Zone Conference

If walking is good exercise then I have had plenty of "good exercise."  If someone had told me that at 70 years old I would be tramping around an obscure city in Russia with a young Elder, I would have told them they were crazy.  I went with Elder Janson in an effort to locate some less active people in the branch.  We took a bus downtown and then walked a few blocks to an apartment.  No one home so we walked to another bus and then walked a few blocks to another apartment.  The person had moved so we walked another few blocks to another location.  No one home.  Then we walked all the way back to the church, which included a long stretch of stairs to the top of a hill.  It was at least three miles.  This is all day everyday activity for these young elders.  We so much appreciate the hard work they do.  They are happy young men who work very hard for their Heavenly Father and his children.  We love them!

As you may know, we have had a leaking shower ever since we moved in.  After two attempts to fix it, the landlady has put in a tub.  Here, I am watching them deliver our new tub.  No leaks!!!  Parking is a problem at our complex.  Any where is fair game.  Most families don't have a car, but more and more are getting them and it will be interesting to see how they will make space for them all.  Even with fantastic public transportation, it will never compete with personal transportation for comfort and convenience.  

 This is what shoes look like after walking the city streets.

 While walking to the store on Saturday we pass a local park.  Most have amusement rides in them.  Anyway, we came across several bridal parties looking for places to have pictures taken.  They seemed to be everywhere.

 It looks like this couple had an early start to their family.

 Saturday is sport night at the branch.  Here Elder Janson is asking directions to the beach on the Veronezh River that runs through town.  In the distance is a statue of Lenin.  The trees have started to bring forth leaves.

 On the way we walked down a hill and at the base found this beautiful Russian Orthodox Monastery with a small chapel.

 The grounds are wonderfully maintained.

 We finally arrived at our destination, which was a really large beach on the river.  We brought our own net, and the poles are there to put it up.  My center of gravity has changed since I used to play, so it was harder to keep on my feet when going after a ball.  Played for an hour and then another long walk home.

 Sunday night we took a bus to Veronezh for our zone conference.  This is the front yard of the church there.  People were stopping to look at the blossoms on that small tree.  The branch had a clean up activity on Saturday, and everything looked wonderful.

 Everyone gathering for zone conference.

 Elders Harris, Bishop and myself talking with President Woolley during a break in the meeting.

 Elder's Janson, Wadsworth, and Brown provided a musical number for us.

 Lunch at zone conference.  There was a picture in the room we met in, that depicted the first Sunday School.  It showed Brother Ballantyne, the person who organized that first Sunday School, with his students.  It turns out that he is President Woolley's 2nd great grandfather.  He told a story of Bro. Ballantyne's call as a missionary to India.  He went to India with eleven other missionaries, five of which were Pres. Woolley's ancestors.  They had some amazing experiences.

 Here is the Veronezh zone, with Pres. & Sister Woolley, the Frost's who go home next week, and the Luekenga's, who are the office couple.

 Another walk to store, we stopped to look at this Russian Orthodox Church.  They were having a funeral so we didn't go in.  The grounds were mostly taken up with cemetery plots.  I think this is some kind of war memorial.

Just in case you wondered if they sold vodka in Russia, here is the aisle at one store we shop.  

Sister Hoagland was asked to bring cookies to the zone conference.  She would need at least 60.  She looked up the recipe for Toll House cookies and went to work!  We bought the biggest packages of M and M's, chocolate candy bars to crumble since there are no chocolate chips here, and walnuts.  We have a strange oven that doesn't bake evenly so after a few "test bakes" we got great cookies.  This is the before baking dough.  They turned out great.  We mentioned them in English club and now our friends from there want some so we will make some more.