From Russia With Love...

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

Letter #59: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #59
Date: Sat, 11 May 2002 18:38:12 +0600
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!! I guess spring has really come. Today it is cloudy with light rain falling. Everything is turning green, and it is such a good sight after so many months of snow and ice. The last week has been mostly beautiful weather. One day it was overcast and cold, but mostly it has been bright and sunshiny. (Late afternoon: beautiful, warm, sun shining!) Thursday the Russians celebrated Victory Day, in commemoration of Russia winning the Second World War. The people have had four days off work. There was a big parade and concerts on the square, with fireworks that night. We are told not to go out in big crowds. There is quite a lot of drinking, and you never know what could happen. So going to the parade was out. But I was here in my room when I became aware of drums sounding, and they sounded like they were coming closer. I went to the window and saw a police car coming down Lenina St. heading for the square, driving very slowly with his red light on. Coming behind the car was a military band. Just as they got to the street I live on (I live on the corner of Lenina and Karla Marxa streets) the band started to play! Behind the band were companies of military men marching. It was great! I couldn't go to the parade, so they brought part of the parade to me!! A little later, I heard two helicopters go over, but I didn't move fast enough to actually see them. Later in the day Sis. Burlena and I took a walk. There were people everywhere. In the park near us there were several bands playing. We walked on up to the square, and there were several bands playing there also. The bands weren't the military kind, but popular bands, some playing rock music for the young people, and others playing popular music for the people a little older. The square is quite large. Vendors were grilling shish kebobs and selling them. There were a lot of vendors selling drinks. People were everywhere. Russians really know how to celebrate! That afternoon, we looked out the window, and right at the corner of our building they were setting up for what looked like a concert. They had set up five microphones on stands, with two big speakers. I was afraid they were planning for a long, loud show! We watched them from our windows. There were five men in the group, three singers, one playing a trumpet and one playing a trombone. They also had back-up music to play along with. They played music that I could enjoy! In fact, I enjoyed it very much! But they only played about 45 minutes. People of course had gathered around, and some danced to the music. So I had my own concert to hear, and didn't even have to leave the apartment. That evening, before dark, Sis. Burlena came in and told me, " Let's go!" I asked, "Go where?" She wanted to go up near the square, where there was a youth band playing. She said "The people are dancing, and I want to watch!" So we went and listened to the music, and watched people dancing. There was an older couple that you could tell have been dancing together for years. They were very good. And energetic! It was so fun! We watched till it was over, then walked back home through the park. That night there were fireworks, but it doesn't get dark until after 10 pm, and we have to be in our apartments by 9:30 pm, so we couldn't go out to see them. They were shooting the fireworks off in the park, and we watched out of our window. We couldn't see much, just once in a while some of it would shoot out over the street a little, and we could see it then. Even though we couldn't see much, it was still fun. We had zone conference Friday. Pres. and Sis. Hall and two assistants to the president came here. I'm really glad we didn't have to go to Yekat for this one. The theme of the conference was patience. We all know that things will happen in the Lord's way, but sometimes we forget that things also happen on the Lord's timetable. Sometimes we don't get what we want when we want it, but we need to learn patience and realize that the Lord is in charge, and His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His timetable is not our timetable. So many times if we had gotten what we wanted at the time we wanted it, it would not have been for our good. I was really grateful for the conference. It always gives me a spiritual lift that sometimes is badly needed. I love Pres. and Sis. Hall! I will be sorry to see them go at the first of July. We have a new president coming in. And I'm sure we will love them too! I found out yesterday that when Sis. Burlena and I go home (she finishes at the same time I do) there will be no senior sisters to take our place. I am so sorry about that. The senior sisters are needed so badly! I don't know what will happen to the English program when I'm gone. I'm sure the Lord will handle things, but I am concerned about the people who come to class. I just talked to Melinda, Tim and Daniel!! She thought she would call before she went to bed so that it would be morning here. She said she didn't know if she would be able to get me later in the day. I was so happy to talk to them! Tim graduates soon and then will be moving out west to live with Gary. I also got to hear a little about Janna's reception. It sounds like they had the storm almost of the century! They had planned to hold the reception in the back yard, and had everything looking beautiful, and then the storm came up, with thunder, lightning, and even hail the size of golf balls! People turned out for the reception, in spite of the weather! I'm getting ready to go to Finland. I leave here Sunday morning on a marshoot at 9 am, and should get to Yekat about 3 pm. I will be spending the night in my old apartment. Then Sis. Rogers and I will be flying out of Yekat at 7 am Monday. From what we can understand from the office elders, we will be flying to Moscow, and taking a train from Moscow Monday late afternoon, arriving in Helsinki early Tuesday morning. We will have 4-6 hours in Helsinki, then back on the train to Moscow, arriving back there on Wednesday morning. We will fly back to Yekat sometime Wednesday afternoon, spend the night (we hope!) and then (for me) back to Kurgan on Thursday. Sort of a whirlwind trip. The other missionaries will be covering my classes while I'm gone. Tatiana, one of the ladies in my class who comes all the time, said she will be back to class when I come back! We think we will have time in Moscow to at least see Red Square. I can't take my camera, so I plan to buy some postcards of the sights in Helsinki and Moscow. I went over to the branch apartment for the 11 am class, but no one showed up. They are still partying, or recovering, I guess. Russia has a lot of holidays. Many more than we have. I don't know what to expect for the rest of the classes today. I'll show up, and if anybody comes, we'll have class. If they don't, I don't take it personally! When I was at zone conference last month, I met the elder that Jason found, taught, and baptized while he was on his mission. He is a very good looking young man. But he doesn't speak English, and I don't speak Russian, or Latvian, so I had to get someone to translate for us. It's hard to talk to someone through an interpreter. I think it's an unusual situation to be serving in the same mission with someone my grandson baptized on his mission! Do you remember me telling you about Viel, the young man who drew my portrait? He turned in his mission papers yesterday to Pres. Hall! He will have been a member of the church for one year on July 25. He is going to make a wonderful missionary! There isn't a lot of news this week. And you are getting this on Sunday instead of Saturday because Jack has been out of town, in Utah, for Janna's Utah reception. So he said that he will forward the letter when he gets back in on Sunday afternoon. I hope the reception went well, and that they had a safe flight. I'll skip the long sermon this week.........you can all stop cheering now!!! I don't need to tell you, you already know, what I believe and what I know. Well, just a little sermonizing: I know this is the work of the Lord and I'm grateful to be trusted to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I love Him and His gospel. I just wanted you to know that! I love you all and pray for you every day. I hope you are praying for me, and all the missionaries. This work is not easy, but it is very rewarding! Keep reading the Book of Mormon!! Till next week!

Love,
Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Shirley, Sister Lynes, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, acquaintance, email pal, babushka going to Finland!!!!! (choose one!)