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.