New Member

We had the area Physical Facilities Manager come and inspect our building this week.  We have just a few problems.  Our windows are rotting and there are two separate windows which make it impossible to clean in between.  There is no heat in the winter.  Only one plug works in the chapel, and finally, we are reaching capacity.  Since the heating problem and the capacity problem are unsolvable at this location he will be recommending we find a more suitable facility.  That would be nice. 

I also sent this email to our mission president last night.  

Dear President,

Our branch is suffering from a little spiritual and physical isolation from the rest of the church.  Our Russian members are feeling a little out numbered by all of the Armenians who have recently joined the church here and the Armenians need to hear testimony from and see what an active and faithful Latter Day Saint looks like.  

It is hard not to compare our two missions, and in this case I think our experience in New Zealand has given me some incite as to how we can help this situation.  We served in a small branch in Greymouth, 3 1/2 hours drive from the town from which our district was named and where all but one district leader resided.  That little branch provided all that leadership and every third Sunday one or two of them with their spouses would get up at 5:30 am so they could drive to Greymouth and be at our meetings that began at 10:00 AM. They spoke in sacrament meeting and trained our members.  District conferences every six months provided a sense of belonging, training, and above all, a spiritual up lift.  Every so often there were primary and youth activities that provided the same benefits for the young people as conference did for the adults.  Our branch was poor and the district provided funds for "petrol." 

Now we do not have a district here, but we do have a tremendous branch in Veronish that has possibly greater leadership capacity than the branch in New Zealand that staffed our district.  I can think of no good reason why a member of the branch presidency and his spouse as well as presidents of all the organizations or others in that branch could provide our branch third Sunday speakers and the benefit of their experience for our fledgling leaders.  It would be of benefit to those members who provide this service to us as it would be to our branch members.

It would be wonderful if Veronish could also invite our young people to special activities for both primary and mutual age children.  These suggestions would go a long way in uplifting and strengthening our branch in light of the fact we do not have a district to provide that support.  

Thank you for your consideration.  We are growing, and someday we will have strong leadership here too.

Love to you and Sister Sorenson

President Hoagland

 Above is Jeff's stepdaughter, Katelyn Wilson, who is a senior this year in Beaverton.  We are proud of her and wish her the best for the coming year.

 For the most part the modern Russian women make a great effort to be stylish.  It amazes me how they can walk on unimproved, and uneven surfaces for great distances to get to and from buses in 4 and 6 inch heals.  As we were walking to our local store I just could not resist taking this picture.  I don't know what to say but the young woman on the top left is more typical.

 In our English club we have a couple of English teachers who are quite regular in attendance.  We mentioned how they were really doing a lot of work at the school near us.  They said this school is one of the best schools in the country and they will now be having teachers and administrators from all over the country visiting and that is why all the work is being done.

 These pictures were taken a week before school started and the young people here are rehearsing a dance they must be doing.  They were very good.   The stone work, the tile on the stairs and entrance and even the white ceiling on the canopy are all new in the last month.

 At least once a week we go downtown to the main shopping mall.  We walk from the bus stop down this street about three blocks.

 On the way are also these tables of clothes for sale.  They are there rain or shine, summer or winter.

 We have arrived at the shopping mall.  It has your typical clothing stores, but also a very large grocery store that has some items we can't get elsewhere.  We have four stores we go to regularly to find all that we need.  This store has a sandwich size bread at a reasonable price along with a vegetable section that has lettuce most of the time.  I say most of the time because you cannot depend on things always being in stock in any store.  I don't think the Russians care because they are just grateful for the wonderful variety of food they have available since the Soviet Union.

 If this veteran were an employee he would be one of the most faithful.  He is always at this spot all year around.  He has a most solemn appearance and is constantly giving the sign of the cross.

 We heard that Lipetsk was getting its first McDonald's so we thought we would check it out.  Darn!  Not quite ready yet.  It is a 30 to 40 minute bus ride from home.

 Osha, where are you?  These men and women work on the top of this scaffolding without side rails.

 Women do the work right along with the men.

 All of the paving you see is new last month.  The gate and matching fence are also new.  Really fixing up the old school.  All of the flowers are are watered and weeded by the students under the guidance of a teacher even when school is out.

 First week of school and school pictures are in order.  In the back behind the trees is a sport court where soccer is played everyday.  They have four basketball standards in there, but only one has a hoop and it does not have a net.

 Visited the newest branch member yesterday.  His name is Arsen and is six days old.

 Arsen in bed.

 Elder Davis, who is doing amazingly well with his Russian.  

 You cannot go into an Armenian home without being fed.  Don't you just love it when someone takes a picture of you when you are eating.  Arsen's brother Artyome and mother Vika.

 Ararat loves is brother too.  You should see the boys run to the baby when he cries.  This was his first full day at home and when ever the baby cried that night the boys were up too.  Having to go to school the next morning made them a little tired and cranky by the time we left at 5:00 pm.

On our way back to the bus stop from Vika's apartment the Elder's called my attention to the butterfly that landed on Sister Hoagland's hair.  It took me over a block to get a good picture of it.  She was not amused that it was there so long.