Gary & Karl's Big Adventure: May 14, 2012

We finally did it! After 6 weeks in Kyiv we finally found a Mexican Restaurant for Gary. We had taken the double-decker tour of the city bus on the Saturday of the holiday and when we went down to old town we both commented that it looked a lot like New Orleans. Well, you know how New Orleans has everything…… so we went exploring and ole’….. we found Tequila Restaurant. It was a pretty good imitation of a Mexican place. I loved the quesadilla (and since I really don’t like Mexican food you know what that means). They did not have chili Colorado but Gary had kind of a weird looking enchilada and said it was pretty good. You take what you get, right? On the way home we stopped by Maiden Square (Independence Square) and they were having a big "Vi- Day" concert celebrating the defeat of Germany and the victory of Russia in World War II. There were about 20,000 people there extending all the way down Khreschatyk. At the end there was a big fireworks show. And these people don't even like Russia. Anything for a big party.

Sunday we were riding on the metro to church to give our talks on “agency” and I made a really poor choice. Most Ukrainian people on the metro aren’t very friendly and especially at 8:00 AM on Sunday morning. Well, this old farmer guy (probably about 60) got on with his little cart of potatoes heading to market somewhere to sell them. He sat down across from us and I caught his eye for about 2 seconds. He had those beautiful light green Ukrainian eyes….. however one eye was droopy like he had maybe had a stroke. I didn’t want him to think I was staring so I avoided looking his way again. I could feel that he was looking at us as the crowds got on and off the metro. At the stop at the end of the line – where we get off – he stood up to get off and reached down and picked up a metro token and handed it to me. I tried to tell him to keep it and he gave me the nicest smile and refused. Then he was gone in the crowd. His smile and those green eyes have been haunting me ever since. Why wasn’t I kinder. Why didn’t I give him a warm smile to show that I thought he was an ambitious, hard-working person to be up so early going to market to work all day, knowing that he probably makes about $250 a month (the average salary of the hard-working class. And then he gave me the only thing of any value. Why, Why Why. Decisions, choices, and I could have done better as a representative of the Lord. Lesson learned. No more Ukrainian straight face for me. Everyone in this world deserves a little kindness.

Saturday evening we went for a walk up to Saint Sophia’s square as we knew they were having some kind of an exhibit. Well, it was amazing. At first we thought it was just some giant mosaics portraying scenes from the bible. When we got up close we realized that the mosaics were made from colored eggs. This traveling exhibit was one that we were glad we hadn’t missed. It was an incredibly beautiful work of art.

Last Thursday I attended my first Zone Conference. (Gary couldn’t go so he was invited by the Mission President to go to Lviv with him tomorrow to the Zone Conference there. ) It was fabulous. Our mission president is from Germany and his wife was the first Russian to attend Rick’s college and actually any church university. He is 44 and she is about 39. They are both converts and none of their family members are converted to the gospel but are really good people. He is totally amazing and has so much insight and knowledge. I’m sure that he will be a general authority soon. Gary and I have been assigned a branch to attend once or twice a month in Lutsk. A small town of about 250,000 that is in northwestern Ukraine by the border of Poland. It is a 9 hour train ride from here but from what we hear the people there are wonderful and the town is great. We will probably be going up there this weekend with the couple that is currently assigned there but is going back to the states the first of June. You’ll hear more about that adventure later.

We are really feeling at home here. I am starting to do some embassy work with several of the embassies located in Kyiv. There is so much to do and our days are very busy. We love and miss all of you. Remember that we’re all here on the Lord’s errand. We make four covenants of service in the temple and if we don’t keep our covenants the Lord will revoke the blessings. So I guess that means that we all need to be better home and visiting teachers………and missionaries. Love, Gary and Karlene