April 24, 2013

I see trees of green........ red roses too 

I see 'em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

Spring is delightful in Kyiv. The city workers that chipped ice and snow for the last 4 months have picked up their brooms and are sweeping away winter. They are not only sweeping but painting, planting, and getting the city ready for Easter and the holidays ahead. And best of all they are doing it all with a smile. So before I begin the news of the week I wanted to share some of the pictures of the signs of spring in Kyiv.  

Tree and curb painters

The Hummer limo

...with bride inside

Fence painters 

Little wildflowers

Newly painted trees, benches and curbs in our backyard

Neatly stacked wood

Make a wish tree

Sidewalk clean up crew

First daffodils

Braids

Survivors

More fishermen at 5:30am than workmen

Flowering trees

New planted pansies

Sidewalk visits

Washing windows

Wall painting at the monastery

Temple with daffodils 4-21-13

I spent the first part of the week at the temple and going on visits with the sister missionaries. They are the most darling girls and have so much patience and love for the people of Ukraine. Sister Filipovska was born in Ukraine and is from Italy. Sister Russavage is from California. They are amazing, hard-working missionaries that are very dedicated to the work.  They took this picture of me in front of a sculpture dedicated to 9-11 in the US. Kyiv's heart was broken at our losses.  Isn't that wonderful.  

9-11 Broken Heart sculpture

Sister Filipovska and Sister Russavage visiting for a sister's birthday

Friday was a beautiful day so after the home chores and getting some shopping done for Gary’s party on Sunday, Jill and I headed out to see the Vydubytsky Monastery. (see future blog) The directions were pretty broad and sounded easy so we were sure it would be easy to find. Well, that was a very wrong assumption on my part. After several miles and hundreds of stairs and crossing over and under a cloverleaf highway we found a little monastery which we now know wasn’t the one we were looking for. What we found was quaint, and did have a monk running it and I’m sure we were the only visitors he had had for months and probably will have for months. We not only had to put on scarves to go in but skirts also which he provided. It was a pretty little chapel but of course the wrong one.

Beginning of some more wild adventures...

Monastery

Candles lit for us

Monk

After such a long hike we walked on down the Dniper through Navodnitsky Park. One of the sites we saw was the  Memorial to the founders of Kyiv, depicting the brothers Kkyi, Shchek, Khoryv and sister Lybid. It is a tradition for newly married couples to lay flowers here.  We also saw the Tree of Happiness.  For a happy marriage you need to touch the bronze leaf of the tree and tie a ribbon there.  To make a wish that your children are healthy you need to touch the apples on the tree.

Memorial to founders of Kyiv

Saturday we cleaned the church and then started the preparations for the big “Café Rio” dinner we were going to have for Gary’s birthday.  It just so happens that my friend Jill’s daughter was born on the same day as Gary and since both of their favorite foods is the pulled pork salad we decided to combine efforts and have a little party after stake conference.  It turned out we invited three temple missionary couples and the Mission Office missionaries. (Sister Ricks is the YW leader).  The food turned out delicious and Jessa was a great sport to share her birthday with a bunch of older folks. 

The party

Gary and Jessa

At stake conference on Sunday President Kanchenko was released after nine years. He was the first Stake President of the Kyiv Stake and is over the real estate department at the service center so we have known him well and have such high regard for him. He and his wife also worked on the same Tuesday shift at the temple. Our new Stake President is President Pohilko, the temple recorder. He will be an outstanding stake president. He is in his early thirties and one of his counselors is twenty-four.

 President Pohilko’s wife had an amazing insight in her talk which I will share.  “We have so many really good intentions in this life that are usually blocked by the little word “but”.  However, you can turn all of your intentions into successes if you just choose what goes in front and behind of the “but”. For instance, instead of saying ‘I want to study the scriptures but I am really tired’, say ‘I am really tired but I want to study the scriptures.’ I really loved that little idea.

President Pohilko had a great thought from Hugh Nibley. “There are a lot of things we need to do but only two that we should worry about…forgiveness and repentance.” Through the Savior we can turn our weaknesses into strengths. He has given the Holy Ghost to guide us. 

Conference-Elder Bennett with Pres. Kanchenko

Conference friends

Nastia - Natasha's granddaughter

Shikalovas

Ira

Sunday night was the annual Ukrainian Concert and talent show. It was a long way to go to the temple church but I knew a lot of the people performing and I wanted to go.  (One of those “but” sentences – I didn’t even realize it until I wrote it.) It was a great concert by a variety of ages of people. They practice every Sunday evening whether there are two or twenty that can come to rehearsal. The director arranges the music and the musicians range in age from five to sixty. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to share their talents.  Sister Serdyuk, who I work with at the temple and is the promoter of cultural events said in her introduction, “Music teaches many good qualities. It teaches patience for other people – we make mistakes and learn tolerance and forgiveness and love.”

Sister Seryduk, the organizer

The trumpet player

Concert soloist

Julia, the director

Quote for the week from President Henry B. Eyring:

“I bear you my testimony that the Lord will always prepare a way for you to escape from the trials you will be given if you understand two things.  One is that you need to be on the Lord’s errand.  The second thing you need to understand is that the escape  will almost never be out of the trial;  it will usually be through it.  If you pray to have the experience removed altogether, you may not find the way prepared for you.  Instead, you need to pray to find the way of deliverance through it.”

Blue skies of spring