From Russia With Love...

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

Letter #30: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #30
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 18:46:19 +0600
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Dear family and friends,
It's another grey day in Yekaterinburg. No sunshine. We did see the sun for a while yesterday, but then it clouded back up again. The temperature yesterday morning was down to -8, which is 18 degrees F. It has moderated somewhat. It is back up to +3 this afternoon, which is 37 degrees. The wind isn't blowing, which is a blessing. It has snowed off and on all week. Most of it is gone now, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?! It is to be expected here. Where, oh where is my sunny South????? This will definitely be an adventure this winter! I am WOMAN, I can handle it!! And I will have a white Christmas! It looks like it will be a long winter, too. They usually have their first snow about the middle of November, and it stays on the ground till spring. So we have started with the snow about a month early. They keep telling me that "you are in the Urals" as if that explains everything. I'm beginning to believe that it does! I was talking to one of the elders about the dangers of walking on the snow. He said I should tie big pillows around me in case I fall. I told him that there are people who would say I already have enough big pillows around me!!!!  Serguei's (that's how he spells it, but it is pronounced Sergei) baptism is scheduled for next Saturday morning, if they can find a banya (public bath house). I told the elder that if he had any trouble, just talk to Serguei; he solves all my little problems. This week he helped me again. Some of the radiators at Rosy didn't work, and one of the largest classrooms had no heat. I mentioned it to him, and he immediately started checking it out. He got the phone number of the man to call to get it fixed, and gave it to Pres. Cowhair, who is in charge of maintenance of the building, and sure enough, yesterday morning the heat was on! (There was no heat in that classroom all last winter!) Pres. Cowhair is the district president also. My kitchen sink doesn't make noise anymore, either. Serguei has been so kind and helpful to me and some of the other senior sisters. I think he has a soft spot in his heart for the older sisters. I think that may be because his grandmother helped raise him. For whatever reason, I'm grateful to have someone who is willing to help me. You will be happy to know that I have managed to get some groceries bought this week. I shop with the little hand basket (you've seen them in the stores) so I know when to stop buying. I can only buy what I can carry home! And manage on the tram. On the tram isn't the problem -- getting on and off with a load is the problem. It will be easier (I think) when my new companion arrives. It will be nice to have a real companion again. I think her duties will be the same as mine: at Rosy all the time. They have been trying to get her visa through quicker so that she can come now, but I don't know how that is going. Working with the government is not all that easy. I will be glad whenever she gets here! I hate to feel like I'm being "baby-sat". I feel like I'm all right once I get home and get the door locked. It is going to Rosy and coming back home that I would really like some company. Sergei I walked me to the tram stop the other night. That was nice of him. Did I tell you about Paul, the young man from the class who is trying to teach me Russian? He teaches missionaries Russian, for a fee, but he said he had time he could teach me if I wanted him to, for free. He is very intelligent. He, of course, speaks Russian, English, and I just found out he is also studying Hebrew. I also found out that he is Jewish, which I didn't know before. I think he would like to emigrate to Israel. He plays the piano beautifully, and occasionally will play something special for me. He played a Chopin waltz for me this week. He is so talented. And he has a great sense of humor. Sometimes something will remind him of a joke, and he will tell it to me, and it is always just hilarious! He reminds me of Justin a lot. Of course his coloring is different from Justin. He has jet black hair, not the blond that Justin has. He is a very nice young man. I really do love the Russian people that I have had the privilege to meet. In my class I have a lady doctor (age about 62), a retired lady lawyer, age 70, a man who is also a doctor, and lots of engineers, and varied other professions. I guess I am meeting the cream of the crop -- people who are trying to improve themselves. The retired lawyer is waiting for the paperwork to go through for her to go to the U.S. Her son lives near Washington, D.C. He is her only child, and she has no other family. I hope everything works out for her. Her name is Vera. She is such a nice lady. Her son and daughter-in-law want her to speak Russian to their two sons, so that they can learn Russian, too. The lady doctor, Tonya, has a daughter who is a concert violinist in America. I'm so glad most of you are going to be together at David's house for Thanksgiving this year. I wish Mike and his family could come too, but I guess it is too far and would take too much time away from his store. Even though I can't be there, it makes me feel good to know that you will be together. I think that is so important. Somebody make some chocolate pies for the grandchildren, please! And peanut butter pies, Julie!! The reason the letter was late this week was that my email card ran out of time just as I was going to send the letter, and I couldn't get a new one until Monday. Over here you don't pay a flat fee andhave unlimited internet access like we do in the states. You have to go to the post office and buy an internet access card. You buy how many minutes you want, at one ruble per minute, like 50 minutes or 100 minutes, or like the first one I had, 300 minutes for 300 rubles, or about $9. But of course the post office was closed by the time I tried to send the letter. So first thing Monday morning I stopped at the post office and bought a new card. This small post office didn't have a card with more than 100 minutes on it. So that is what I bought. The 300 minute card lasted me from the time I got here till Saturday, so the 100 minute one will last a little while at least. I wasn't thinking fast, or I could have bought three cards.I wasn't sure I could get it to work, anyway. But I've had no trouble. That's the long explanation of why the letter was late!! It's funny, but you do a lot of things at the post office, more than just send mail. That is where you pay your telephone bill, and they have public phones there. You can pay for a certain number of minutes, either local or long distance. Most of the people here don't have phones, so that is convenient for them to make long distance calls when they need to. You can also buy birthday type cards there. And newspapers. And I don't know what else. Mailing a package is a real trip! You don't pack your box and take it in, like we do back home. They have to see what you are sending, and they weigh each individual item. You have to fill out a paper naming each item and how much you paid for it. There are two or three papers you have to fill out. Then the person working at the post office packs the box (sometimes a wooden box), nails it shut or ties it with string, puts stamps all over it (not just postage stamps, but "stamps" it), and sometimes puts the whole thing in a burlap bag which they then sew shut! It is a real experience! Don't look for me to send any packages! If you can't speak, read, and write Russian, you don't have a chance at getting it right!!!!! Sis. Jenkins sent a couple of packages home, with Serguei's help! It took almost three hours! You don't need souvenirs that bad! Oh, I wanted to tell you not to worry about me being warm here in the apartment. It, so far, is nice and cozy. Sometimes at night, I have to come out from under the covers for a little while, till I cool off. I need to rearrange my bedroom, but this furniture, and especially the bed, are just too heavy for me to move. The head of my bed is at the radiator. I think I will start sleeping with my head at the foot of the bed. That way, my feet will stay warm! In answer to questions from some of you, no, I didn't get to see any of conference. We don't get it over here, and if we did, it would be translated into Russian, which wouldn't help me at all! And our Ensigns run about 2 months late. So maybe by the first of the year I can read the conference addresses. In April I was at theMTC for conference, and last October I was in Salt Lake City and actually attended one of the sessions. It was wonderful in the new conference center. There is not a bad seat in the house. I hope I get to go to conference again someday. I am so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge it gives us, and the peace it gives. With all around us in turmoil right now, it is good to know who is in charge. We need to be sure we are where we should be, doing what we should be doing. Then no matter what happens, we are all right. I would admonish each of you to work on your food supply, and don't forget to store water. Remember it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. Sometimes it looks like it is beginning to rain right now. It may get to the place where the only safe food and water is what you have stored. I certainly hope not, but better to be safe than sorry. Remember you don't have to have a year's supply of everything, just the basics to sustain life in an emergency. Especially safe water. When I get finished with this letter, I'm going to go rotate the water that is stored here in the apartment. I haven't done that yet, so while I'm thinking about it, I will go do it. The water supply here is "iffy" anyway. Pres. and Sis. Hall were without water a couple of days this week. You never know here. Preaching is over for today! Thanks to those who took time to write this week. You will never know how much email means to me! The younger missionaries are only allowed to email once a week, and then only to their parents. They can write regular letters to anyone they want to, but not email. Anyone can email them, though. There are some advantages to being older! (Very few advantages!!!) I love you all so very much and pray for you every day. Please return the favor! I, and the other missionaries, need all the help we can get! And please pray for the hearts of the Russian people to be softened that they may be prepared to hear the gospel and to learn about Jesus. I am told that so many of them don't believe in God. I tell them that that's a shame, because He believes in them!!!

Love,
Mom, Grandma, Great grandma, Shirley, Sis. Lynes, sister, friend, acquaintance, aunt, cousin, babushka with wool socks! (choose one)