Checks are not used in Russia as far as I know.  Disbursement of branch and welfare funds is all cash so receipts are all important.  We get our funds by using a debit card issued to the branch.  It is possible to have  some cash on hand by simply withdrawing some but it is against this mission's policy to do that.  It is also against mission policy to use your own funds to bridge the gap between immediate need and when you can get to the ATM machine.  We have had a particularly heavy draw on welfare this month so it has been really difficult keeping track of all the expenditures, also having people do services for what they receive.   A baptism of fire for me this month.  

 We have had some really good news from home this week.  Jeff and Fawn, after years of effort, have been sealed in the Portland temple and their two youngest were also sealed to them.  What a blessing.  Jeremy, Jeff's oldest was able to come to be with them.

Just prior to our entering the MTC I was blessed to baptize our neighbor April.  We learned this week that her husband Brad and 2 of their children, Chloe and Caleb will also be baptized this weekend.  We are so happy for them and for April.  We are sooo excited.

 Last Friday Elder Janson and Elder Davis invited us to a community armateur talent show at the main park in Lepitsk.  We came to see one of their young contacts perform a break dance.  Here he is with the Elders. A fine young man who has attended a couple of branch activities this week.  His family has a much greater income than our branch members as you can see by the camera he uses He also  brought to our Saturday party watermelon, coke (5 times more expensive than Russian soda), and two cakes.  We need to meet his parents.

 After the amateur show (it was amateur!) we took a walk around town and took some pictures of places we had not yet visited.

 There are a few of this kind of art around town.

 This is a Friday night hang out for some.  Those on the right were drinking.

 One of our frequently used bus stops.  We seldom have to wait 10 minutes to get a bus going where we want to go.

 Here is the fish freezer in our local market.  It is mostly frozen or dried fish you find in the stores.  None of it looks appetizing to us.

 One family showed up for our cleaning on Saturday.  We wanted to do some heavy cleaning but only got part of it done.  We washed marks on walls, baseboards and doors, window sills, etc.  We really need to clean the windows but they will take ladders and some other members who need the service.

 Armine cleaning the chalk board.

 Arpine cleaning the window sills.

 We are having way too many parties.  It seems like everyone in the branch had a birthday this month including us.  Starting next month, only one party for everyone with a birthday that month.

 Some kind of Russian charade game.  Since we didn't know Russian we passed.  They are not real good at it.

 Max, our young friend having his turn at Charades.

 Members enjoying the meal.

 This is a new move in, Oleg with Elder Raymond,  He has the Melchizedek priesthood and has been teaching the lesson.  We have been working hard to get all our priesthood holders to wear white shirt and tie so they can participate in the sacrament ordinance.  Sunday we had six brethren in white shirts.  We missionaries donated to the cause.

 Ararat had his tenth birthday on Wednesday (another party) in lieu of family home evening.  His mother was in the hospital having a baby and his father is in Moscow working so he and his little brother were a little blue to start the evening.  They missed their mom.

 Oleg, Elder Harris, Ani and Ararat.  Ani and her sister Rima put this party together.  What would we do without these two young women.

 After 9 months in Lepitsk, Elder Harris has finally been transferred.  While here he has been junior companion, district leader, trainer, and zone leader.  He has also been a big part of the growth here in lipetsk. He will truly be missed.

 Elder Harris leaving on the night train to Moscow.

 The Old Lipetsk district with a long time investigator who will join the church if he can ever get married to the woman he is living with.

The Hoagland's saying good bye to Elder Harris.  After 9:00 pm we don't wear our name tags because of harassment by drunks.  

Anniversary in Riga, Latvia

Every 90 days we must leave Russia to renew our visas.  This time we were asked to be couriers for the mission, bringing a large number of missionary passports to our representative in Latvia who processes them through the American Embassy here in Latvia.  We also brought back with us a number of newly processed passports, including our own.  For this reason we were allowed to stay overnight  in a Hotel in Riga.  No one knew at the mission office that it was also our anniversary, but possibly the Lord had a hand in our being in the right place at the right time.  

The trip began with the less than anticipated overnight train to Moscow.  We left at 7:30 pm and arrived in Moscow at 5:30 am.  We were met at the station by two wonderful Elders and a driver that took us directly to the North Moscow airport.  They gave us our package and instructions and left us at the entrance to the airport.  We found a wonderful buffet in the airport where we had a light breakfast as we had over two hours before our fight.   

 This is the scene from our waiting area for our flight on Baltic airlines.  Camp Moscow Airport.  After a late start we had a wonderful flight to Riga, it being smooth and a chance to make up a tiny bit of sleep missed on the rough ride from Lipetsk to Moscow.  We were met by Valerij who was kind enough to take us directly to our hotel.  We thought we would have to find our own way.  As we rode into town he pointed out many points of interest, which we were grateful for.

This was our view from our room, which was a standard room on the fourth floor just over the front canopy. It was a nice room provided a good nights sleep.  Behind a beautiful park, of which there are many, is the Russian Orthodox Church.

 Here is our hotel, with our room just above that canopy on the left.  We were there by 11:00am so we had lots of time to see the city in the afternoon. We took a walk around the park

 At the corner just outside the door of the hotel was this flag display.  We saw another one just like it in another part of town.  The people are very proud of their little country and they should be.  It is a very dignified place to visit.  It makes our Lipetsk look quite primitive. 

 East Europe, as in all Europe I suppose, there are many monuments to past heroes.  Here is one in Riga's central park across from the hotel.

 Surrounded by the park is the The Riga Orthodox Cathedral (Russian Orthodox Church).  It is much newer than those in Lipetsk and very nice on the outside.  We did not take time to go in, hoping that sometime in the future we may return to do some walking tours.

 A couple of pictures of central park.  So clean and well maintained.

 They had electric car rentals for toddlers in the park with a large area for them to drive.  They needed that large area.

 Another couple of views of the Orthodox Cathedral looking toward the hotel.

 After the walk through the park, we had lunch in the dining room at the hotel.  We didn't know but it turned out to be our anniversary dinner, as we were so full that we did not want to pay the very high price for the buffet at dinner even though we didn't eat until nine pm.  We learned that the Yankee Dollar does not go very far in Latvia and the Ruble is almost useless.  We received less 8 Lats for 500 Rubles.  They should be called Lots.

After lunch we went to the desk to see if there was a tour we could take.  They had a bus there for us in 5 minutes and drove around the city picking up other tourists until we finally began the tour.  This is the Monument of Freedom in the center of Riga.  Guards of honor are there on weekdays and at dates of the Latvian. Their protests against the Soviet Union began here in the late 1980's.  It was constructed in 1935 during a short period of freedom from foreign rule.

 While picking up some passengers we saw the McDonalds in Riga and the old cobble stone street below.

 These next pictures are taken from the bus, so there may be a green tint or distortions, but we did the best we could.

 This is the area where most tours begin.  When we go back we want to start our walking tour from here.  There are a lot of historic church's to see.  This is another soviet era monument with little interest to the Latvians.

 Just like in Russia, each city has its world war two memorial.  This was in Riga still stands, but there are no celebrations held there and no honor guards like in Russia.

 This was taken from the front window of the bus.  We are in the rear view mirror.  They are very proud of the wooden architecture.  When the soviets were in charge it all changed to concrete.   

 Another wooden structure.

 Riga castle is situated on the bank of the Daugava River.  It houses the apartments and the guest rooms of the President.  It also houses museums of foreign art and the Latvian Museum of History.

 A Riga play house.

 This building was designed by a famous Riga architect with the distinctive faces on the front.

 We found this place where we could get "fresh cash".  Maybe we will stop in for some on our next visa trip.

 On the right is St. Peter's church with the tallest church tower in Riga.  There is an elevator that can take you up for a panoramic view of the city.  It is also evidence that earth quakes are not part of their history.  It doesn't look like it would take much to bring it down.  Along with church services it serves as an exhibit hall and is used for concerts.

 Part of our tour was on this little boat.  It toured the entire Riga canal and the Daugava River between both entrances to the canal.

 It was a beautiful canal and a very pleasant experience.

 This is the Riga opera house.  The columned building was originally constructed in 1863 and in 2001 a large addition was completed.

 In the center is the Dome Cathedral is known for its stained glass and was begun in the 13th century.  It has the country's second largest organ.  Another place to visit if we return.

 Only reason I included these two pictures is to show the roof workers.  Not a job for me.

 On the left is the Sun Stone building that is shaped like a sail.  It is the cities tallest building.  On the right is a very nice suspension bridge we crossed on the way in from the airport.

 There are three Raddison Hotels in the city.  This one has the Magic Sand display.

 Some homes on the river.  Some look abandoned, and others very nice.

 The city is a very important shipping port too.  This is a ferry that we have no idea where it goes.

 We passed a little yacht harbor on our way back into the canal.

 When the boat docked we were left to our own devices to get back to the hotel.  Fortunately many speak English and this part of the city and is not that large.  We asked a security guard if he knew where the Raddison Hotel was.  He promptly told us what direction to go.  Unfortunately there are three Raddison's in town and he sent us to the wrong one.  Fortunately our hotel was across central park from the wrong hotel and our previous walk let us know where we were.

 The beginnings of our Late evening anniversary snack.  We thought those tiny little bottles would not satisfy our thirst so we ordered two each.  I drank three of them.  In the morning there was a fantastic breakfast buffet that lasted us until KFC in the evening.  Anything you wanted was there.  It was interesting to see all the international travelers there.

Our wonderful Elders who took care of us from train to plane and from plane to train.  We went to the mission office with them on our return and then to KFC with them on our way to the train station.  Just a side light to our travel story.  In Riga we had to stand in lines well over an hour to get our boarding passes and to get through security and passport control.  Lucky we came early or we could have missed our plane.