Final Conference begins in Soledar

When we arrived in the Donetsk, Ukraine mission the only other couple we knew was the Mission President and his wife.  Two other couples were also serving in our mission but one served out of Kharkov, five hours to the northwest, and one couple served in the Sumi Branch, another three hours north of that.  When it was determined that we should get together for a conference of Senior missionaries, the proposal was enthusiastically received.  Our second couples conference under the authority of President Campero was scheduled to be held the week of our departure from Donetsk.  Brat Vladimir Velikonov proposed that we include an outing to the salt mine in Soledar.

The mine is located 90 minutes by car out of Donetsk.  When we arrived we were given hard hats and a tour guide, then directed to an open lift by which we descended 1000 feet down into the mine. 

The salt in this mine was deposited by an ancient sea.  Walls, ceilings and architechtural ornamentation have been carved into the layers of deposited salt.

Here, deep beneath the everyday life of Ukraine we visited an art gallery, a museum, a soccer field, a health sanitarium, a chapel, a cafe, and a concert hall with nine story high ceilings.   

It was an amazing experience.