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!