Goodbye to Elder Janson

Saturday is sports day at the branch.  While waiting for the people to arrive I played ping pong with Elder Davis.  We played last week all the time as only one less active brother came and he wanted to play.  It was just Elder Davis, Law, myself and Alexander.  Alexander is 58.  I won the singles tournament and all but one of the doubles tournaments.  Elder Law and I did not do well together.  Anyway, they think I am pretty good, but this week the AP's were there and Elders Janson and Raymond.  I think Elder Hamm (an AP) and Elder Raymond could both beat me as Elder Hamm lost to Raymond and I did as well.  I was just competitive as they say.  The activity ended with a very large game of ONO.  

Tuesday night is "English Group" and we are having a really good time with the people we have in our room.  The Elders have the beginners group.  Our group is conversational in that we talk about anything that comes to our minds.  Sometimes nothing comes so we try to something to keep their interest.  We have been going over lists of Homonyms, etc.  This week a young lady asked if we could do this twice a week.  We have the option to do private classes as long as they are willing to have a spiritual thought at the class.  Thursday we had a wonderful time with her and a male friend.  They are in a dance company together.  

 Sunday was Elder Janson's last day at church meetings.  He is a wonderful young man with many talents.  He was very good at translating for me and I will always remember how he rolled his eyes when I stumped him a word.  Russians express themselves differently than we do so it is hard to translate meanings sometimes.

 Here are two of our young men in the branch.  Arcen is 12 and Rodick is 14.  They really have no interest in church and this Sunday they were particularly disruptive.  They can't keep their hands off each other as this picture attests.  They were running around slamming doors and otherwise being a pain.  They will be a topic in branch counsel on Sunday.

 Margarita holding little Arcen, Vica's baby.  Sunday after church we were all invited to Vika's for dinner to say goodbye to Elder Janson.

 Here we are at Vika's table.  We kind of ate in shifts.  Ararat is on the left and the father of Vika's husband Arman.  He and his wife are taking the lessons and have a baptism date of the 27th.  Arman has been in Moscow working since Easter.  We are told he will be back this coming week.  We have been concerned because we know he has not been attending church while in Moscow.

 He we are at Vika's house and we did not get a picture of her or any of the family.  The boys were playing in their bedroom and the hall.  Margarita and Sister Hoagland get along very well.  She calls me Papa.

 These next pictures were taken from our 4th floor apartment.  The second time since we have been here to have a funeral activity just outside our window.  The body was in the house for a while and people did go in and out and then gathered outside.  Here the bring our the casket and set it on pedestals in the street.

 A few pay last respects.

 They look like they kiss a picture of the person on their body and then kiss a fabric object on the forehead 

 After holding up traffic for a short period the casket is carried down the street to waiting transportation.

 In front of the procession a person carries a cross and another carries the lid to the casket.  It appeared to be a come as you are dress standard.

 Saturday night we were invited to Sergis and Ayda's for dinner.   What a delicious meal they provided.  They raise their meat on their farm.  Sergis said last year they raised geese but they had very little meat.  This year they raised chickens and he claims they had 4 Kila grams of meat on them.  Wow!  He said they really waddled around.  There was a wonderful rice dish, an egg and tamato dish, bread, and a tasty apple-pastry desert.  Armenians have flavorful food.   Sergis and Ayda are fun loving and a joy to be around.  Their daughters are so faithful and so lovely.

 Monday we had Agesy over for refreshment and a lesson.  He has a wife and children still in Armenia and he struggling to pay all his bills.  He is Elders Janson and Raymond's investigator.

 Boot/Shoe of the week.  Saw a pair of shoes on the bus I really wanted to take of picture of but it was too dark and I didn't think a flash would be appropriate.

 We had dinner at Samvill's and Margarita's on Wednesday for their farewell to Elder Janson.  We really love this family.  I called Margarita to teach the youth Sunday School class and her manner of accepting the call was very heart warming.  While so young in the gospel she wants to serve.

 After dinner we all went to the church for branch family home evening.  Most did a little jump roping to begin the activity portion.

 I don't know what was going on here.

 We had a fun little game where we all randomly join hands and then see if we can twist our way into a circle by stepping over our joined hands and other methods.  It worked out the first time but the second time as you can see below we made things worse.

 After family home evening we took Elder Janson to the train station for a fond fairwell.  He will be a good AP.  The black young man plays basketball for the university across the street from the branch Elder's Janson and Raymond are teaching him.  He has been very faithful in attending sacrament meeting for the last 6 weeks.

Armine did this little painting of our chapel with the savior watching out for us.  We have some sweet young ladies in our branch.