December 27, 2011 Sunrise

This picture was taken at 10:00 a.m. just as the sun was coming over the horizon. Again this is looking just about straight south across the city of Moscow. It was cloudythe rest of the day so we didn't see this on at all that day. The sun sets approximately 4:30 and when we walked homeby 5:15 it was almost totally dark. Russia stayed on the daylight savings time so it would be light longer in the evening. It actually warned that today so by this afternoon it was 41°. Almost unheard of nice weather for this time of the year.

December 27, 9:25 a.m. 2011 Moscow looking south

This picture was takenat 9:25 a.m.looking almost due South along the main highway running north and south. It was still dark only let up by the streetl ights and cars.

2011 Christmas dinner in our apartment

Here we are all together for a great mealwith our traditional meat balls potatoes and gravyand all the other trimmings with ricecrem. It was a great way to spend Christmas when you have no family.These are people we have grown to love and appreciate here in this far off country.The employee in our office and his girlfriend arefirst on the left, then the sister missionaries, the Andersons who leave to go home in four days,one missionary and mom.We had a wonderful day.

Mission Christmas Party-Senior Couples Skit

December 24,we attended a missionary baptisma young woman in our branch. Following that baptis, in the same building we had an all mission conference with the senior couples. It was a great activity and lots of fun. It lasted all afternoon until seven o'clock at night.

Europe the East Area Presidency

Each Morning at 8:30a.m.we are privileged to have a devotional with these brethren and the other workers in our building.They and other members of their staff are often traveling,but for all who are there we have a morning devotional. One morning we sing together in Russian and the next morning the song is in English. Following the song someone has been preassigned to give her spiritual thought and then another gives a closing prayer.This is a great way to start the day.These brethren are all members of a second quorum of 70s. Two are medical doctors

English Club Group

This is the English club that we teach on Wednesday nights. This is the last nightthat Chad and Bethany taught the class.Some of these have attended many yearstrying to improve their English.The older fellow at the front right is an engineer and has developed several patents.They are a fun group tobe withand motivate them to speak about different subjects in English.

Old-time circus-Moscow

They wouldn't let us take pictures during any of the performance, but this is the arenaand as you can see we are sitting quite high up. That arena held six big elephants with dancing girls. The girls rode on the elephants during some of their stunts.There was a live orchestraclear in the background behind thethe big picturesyou see in the back ground across the hall. This was absolutely amazing talent of all kinds. It lastedmore than two hours and 15 minutes.