Sunday, April 23rd

Last week Rachael and Russ and I had a great time visiting the Kremlin.  First we had a tour arranged but our taxi driver drove right past the Kremlin and half way to our house before I piped up to say, "This is not the right way, folks!"  I am famous for saying that, but it's just because I watch where we are and I like to study maps in order to know where we are. So we drove around and around till we finally arrived back at the Kremlin! (About one mile from where we started)

We missed our tour so we bought tickets to the Cathedral tour and saw many of the churches.  We posted many of the pictures on Facebook.  Here are some of them again. 

              

It was so sunny that day, but FREEZING cold!! It's hard to believe that much of the rest of the Northern Hemisphere has flowers and warm dirt! Oh well, as long as you have hats, and gloves, and coats here, you can enjoy being outside.

Elder and Sister Holland came to Russia to visit! The Hallstrom's came with them.  We had several meetings with them and had a chance to hear from them.  I was quite inspired by Sister Holland's talk about when she spent two months in the ICU at Utah Valley Hospital.  I don't know when that happened, but she shared the life-changing effect holding her scriptures had on her.  While the doctors were preparing for her death, she came to know that she would, in fact, live. And there she stood, in Russia, telling the young volunteers hello from their grandmothers, who she was here to represent.  She was very sweet.  Elder Holland was very directive in his remarks to the volunteers--this is the time, this is the place, now is the time to make their mission what they wanted it to be.  He told funny stories about the Book of Mormon, such as: there are no "good old days" as one BOM prophet wished he had lived in.  So it has helped me immensely in my work to having heard them.

It was sad to say goodbye to Rachael; we're not sure when we will see her again, even though we can FaceTime with her every day, if there is time.  Michelle will be back to visit next month, thankfully!

On Thursday we went to a gorgeous and entertaining Strauss concert at the New Opera Theater which is a beautiful theater and building.

   

Friday we went to the Moscow Circus which was amazing!

Saturday we saw Spring!

It might come as no surprise to anyone that I am now sick with a cold! A bit too much running around and not enough sleep to stay healthy.   But time is passing, work is getting done, Moscow is reemerging with green buds and warmer days.  We are gaining two minutes in the morning and in the evening.  I heard birds chirping at 3:19 AM this morning.  So life is good!