Moscow sites.

We are trying to have as many of the branch members in our home as possible for dinner.  Faina is a faithful member with a great desire that the members live the gospel standards.  Her daughter lives in Madrid, Spain and joined the church there.  Faina joined there as well and goes back and forth from Lipetsk to Madrid where she attends the temple.  She left this week and we will miss her.  Elder's Harris and Bishop were our interpreters.  We had a wonderful time and even spoke a little Spanish.

We went to Moscow for Zone conference and a mission conference held on June 17, 2012.  I needed to stay for the leadership meeting held at the Moscow stake and broadcast to all of eastern Europe.  That meant we had a Friday to do some sight seeing.  I reported on those meetings in the post prior to this.

 These three Russian girls saw us with several missionaries and wanted their picture taken with foreigners.  They were very shy and their tour guide in the pink top behind them had to ask for them.  The blond on the right was so shy that when we asked her name she hid her face and spoke it quietly.

 Guards at the Eternal flame on the north side of the Kremlin wall.

 Close up of the eternal flame.

 Running along the north side of the Kremlin is a park and some very picturesque buildings.

The Russian people love bedding flowers and you can see them everywhere but these are the best I have seen.

The northwest corner of the Kremlin Wall.  Most cities in Russia have a Kremlin, which is their word for fort.  This is THE Kremlin.

Emperor Alexander II,  was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881.  He was known as the liberator as he was the one who ended serfdom in Russia.

Peter the Great standing on one of his war ships.  He was the father of the Russian navy.

The Cathedral of our Savior.  The original cathedral was demolished by Stalin in the 30's, wanting to build a palace on the property.  The palace was never built, and the cathedral was re-built in the mid 1990's.  They worship differently here, there are no pews in Russian orthodox churches.

There are seven buildings with this style of architecture scattered around Moscow and are called the seven princes.  This picture was taken from the grounds of the Cathedral.

Two cathedral doors.

Grounds of the Cathedral of Our Savior.

We got off the Metro one station too soon and had to walk several blocks past some wonderful government office buildings, churches and hotels.  This is the entrance to red square as we approached from the north.

Red Square is on the east side of the Kremlin Wall and this picture is looking northeast.

We were at red square on two different days and used two different cameras so that is why we are back outside red square.  This is resurrection gate, the north entrance to the square. The little blue roof is a small chapel and when we looked inside there was a priest reading a bible in a chanting voice.  There were only women coming in and out doing the sign of the cross and bowing several times at the altar.

The  Gym (Goom) Shopping center is directly east of the Kremlin on Red Square.  They have made old Russian military offices into a very up scale shopping mall.

Looking at the Kremlin wall with Lenin's tomb in front.  They were in the process of taking down scaffolding that was put up for the Federation Day celebration.  Federation Day marks the formation of new government after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Inside the Gym Shopping Center.

Here we are in front of St. Basil's Cathedral.  Can't go to red square with out taking your picture in front of St. Basil.

St. Basil is on the south end of Red Square.

The Kremlin wall as it extends south past St. Basil.  I can just picture all the military men, tanks, rockets, etc. marching past and into the square.

A broad picture of Red Square.

State Historical Museum inside Red Square.

Outside Red Square is one of the busiest McDonalds in the world.  The workers are packed as thick behind the counter as the patrons are in front of the counter.  Unbelievable!

Statue of Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, in front State Historical Museum. Most decorated Russian Soldier from WWII. He was a rare survivor of Stalin's military purges and lead most of the major Battles.

Picture taken following the Russian National Dance Show (see previous post) of the State space museum featured art.  On the left is the metro station for this area.  Elder Walker is on the right.  He and Sister Walker were wonderful hosts and saw to our every need.  We had taken the metro so much I felt confident to take it by myself to the meeting at the church Saturday morning.  My confidence was strengthened by the fact that I didn't have to change lines.  The confidence was gone later when we used the metro again and I would have taken the train in the wrong direction.  I was glad Elder Janson  knew what he was doing.

Mission Conference

A pretty incredible week.  Thursday we had a mission conference in Moscow, which was the last meeting we will have with our current mission president, President Woolley.  He and Sister Woolley have served wonderfully in leading this extraodinary mission. The Moscow West mission included Kazakhstan, and Belarus and cities north and south of Moscow, but not including Moscow.  They return Home on June 25 and we will miss them. 

On July 1, we will become part of the Moscow mission and Kazakhstan will be part of another Russian mission and Belarus will become part of the Baltic mission.  Following our last meeting in the morning, we joined with the Moscow missionaries in a mission conference which was truly historic.  In attendance were six general authorities which included Elder D. Todd Christofferson, of the Quorum of the twelve, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Senior President of the Seventy, Bishop Gary F. Stevenson Presiding Bishop, Elders Gregory A. Schwitzer, Larry R. Lawrence, and Ronald K. Bennett of the East Europe area presidency.  Elder Lawrence will replace Elder Schwitzer as Area President on July 1.  We met Elder Lawrence in the Kiev airport during our visa trip.   Above is the combined Moscow West and Moscow missions with all the General authorities and their wives.  This should also make the Church News.

 At the conclusion of our meeting, the Woolley's were gifted with a beautiful quilt with the names of all missionaries who served under them on it.  Also a scarf for Sister Woolley and a Russian hat for President.

 The first and last mission wide picture of the Moscow West Mission.  About twenty of these people will move to new missions when Kazakhstan and Belarus are united with their new missions.

 We were all able to shake hands with the general authorities.  Here are Elders Christofferson and Rasband greeting the missionaries.  Elder Christofferson remarked that he had assigned many of our missionaries to their callings.  He said they tried to send the best to Eastern Europe.  I can believe that.  We have wonderful missionaries and very little if any discipline type problems.  We have the best of the best right here in Lipetsk.

On Saturday I attended the priesthood leadership meeting in conjunction with the Moscow Stake.  I was pleased that both counselors were able to be there and also my executive secretary.  Wonderful meeting.
Elder Christofferson:  In all we do we should think about what should happen as a consequence.  Whose life should be effected.  There is a difference between activity and having results, don't be satisfied with just being busy.  Our purpose is to see that all receive the ordinances of Salvation.
Elder Rasband:  Quorum is a class, brotherhood and a service unit.  Continue to reach out to less active so the Lord can heal them.
Bishop Stevenson:  Spoke on how to treat our wives.  Give love and affection, write her a letter, No contention, All will be released from callings, but not as husband and father.
Elder Lawrence:  Spoke on an acceptable fast.
Elder Bennett:  Be life long learners of the Spiritual and the academic.
President Schwitzer collected questions from group to be used in second half of meeting.  Each leader was given questions to answer.  Very good!  Will always remember this experience.

 Elder Lawrence on the left and Elder Bennett on the Right with Sister Schwitzer in blue.

 Bishop Stevenson waiting for the next missionary.  He was just sustained at last April conference.  All of these men are magnificent.  Elder Christofferson described his calling as all work and no glory.  He has responsibility for welfare production and distribution, building construction and maintenance, and the Aaronic priesthood.  WOW!!

Elder & Sister Walker were our host while we were in Moscow.  They are from Weiser, Idaho.  Elder Walker is assistant legal council for the East European Area.  Sister Walker also has a responsibility in that office.  We had just finished touring Red Square and stopped for lunch at McDonalds.  A real mad house! 

Because of rain we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon touring the Metro, which is famous for the art work done at its stations.  It was an interesting afternoon.  The only thing that happened to make it more interesting was when we crossed the Moscow River, we were exposed to the rain and the air vents leaked dirty water over my white shirt and Judy's pink sweater. As you can see this was a slow period for ridership.  Moscow moves billions of people through their large system every year.  Second only to Tokyo in ridership. 

 Each station has its own theme.  All are patriotic but  depict all aspect of life.  Army, family, farming, industrial, etc.

 Not all stations have art work.  It depended on who was leading the country.  Some felt transportation was more important than art.

 Every piece uses the same colors and material but each post has at least two different subjects.

 Hundred dollars to anyone who can spot a smile.

 This is not it, but Moscow Metro has the longest escalator in the world.

 The perfect Soviet family is depicted here.

When finished our metro tour, we went to the Hyatt Hotel in NE Moscow where we had dinner with other senior couples and then went to the Russian National Dance Show, "Kostroma" at the theater adjacent the Hotel.  What a wonderful show it was.  The costumes were magnificent as well as the dancing.  

 Theater sign at the Hyatt Hotel.  They try to make their signs a little like Las Vegas, but not quite.

 President and Sister Woolley talking with Elder Walker prior to the show.

We were on row 10 on the left.  There were no bad seats.

Following the show we had our picture taken with the Walkers.  Notice that at 9:45 it is still pretty light out.

I will use another blog to show pictures of Red Square, and other photos.  I will finish with our experience with the train travel to and from the conference.  Our Elders thought that we had plenty of time to get to the train in a small town south of lipetsk.  We took a taxi.  The line at the ticket window was not long, but a couple of women were planning a summer vacation and took 30 minutes or more.  We almost missed the train.  We all piled on the train without giving tickets or passports or we would have missed it.  The conductor took care of that business as the train moved out as soon as we got on.  Did not sleep well on the train going or coming.  We arrived in Lepitsk at 7:11 am Sunday morning.  I gave a talk and taught the youth SS class.  At the very end of the lesson I fell asleep momentarily sitting there.  I had no chance in priesthood meeting.  Elder Janson was also having trouble staying awake.