From Russia With Love...

a.k.a. Letters from Sis. Lynes in Russia

Letter #28: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #28
Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2001 18:59:50 +0600
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Hello again from Russia!
Things have been busy this week. Sis. Jenkins left Tuesday night for Ufa. President Hall changed Sis. Galena's assignment and she is in Ufa with Sis. Jenkins. I have had a very nice Russian sister with me since Tuesday. She has put in her papers to go on a mission but hasn't gotten her call yet. And yes, she speaks only Russian! Her name is Sis. Kallachova.  We have had a good week, though. But she left me this morning to go to a baptism and then she is going to the temple tonight. This is her fourth temple trip. That is quite an accomplishment! Here when you go to the temple, it is at least a week's trip. So I don't know when she will get back. She made borscht for us on Thursday night, and it was wonderful!  I have never had borscht before. And last night we had what she called roasted potatoes but we used to call them camping potatoes. Except she added parsley and dill to the potatoes and onions. I thought, "Here I am in Russia eating camping potatoes made by a Russian lady!" We had a fun night, because someone "mistakenly" picked up my dictionary at Rosy. So we couldn't even look up words to explain anything! One of the elders this morning loaned me his dictionary (he has two). I certainly do appreciate it! This week is the first time I have had any real Russian cooking.  Pres. Hall will not let us eat in member's or investigator's homes. Since he made that rule, he says there has not been one case of gastritis among the missionaries. I guess if the Russians came to the U.S. our cooking might make them sick, too! This sister is 62 and about Mary Ann's height.  She is very nice and very considerate of me. She was with me mostly just at night. She didn't stay at Rosy all day like I do, but went with me to Rosy and then went on about her usual business. I know she had some things to do before she could go to the temple. She is from here in Yekat. She, like most Russians I have noticed, is in pretty good physical condition. She never acts like all the walking tires her at all. I have been thinking that I'm going to start noticing if the Russians have exceptionally long arms. You never see one on the street that isn't carrying a bag. Sometimes the bags look heavy. I know my bag gets heavy sometimes! I wonder if all that toting has made their arms grow longer?! (hee,hee!) To put everyone's mind at ease, Momma has a new winter coat!!!! We went out to the Reenock Monday and looked at coats. They have beautiful mink coats for 15,000 rubles or about $525. No, I didn't get mink! I think mink is a little too showy for a missionary here. I bought a black mouton (fake fur) with black fox trim. It is really heavy! I hope it doesn't make me tired to wear it!  It still boggles my mind that here in Russia you buy really nice clothes at the Reenock! Sergei saw it and approved! It matches the shopka (hat) I bought last Saturday. It really does feel warm, and two Russian sisters have given it the thumbs up! And I brought a good supply of thermals with me also. I bought boots in SLC, but if they don't feel warm enough, there are plenty of boots available here. Everything is available here. There doesn't seem to be any shortages at all. I haven't worn the coat yet. I'm waiting till the coat I brought doesn't feel warm enough. We had snow last Tuesday most of the day, but it didn't stick. I was really glad of that! It was just a taste of what's in store! We have had rain or snow every day since Saturday. Today it is a little warmer and so far, no precipitation. When we came in last night, the hot water was off again. It is still off as I write. But the WONDERFUL news is that today the heat came on!!!!!!!! Not a lot of heat, but we don't need a lot right now. I was at Rosy when I realized the heat was on. You would never have thought something so simple and so taken for granted could make me so happy! It made me feel like singing!! The sister who has been trying to teach me Russian has a new job as a secretary, and won't have time to help me anymore. But there is a young man in my class that is trying to teach me. If I keep a Russian companionfor a month, maybe I'll be able to say something in Russian more than spa-ce-ba (thank you). I think the secret to learning it is to practice all the time. That's hard to do when I'm teaching English all the time! Pres. Hall has changed the schedule for Rosy, and I will now be teaching beginning English every day, with a couple of classes per week with the advanced group. I am supposed to get a new companion sometime in November. She is from Canada and is at the MTC right now. They are trying to hurry her visa process so that she can get here faster. I really need help with the classes at Rosy. One interesting thing someone in the class told me this week is that here in Russia, you can own your own home, but you can't own the landthe house is on. All the land belongs to the state. Does that make sense????? If you own your house and the government decides it wants to do something else with that land, sorry Charlie! You no longer have a house! Go figure! No wonder most people live in these doms. Please be grateful for the United States. Don't take everything for granted. There are many people in the world who don't have the ordinary things we expect to have as a matter of rights. Like your own home. Your own car. Hot water!  Clean, safe water! Heat!! Fast food! Supermarkets! Wal-Mart! Large families! Buying clothes somewhere where you can try them on without the whole world watching! You walk through a reenock and there are all these women's undergarments on display. No fitting rooms! If you want to know if a bra fits (no, you don't undress right there!) you hold it up and try to fit it over your clothes. I'm glad I brought a good supply with me!!! The Russians cope very well. Sometimes when I see a precious little baby, it makes me stop and think, what did I ever do to deserve being born in America?! We are so blessed with so many things. Not just material things but freedom (that a lot of people died to give us!!) I guess you never think about these kinds of things until you see how part of the rest of the world lives. I'm so grateful that I'm an American, and that in eleven months I can come back! There are people here who would give their eye teeth to be able to go to America. Speaking of teeth, quite a few of the people have gold fillings.  Some of the teeth look like there is more gold than tooth. I know gold is very durable, but it sure does shine! Dental work is very reasonable (by American standards). Eyeglasses are very cheap, too. Which reminds me, Sis. Kallachova doesn't wear glasses and can see to read the small print in the dictionary! I don't know how she does that! I have been reading the emails you have been sending to each other concerning Thanksgiving. I am so glad you are going to be together! I wish Mike and his family could be there too. I know a fun time will be had by all. I don't know if we will even have that day off! It isn't a holiday here in Russia! They don't celebrate Christmas like we do either, or even when we do! And they don't have big families to get together with. I feel sorry for anybody who doesn't have a family like ours! I am really grateful for each one of you and love you so very much. The time seems long now, but it is passing fast. Today I have been a missionary for seven months! I have seen so much that I never expected to see, and met such wonderful people too. The MTC experience was wonderful! Learning to adapt to a different country and culture has not been easy, but then nothing worth doing is easy! I know the Lord is aware of me and that I am trying to serve Him the best I can. I know that I am where He wants me to be right now. But that doesn't mean that I don't miss all of you! But I'm not sitting, homesick, and crying! I am keeping busy, and I'm getting more physical exercise than ever before, whether I want it or not! I know that it is good for me! And I have more time to study scripture than I ever have had before. I'm almost finished Third Nephi again. When I finish the Book of Mormon this time, it will make six times since I started my mission. (I was about half way through when I started my mission, but it will be six times that I have finished the BOM since March. So you see, I'm not working very hard at Rosy, if I have time to read that much! In a talk that Sis. Hall gave, she said that if you feel like your prayers aren't getting through the ceiling, immerse yourself in the scriptures. I think that is a good idea. I hope you are all reading individually and as a family. I know that reading the BOM together will bring peace into your homes. I know Valerie and Julie are reading! Seminary teachers must have a special place in Heavenly Father's heart! You know, in reading so much about the Gadianton robbers, and how they were hiding in the mountains and were so difficult to get rid of, it sure reminds me of this mess we have to deal with right now. I got an email from Alan about a month ago and his email address has changed. It is now Alanlynes@aol.com. Update your address books. I know he would like to know about the Thanksgiving plans. I hope you all have a wonderful time! Think about me, but don't be sad. I'll be with you for Thanksgiving next year. I just got a call from one of the AP's. They are looking very hard for someone to be with me. I have been by myself all afternoon, and I'm not ashamed to say that I have loved it! I figured they would remember me sometime today without me reminding them! And they did! I have been doing some laundry while I have been writing, and another load is ready to come out. And it's almost supper time. I have borscht left over!!! (There may not be enough borscht to share.....I think I'll go eat before I have to!) I was surprised how good it was!!! I'm so grateful for each of you and your support. And for the good people that you are! If pride wasn't such a bad thing, (look what it did for the Nephites!) I'd say I am so proud of all of you!!!!! Keep those e-mails coming!!!! You have no idea how important they are!!!!

LOVE,
Mom, Grandma, Great grandma, Shirley, Sis. Lynes, sister, friend, acquaintance, babushka with a new coat!! (choose one)