Training and New Volunteers!

 This is the Mission Home - Pres. and Sister Steven Lamb ... I loved see all the Church Books - and they said I could borrow whatever I wanted!!  This is breakfast with the newest arrived volunteers.

 I liked this old Russian mandolin like instrument .. only two strings - I'll bet Julie could play it!

 Neat plaque up in the mission home.

 Another nice poster in the Mission Home.

 Eastern Europe Area Goals - good idea for ALL of us!!

Sister Patricia MacCabe from Bon Aire Ward in Richmond, VA - Em and Ben's ward!  She's the one in the blue sweater - her MTC Companion is Sister Rachel Johnson from Sandy, Utah! We met them in the MTC in Provo.  Sister MacCabe said the prayer for breakfast in Russian.

New Companions for the Sisters - Sister Cochran for Sister MacCabe and Sister Blondquist for Sister Johnson - can't remember where they are going to serve - but it is out of Novosibrisk pretty far.  Such beautiful young women - and all the elders also. 

Transfer Day!

 Transfers this week - Wednesday departing volunteers left - and new volunteers came ...this is the mission office hallway with all the new coming ones luggage!

 The Mission Office posted this picture so everyone could get a good laugh!!  We mostly transfer by train, bus or plane.  We had 13 leave for home, and 8 come - 6 elders and 2 sisters.

 Walking to our Mission Presidents apartment we found this comic little police office saluting the traffic signal - cool statue! Reminded me of Springville and the art statues all around town.

 This is the apartment building that the Mission Home is located in ... fourth floor.  The elders call it the Manti Temple building!!  Some others said it reminds them of Batman - I guess it is like a building in the movie - wouldn't know haven't seen it!  Even some of the locals call it Batman - one of the elders said.

This is the building that the First Branch meets in - on the ground floor...we like the steeple like thing on top!

Snow and Sunday Dinner

 This is our Oatmeal box - delicious - just like in the US!  Love the traditional Russian dress.

 First snow in Novosibirsk - much more to come!

 Ishmael with the elders - Sunday dinner at the Heiselbetz's apt.  Three of these elders are going home this week - two years - they are anxious to see their families.  Ishmael is from the country of Mali and was baptized this year ... he is awesome!

 Handsome elders - those going home told us of their plans and a favorite scripture - great time.

Us with the elders and Ishmael - we are blessed to serve with wonderful young volunteers.

Misc from Novosibrisk

This is our sidewalk from our Apartment building to the Mission Office ... the Heiselbetz call it Rocky Ridge ... in honor of the Pioneers in Wyoming!  Reminds us that our lot is much better than theirs!  It is part of a driveway - there is a gate with a dog that barks when you walk on it.

 Closer picture of the rocks - really rocky!

 Elder Smith in our building elevator - there are three of them and we've never waited very long for one to haul us up to the 14th floor ... especially with groceries!

 Walked by these a couple of times ... one time some people were loading furniture in one - they are storage sheds!

 Rock foundation - so much manual labor went into building that - and it is solid - hold up a 5 story building!

 Transfer Day picture I shared with Sister Heiselbetz - she is going to make a poster for next Thursday - our first transfer day here.  We will welcome the young volunteers we met in the MTC - including Sister MacCabe from Em's ward in Virginia!!

 On our walks in the morning we found these cement/wooden poles - pretty smart how to hold them up!

 For all of you who have or are living in Montana - - this is the REAL town pump!!!  It is on a corner of our four minute walk to the mission office from our apt.  People pull up and open their trunks and fill water containers from it.

 This is a picture of the window wells - with their snow covers!

 Two Old Volunteers - out shuffling - trying to maintain some of the fitness we had in April at the 1/2 Marathon - we actually had hard rain today (Friday Sept. 22) when we got outside - so we walked up the 20 flights of stairs, then down and back to our floor - 14 - pretty good workout - we were both sweating!

Second Branch Chapel

 This is the outside entrance to the Second Branch building.  It is part of another building but the Church owns it ... used to be a bank the young volunteers told us.  Pretty marble tile through out the bottom three floors,  lots of classrooms, top floor used for storage and the Facilities Management office.

 Chapel - they also have a baptismal font and the First Branch doesn't - so all baptisms in Novosibrisk are done here.

 They had this picture of a Church owned Building some where else in Russia, could be in our mission - I don't remember.

Here is another Church owned building somewhere.

Park on the left bank of the Ob River

 Elder and Sister Heiselbetz took us over to the left bank - the Ob  River divides Novosibrisk - there is a branch on each side - Right Side is 1st Branch, left side is 2nd Branch.  Since we were going to District meeting on the left side - they were kind enough to show us the way.  We walked through this pretty park.

 More of the park pathways...they use birch trees for landscaping, and for many wooden projects here.

 Typical Russian apartment house on the left bank ... a little less affluent than right side and we felt a little more calm there - not so much stress of crowds and cars.

 The leaves were falling in the wind .. but you can't see them in the picture.

Some kind of poster at the front of the park ... reminded us of the insignia on the hat Kate brought back years ago.

Mission Office Posters and New Hats!

 We have neat posters around the Mission Office ... I wanted to share a few with you.

 Really like this one ... also the saying that A Missionary leaves his or her family for a short time - - so other families can be together for eternity.

 There are lives to Brighten - - I missed getting the B in the picture!  Love President Monson - such a great example of loving and serving others.

 It is getting colder and we were told we needed to get hats ... pretty cute huh?  Funny on the subway ride back to the office there were three Babushkas sitting - and I joined them -- Elder Smith said I fit right in as each of them had a beret hat!

 Closer picture - they really are warm ... both have ear flaps that can come down over our ears.

 What a handsome senior volunteer - I think I will keep him!!  He remembered his father with a hat something like this.

It could snow tomorrow - Saturday, Sept. 23rd - so we are prepared!!

President and Sister Lamb

 Here is the usual volunteers picture with President and Sister Lamb ... they are awesome!  We had FHE with them in the Heiselbetz apartment.

 Sister Heiselbetz loves this painting of the Savior in Russia ... according to the scriptures He could have visited these - "other sheep".

 Sister Heiselbetz also had this wonderful set of eggs depicting the Saviors life... I will try and get one...the shop she purchased it had only one - she would also like more.

She also found this cute pillow cover and would like to get more ... so we'll keep looking for her.  Actually when we were downtown last week they couldn't even find the shop they bought it in!!

Winter Coat and new dress

 We went shopping Saturday and I bought this awesome winter coat - I'm certain to stay toasty warm all winter!

 Also found this new dress - and Elder Smith insisted I needed it - really comfortable and easy washing.  I like the sleeves and the two pockets.

 Looks nice with my black blazer that I brought...

and my warm jacket from Montana...lucky me!