A Weekend with the President

Four new missionaries came in this past week, 3 sisters and 1 elder, and one of our sisters went home.  It is always exciting and a little hectic for a couple of days.  Everyone who can stops by the office to say their goodbyes to anyone leaving and since Sister Trottier was so loved throughout the mission many people stopped by to wish her well.  She was Sister Webb’s companion for a week last fall when I had to make that quick trip to Salt Lake so she has a special place in our hearts.  We will truly miss her.  After the goodbyes there are the hellos to new missionaries.  We give them a little training and acquaint them with the ways of Russia, the mission and a little of how to get around.  The basic do’s and don’ts of serving here. 

With training completed on Thursday morning it was time to begin preparations for our visa trip.  So when we got home we packed, got to bed early and then were up at four am to get ready for our flight to PRAGUE!  What a wonderful weekend we had in Prague with President and Sister Gibbons.  We arrived in Prague around noon on Friday, Checked into our motel and then got down to the business of exploring this marvelous city.  Although you can’t do much in two days we seemed to pack quite a bit into our time there.  Old Town Square, Jewish Quarter, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle were a few of the places we explored a little more in depth.  There are performances every night and most afternoons throughout the city, chamber orchestras, individual artists, and various ensembles.  We were able to attend two – a chamber orchestra performing numbers by Bach, Vivaldi and Dvorjak in the Prague Castle and 4 soloists (violin, organ/piano, soprano vocalist, and tenor vocalist) who performed in the Mirror Chapel at the Klementine.  Mozart performed in this same chapel many times.  The history and culture of this old city were a wonder to us and we constantly marveled at all there was to see and do.  Just when we thought we had seen the most breathtaking architecture we would walk around a corner and there was something even more spectacular.  It was a wonderful weekend.  The trip back not so much (another story, another time).  We now have only two such visa trips left – one the end of August and one the end of November.  Then we return home in February.  It is hard to imagine – the time is flying by so quickly.

This weekend also brought with it the passing of Sue’s mom.  It is so difficult for her not to be home with her sisters; our modern technology has greatly shortened the distance but is still not the same.  We have reflected much on all Roberta has done for us and the influence she has had on the lives of her family and friends.  We will miss her greatly but know she is in a better place, happy to be home with Gordon, her parents and friends who have been waiting for her on the other side.  Knowing where she is and who she is with brings much peace to an otherwise sorrowful event.   We are so thankful for a Heavenly Father who loves us all so much and knows each of us individually and how to help us bear up under all of life’s challenges.  Have a wonderful week.  Here are a few pictures from Prague.

Organ in the Mirror Chapel
Mozart played here!

Rub the Statue, Make a wish & you WILL return!
Guess we are planning a return trip

Cathedral Chapel at the
Prague Castle

Two Angels and a Saint

A wonderful weekend with
President and Sister Gibbons

Old Town Square