October 20, 2012

When I was young I used to wonder how there were enough cows in the world to provide everyone with milk, where all the food came from to fill the grocery shelves in Pocatello, let alone Salt Lake City……that was before I started thinking globally… and how electricity came through little wires into all the houses so we could have lights, heat, and many other conveniences.  (My biggest wonder now is the I-Pad.  Incomprehensible what you are able to access and do with that small wonder but that is in a different realm.) I still wonder about all those things but have added so many more things to that list while growing up, and now here in Kyiv the list gets even longer. 

• How mass transit systems and huge underground malls could be built under an already existing city?
• Where all the garbage for 4 million people is deposited?
• How the city heats and controls the water for everyone in this city?
• How they control the heat for all of the same apartments during the winter?

This has been my latest concern as it has turned cold in Kyiv. We keep hearing about a second summer after the first cold spell (kind of like the second winter after the February thaw in Idaho) but it hasn’t arrived yet. Last week the evening temperatures dropped into the thirties. The heat is usually turned on in November but we heard that due to the elections we would get heat earlier this year. Sure enough we did. We get heat from seven in the morning until about ten in the evening which is really great. The walls of our apartment are about a foot thick and with people above, below and next to us we keep pretty toasty. 

When we left for Lutsk at 5:30 AM Sunday morning it was dark for the first time while traveling there. It was also a bit foggy and reminded me of when we used to drive home from McCall early Sunday morning after our fall trip there. 

The fields have been plowed and the harvested wheat fields are covered with crows. The winter wheat was already growing in several areas. There were stacks of pumpkins and squash piled high waiting for the horse and wagons to come haul them off. A few stalks of corn are still standing here and there in the fields. There are now several haystacks next to each little cottage to provide feed for the cows and horses in the winter. Most everyone one in the country has at least one cow, horses to pull the wagons and plow the fields, pigs, chickens and a goat. The families in the country are truly self-sufficient and are an example of industry to all of us. There were more horse drawn wagons on the highway today and the funniest of all was the wagon bus with about 30 people on board. (Sorry I didn’t get a picture of that one.) 

Foggy morning

Cornstalks still standing

Haystacks by the houses

Gary's secret pond

Harvest time

Loading up the pumpkins and squash

One interesting thing that I would like to mention about our trip to Lutsk. Last week a man had killed three security guards in a department store in Kyiv. We got stopped on the way there as the police thought our driver looked like the suspect. Luckily after 20 minutes he had convinced them that he wasn’t and we were on our way again. The radar in this country is amazing. The police stand outside of their vehicles with hand-held radar guns. They wave you over if you are speeding. If you don’t stop they start blowing their whistles. Most everyone stops. You can buy your way out of any ticket by paying a 100 hr ($12) bribe.   

Radar Police

In Lutsk it was conference Sunday. This is kind of a fun event. Because of the time difference, conference is not watched on the normal weekend. Then the translations have to be done in Ukrainian.  So, the second week of October is when the wards and branches watch conference together. We had already watched all the conference sessions on our computer during the week so we were excited for the saints to hear the wonderful messages. Several people we know here in Kyiv had done the translations for the conference so while watching the speakers we were hearing our friends voices in Ukrainian which was fun. After the first session the missionaries served soup which the sister missionaries had made and bread and cookies which the Elders brought. It was a fun social time for everyone before the second session. 

Sisters Von Stokkhom and Smith, and Elders Terry and Callister

Antonio

Conference Lunch

RS President and former Branch President Polyshuk

This week was pretty normal week with office work, classes and temple. Tuesday we had dinner with the sister missionaries Busch and O’Neil, and on Wednesday one of the ladies I visit teach took me to see the Normandy Art Exhibit at the National Art Museum of Ukraine. Friday evening we were able to go the Ukraine National Philharmonic Concert with the famous conductor Roman Kofman. The music was so absolutely beautiful that it is still playing in my mind. Beautiful music is truly a gift from God and brings such peace. 

Oh, and yes, it is election time here as well as in the United States. We were glad to be out of town on Sunday as there was a large demonstration of 10,000 people in the park across from Gary’s office.  There are more military in the metro stations and all over town, political signs everywhere and booths set up all along the sidewalks with people handing out propaganda. Election Day is Sunday the 28th and we will be glad when it is over.

I have observed some very unusual things this past six months in Kyiv and since this blog is a little short I thought I would include some of them.  

Good and bad uses of tree stumps on the sidewalk....

Tree stump used for litter....and tree stump used for flowers!

Interesting advertising technique!

Trees in the forest.....and trees growing from porch of deteriorating apartment building

Tree seeking light between buildings....a few months later it found the light!

Flowers at the temple (in spring) and flowers at the rose garden at the monastery (in summer)

If you can't find a park on the sidewalk....there's always the balcony!

Tree behind our apartment

Moms, just get up a few minutes earlier to get ready for church!

Quote of the week taken from General Conference talk of President Uchtdorf, entitled "Of Regrets and Resolutions" Click here to read Pres. Uchtdorf's talk

We shouldn't wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available--all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. "This is the day which the Lord hath made...," the Psalmist wrote. "Rejoice and be glad in it." Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.

Ukraine Temple at night