We Went to L'viv

     Every Area Medical Advisor is over several missions, so one of the big things they want to do is travel to all their areas to check out medical facilities.  Travel.  As we got here in January, travel was not high on our want-to-do list until the weather got warmer.  But now that weather is decent, we have enjoyed looking into the areas of the missions that the presidents want us to see.

Not all mission presidents feel the need for us to visit them.  For one thing, the previous AMA visited a lot of the missions just last summer.  He especially visited the large cities.  The second reason that there is sometimes not a need is that in some missions, there are missionaries only in the major cities--the Baltics, for instance.  However, we have had the privilege of visiting several smaller cities in the three Ukraine missions where we have missionaries stationed.

What we have found has been surprising and heartening.

But first, the lead picture:

I don't care what Germany says; Ukraine is the sun flower capitol of the world!

     Ukraine has three missions in it (down from four since Russia took out Donetsk), Kiev, Dnepro and L'viv.  We have visited many of the cities in Kiev and been the guest and co-worker with Sis. Karen Sullivan of the Dnepro Mission.  This last week, we had the privilege of visiting some of the cities in the L'viv mission.

     We started out by leaving Sunday afternoon for the city of Rivna.  It was a five hour train trip.

Frankly, it reminded me of something 

out of Harry Potter.

No, it doesn't say what you think it does.  It's Cyrillic.

Really cute railway stations.

We stayed in the suite they usually put the mission president in when he's traveling.  Wow!

After visiting medical facilities until there were no more directors to talk to, Brent and I went walking in Rivna and found this wonderful little open-air rinok.  This was only one street.  It was about three blocks on a side.

     Let me here give a big shout out to mission drivers.  We have three of the best in the world here in Ukraine.  These are local professional drivers.  They are at the beck and call of the mission president. They are well versed in the language, culture, lay-out of the cities, etc.  They are indispensable for the safety of the mission presidents, because the president always has so much on his mind as he travels from one responsibility to another, that he would be a distracted driver.  They often must work on Sunday as the mission president visits the different branches in his mission.  They must make themselves available to retrieve a missionary in trouble at any time of the night or day.

     President and Sister Sullivan of the Dnepro mission and President and Sister Rizley of the L'viv mission have lent us their drivers (to be fair, Sis. Sullivan was with us) while we have been inspecting medical facilities.  They have acted as our interpreters and general go-betweens with the directors of the facilities we have been to.  They are fantastic!

     And I am told by our missions president(s) (President Packer and President Kumferman) that our mission driver is no less serviceable.  What an asset to the mission is a good driver!

     As we are traveling around, we see that in the medium to small cities, automation has not taken over everything.  

You might be surprised at how often the horse cart is used here in Ukraine.  I know I was.  Notice that the colt is right along side it's mother, learning young how to do its future work.

What the farmer is working on here is a horse-drawn side-cutter, a method of harvesting that is very seldom seen in the U.S. anymore.

A couple of really pretty vistas we caught between towns.

     After Rivna, we went to L'viv.  

The view from our room in the top of this cute hotel towards the city center of L'viv.  Very European architecture.  Notice the wide streets with a park down the middle of it.  This is very common.  Love it!

This is the attic room we stayed in.  Cozy, cute, and watch your head if you need to get up in the middle of the night!

These were one of several pairs of people playing games in the park.  We also saw backgammon and another couple of types of games.  There were some younger people playing, too.  Electronics don't always win.

     We had a lovely dinner that evening with Pres. & Sis. Rizley and a couple of other senior couples.  What a joy to get to meet and associate with such wonderful people!

     The next day, we were off to Ivano-Frankivsk and Lutsk.  These two cities are fairly close together, and not a lot of facilities to see, so we could cover both in one day.  At one point, we were having trouble finding the address of one of the buildings, and we picked up a native who was going to show us the way to the hospital.

Short-cut to the hospital?  Probably if you were on foot.

     We had a lovely big room to stay in in Lutsk that night.  It was getting near the end of our trip, and we were starting to feel the effects of age.

     We found this interesting item in our room, though.

What is it?

   

Oh, it's an ironing board.

Nope.  It's a ladder.  Well, how about both?

Oops!  How did that get in there?

Breakfast the next morning was al fresco.  And a beautiful morning it was!

This, I'm sure is the type of scene that inspired the Ukrainian flag.

Traveling around the country, we see many beautiful sights. As you saw before, the technology in many places has not changed in centuries.  But things are changing, not only in technology, but also in the Ukrainian people's hearts.  They love their freedom!  There is still a lot of corruption and graft, but many universities in the United States are sending lecturers over to teach at the law and politics schools, and they are showing the younger generation the how and why of honesty and transparency.  The people are starting to hold their government more accountable.  The European Union is investing heavily in infrastructure here, on the condition that the people maintain their democracy.  We live and serve here in exciting times!

In the meantime, there are still dachas as the people try to maintain their self-sufficiency.  It a growing, promising land.

And sometimes there are pet cows.

It's Spring!

     Hip, hip, hooray!  I haven't had to don a jacket outside all this week.  I have been so cold for so long...  And now, it's warmer.  I told Brent, though, that come this August, when I'm complaining about how hot it is, all he has to do is say, "May 1st" and I will be quiet.

     But, truly, Ukraine is beautiful this time of year.  I showed a few pictures last week of our trek to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life.  Here are a few more.

These two pictures are of houses typical of the Bukovina area.  They reminded me of dear Sis. Appel, since she was born in that area.

 

     There are two exhibits of windmills.

"It's just a little further!"  Famous last words.

And a beautiful old church

     As I mentioned last week, there were not a lot of people, so not a lot of workers to explain things.  Not that we understand that well, anyway.  But they try, with their broken English to explain, and I try, with my broken Russian, to understand.  It's amazing what a little willingness on both parts can accomplish.

     Then, Saturday, we went on a hike to a park near here that our taxi drivers always pass when bringing us home.  We don't take taxis often, but occasionally, it's necessary.  All the parks here have playgrounds for the grownups as well as for the kids.  And the grownups use them.  We didn't want to take a picture of someone who might not want to be in my blog, but I doubt that a child could reach this pull-up machine without help.

Note that I still have my jacket on here.

     When we arrived here, President Packer assigned us to go to Cherkassy at least once a month to act as member and leadership support.  We've been trying to make it twice a month, but some weekends have been too crazy.  But this weekend, we made it, riding with Pres. Packer, who gave a wonderful fireside -- in Russian, which he speaks fairly fluently.  But one of the missionaries translated for us, so we got a good deal out of it.  President went home after church Sunday, but we stayed so that Brent could look at the medical facilities in Cherkassy to see if they could handle an emergency if one of our missionaries needed it.

     However, Monday was May 1st, which is Labor Day in Ukraine.  None of the administrators or doctors would be at work if they could help it.  And, Sunday morning, the branch president decided that there would be a branch picnic on Monday.  So we stayed for the picnic, to socialize with the members, and the Lord sent a local doctor to answer Brent's questions about medical facilities.  She also gave us her name and number to help when he returns visit them.

Building the fire for the hotdogs

Making the salad and other condiments

And we all had a real good time!

     Then, the lilacs started blooming.  We had been hearing all winter about the beauty of the National Botanical Garden, especially when the lilacs bloom.  Eld. and Sis. Palache and Eld. and Sis. Mitchell and we got together Friday after work to go look at them.  

White lilacs DO smell different from purple lilacs!

To look at when I listen to "Into the Woods"

     They have left an extensive area of natural woods in the park.  I don't want to go into them, though, without covering myself with DEET.  More than 50% of ticks in Eastern Europe carry Lyme disease.

     Then we found the hillside FULL of lilac bushes.

Kay and John Mitchell

Overlooking the Dneiper River

Azaela gardens.  Also had their close cousins, the rhododendrons.

     It was so beautiful, and we didn't get nearly the time there we wanted.  And not all the lilacs were out, anyway.  Most of them were still in tight bloom.  We're planning to go back this week and spend all day, if we can.  So there will probably be more pictures next time I get around to writing.

     The Lord has made a beautiful world, and I'm so grateful that we have been privileged to see so much of it!

Just trying to catch up

Our zone in the MTC.  Left to right: John and Melanie Tappen, Brent and Karen Bingham, teacher Brielle Peterson, Craig and Debbie Ames

Zone Leaders, Craig and Debbie Ames

Yeah, we can be silly, too.

This is where we're going. (C'mon, everybody has to do it!)

We had a lovely little courtyard outside our apartment that we didn't use very much.

After our long flight, meeting our mission president and his wife, President Kenneth Boyd and Sister Cari Packer.

We replaced Jeff and Kathy Anderson.  They were very happy to be going home.

Our first picture in front of the Kiev, Ukraine temple.

The view outside our three bedroom apartment

It was so cold for so long.  This is me working in the office mid-day.

I got domestic.

Brent had to escort a missionary home soon within a month of our arrival.  He got to see family.

St. Volodymyr's cathedral, the oldest church in Kiev, Ukraine.  It has survived all the wars and uprisings.

They were having a high mass.

A couple of sisters got sick and had to stay with us for a while.  Sis. Chernigev, Sis. Stepaiko and Sis. Jones

Sis. Stepaiko was also waiting for her visa to serve in Edmonton, Canada.

It finally got warm enough to get out for a little touring.  This is St. Michael's cathedral

St. Michael's has some beautiful murals on the walls outside

Easter is a big deal in Ukraine.  At one end of the street, the plaza in front of St. Michael's is filled with large decorated eggs.  At the other end of the street, there is another egg-filled plaza in front of St. Sophia's

This double decker carousel is actually from Italy.

This is a traditionally decorated egg.  The legend goes that Mary had a basket of eggs with her as she waited at the cross, and when the soldier pierced Christ's side, some of the blood fell on the eggs.  That is why we color Easter eggs.

Some of them are pretty big!

This was one of my favorites.

Their idea of fair food is wood roasted meats and vegetables.  Much healthier than the U.S.!

Elder Holland visited us and had a picture taken with all the missionaries.  Brent and I are on the right side.

The senior missionaries visiting from Odessa stayed another day, and we went sight-seeing.  Left to right, Eld and Marsha Gibbons, Brent and me, Joyce and Elder Palache, Barbara Voglesberg.  Elder Voglesberg was taking the picture.  In the back ground is the statue of Vlaldimir the Wise, where which Elder Boyd K. Packer and Eld. Dallin H. Oakes dedicated the land of Ukraine for the preaching of the gospel 25 years ago.

The Dnieper river, and green, green, green.  There is a lot of forested land in Ukraine.

Look, Ma!  No coat!  It finally got warm enough to do a long sight-see out of doors, so we went to the Museum of Folk and Architectural Life of Ukraine.

It was pretty empty there.  Too early in the year for a lot of tourists.  We got into only only house, and the docent there showed us all they kept in the house, including their beehives.