and I don't mean snowflakes!  Thank goodness this area was blocked off.

If you look closely you can see a fellow on top of the building hoisting big clumps of snow to the ground below.  Between the third row of windows down from the roof,  you can see the falling snow in mid-air.  There must be some concern of leaking with the warmer temps and the quick snow melt on the flat roof tops.

Perm Zone after the transfer changes.  Back row...Elder Hope from Rigby, Idaho,  Elders Christiansen, Elder Henderson, Elder Krivov from Samara, Russia, Front row...Sisters Patterson and Galli, Elders Prestwich and Ashjian.  We lost Elders Kaiser and Dugger.  Three of these fine missionaries go home at the end of this very transfer...more about that later.  We still have lots of work to do!!!

We must have complained too loud about the mud because this past week it has snowed everyday.  But with that snow came amazing sunsets...

and beautiful landscapes.  We hear it is suppose to warm up to the low forties by the first of next week!  Goodbye pristine snow...hello more mud!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE...we are so thankful for our Savior.  It is a privilege to invite people to Come Unto Christ.  Russia celebrates Easter on May 5.  We'll be thinking of all of you this weekend! 

Some women in Russia really carry a heavy load...these are the Russian gypsies.  You can alway tell them because of their long, colorful skirts. They go from car to car, person to person...begging.  The first time I was ever introduced to the gypsies was in the parking lot of the train station and a very dirty little boy came up to me begging for money.  My heart broke at the sight of him out in the cold, scantily clad.  I gladly gave him some money and he ran to his mother who was hiding behind a nearby car and gave her the money.  I went up to her and told her to use the money on her son!  I'm sure that didn't happen.  Later I saw another gypsy carrying a baby and using the tiny baby as a means for sympathy.  The husbands sit in their multiple family car and watch their wives and young daughters beg.  It is so sad to me...it's hard to see how some people live.

The city road crew was out on this particular day.  The snowplows had cleared the roads but the piles of snow along the sides of the road were so high that it was causing trouble with parking and traffic.  So several men were shoveling the excess snow into this front loader and then it would in turn go and dump the snow into a parked dump truck.  It didn't take long to fill up the dump truck, it would drive away and another empty one would appear.  I really wonder where they dump all the extra snow?

 Did you know that there are 53,000 miles of passenger carrier routes in Russia?  I have often wondered how the tracks are cleaned and kept in good condition considering the amount of snow and slush that is on them for six months of the year.  This unique machine to the rescue!  We watched this work its' magic while waiting for our train.  The machine is pushed by a large engine.  The front of the machine funnels the snow towards the center of the track...a blade picks up the snow and puts it on a conveyor belt that carries up and into large bins.  There are several snow receptacles to fill and then the snow is dumped in the Siberian wasteland.  It really was fascinating to watch and now I know how the tracks stay clean and free of snow and debris.  You have to live here and travel by train to wonder about these kinds of things!!!

Someone hasn't gone anywhere all winter!!! and won't be going anywhere soon!!!

If you have been watching the evolution of the step up to our apartment...this is how it has looked most of the winter.  Scared to see what condition it is in under all that snow.

I have to brag about our elders and sisters!  They put together the greatest fireside for our branch.  We had a wonderful turn out...as you can see...almost as many as we get to church.  President and Sister Rust had been there for a visit and they were able to stay and enjoy.  As a zone we wanted to help the branch understand how we all have to work together to build our branch, strengthen the priesthood and prepare to have a stake and a temple!  When we had our planning meeting, we wanted to involve as many members as possible.  We talked of the things we wanted to focus on.  As we discussed options, it seemed that suddenly things started to click.  We asked a new member to speak about how they felt when they were baptized...another new member to speak of their feelings when they received the Holy Ghost...another spoke about his feelings as he has just received the Melchizedek Priesthood...another spoke on doing Family History (as it turns out she had just made a trip to visit her non-member sisters and get information on her ancestors)...the Branch President spoke of the benefits of being a part of a stake and another member spoke on how his family is preparing to go to the temple in May and be sealed.  Each member only spoke for about 3-5 minutes and as they spoke ...the sisters put up a poster that emphasized the step they were taking in getting closer to the main goal...a stronger branch/ward/stake!  At the end, one of the missionaries spoke about how he lives in the first stake that was originally created in Salt Lake City and how proud he is to be a member of that original stake.  He likened that to what pride this branch can feel in helping Yekaterinburg become a stake.  He challenged the members to help the missionary effort...for it all starts with baptisms if we are going to strengthen this area.  The spirit was so strong...the members that participated were so touched and we truly felt that the branch caught the vision of their responsibility in helping to reach their goals.

Introducing Stanislav R. Kovalev, a renowned artist and illustrator of Russian children's books that lives in Perm.  Our recent converts, Vladimir and Irina asked us if we would like to go with them to meet their friend, Mr. Kovalev.  Of course, we were thrilled.  Our time together was way beyond our expectations!  When we walked into his penthouse apartment on the 17th floor, we felt like we were in one of those apartments you see in the movies!

This is a pano of the apartment he and his sweet wife have lived in for 30 years...high ceilings, a loft, books and paintings everywhere, large windows that let in the sunlight and lush plants growing from the balcony and plant shelves.  I could hardly believe my eyes!  The greatest realization of the whole visit was how down to earth and kind Mr. Kovalev and his wife of 52 years are.  This has been his refuge for inspiration.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a library... up in a loft... with an antique bed for relaxing, reading and meditating?  I think I know what part of heaven might be like! 

I was in awe at how many different sized brushes and shades of oil paint were at his disposal!

Everywhere you looked...you saw one of his many creations!

These are just a few of the children's books he has illustrated.

This picture was one of our favorites...not so much detail...but a great deal of symbolism.  The red curtain, symbolizing communism, is slowly but surely being removed from the cross that symbolizes religious freedom.  The fire burning in the background depicts that period of revolution.  Russia knows a lot about religious oppression also!

This painting is going into one of the books he is illustrating.  It will be on display at an art festival in Germany in the coming weeks.  You can see the claw feet that we have shown you on previous blogs, found in wooden carvings.  There is so much detail to this painting.  We also saw his preliminary sketch done in pencil...what a creative mind.

This is a religious icon that has been removed from a church for refurbishing.  He has it held in place with an easel that has a vice.

I feel badly that Vladimir and Irina were the ones taking the pictures, but this shows the lucky group of us that got to come and meet this amazing couple and to soak in their warmth and talent.

March 8 is a BIG holiday in Russia...actually it is an international holiday... Women's Day.  It comes just a month after Men's Day.  I had postings on the last blog of our branch's Men's Day celebration. Our elders gave the women in the zone a box of chocolates and a rose.  What gentlemen!

After our zone meeting, we headed to the church for the festivities.  Several of the men gave tributes to the women and talked about the various stages of their lives.  They spoke of their role as daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and grandmothers.  Elder Pocock was chosen to give the tribute regarding their role as daughters.  He talked of how special daughters are in the lives of their parents and did a power point showing his daughters through the years and ended with a picture of a crown and talked briefly about how they are all daughters of a Heavenly King and how truly special they all are.  They loved dancing, singing, and eating.  The fun ended with lots of Karaoke.  The sisters and I sang a trio to Julie Andrew's "Do Re Mi" from the Sound of Music.  It was the only English song of the night!

This little video clip will give you an idea of how the Russians really get into their dancing and singing.  It was such a great experience to enjoy this holiday with them.  If a video does not show here, you need to log on to the regular blog at elderandsisterpocock.blogspot.com

The Women's Day celebrations just went on and on.  When I arrived at church on Sunday, Nina could hardly wait for me to open my gift that she had made me...a hat for working in the garden. I love it. Now all I need is a garden...I really need to go help in hers when the snow melts!

This is a close up of Nina's crocheted hat, (there isn't a thing she can't make!) a darling Babushka doll filled with pot pourri that Tamara Ustyuzhaninova made and some yummy shower gel from my dear friends Tanya and Lena.

At a recent trip to the outdoor market, we found these spools of the colored plastic that Nina purchases and uses to make my rugs, doilies and now my hat.  The cost of the plastic is equivalent to five cents a yard.  Lots of colors to choose from!  I love how she put splashes of red in with the yellow and black.  Nina needs to go into business.

During Relief Society, the priesthood came in and presented all of the women with candy and a  Russian poem in honor of Women's Day.  After the priesthood left, the sisters talked openly of how special the men of the branch had made them feel.  They commented on how the majority of them do not have husbands in their lives, and how grateful they are for their branch family and the support of the priesthood!  

Sisters Galli and Patterson had invited our dear Elena and her adorable daughter, Victoria to our home for an uplifting message and some fun.  We had a great time sharing our feelings about how the gospel enriches our lives.  Elena is the only member in her family.  She and Victoria are at church every week. Elena has been a faithful Primary teacher...but on this particular day, Elder Pocock issued the call for her to be the new Primary President.  He was concerned about the support she would receive from her husband, but she assured him that the rest of her family know that Sunday is the day she and Victoria go to the branch...no questions asked!!!  Victoria helped me make some pumpkin cookies with chocolate pieces in them.  Just hope so badly that our love is felt...we just can't say enough words in Russian to tell them how much they mean to us!

That evening we had another family over for dinner.  This is a grandmother, Ludmilla, her daughter, Marianna, and Marianna's two sons.  Marianna's husband is Russian but works in America and they are anticipating getting their visas soon, so that they can join him.  Danielle, the oldest son, is concerned about his limited English skills and attends our English Conversation Group each week.  He is wanting to go on a mission and wonders if he will move to America and then be called to serve in Russia!  We introduced them to our family favorite...chicken fettuccine.  Thank goodness they are Italian food fans.  We enjoyed a family home evening on making correct choices.  So fun to get to know the branch families better. I felt badly, Elders Christiansen and Ashjian had to hurry home to make curfew...so we didn't get them in the picture!  Ludmilla was one of the fantastic dancers in the Women's Day video.  A very talented, fun and dedicated family!

Elder Prestwich is taking this picture with Ludmilla, her daughter, Yulia, Elders Dugger, Pocock and I.  Ludmilla is a counselor in our Relief Society...she is so committed to the gospel.  She is the only member in her family but is so loving and kind that the rest of her family supports her in her faith totally.  She shares her testimony with them, encourages family prayer and the Word of Wisdom. She is the ideal grandmother...so helpful to her children and just adores her grandchildren.  The daughter and her husband have just moved into this lovely and large, for Russian standards, apartment.  We are so happy for them.  Ludmilla and her daughter live very close and they spend a lot of time together making quilts, canning and right now helping her daughter get situated in their new home.  We would love to help the daughter's family see how important the gospel could be in their lives.

We headed to Ekat this past Wednesday for Zone Conference...so guess what?  It's hair cut time!!!  Elders Kaiser and Henderson sport their new dos!

On the train to Yekaterinburg...they offered a meal free of charge.  It was unheard of.  We passed because we had made a lunch but the sisters decided to give it a try.  Here we have noodles, a small piece of chicken and a tiny amount of vegetables.  This what I would call ... portion control!  It is true,
in Russia the purchased portions are much smaller than they are in America.  In some things, like weight, they are more health conscious.

For some reason, they couldn't get tickets for all our zone on the same train...so the six of us went on to Ekat an hour before the other four missionaries.  Missed hanging out all together.  The missionaries are allowed to change into casual clothes on the long train rides.  This is when we really get to bond as a zone!

A zone picture with President and Sister Rust.  Back L to R...Sisters Galli and Patterson, Elders Kaiser, Henderson, Dugger, Prestwich, Christiansen and Ashjian.

Perm Zone provided the musical number for Zone Conference.  We sang, "In Humility Our Savior"(in Russian) to the tune of "Come Thou Fount".  We had Elder Christiansen and Sister Patterson do a duet,  and we changed it up with a verse in English.  It was fun...what a great group of singers!

The greatest part of our time at Zone Conference was the spiritual lift and renewed commitment to our efforts and our Savior.  The saddest part of the less than 24 hours that we spent in Yekaterinburg is that we didn't have enough time with the wonderful elders and sisters that have become literally our mission family.  This is the train station in Ekat...the electronic board that you can see to the left tells us what time schedule the train is on and what path, located under the station, leads us outside to our train.  Depending on the time of day...this place can be bustling or totally dead.

Just outside the train station was this guard standing by a police car with a machine gun over his shoulder.  We passed quickly by him.

Well, we hear that spring has arrived in most parts of your world...this is living proof that spring hasn't come to Russia and probably won't until well into April!  Soak in some sun for us!  Until next time....