From Russia With Love...

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

Letter #31: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #31
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 19:23:37 +0600
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Hello from the land of ice and snow!!
Yekat looks like a winter wonderland!!! It snowed every day this week, with snow all day Thursday and Friday. Everything is white, and everyone is bundled up! The temperature a little while ago was -5, which is 23 degrees F. When I left for Rosy this morning it was -9, which is 16 degrees F. The sky cleared up later this morning and we saw the sun for the first time this week. But it didn't get any warmer. Things are pretty all covered with snow. I don't know how long this snow will last. It may melt, but when it snows in November, it will stay until April! The city puts sand on the streets to keep them from being so slippery. They don't use salt like I hear they do in the U.S. Some people have a hard time believing me when I tell them this is the most snow I have ever seen. Of course, most of them are from Utah! I put the "ice walkers" on my boots this week. I feel a little safer and don't slip as easily. The snow isn't hard to walk on, but the ice is another story! I have Sis. Kallanchova back with me this week. At the first of the week I still had Sis. Javza from Mongolia. Sis. Kallanchova doesn't speak English, and I know she must be so frustrated with me! I don't understand much of what she says. But we get along well. At least we can't argue! And she is the one who makes borscht! She made it again  this week. I never thought I would like borscht, but it is really good! She and I did a little grocery shopping this afternoon. I let her tell the shopkeepers what we wanted, and I paid for it! Works for me!!!! We had "discussed" what we needed to buy, using the dictionary. It really isn't as bad as it sounds. But you buy bread at the bread shop, eggs at another shop, flour at another place. I wouldn't mind paying a little more and getting it all at the American style supermarket. But I'm learning how to do it Russian style!! And she seems to enjoy cooking, which makes me happy. We aren't allowed to eat in Russian homes, so this is the only way I will get to eat Russian cooking. I am enjoying the differences in taste and methods. Russians can make a pot of soup out of almost nothing. Serguei's baptism is scheduled for Nov. 3. But this week he came in and I thought he had been to the dentist. The left side of his face is paralyzed. It reminds me of Bells Palsy. The doctor wanted to put him in the hospital yesterday, but the hospital didn't have a bed available until Wednesday. He is hoping that if he has to stay in the hospital that maybe he can come home for the weekend, since they don't do anything for you on the weekend, and he could continue to take his medication at home. And that way he could still be baptized. He doesn't want to delay it. He is a man of his word. The only reason he came to Rosy today was that he had promised the elders he would meet them for his baptism interview and he didn't want to miss it. But you could tell he wasn't feeling well at all. I was expecting Satan to try to stop him, but I never expected this sort of thing. Please remember him in your prayers. He will be such a good member of the church! Are you working on your food and water storage? After I finished writing the letter last week, I emptied all the water bottles we had stored and refilled them with filtered water. I have acquired a couple more bottles this week that I need to fill. I haven't gotten much more food, though. I don't like to stop at the grocery store when I am coming home from Rosy. It is about 8:30 by then, and I just want to get home, not out wandering around! And with the snow and ice this week, I haven't gone anywhere I didn't have to go. But this snow will be with us until about April, so I'd better get used to it! I had something happen this week to help me remember how blessed I really am. I was coming home alone one night. I got off the tram, feeling a little sorry for myself and thinking how dark it was and how I couldn't see. (waa, waa!) As I was waiting for traffic to clear so that I could cross the street, someone brushed my arm as he passed me. I looked around and saw a man with a white cane! He wasn't acting sorry for himself! He crossed the street and folded up his cane and kept moving! So I thought, it might be a little dark, but I could certainly see more than he could. Forgive me, Lord, when I whine! It has been a quiet week, with not much happening except the weather. I wish I had something exciting to write to you about! It is amazing how warm and comfortable the apartment is. I had worried that having no control on how much heat we have, that it might not be warm. But it is, sometimes a little too much! I am by myself right now. Sis. Kallanchova went home for a few hours, but she will be back about 8pm. Sorry this is sort of short. I just can't think of anything interesting! Keep on keeping on. Hang in there! Keep trying! And all that sort of stuff!!! I love you all with all my heart! Thanks to those who took time to write this week. I really appreciate it!!! I hope everything is going well for all of you. Happy Halloween!!!! Have a good time trick or treating!!!!! Don't eat too much candy!!

Love,
Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Shirley, Sis. Lynes, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, acquaintance, babushka with spikes on her boots!!! (choose one)