Random happenings!

 This is a lettuce plant - they sell them in the produce department at some grocery stores.

 This is the back of the package - it is actually growing still in a small pot!

 Very fresh lettuce!

 Walking one Monday morning - we found piles of flowers next to our dumpster - someone had a wedding or something over the weekend - I picked out some of the best ones and we enjoyed them for FHe and a few days later.

 This is our back view now with most of the snow melted - the kids play soccer on the hockey rink, and the workers took down the sledding tower.

Elder Stringfellow found a dog like his at home - made him happy!

Visiting Russian Churches and Eternal Flame with the Sisters

 Monday we visited some Russian Churches with the trio of sister missionaries - very interesting.

 We sure have had some fun adventures with these darling sisters!

 Old, Old church

 The men have to remove their hats and the women have to cover their heads inside the churches - I put the hood up on my coat - or wore Elder Smith's hat!

 Irkutsk Eternal Flame - memorial to fallen soldiers in WWII.

Mucking out the compost trough!

 Here we are getting our work assignments - Elders (men) to the compost trough - Sisters (women) to the grass field...between buildings.

 Our strong, handsome elders shoveling manure!

 Elder Smith helping from the outside.

 Some of the compost was still frozen - so Elder W. would break it up - Elder S. and Elder Smith shovel it out.  Look at the back of the trough - there is the straw and hay that they cleaned out of the barn from winter - that was shoveled in to begin making compost for next year.

 Elder Smith liked this old Russian pitchfork - and it worked also!

 More of the farm buildings - some snow still left in the shade.

Weaving and rugs

 This is the weaving loom that they weave rag rugs on - for sale!

 small loom not working right now.

We all bought a rug - very meaningful to bring home, we loved doing service there and hope to go back many times.  

 Our rug!

We titled this 'chicks' with 'chicks'!

Raking dead grass!

 Here we are in our boots with our rakes - we worked hard and raked a big field!

 Cute sister missionaries and an older senior sister! 

 I added this picture because you can see the piles of dead grass in the lower right hand corner - the residents would come and take the piles away in a wheelbarrow.

 Elder Smith came over to help us after the Elders and he had cleaned out a compost trough.

Of course we had to have fun with the wheelbarrow !

Wonderful Service Day

 We had a great opportunity to provide service at a sheltered work group home - way out in the country - actually in some small mountains!  It was a WWII military base given to the private group home for disabled men.  We have a trio of sisters, so with the elders and us - we brought 7 people willing to work!  The mud was pretty thick and they provided muck boots for us - the smallest ones they had were white and still too big - but I was grateful for them.

 Elder S. taking pictures - Sister W. resisting!  One of the old buildings - they told us they used to have celebrations and dances in it.

 We were given a tour of the facilities - this is the wood shop.  Volunteers come in to help the residents make things to sell - cute wooden trucks, etc.

 Some of the good work they do.

 All the missionaries wanted to buy this - it'snot for sale!  birch bark is good for things like this.

 Another side of the work shop.

Statue to Siberian Women and Birthday dinner

 This is neat statue honoring the women who followed their husbands into exile in Siberia in the Revolution - they brought children and stayed 30 years!  One stayed her whole life and is buried here.

 Amazing - and Irkutsk is over 350 years old - another city in northern Siberia is over 500 years old!

The Women's monument is at the end of this brick walkway in a city park.  The yellow building you can see at the left is a wonderful fabric store and sewing machine repair place!

 Sister Wilcox had a Birthday - and we all went out to dinner to celebrate!  this is the birthday dessert the restaurant had on the menu! Ice cream shake, two donuts, candy, etc.

 Sister Melton - her companion - decided to have the other flavor - chocolate shake, etc. love these volunteers!  and very happy to celebrate with them.

Our District at the moment - a darling trio of sisters and handsome elders - and one old couple!