August 10, 2013

It is so nice to be back in Kyiv. It is fun to go away and see all the new and exciting things out in the world but coming back you all of a sudden realize all the beautiful things around you including the amazing people here in Ukraine.

Sunrise from our apartment window

We enjoyed a pretty mild July with temperatures in the 70’s (23 C) but August is just the weather that the vacationers love, 88 degrees F (31 C). I met some men from Amsterdam and they said they had come to Kyiv to go to the beaches. Yes we do have beaches in Kyiv, along the Dneiper River. And everyone here loves going to the beach.

Beaches in Kyiv

On Friday we had a zone conference with the missionaries. It is always so fun to be with the young elders and sisters. They are so obedient to the mission rules and have an amazing enthusiasm for missionary work. President Klebingat is just sure that we have the best, most obedient missionaries anywhere in the world………….I hope every mission president thinks that. Their ability to learn Russian can only be explained as the gift of tongues. Oh, and did I mention that they can devour about twenty family size pizza’s in a matter of minutes?

President Klebingat

Speaking of missionary work, I guess I should insert pictures from our dinner in Moscow with the Office of General Counsel Staff. That is the main reason that we went to Moscow was for Gary to attend meetings there. He will also be going back next week to meet with the Area Presidency but I will be staying here in Kyiv during that trip.

Dinner with Moscow OGC

Sister Belnap and Nadia (our driver)

Now that it is summer vacation month the temple is filled to capacity with wonderful saints doing the work for their deceased relatives. It is wonderful to see all of the people flooding in from Russia and renewing acquaintances from other visits here. I have been working three shifts a week as many Kyiv workers are also on vacation. There is really no better way to spend the day.

The Felsteds (from Idaho now serving in Hungary with Son and his new Ukrainian Wife )

Beautiful flowers

Wednesday Sister Galbraith and I went on a little sightseeing adventure after the morning session at the temple. They will be leaving the first of November and there were a few things she wanted to see in the city Center. A lot of the places we visited she remembered driving by and it made me realize the difference in having a car and using public transportation or walking everywhere. You really see and appreciate your surroundings so much more at a slower pace. As Temple Presidents they have to travel quite a bit and it is so much easier for them to have a car for transportation but I do think you miss out a little on the sights of the city when some of your touring is just drive by.

 

Sister Galbraith

House with Chimeras

Golda Meir's Birthplace

First Meeting House of LDS Branch

Mariyinskiy Palace under restoration

Mariysinskiy Park

Friendship arch

Puppet Theatre

Statue by Kissing Bridge

Another exciting thing I was able to do this weekend was go to the Ivan Kavaliridze Museum with my friend Sveta. Ivan Kavaliridze is the Ukrainian Michelangelo. He is a sculptor, a dramatist and a stage director. His creative work lasted for sixty-seven years beginning with his sculpture of Princess Olga (1911) to his monument to Grigoriy Skovoroda (1978). The museum is in his house and workshop on St. Andrew’s descent.  There is a small garden by the museum with several of his sculptures that are too large for the Museum. The original of the first monument to Princess Olga, unfortunately beheaded by the Bolsheviks, is among them. Sveta had arranged for her friend Victor, a man that had worked side by side with Kavaliridze to take us on a tour of the museum. We had a wonderful afternoon and I learned so much about the great sculptor that created so many works of art that I have seen in Kyiv and also in other cities in Ukraine.

 

Ivan Kavaleridze 1887-1978

Leo Tolstoy

Uraslav the Wise

Yaraslav Monument at the Golden Gate

Princess Olga

Sveta and Victor

On Sunday the embassy families started returning and it is so good to have them back. We were able to begin primary again and I have missed being with the children and singing the wonderful songs of the gospel with them. It is also a reminder that school will be starting soon. This summer went by so fast.

Primary girls

  

Our friends the Ricks also came back through Kyiv on their way home to Rexburg and we were able to have lunch with them.

 

With the Ricks at Lunch

So here we are in the dog days of summer and cherishing each passing day. So as I was thinking about the blessings of life I came across these “I’ve learned” statements from Omer B. Washington. There are hundreds of these kinds of things written but I thought this list was particularly good and maybe you will like it too.

 

I’ve learned-
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I’ve learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned-
that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I’ve learned-
that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.

I’ve learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.

I’ve learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I’ve learned-
that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I’ve learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I’ve learned-
that you can keep going long after you can’t.

I’ve learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I’ve learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned-
that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned-
that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned-
that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned-
that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

I’ve learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned-
that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I’ve learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I’ve learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I’ve learned-
that people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Flowers at Kyiv Temple