Mission Report - Pocatello, Idaho

After Joel's basketball game we headed to Pocatello - Heidi and Shelby were going to meet us at the motel and stay until Monday.  It was pretty snowy all the way so we drove slower and safely - got great gas mileage!  On Saturday, February 16th - we met with our Stake President and were released from our mission.  On Sunday, February 17th - we gave our report to the ward and Stake High Council.  Here are some wonderful volunteers - Elder Hodges, Sister Talbot Sister Melton - all served with us in Novosibirsk, and Sister Kofferd - newly called to the misson.  She lived near and she and her mother came to learn more about what she would be doing and all.  Chris Kroeber smiling at us in the background!!

 All the volunteers strongly told Sister Kofford that they loved their mission and wanted to go back!  I think she was reassured also her mother!  It is a little scary to get a call to Russia!!

 Our good friend and neighbor, Debbie Connett had us all over to her house for lunch after church...Handsoome grandsons on the couch!!

 Cute Grand daughters all matched in black and white!  Heidi and Shelby came from Wenatchee and it was so good to be with them.

 Debbie's kitchen and feeding the sheep - again!

 Loved these GRAND kids so much - love that Joel has a sandwich in his hand for the picture!!

 Debbie the best neighbor in the whole world!!

 Grandma and Grandpa with all the grand children who could come... we are blessed!

 Us with our three daughters who were able to come - doubly blessed!

Had to add Chris - only son-in-law who came - love all of them and all the others so much!  Heidi and Shelby left for WA on Monday morning...we enjoyed the day in Pocatello and gave the program to our Senior Citizens FHE Monday evening.  Nice group of people - we showed them some things we brought home with us and taught them a lot about the Church in Russia. This will end this book - Smiths Russian Reflections is over - February 18, 2019.

Hyrum - Joel's basketball game

 We left on this missin from Alameda Stake, Pocatello, Idaho - and went back to report.  On the way we were lucky to stop in Hyrum and watch our grandson, Joel Mortensen, play with the Mountain Crest High School Freshman basketball team - this picture is of him on the football team...last fall.

 This team had won their previous meeting by about 20 points - Joel's is number 22 - far left back, white shirt.  His team played really well and it was fun to sit in the stands with Kate, Ben and Anna. When we left their house it was sunny - as we drove the few miles to the school it began to snow and blow and was an all-out blizzard when we got there!

 Mountain Crest won!  I like that they shake hands with with other team and talk to each other!  Great game Joel!

 The winning score on the scoreboard!

Wonderful to see Joel and Annabelle again - we lived near them in Pocatello and saw them just about every day - blessings!

Arriving in Utah - tired and happy!

 Early in the morning February 14th - wonderful greeting at the Salt Lake Airport!  So nice of Heather, Eli and Isaac to come and welcome us home - glad the rest of the family was sleeping!!

 That evening we had a family dinner at Fairbanks and we were so happy to see everyone - and enjoy yummy food and better company! Welcome home balloons were fun.

 The granddaughters who were there with their Russian dolls - they are my living 'dolls'!

 Tait with his Russian tic-tacs - he would dump them out - see some on the floor?  then he would put them all back in the little box!

Tait with the Russian chicken pecking game - what a great toy - makes noise and moves!!  It was wonderful to be home but strange to not be in Russia!! 

Last night in Russia, at the Mission Home

 President and Sister Lamb host the returning home missionaries in the Mission Home on the last night in Russia.  Elder Mathson is an AP and his companion was on a visa trip - so he was with Elder Ellsworth for the time being.  Sister Johnson and Sister MacCabe we met in the MTC Sept. 2017 - Sister MacCabe is in the Pike's ward in Richmond, Virginia!  Lovely meal and lovely accommadations - lovely people!  We love them and will miss them.

 Our two beautiful traveling companions!  We got to Russia three weeks before they did - and were blessed to serve with Sister Johnson in Irkutsk and Sister MacCabe in Novosibirsk - both sister training leaders and really good ones!

 All five of us returning to the United States,  Sister MacCabe to Virginia, the rest to Utah. 

 Current Sister Training Leaders, Sister Van den Herik from the Netherlands and Sister Wilkinson from Utah - love these wonderful volunteers!  They were part of the last night devotional, filling in for the absent AP's!

 Sister MacCabe's worn out boots!!  Worn out in the service of our Savior!!

 She actually received them from another sister - and she bought new ones to wear home! 

 Our flight was delayed out of Novosibirsk - the plane was late coming form Moscow ... so we missed our connection in Moscow to get to New York on time - so our arrival in Salt Lake was NOT 7:30pm - but midnight!!  Life happens. 

Snowy mountains - Iceland or Greenland - not sure which but very beautiful.

Last Days in the Office

 Elder Ellsworth came into Novosibirsk to go home to the US with us - also Sister Johnson.  Elder Ellsworth brought a wonderful 'care' package from Karina, the RS in Irkutsk - these are yummy fruit gummy treats.

 Here we are sharing them with Elder Ellsworth, Mathson and Sister Johnson.

This is the new Office Couple - the Cullimore's- they will be awesome!  So delightful to 'train' them and see how fast they 'caught on' to the procedures of running the mission office.  We were happy to hand over the reins' to such a talented couple.

Elders wrapping Sister MacCabe's suitcase in plastic to help protect it!  Always willing to be helpful - gotta love em!

District Conference February 10, 2019

 Our last Sunday in Russia was District Conference.  We met in the Hilton Hotel and all the volunteer sang beautifully - we are so proud of all of them and their progress in the Russian language and their willingness to serve in any capacity.  Elder Martino of the Area Presidency was presiding at the Conference.

 Two beatiful volunteers, Sister Richardson and Sister Blanchard - love them both!

Hard to think we will be leaving Russia in three days!! 

Novosibirsk misc.

 When it gets to be 20 below or colder for many days on end - we get ice inside the house - bottom of the windows!  The heat is okay - sometimes around 65 inside - we were sweaters.

 More ice on the corners of the inside windows - towel to soak up the water when it gets warm enough in the house to melt it!

 New Fruit Stand near our apartment building - always had wondeful fruit and good prices... all winter long!

 My very poor attempt to make peanut brittle!! such a mess - just threw it out in the garbage.

 Cans of horse meat in the local small market.

 Sharma's - Russian version of burritos - delicious and cheap... we would usually get the large size and cut it in half.

The sign outside of the mission office - about 30 below zero the morning we took this picture!!