Christmas in Lugansk

We have been transferred from the city of Donetsk to Lugansk which is three hours to the northeast of our former home and is a fifteen minute drive from the Russian border.  Our first contact with members of the branch there was on Christmas Eve when we attended their Christmas celebration.  The guest of honor was Dedushka Moroz or in English, Grandfather Frost with the Snow Maiden, or Snegdevachka.  Grandfather Frost is the kind legend who brings gifts to good Ukrainian boys and girls.  Unlike Santa, Grandfather Frost does not come secretively at night with gifts, but he visits children and delivers the gifts personally, asking each one telling questions, the answers to which will let him know which children are really deserving of the gifts he brings.  No gift is given until the receiver first earns it by reciting a verse or singing a song.

  

 Most of the time, Grandfather Frost wears a long, blue, fur-trimmed robe and his gifts are presented on New Year's Eve, which is a much more important celebration in Ukraine than Christmas. Only occasionally are gifts left under the New Year's tree, or yeolka.

Before gifts were distributed, Grandfather Frost played his accordian, leading singing of traditional Ukrainian carols.  Then children who felt deserving of being gifted, each in turn gave a song, a verse or other demonstration of merit.  

After Grandfather Frost and Snow Maiden left, everyone

gathered round tables to make greetings cards on which 

each wrote a holiday message to give to another person.

Members of the church in Ukraine have worked quite successfully at integrating old Ukrainian traditions with a Christian Christmas celebration.  Children from the primary acted out the story of the birth of Christ from the book of Luke (20 month old is the star over Bethlehem -- see her head-gear)

and the four missionaries who are serving in Lugansk

represented four prophets who fortold Christ's birth:

 Isaiah, King Benjamin, Abinadi and Nephi..

Christmas Day we spoke in church.  Using our very best Russian, we testified of  Jesus Christ and his love for us.  Elder Hatch shared his experience with the Saints in the leper colony of  Kalapapa, Hawaii to explain the value and reality of the atonement of Christ.  We know that our words were not perfect, but the spirit carried the message to the hearts of those who had come to be filled.

 After Church on Christmas Day, Elders Solin, Porter,

Efoshkin and Groothuyzen joined us for a holiday dinner.

Then later, each scheduled time to call home and family using our internet. 

This Christmas in Ukraine we missed our own family more than we can say,

but our hearts were filled and our spirits were lifted

by the love, service and testimonies that surround us here in Lugansk, Ukraine.

Christmas is coming to Ukraine

Perhaps to you we look like a couple of Ukranians -- not to the natives. 

We only have to step into a restraurant and we are given English menus before we have uttered a single word.

 

It appears as if we are walking through a Christmas tree lot, but actually this is just a sidewalk along Bogdana Khmelnitzkogo Oolitza.  About the second week in December all of the little florist stands lining the sidewalks begin to sprout evergreens.

We miss the festive street lighting and decorations of home.  That is not something we have seen here, but the Donetsk merchants do light up their windows and store fronts. 

We will not spend Christmas in Donetsk, though.  We have moved from Donetsk to Lugansk.

(More about that later.)

It has been a long, drawn-out move . . . but at last we are getting settled in our new apartment.

It is (finally) beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Here in Lugansk we made an amazing discovery, and we will share if you promise not to spread the word. 

Right in the building where we live we found a very famous character!

I ran across him quite unexpectedly, looking over his list and checking off naughty and nice!  At first I didn't really believe my eyes.  I mean, it couldn't really be . . . could it????  Then he looked up at me .... and I just knew!!

(Remember.  You must not tell.)

Where have the years gone?

25 November 1968

Logan, Utah, USA

25 November 2011

Donetsk, Ukraine

Forty three years . . . forty three roses.

Oh, that every young girl would be blessed with such a man.

Giving Thanks in Ukraine

Turkeys here in Ukraine are as scarce as hen's teeth!   It took much work and research to locate one. 

We were blessed through a good friend in Makeevka branch who has a "Dacha" (summer place outside of the city) where he keeps a garden and raises rabbits and geese.  He first offered us rabbits . . . or a goose or two.  Then he remembered his neighbor's turkeys and a sale was finalized at 1000 UAH for three twenty pound birds which we calculated would feed the thirty missionaries serving in Donetsk City.  We waited with anxiety, not knowing what would be delivered on the promised Wednesday morning. 

 Brat "V" did his best.  Unable to acquire the promised three birds, he continued to research in our behalf with a guarantee that the sun would not go down on Wednesday without sufficient poundage of poultry in our qvartera (apartment).  The neighbor had no twenty pound birds, so Brat "V" did the next-best thing, delivering, late Wednesday afternoon, one seventeen pound turkey and one forty-three pounder--thankfully "bez" heads, feet and entrails. 

You just never know when the past years of life experience will become valuable. We had no idea, back in our turkey raising years, that all of the experiments with bird-relaxation techniques and tenderization research would pay off years later for Thanksgiving dinner in Ukraine.  We determined that a brine marinade would be necessary to ensure that our newly-plucked guest might present his best self at dinner the next day.  We were able to cram the little guy into our plastic-bag-lined stock pot after a good salt-rub, then we filled the bag with soy sauce, lemon-lime soda and cooking oil.

It was the monster-bird that created problems, the first of which was finding a container sufficiently large in which to marinate the thing.  We finally had to resort to sterilizing our largest kitchen wastebasket which we then lined with plastic and we lowered into it our marinating bag filled with one huge turkey.  Have you ever hefted a forty-three pound turkey?  It is not just the forty-three pounds that create a difficult situation.  The weight problem is exasperated by the slippery nature of the subject.  After a great deal of cooperative-problem solving and teamwork, Thursday's dinner was wedged into it's new repository where it would spend the night. 

The next problem related to roasting a 43 lb. turkey for Thanksgiving dinner in Ukraine (or roasting any turkey in Ukraine, for that matter) is the much too obvious absence of a roasting pan of any sort or size, and after that, the 12"x12"ovens and the aluminum foil available only in paper-thin 10"widths.  Our large turkey would not fit into our oven so we cut it half.  We cooked one half and used the ovens in the two missionary homes closest to us to cook the others.

Because a "mission activity" had not been calendared or planned for Thanksgiving, we, (Mom and Dad), planned and provided this celebration for our local missionaries and it was worth all the effort.  We had one distict help focus our spirits for our Thanksgiving Day prayer by standing one at a time and solomnly reading a short line from a hymn like "How Great Thou Art" or short quotes from people like: Ammon, "missionary" or Benjamin, "prophet and king" or Lincoln, "United States president".  Everyone sat and contemplated the blessings of home and loved ones and the tender mercies of God towards them. It did all we had hoped it would.

The dinner was wonderful!  The elders and sisters were filled.

Besides the missionaries we invited some very close friends that have made our stay here in Donetsk much more gratifying.  We introduced them as the "reasons"  why we are here, serving the Lord in this place. They represent the past present and future of missionary work in Ukraine. The husband of Lydia, our cook, was the first branch president in Donetsk. Vladimir, our driver is the branch president of Makeevka branch and Sister Vilikonova is a true christian. They found the gospel when the accepted a pamphlet offered by elders on the street and have embraced it with all their hearts.  Their son Max will grow up to become a missionary .  Our special Ukranian guests enjoyed our celebration and commented on the beautiful spirit of our wonderful American Thanksgiving holiday.

Every missionary companionship brought a dessert. Pies came in every kind of container and quality. Sisters decorated and elders carved.  We ended our dinner with a prayer of Thanksgiving and commitment.  We told each zone leader that after the closing prayer we wanted the place to look like those cartoons where everyone dashes out of a room leaving only a few papers floating to the ground.  This is not a holiday here, and our missionaries needed to show their thankfulness by deed.  As always it was the Vilikanovs who helped us clean up.

We were surprised that so many of our missionaries said this was the greatest Thanksgiving they had ever had.  And for once there was more food than even missionaries could eat!



That October Holiday . . .FHE's and District meetings......

October thirty-last . . .

No costumes this year.  No jack-o-lanterns.  No Trick-or-Treat-not even out of a trunk. 

But the 31st WAS on Monday, so our extended family did gather for sharing and uplift and cookies.
Anya brought berry filled pastries.  Because finally locating the spice "ginger" was such a big thing we made ginger cookies -- (they are just not the same without molasses).  We cannot find chocolate chips in the markets but we were innovative and made "Mrs. Field's" cookies by cutting a chocolate bar in pieces.  They were the hit of the evening.

 The apples were enjoyed even more because of the effort it took to get them!

Elder Pulsipher was neat and careful, catching his apple by the stem with not a drop of water on his person.  Some tried to kiss and nibble.  The pretty girls didn't want to ruin their make-up but they cheered the young men on!

Michael was determined to catch one of those little green floaters....no matter the cost
And he did it!  Not just once, but twice!!

 Chidi had an aversion to getting wet, but his competitive spirit won out.

Success!!!

 Elder Smith showed everyone how a real man does it by putting his whole head down into the pan and pushing the apple all the way to the bottom. He led out as champion, after which inhibitions were set aside by all until every apple in the barrel had been successfully retrieved.

Because his companion was released this week, Elder Smith was temporarily assigned to our district.  When he discovered that he would be able to come to one of our "famous" home evenings he talked about it for the week before and for the week after.

Another "last" meeting of District Three. All of the young missionaries here but one were being  transferred the next day.  Can you tell which one is going home? Exhaulting Elder Shorthill in the middle? no... he will be serving next transfer in Kharkov.  Joyous Elder Petersen on the far left???  no... also going to Kharkov.  Elder Hodgson just to his right is the greenest missionary here and will be obediently following his companion to Kharkov.  Smug Elder Roberts just right of center?  no... he is getting out of the office.  Stunned Elder Pulsipher two right of center --- no, not going home---going to be new Zone leader.     What about Elder McArthur on the far right!

Family home evenings are getting better and better.  Things that make good evenings are when the recent converts and even those not yet baptized bear testimony to the new ones.  When we sing hymns it is always a combination of Russian, Ukrainian, English, Armenian and Nigerian-English, all in unison.  I get confused and just hum.

Sister Hatch gave one lesson on the Book of Mormon including special stories of miracles of some finding the Book and feeling the pull from the spirit.  We included the story of Elisabeth and the old white haired man who chased the sisters down with his flash light and then told her that he had seen her in a dream and she had a book for him. It was a wonderful lesson.  During the "sharing" time Elder Antamanov ( first time in our home, new district leader, from Russia and on the left above) told everyone about his conversion through the Book of Mormon. He is the only church member in his family and has come to Ukraine to serve the Lord, not from guilt or compulsion but from conviction.
   
Missionaries, new converts and investigators all felt the spirit of the Book of Mormon from the lesson and from the testimonies.  All parted feeling somehow richer because of the experiences and feelings shared.

Celebrating

Birthdays come no matter where one might happen to be.  I arrived at the office Thursday morning to find my desk covered with flowers surrounding a lovely Ukranian torte baked by Sister Lydia.  My amazing husband had successfully kept me unaware that he had even remembered by enlisting the aid of Sister Ward and Sister Paletta who shopped for him.  They bought sweaters for me which have a definite feel of Ukraine.  They are perky, cheerful, glittery sweaters that neither he nor I would have picked out, but wearing them will be a fun, new experience!

 Birthdays are important in Ukraine and gift-giving is observed between family and close friends.  Gifts are not extravagant as the giving is what is important.  I received flowers from Aleksey and Dima and Tatyana, from  Elder McArthur and Elder Pulsipher and from my husband.  Flowers are a big thing here, and they are a great way to show that you care.  Ladies sit along the streets selling flowers from first snow-melt until.....well, I don't know when they fold up their flower displays.    

Makeevka Branch President Vladimir and his wife Galena have been in Kiev at the temple all week,  but they called from there and both sang "Happy Birthday" in English.  (Galena knows only limited English, so it was a very extra special thing to have her sing to me in that unfamiliar language.)  When they did return to Donetsk they brought written birthday wishes from the temple presidency on the back of a large picture of the Kiev temple.  

 Sweet Sister Ludmilla from Donetsk Branch gave me necklaces, President and Sister Campero gave me a Bolivian leather purse.  The office Elders printed out a funny card for me and our zone leaders wrote really touching birthday notes and each brought a VERY long-stemmed (about 30") rose.   We celebrated by sharing Sister Lydia's torte.  I felt very remembered. 

 

We left the office at 1:00 pm and came home to meet Brat Valentine who had called and said he had to talk to us. 

He is a collector. and he brought two Soviet medals and some old Ukranian and Soviet currency and coins for me as a birthday gift.

"I was speaking with my Heavenly Father this morning," he said, "and he told me that it was your birthday."

Then, later when Valentina, our landlady, stopped by to collect the rent she surprised me with a kiss and some lovely lacy table linens, and Elder Hatch and I both began to wonder who else "He" had been talking to.

 We spent the remainder of the afternoon doing whatever I wanted -- walking and exploring.   It was really a very lovely day and by the time it was over I had concluded that since another birthday must come and go, this really was a good way to do it.

Change is in the Air

Knowing that we will not see another Ukraine autumn makes each day all the sweeter. There is something invigorating about breath-frosting mornings that give way to golden, sun-pooled afternoons.  As leaves turn yellow and curl and drop to the ground the surrounding green appears all the more vibrant.  There is an affinity to the mountain home of our childhood in the patterns of seasonal change here and we feel a connection.  There are lovely places to wander in the middle of this city of twelve-story concrete housing complexes.  Tucked away in unexpected places we have found expansive wooded parks which are bisected by wide-paved walkways and dotted with benches and tiny play areas.  

Leaves fall.

Clean-up begins

As is gets colder, our neighborhood pigeons are getting braver.  

They come flocking to our window sill as soon as we approach the window.

When we get up they are there waiting.  When we get home from the office, they are waiting.

Pigeons are not the only scavengers.  We wonder whose fence in now missing an iron gate 

The air is getting colder, days are getting shorter. It is easy to feel that more changes are on the way, but until they arrive, we are determined to enjoy autumn.

Magic!.....just like Harry's

 A significant part of our lives is spent riding in the buses.....aftoboos, marshootka, and traumvauns. 

We are understanding more now how literally a bus can careen around on two wheels as it needs to negotiate the aftermath of an acccident  where the driver of a disabled car is standing in the middle of the road  scratching his head. The bus driver just blasts on his horn and (we think) must push a "magic" button to get through the congestion.  Then for sure we believe that we have actually experienced the reality of buses being able to make themselves thin and tall as we rush thru impossible spaces like where there are only two narrow lanes designated by painted lines, but we fit three and a part lanes of traciffic into that space while traveling at a high rate of speed.

 Even the possibility of people stretching into different shapes becomes beleivable as you watch from within the bus, all the contortions bodies must go through to fit the available space, cling on, and remain standing through these manuvers.  There are people pressing in on every side of you and because your feet have to be spread a little in order to remain upright through the abrupt stops, our legs are all entwined.  Then someone has to get off, "Eesveneetia" and we all have to cooperate in order to assist in getting all body parts and groceries or baby dog in a basket or plumbing pipes through to the door in time for the stop. Often it is necessary to begin heading toward the door a few stops early.

If you still have doubts about the supernatural cababilities of these buses and maybe need a clue regarding where their power comes from you need only look toward all the "danglies" hanging in the front window.  Would you believe the window of today's bus displayed a skeleton with an oversized head bobbing along, a golden buddah with his tummy bouncing, a shrivled-up little knome creature and two counterfeit US $100 bills.



Are you wondering how the driver can possibly see out of such an ornately decorated front windshield?  We wonder often.



This morning we rode to church. We let the electric traumvaun pass us by as we waited at our stop, because they are much slower .  They only cost 1 greiven per person, but we needed more speed so we took the yellow, smaller marshutka for 2 greiven each and passed up the slow one.  Tradition says that men should drive the faster buses that require manual transmission shifting while it is OK for women to drive the big ones that rely on the electic lines overhead and go sparking along.  This morning the bus was packed. That is usual but we can't take pictures on these busy days because we are unable to get our hands to where the camera is and holding on is more important right then.

Remember the game "It's a cat...it's a dog"?  Well, we play that game every bus ride. Only we play with coins or bills.  Someone gets in the back door and needs to send their fare (money) to the driver in front. Because there is no way that they can negotiate the body-packed aisle they pass their money forward saying, "Pashalusta, Tvwa"  (two) or  Pashalusta, Ahdeen" (one) depending on how many passengers they are paying for.  The right word needs to be repeated correctly all the way to the front so the driver can send back along the same line the proper amount of change.  I am usually standing so women can have the seats and someone will tap me from behind, " Eesveneetia, (excuse me), Tvwa pashalusta".  I can't let go of the rod at the ceiling which is ensuring my stability, and my other hand is holding my scriptues (Others might not have their scriptures but everybody has a babushka bag of some kind.)  So I use the scripture hand to grab the money and pass it forward, repeating the request to the person in front of me. The amazing thing is that a few minutes later the change comes back the same way and everyone is happy, even if the driver only needed to take 2 greiven out of a 50 greiven bill.  It seems nobody dips into the change.

Street names are some of the more difficult words in Russian  AND there are no street signs on the corners or anywhere so the great problem to solve is where to get off.  We don't want to get off in the middle of some place we don't know where we are and can't get anywhere from there, so we work with the maps and count cross streets before embarking.  But since we are standing up most of the time once we have boarded, we can't see out the windows anyway so we just throw our fate to the wind.

Every bus ride is an adventure!  We have new adventures everyday.

So, when you watch the Harry Potter movie with the wild bus ride and wild bus driver----think of us!

The marshootka pictured above is the one rented by the Makeevka branch to bring members to church each week.  The entire branch crowds into this bus.  Watching them disembark gives a feeling of the miracle of the widow's never-emptying barrel of meal.  After more than enough to fill two buses were already out they still kept coming and coming.  Where did they all fit?  The disembarking Saints above were the last few off the bus.

Let's Swiggle

On Friday evening we got together with our new "Young Adult Family" for our first "home evening."  Each person had the opportunity to introduce someone else.  Several of our family members had brought investigating friends.   The personal experiences Elder Hatch shared about the Kalaupapa leper colony in Hawaii brought tears.  The visualization of bringing a teaspoon or a dumptruck with them to take away what they would like to get out general conference this coming weekend brought laughs,

A lot of the young people liked the cookies . . .

and everyone liked the Swiggle Stick.  Just about everyone tried it.  It was fun to do and fun to watch. 

 Then someone called out, "What about Elder and Sister Hatch?" 
If ever you are asked to "swiggle", that is when years of practice at working together pay off.