Wonderful Zone Conference

 We had a great Zone Conference with Elder Golden - First Counselor in the Europe East Area Presidency ... we learned so much and felt so inspired to do better!  I have 12 pages of notes but I'll just share a few highlights.  Elder and Sister Golden are from South Africa - he was sure to tell the Russians he wasn't an American!  and then proceeded to talk about the restoration could have only happened in the US with the religious freedom laws - BUT the gospel is for all the world! He mentioned he was very happy that Sister Golden could be with him - that ..."I do less damage to the church when she is with me!"  One thing he said I had never heard quiet like he put it:  "The power and blessings of the Atonement can't be unlocked without an ordinance."  I loved it when he said:  Senior couples are a treasure to the Church, and The Lord is watching over your families."

 We met Sister Melton - she is serving way out in one of the branches - her mother worked with Polly at Jet Blue a few years ago --- small world!  The Sisters coming on a two hour flight from Krasnoyarsk had their flight delayed an hour and a half ... just before take off a man had a heart attack on the plane!  Someone yelled for help at the back of the plane and it took almost 30 minutes for medical personal to start to work on him ... one of the sisters only spoke Russian - so one of the elders translated for her!  Elder Golden praised the sister missionaries - said they are the visual aids for the Church!  and that they only serve 18 months because they reach perfection 6 months before the elders!  teasing, I'm sure.

 Sister Melton and her companion brought Sister Heiselbetz this native Russian blouse and jumper - so cute!  I may have to purchase one!  I like the blue color but love the embroidery on the front of the red one.  The Heiselbetz are going on a visa trip next week - they have friends serving in the Ukraine temple and will go there and visit with them!  We will try and help the office for the four days they are gone.

Another wonderful painting in the Mission Office - love the snow, sled, people!  I'll definitely bring a picture back with us ... a small one!  Sister Golden at Zone Conference told us how much she loves the music of the Church ... that she knew of at least two people who have joined the Church via singing the hymns!  She talked about faith and blessings.  Elder Golden told us that when an investigator attended church anywhere in the world - 2.9 attend 1 is baptized...but in the Europe East area it is 6.0 attending church to one baptized ... he said that is our fault - we need to make our meetings better - it might have to do with meeting in rented halls also!  The mission committed to doing better - more reverence, prelude music, etc.  Elder Golden asked for questions - some good ones ... one elder asked about how the Apostles make a living.  Elder Golden told us that those working full time in the ministry get a modest living allowance - most turn it back into the church - one of his colleagues told him that the amount of the living allowance is the amount of tithing he used to pay!!  NO TITHES are used for this allowance - most take a pay cut when they are called to be General Authorities.  Elder Golden ended by invoking the blessings of the Lord for us as a mission and Russia as a country.  Oh - one more thing - he said the Lord is very aware of Russia and that it will have ' significance' in the final days of the earth.

Snow!

 Tuesday, October 24th - this is what we woke up to!  Pretty isn't it? 

 Then it started to snow again - and the wind began to blow - winter comes to Novosibirsk!

 Someone told us the snow is just tiny grains and not pretty like the fluffy flakes other places - I think these are fluffy flakes and very pretty!  They call it 'snow showers' here - not snow flurries like we're used to --at least the weather app on our phone calls them snow showers!

 This is our exercise path when it is icy outside ...it's not that cold but a senior missionary slipped on the ice a couple of years ago and had to go home with a head injury!  We are not going to do that! So we go up and down the stairs for morning exercise.... there are 20 floors so we do get a lot of exercise!

Pictures from the Program

 This is the cover of the Program from the Ballet - very pretty.

 Pictures in the program - really like the real dancing - this  is the evil fairy that said Aurora would die on her 16th birthday - pricking her hand on the spindle...in the Santa Clara Elementary School version - Stan play one of the 'little evils' - and he did it very well!

 Beautiful dancing - so much talent and such hard work to perfect it!  The Lilac Fairy in the background was the only Fairy that hadn't given her gift - - and she changed the death to a 100 years sleep of the princess and the whole court.

 Another picture of beautiful dancing - so much better in person!

 The wedding scene - Queen and King on either side - long train!

 Painting of the 1862 presentation - 1862!

 Picture of some of the scenes from the 1890 presentation!!

 Programs from older editions - way older!  Eli and Isaac - is that French?  La Belle au bois dormant!

This one is German - in Hamburg!

Inside the Theater

 We were one of the first to enter the theater - - this is the stage - beautiful curtain.

 Both sides of the theater had these Greek statutes - really cool.

 Note the VIP boxes beneath the statutes - no one was in them during the performance.

 Elder Smith in our seats - seats 1 and 2 row 17 - very good view.

 This is the decorations at the top of the stage - very ornate.

 The ceiling - and the chandelier - if it was Phantom of the Opera we would be hit!

Opera and Ballet Theater

 Inside of the Ballet Theater they had older costumes in glass display cases - i think these were from the 90's.

 More of the pretty costumes - from the 80's I think.

 This one I remember was from "Giselle" in the 70's.

 The last case - I think they were from Sleeping Beauty in 2005.

 Red carpet on the stairs up to the seats - now we can say we 'walked the red carpet'!!

 Blue carpet at the hallway to the restrooms - very pretty.

Heat register in the women's restroom... It is hard to not take pictures of the people!

Lunch on Saturday Oct. 21

 Saturday, October 21st we took the subway to a park to meet the 2nd Branch sisters to go to lunch and to the Sleeping Beauty ballet...in the park there was a man selling balloons - fun!

 Here we are at lunch - Sister Tobler from Bear River Utah, and Sister Holmes from Mapleton - yummy food - good company.

 This is the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater - at Lenin Square - see the statues in the front?  Left is soldiers, center Lenin, right man and woman workers.

 Closer to the front door of the theater - beautiful old building...Built in 1944 - called the Siberian Coliseum - size and beauty... seats 1,790 - not a bad seat in the house!

 Sister Tobler, Sister Holmes, and us!

Our tickets - the sister purchased them and kept them until we were at the theater for the one o'clock matinee - but ours were for the 7:00 evening performance!  No problem we went home then came back later - well worth it!!

Some happenings in Novosibirsk

 Last Saturday we had the baptism of a sweet, eight year old boy - we can't post pictures of the Russian people who can be identified - so you will have to just believe me when I tell you he was smiling so big!  The two elders and his Father and little sister were also very happy!  This is the baptismal font in the 2nd Branch Chapel - at least you can see that!

 The AP's knew a different - shorter way to walk from the Metro to the Church Building for the baptism ... this is a creative Swan sculpture with back and white painted tires!

 We have a Maternity hospital in our neighborhood ... we walk past is several times some days ... last week we saw this car parked outside ... someone was very happy with this gift I bet!!  Elder Smith said it was a waste of ribbon!!

 This is our apartment building as we walk toward it.

 Yay for the Fairbanks girls who sent us pictures to decorate our kitchen wall!  Love them and the girls!

 We were inspecting one of the Elders companionship apartments - it was very clean.  I noticed two water color pictures on the wall and commented on them ... the Elders said they were there when they moved in - so another set of missionaries had left them and I could have one it I wanted!  I asked him to choose which one who wanted first .. and he choose the one I would not have chosen!

 Our building gardener was digging around the trees, etc. getting ready for winter I guess.  This cute johnny jump up was discarded on top of a pile of yard waste - I rescues it and planted it in the pot that was on our back porch...it seems to be happy and we are happy for it!

 This is the tag that was on my new skirt - Made in Kyrgyzstan - and size 52!!

 Pretty huh?  I will try and find a gray sweater to wear with it - thanks Em for my gray leggings they match perfectly!

 I bought some stickers to put on letters ... and as I was throwing this away I noticed the saying - "We have hopes because we have love"  - Made in China - so true!  Especially the love of our Savior and Heavenly Father - and each other!!  Twenty rubles is about 15 cents US.

We are looking forward to this Regional Conference on Oct. 29th - from Moscow - since they are four time zones away we think it will be recorded and broadcast to us.  The mission has rented the conference rooms at the Marriott Hotel in town - we also have a Double Tree Hotel.