October 6, 2012

We have now been in Ukraine for six months. Time goes by so fast. We were thinking of how much our lives and lifestyle have changed in the last six months and these are some things that came off the top of our heads. 

Things I have done that I never thought I would be able to do 6 months ago:  1) run down escalator stairs at the metro, 2) clean house the way Ukrainians do, 3) give directions in Russian, 4) be mistaken for a native on a daily basis, 5) get by without a clothes dryer, 6) make brownies, 7) make friends with the highway coffee lady by the temple, 8) easily find my way around a city of 4 million, 9) fall in love with Ukraine.  

And Gary’s list: 1) enjoy cultural activities on a weekly basis, 2) get by without an automobile, 3) have the physical stamina to walk several miles a day, climb hundreds of stairs a day and in all kinds of weather, and 4) make life-long friendships with so many people. I’m sure these lists could be much longer and will be, the longer we are here. 

One very enjoyable custom that they have here is that whenever someone has an important event take place in their family, (birthday, wedding, new baby) they must provide chocolates for the office staff. It is a constant chocolate fest at the office. Candy is very reasonably priced but we have learned that we have to be careful not to buy the chocolates filled with alcohol which is sometimes hard to do when you are not sure what you are buying and you can’t read the labels. There is a brand new chocolate factory on Khreshchatyk. It is busy night or day. We happened in there Saturday evening to pick up some chocolates for work on Monday morning to celebrate our grandson’s blessing and it was very crowded.

The new chocolate store in town

Khreshchatyk is the happening place to be on a Saturday evening. It is somewhat like “dragging main” in the United States but without cars. The street is closed to traffic, the festive lights are on and that is where all the younger set hang out. And what were we doing there…………buying chocolates of course. 

Khreshchatyk on a Saturday night

Tuesday is buy one get one present (get one free) at the Domino’s Pizza which is right next to our apartment. The missionaries and the International Language Program teachers have an open invitation to come by on Tuesday night and get our “present.”  Last Tuesday the ILP girls came by and we had a lot of fun visiting and eating with them. They were leaving for a tour of the Black Sea area the next day. In a month they will be going to tour Italy, France and Germany. They really have a great time for the four months they are here and get to see a lot of Europe. They live with local families and teach three to twelve year old students. Some of the girls that come have been on missions, some have finished a few years of college and some are right out of high school. The girls that came this Tuesday were from Arizona, Minnesota, and Alabama. 

Dinner with the ILP girls

Saturday we had a chance to revisit Pirogov Village with Jay and Marcia Stuart and their daughters from Utah. Pirogov Village is a museum of folk architecture, culture and rural life of Ukraine. It is located just outside of town on 150 hectares. There are over 300 structures that are original examples of wooden architecture that have been transported here from the different regions of Ukraine. There are churches as old as 1601 and thatched roof houses as old as 1587. The first time we went there was on a missionary outing in May. We were only there a short time and did not really get to see very much so we were excited to be able to go again when we could spend more time. 

It was a beautiful fall morning and the leaves were just starting to change…….. my favorite time of the year. Even though it was the day of the closing festival of the season and there were thousands of people there, we went the opposite direction of the crowds and really enjoyed the sights, and were still able to get back to the main area where the dancers and singers from the different regions were performing at the end of the day. And of course we didn’t pass up the delicious pork kabobs and other Ukrainian delights. It was such a fun day and I hope that the pictures will give you a flavor of the villages of Ukraine. 

Jay & Marcia Stuart with their daughters

What to buy??

Interesting foundation

Windmill

This week people from Moscow, Armenia and the Baltics (Minsk area) were at the temple. On Thursday I was able to look after the children of an Armenian couple so that they could attend the temple together. Most of the week they had taken turns going to the temple so that one could be with the children.  I offered to help out on Thursday so they could do some sealings of relatives. It had taken them three days traveling night and day, sleeping for brief periods to get here (2200 km but rough roads). They are leaving Saturday morning and will not get home until Monday evening. Their boys, 10, 7, and 4 are adorable and spoke English amazingly well. We played games and the interesting  thing I learned is that all seven year olds everywhere are the same; they love to win and sometimes change the rules to win. 

Armenian family

On the way home that day the traffic was heavy so I decided to take the Tram home which means going under the highway and walking about a mile to the station. The walkway under the highway reminds me of running through the Center Street Underpass when I was young. Not really scary but you could make it seem that way. 

The underground walkway

We all know the importance of having goals. The way to achieve goals entails four steps. Write them down, share your goals with someone else, be diligent in working on your goals and then report your  progress. We have heard these things many times and it is truly the way to be successful. Last week Elder Clarke talked about one thing we can all to do be spiritually successful. I really like this idea so I thought I would share it and hope that it will be as interesting to you all as it was to me.

Keep a little notebook with you at all times to right down promptings from the spirit. Keep it by your bedside at night and if you wake up in the morning with a thought of something you should do for someone that day then write it down. During the day if you have insights into how you can help others including things you should do for your family or children or friends or even strangers, write it down.  Then do what you have been prompted by the spirit to do. The more you respond to the promptings of the spirit the more you will hear. The more you fill your life with random acts of kindness the happier you will be. As you listen to and act on the promptings you will be a tool in the hands of the Lord to bring others to Christ.

In April 2010 Conference, President Uchtdorf gave a talk confirming these same thoughts, entitled “You are My Hands”. A great talk and well worth re-reading. Here is a quote from that talk:

"As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit."

We love you all and appreciate your prayers and thoughtfulness in our behalf. We also pray for you and for all of God's children everywhere.

Ukraine Temple on a foggy morning