From Russia With Love...

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

Letter #51: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #51
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 20:57:05 +0500
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Dear Everyone!

    Today seems like last Saturday!  The temperature has been above freezing all day, and the snow and ice are
melting again.  The sidewalks are rivers!  I'm hoping that winter is really over, although I know it is still early for spring
in Siberia.  It's funny that today seems like a replay of last week.  We had a beautiful snowfall one afternoon this
week, but there was not much accumulation.  There is less snow now than there has been since I have been in
Kurgan.  I just took a look out and it is raining.  The temperature is still +2, so that will help the snow and ice melt
even more.  Well, the temperature dropped to about -6 last Saturday night, so you know what all that water turned
into.  Yes, solid ice!  But it was a beautiful, bright, sunshiny morning.  Sis. Borlena suggested that I stay home because
we both knew how dangerous walking on that ice would be.  I was sitting in the kitchen, thinking about what she had
said and admiring the "glorious Sabbath day". Glorious is not a word I commonly use, but it struck a note of
remembrance in my mind.  That very phrase is in my patriarchal blessing.  I got my blessing out to read that part.  Let
me say that in one paragraph I'm told that I have been blessed with a choice and noble husband.  Note the word
husband. Another paragraph starts with the words "On the glorious Sabbath Day, go to the House of the Lord, His
Church, and carry with thee thy companion..."  It didn't say husband, but companion.  I read that part to Sis. Borlena
and told her, "All right, companion, I'm going to church."  I received the blessing in 1959, and I have always
wondered why it was worded that way ... companion, not husband.  I felt very comfortable about going.  Just as I
was almost ready to go, two of the elders stopped by, for no reason at all.  I told them, wait a minute and walk me
over.  It was a good thing they did, because it was really treacherous.  They also walked me back.  I had an elder on
each arm.  Normally, I would have been worried about it, but I felt very peaceful about it. If Sis. Borlena and I had
been together, we would both have been down.   She's not big enough to support me!  May not sound like much, but
it was something to me, and the feelings were the most important part.

      I didn't go to the university after all.  The dean said that they are painting, and she doesn't want any Americans
coming there and seeing things like that, and thinking that all Russian universities are bad!  I have told the girl who
asked me about going, that since I can't come to them, why don't they come to me!  They could come to any class, or
if they want to come together as a class, I would be glad to meet with them on any Wednesday.  We'll see what
comes of it.  The class had practiced for two days asking questions, and then the dean said no!  They were all so
disappointed!

    I have been told that Pres. Hall is working on getting the Nauvoo temple dedication here for us.  We have a
building in Ufa, church owned, that has a satellite.  So I might get to see the dedication.  It would probably be
translated into Russian, but at least I could see it!  It's exciting to think about!  I don't know if President will be able to
swing it.  He usually gets what he goes after!

    Did I tell you that they don't put preservatives in the bread?  My loaf of bread molded over night!  I had some at
supper one night, and the next  morning the bottom was covered in green!  But milk and juice are not refrigerated!
Go figure!

    You might be surprised to know that I went out this Wednesday. Actually out of the building!! Sis. Borlena and I
went to the hairdresser's and she got a haircut, and I got a perm.  The same girl who did it last time did it, and I think it
will be all right.  The price has gone up since the last time.  Last time it cost me less than $8.50.  This time it cost
$9.00!  The Russians think that is expensive!  It was really icy and slippery when we went out, but it had melted a lot
by the time we came back.  Then late that afternoon, it was snowing heavily.  It was beautiful while it was coming
down.  The weather here is very changeable, more so than anywhere I've ever lived, except maybe Yekat.

    Elder Ady just got back this afternoon from Finland.  He said it was a wonderful trip!  He had some of the new
currency, the euro-dollar (?).  He loved Finland, even though he only had a couple of hours there.  I'm told you can
walk all over Helsinki in a couple of hours.   I make that trip in May.  I have to leave the country to get my visa
renewed. T hey are only good for a year, at the most!  Even Pres. and Sis. Hall have had to make that trip.  They will
be going home at the end of June.  I know we will really miss them!  Next Wednesday we have to go to Yekat for a
zone conference.  I don't know the reason for us having to go there.  The last time we did that, in December, it was a
killer of a trip.  I love to see all the people there, but I'm not looking forward to the trip.

    I was just looking at the rolls of the classes this week, and counted how many people have been in the classes.  The
total is 92!  Of course some of the people come every day, so that isn't 92 separate individuals!  There have been a
goodly number of new ones again this week.  I have given away 4 copies of the Book of Mormon this week.  I know
that two of those people will be having discussions this next week.  They are such wonderful people.  I hope they will
listen with their hearts, and listen to their feelings.

    It has occurred to me that during the winter, the Russians live in a black and white world.  The snow and ice are
everywhere, and they all wear either black or very dark coats and hats, so everything is black or white.  It will be so
nice when things start to turn green again!

    I have only gotten one response to the question I asked you last week.  Are you reading the BOM?  Remember
there is a scripture that says that the whole church is under condemnation for not reading it.  Don't let that be you!
How can we know what we need to do if we don't read the scriptures?!  Don't let your life be so busy that you don't
take time for the important things.  It has been hard this week for me to find enough time to read like I want to.  The
Jewish people have a saying:  "We grow too soon old, and too late smart!"  I'm here to tell you that's the truth!  The
more I study, and the older I get, the more I realize how little I know, and how much there is to learn!  I help one of
my students read the Bible almost every day.  She has a New Testament that has English on the left page, and the
Russian on the right, so that if she doesn't understand it in English, she can check it out in the Russian, and
understand.  I don't think she has read it and understood it much before.  She says it is "very tasty" on her tongue!
We should all feel like the scriptures are "very tasty"!  We are told to "feast"on the scriptures!  I can assure you that if
you make an effort to read regularly, the scriptures will become very tasty indeed, and you will want to read more.  I
know you all have a working knowledge, but "feasting" is truly wonderful.  And you can never know it all!  No matter
how many times you read the scriptures, there is always something new to learn.  And if you pray for an
understanding, the Lord will bless you with understanding beyond your expectations!  Your eyes will be opened, and
you will see and understand things you never saw or understood before.  Don't forget, or get slack, with your prayers,
either.  Heavenly Father truly does hear and answer your prayers.  Sometimes we don't recognize the answers
because we don't get the answer we are looking for.  Pray to be sensitive to the Spirit.  Where in the BOM does it tell
you to pray over your fields, flocks, everything?  Anything that concerns you concerns your Heavenly Father.
Nothing is too trivial for Him.  We are His work and His glory!  He doesn't want any of us to fail.  He wants us all to
come back home to Him.  That's what I'm doing here in Russia ... trying to help His people here to come to the
knowledge of what they have to do in order to come back home to Him.  It is unbearable to think that you might not
be able to go back home!  Sometimes where we are restless, and don't know why, maybe it's because we miss home,
but just can't remember it!  Our soul remembers!  Our brain has the veil drawn over it so that we can learn to walk by
faith.  But our soul remembers!  That's why sometimes when we hear something new, we know immediately that it's
true.  Our soul remembers!  I think it is that way for a lot of investigators.  When they hear the gospel, it resonates
within them and they just know immediately that it's true.  It is wonderful to see!

  It's getting late, and I haven't finished my laundry.  I have it all washed, but I still have to rinse it and hang it up to
drip!  I wring it out, but it still drips!  It seems like I have been busy all day!  And I have!  But I'm not finished yet.  I
hope everything is going well for all of you.  I love you all so much!  I'm so grateful to be your mother, grandmother,
or great grandmother.  Thanks for the email this week.  You will never know how much it means to me!  Until next
week!

    Love,
Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Shirley, Sis. Lynes, sister, aunt,cousin, friend, acquaintance, babushka with a new
hair-do!  (choose one!)