Sunday, December 11, 2011

It's the LITTLE Things!

Every Friday our missionary district holds a meeting to encourage and review the work being done by the 10 missionaries in our district, the right bank of the city.  This meeting is held in our apartment.  Sister Webb goes to great efforts to prepare a meal for the elders and sisters.  I know they like to hold the meeting here because they are guaranteed a great home cooked meal each time they come.  We have included a picture of the very best missionaries in Russia – the members of our district.  Each week they share inspirational events of the past week, challenge each of us to do better with our various assignments, improve in our language skills and generally just remind us to be better people.  It is a highlight of every week for us and a great way to be reminded of the things in life that matter most. 
We are learning more and more each day to appreciate the many blessing of family, friends, freedoms, and the abundance of life we have been privileged to have throughout our lives.  Each evening as we review the events of the day together it amazes at the little things that we notice and that bring us a chuckle or offer us something which we can look forward to happening.  Here is just one example:
The building across the street which we have mentioned before has a new tenant.  About 3 or 4 weeks ago they began to build out the inside of half of the street level of the building.  We watched with anticipation trying to guess what would go in, hoping beyond hope that it might be a neighborhood market.  Well, turns out that that is exactly what it is!!!!  The sign went up with the name and then a few days later another sign that said opening soon (only it was in Russian and we had to look it up).  Next we watched as fixtures, shopping carts, signage and finally product was delivered to the store.  Then Friday a sign went up that said opening at noon tomorrow.  EXCITEMENT ran wild in our apartment.  At noon we were ready to walk across the street to check it out and noticed that the opening at noon sign was down and it was back to opening soon??  Disappointment fell like a pall over our apartment but we held out hope that it was just a minor glitch and they would, as their sign said, open soon.  Well this afternoon there were ballons on the door which were swinging open with every passing pedestrian – they were open.  EXCITEMENT filled the air once more.  What a yo-yo of emotion it has been this weekend!!  We are so glad it is open – but what are we going to do for entertainment now.  Oh, well we will check out the store tomorrow and then start guessing at what comes next.  There is always an afternoon stroll through one of the many parks (provided you are dressed for it), or people watching (even interacting with them if you are brave enough to try), or just curling up and reading a good book (if you can find the time).
Tomorrow begins a new week which promises to be a busy one.  We have two missionaries stuck in Moscow from their visa trip which was to bring them back to Novosibirsk yesterday, another visa trip leaving in the morning, 5 missionaries going home on Tuesday, transfers across the mission Wednesday and 5 new missionaries – 3 from the U.S. and 2 native Russians – arriving on Thursday.  Hope it all goes well.
Our little District


The new store across the street

Which way is home?

Just a walk in the Park
 
Hope everyone is healthy and doing well.  We love you all and like you we are getting ready for Christmas.  Remember in all the hustle to take time for a breath and remember God’s greatest gift to all mankind – his son Jesus Christ.  Have a wonderful holiday.  We will be thinking of all of you.         With love – Randy n Sue.   

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