New Leaders in Lugansk

New Branch Presidency L to R: Пресидент Патокин, Banch President; Elder Pulsipher, 2nd counselor;
Elder Hatch, 1st counselor

Sunday February 26th 2012 the Mission President and his Donetsk District counselor traveled to Lugansk to reorganize the Branch Presidency there.  Branch members who gathered in the chapel for the first meeting were told that the schedule would be flipped just for this week because President Campero and President Podvodov would be holding interviews.  All members should proceed to their regular Sunday School classes followed by Priesthood/Relief Society and then they would gather in the chapel to finish the meeting block.  During the third hour of the Sunday service, the Lugansk Branch President who has been serving for the past seven years was released.  He has been a dedicated and hard-working leader and is ready, it seems, for a change.  The smile on his face lit the room as he addressed the congregation for the last time as their Branch President.  Release was not, however, synonomous with rest.  He was immediately sustained as the new Elders' quorum president by the congregation, along with rest of the new Branch leadership called today.

On a lighter note . . . (or maybe a heavier one) . . . after all of the business was completed our visiting priesthood found their way to our podez on Sovietskaya for a light lunch and thanks to the Assistants to the President, we do not have to worry about leftovers.

In Search of the one . . .

Out into the dark, trudging along snowy, ice-covered streets we follow our nineteen-year old guides . . . armed with sweet offerings . . . off in search of the "one".

This family lives in a Chasi-dom rather than an apartment building.  The small houses are built in clusters surrounded by high walls with locked gates.  Once we were close to the home, we telephoned and the head of the family came out to unlock the heavy gates.  You can see the difficulties this would present for door-to-door tracting.  It made us wonder how neighborly visits were accomplished in the past, before the advent of cell phones. 

The family welcomed us into their home, introduced us to their furry and feathered friends, shared family photos and taekwondo medals, and then re-committed to live more fully and with more conviction, those things they already hold dear.

Here in Lugansk as we look for homes to visit and families to bless we do not need to look far.  Our branch president is giving us names of those in need of strength and support for their less active or not yet baptized family members.  He is quick to say that we will not find one member family here without that kind of need.  One of the first families he suggested we visit was his own. 

His son, Roman is a newly baptized member and Lela is taking lessons.  She loves the difference that association with the church has already made in her life. Changing is not easy, however, and both Roman and Lela want and need strength, support and encouragement as they try to make major life-style changes.

We shared food, fotos and fun, explored the glorious good news of the gospel and left filled and fulfilled.

Not surprisingly, our walk home was no longer dark and forboding, but filled with light.  Having stepped forward on the Lord's errand into what seemed like a dark and cold night we found love and joy and warmth through sharing fellowship and testifying of God's love.  

Don't worry about us. We have found the way to keep warm!

Holiday of the Heart

Valentine's Day has been celebrated in Ukraine only for the past ten years, but it has been warmly embraced despite the extreme cold of the season. This year we celebrated the holiday the weekend before with the Lugansk Branch at their Valentine's party.

 

We were given a brief history of the holiday and the Saint it was named after, then informed of some of the ways this day is celebrated in different countries.  I learned many things that I did not know, and before they are lost forever, I think I will share some of them here.  Did you know that the first man an unmarried woman sees on Valentine's day will be her future husband?  It is very important for all of my girls to know that if you see a robin on Valentine's Day, you will marry a sailor; if you see a sparrow, you will marry a poor man, but live happily; and if you see a goldfinch you will marry a rich man. 

"However", our hostess informed us, "all of the goldfinches have gone to America." 

"In America, a man who rejects a young woman must give her a dress of silk so that she will be attractive to some other young man.  There (in America), the day is celebrated by exchanging heart-shaped candies which have notes of affection and endearment carved on them". 

Here (in Lugansk) the day was celebrated with food, music, games and stories of love and family.  The Relief Society prepared a gathering for the entire branch that focused on love and marriage.

Waiting while the ladies deocrate . . .

Of all who attended, there were only three married couples, and we were one of them.  Decorations included wedding pictures of couples in the branch with the challenge to identify them; stories of how they met, and sharing of family time lines were enjoyed. The widows especially enjoyed telling their stories. One game we were asked to participate in was about division of responsibility.  Sitting back to back we were asked to hold up the right color of balloon to answer questions like, "Who is  the head of the house?" and,  "who does the cooking?'  The object was to see if we agreed.  Of course we were not any fun because our balloon colors were always perfectly matched.

We did give the branch some entertainment, though.  We had been asked to share our courtship and early romance and they knew we were preparing to tell them our story in Russian.  Their anticipation was a bit blown out of porportion.  They made a big thing of it.  We told of tubing in the snow, horseback riding, toads and temple.  There were alot of laughs and they felt closer to us.  We had practiced saying that two of us have turned into fifty-one but because of Elisabeth we made a last-minute change to fifty-two.

Everyone brought some kind of treat and we voted on which was the best.  Dishes with high scores included the pickled eggplant, Ukrainian Salat Vinaigrette, and a lovely chocolate torte.  We had a lot of fun.  Hope you did, too.  Happy Valentines Day!

Old Soviet love songs . . .

LIFE and DEATH . . . Great Teachers.

What can a person learn from life, a life, a long life or a short life?  Can we gain from a death?  What? My list goes on and on as I ponder the gravity and sacredness of each – a life and a death.  

“Trailing clouds of glory do they come ---from God, who is our home”.   Little Nathan Joseph Freeman arrived this week, under somewhat unusual circumstances, but trailing clouds of glory! 

How marvelous to behold and contemplate what is in a life… and we are thankful.

Also this week, here in Ukraine, there were two deaths that had a sobering effect on us.  Up close and personal, we are being blessed to understand more of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. 

Big Max died. 

Max was a brilliant Ukrainian church member . . . and he was big.  He spoke beautiful British English and had better grammar and a larger vocabulary than most native English speakers.  Max was working with us in Donetsk on translating some projects.  He has had a hard life and has been struggling with the word of wisdom…overweight…divorced…alone…a convert of a few years…having a difficult time feeling good  about himself.  Elders close to us went to a lesson appointment with him in his apartment and found that he had overdosed on his medications.   They called 911. The missionaries helped the paramedics inject him with a fluid for counteracting the overdose.  The paramedics thought Max would be OK.  They  did not call for additional help… “besides, he’s too big to get into the ambulance”.   And everyone left. 

Here in Lughansk an 86 year old sister in the branch who had been ill for a long time passed away and those of us who could brave the bitter cold went to her apartment.

  There she lay on a linen-draped plank, prepared for burial.  She was dressed in white with a colorful embroidered cloth draped over her.  Coins had been placed over her eyelids to keep them closed.  The small group of friends and family stood around her and everyone in the room had an opportunity to give a parting tribute.  In her tiny front room was a large upright piano with a big metronome on top and stacks of music nearby.  Some commented on how important music was to her, how well she played, and her contribution to lives of others as a music teacher.  They told of her desire to receive her endowments in the temple but by the time the Kiev temple was completed, she was never healthy enough to attend.  “Now she can go to the temple”.

Tearfully, we sang a hymn in Russian, then walked down six flights of stairs and outside.  On the outside landing there was a small pine coffin open and waiting. Red fabric had been stapled around the outside of the box, staples and knots still visible; the inside was bare except for a white satin pillow at the head.  Three hired men carried her body down the stairs and laid her in the coffin.  It was -7⁰ F and I felt like she must be very cold.  A sister took the coins off from her eyes and flung them into the snow; then they covered her face.  The coffin and all the gathered friends were loaded into a van together and they left with her, to go to a memorial luncheon.

What can we learn from a life (lived well or even not so well)?  From a birth?   From A death?  . . . From Death?  As I said at the beginning, my list goes on and on, too long for this time and space, but it is led by things like, “gratitude for the plan, and the atonement, and the resurrection“;  “preparation to meet God”,  and “this life is the time to prepare”; “the worth of a soul” to God and the place of each one in His family eternally.

Today we saw the sun!

EUROPE'S DEEP FREEZE

European news sources are saying Ukraine is hardest hit by this arctic weather and having the highest mortality of over 122 people dying from exposure out of the 175 extreme temperature related deaths in all of Europe.  The busses don't run to the church, so we have a 25 minute walk and this morning we felt all -22 degrees.  We were glad to get to church and help set out extra heaters in the chapel, then later move them to the class rooms.  Mom is certain the temperature didn't get up to 50 degrees F in the building. 

But...on the way home this afternoon The Sun Came Out !!!

The temperature soared to a -15 C and some hearty parents and children were in the park. 

We stopped to visit and watch the fun for a few minutes.

Window on the World

Our Qvatera in Lugansk overlooks one of the main streets in the center of town.  Buses come and go at the bus stop just across the road from long before we awake to long after we have gone to bed.  Sometimes there are five buses lined up to gather passengers, sometimes one or two, but the average is a bus every eight seconds all day long.

It is interesting to look out on the world from this vantage point and wonder at the amazing numbers of people walking, riding, waiting, coming and going.  Where are they coming from and going to?  What are they  looking for?  |They must all come out into this world of ice and snow, just as we do, from tall buildings, down flights of stairs or crikety lifts, from behind closed and locked doors.

Two days a week a young mother from our prehode (branch) tutors us in Russian conversation. 

This week she introduced us to weather conversation and we were gratified to be taught why everyone speaking to us about the weather begins any statement with, "on the street" . . . as in, "On the street it is cold" . . . "On the street it is snowing" . . . "On the street is freezing."  They are not REALLY saying "on the street" . . . it is just that the same words that I would use to say "on the street," a Ukrainian uses to say, "outside". 

"Oh!  I get it!"  Elder Hatch shared his epiphany!   Because 90% of the people here in Ukraine live behind this kind of window looking out on this kind of a world, "on the street" means "outside" and as soon as you go "outside", you are "on the street!"  For an old farm couple not so used to streets this is an amazing new concept!

For this sweet young tutor who is the Primary president in our branch, the comfortable and safe way to look out on the world is this "window-view".  As she got ready to leave our apartment we were talking about schedule...which days we were free, which days we had our home scheduled for discussions, meetings, home evenings.  Amazed that we were offering to share our privacy with people we do not know well or have not yet met, she left us with a parting comment of genuine concern: "Please remember, you MUST be careful!"

Elder Hatch had pulled out his gigantic gangle of keys to unlock first the heavy wooden door, then the formidable metal one, both of which close us in, safe from whatever might be outside.  We both had the same thought as he sorted through these marvelous metal creations that lock or unlock the big gate to the outside courtyard, the small gate into our complex, the two big doors that close off our own private living space after we have passed through the two metal doors that allow us to enter our building.  He turned the first key one...two...three times to disengage the three deadbolts securing the wooden door, and then he turned another key one...two...three...four turns to disengage the four, even larger deadbolts securing the oversized metal outside door. Our eyes met as he pocketed these symbols of safety:  How many generations of fear are wrapped in this prevailing feeling of insecurity? 

 (And how hard it is to keep your pants up when you carry this many keys in your pocket.)

On the building directly across from our window is a large digital clock that we check often to verify that it really IS as cold outdoors as it feels to us from our indoor vantage point.  I keep telling myself that the -21 degrees I am reading is celsius and we are used to measuring our comfort in farenheit.  Somehow, it still does not make it feel any warmer.

 

We enjoy observing how the toddlers here are bundled against the cold.  We see strollers and buggies and sleds.  Babies are wrapped and bundled with just their little noses exposed.  It is not just the mamas who pull sleds.  Often we see babushkas walking home from the market with their purchases loaded on one of these little sleds.

This very cold weather has a great impact on how everyone dresses.  The young missionaries who come into our home for discussions, home evenings or district meetings arrive and depart well-wrapped against the weather.  They all wear sweaters under their coats and fleece pants under their slacks, in addition to whatever thermal-wear they have been able to acquire. 

In this weather sometimes a missionary's goal for the day is to just make it through. I (Elder Hatch) forgot to wear my snow chains for my shoes (Yak Trax) on our long walk to church Sunday.  I was slipping and sliding all day but Sister Hatch was always ready to catch me.