Since last we posted we have been to Moscow twice and each time it was during the time I usually write the blog.  Our first trip was to renew our visa by flying from Moscow to Riga, Latvia, and returning the same day.  The second was for a "Sister's conference"  for all the missionary sisters young and old.  I was going to stay here in Lipetsk, but was asked to bring the branch expense books so they could reconcile the withdrawals with the reported expenses for the past three years.  Unfortunately we do not have all three years of those records.   

 On the third of November the branch had an open house.  Community leaders were invited and one actually came after the scheduled time.  He acted like he wanted to be helpful in the future by helping us advertise the next one on line.  We had a couple of investigators show up but that was all.  I was impressed however with the materials we had available to conduct this open house.  Above is a banner which depicts the church today.  It was placed at the entrance to the chapel.

In the foyer was the Christus banner.

 In a class room we had a banner with the Book of Mormon featured.  You can see the colored paper which  explained the coming for of the book.  At each banner was an explanatory paper.

 Another two banners in the relief society room which featured Joseph Smith and the family.

 Had an occasion to go to the mall one Saturday to get some pictures printed.  One of the things that the members really appreciate is giving them prints of themselves and their families at church functions.  While I was waiting for the pictures to be printed I enjoyed a violinist  performing in the mall entrance.  It was an electronic violin and he really knew how to make it sing.

 This is Viola.  Her mother and baby sister and dad came to our apartment for dinner with the Sisters.  Dad, Artyome, joined the church last summer and mom is investigating.  She wants to have a really strong testimony before she joins.  It is going rather slowly right now.

 While we were in the check in line at the Moscow airport, we were pleased to be joined by the Walkers who were also going on a visa trip.  We came to Moscow on the overnight train from Lipetzk.  This was an earlier train than we usually take and it originated in Uzbekistan  so  it was manned by Usbekistani personnel and had Usbekistani Muslim passengers on board.  The children from 2 to 12 were running wild in the corridor outside our compartment until 9:00 pm.  We got our tickets late so we had to share a compartment with another passenger, but fortunately she got off at 10:30, 2 1/2 hours after we departed.  I will not discuss the restroom in this rail car.

These two pictures were taken at the TGI Fridays at the Riga airport.  Good old American food.  It was funny to see how they had decorated the walls.  I particularly like the Darth Vader mask in with the so called cowboy motif.

On our second trip to Moscow we enjoyed the company of Sisters Lewis and Tolbert.  They are great missionaries and a big help in the branch.  I think they would run it if they could.

We had to buy "Metro tickets" to get to the church where the Sister's conference was held.  Sister Hoagland and I waited while the Sisters obtained the tickets.

This is where we enter the station.  People everywhere.  The station nearest the train station was closed temporarily so we had to walk to another station, and take two trains instead of one to get to the neighborhood where the church was.  We also had to find our way from a station we were not familiar with.  Always a little nerve racking to be in a country you can't speak the language and do not know your way around.

While the sisters were having their conference.  I went with a couple of brethren for lunch and then we walked around the area of the church.  It is not far from Red Square and the Kremlin.  Elder Craythorn lived in this neighborhood for over a year before they were transferred to Veronish.  He was a great guide.

A park in the foreground and a big museum with a gold dome.

One of the distinct buildings of Moscow.  There are seven with this kind of architecture and they are called the 7 sisters.

A park and church near red square.

This is a bridge over a canal where brides and grooms take pictures and put locks with their names on them on these metal trees.  There are several of these trees on the bridge.  Elder Craythorn is on the left and Elder Luekenga is on the right.

From the same bridge is this view of the Peter the Great monument.  It stands where the canal enters the Moscow river.  They really have heroic sized statues and monuments here.

The red tower is the first pressurized water system in Moscow.  It was built by he French.

Also near the central church building is this art museum.  We did not have time to see the exhibits but Elder Craythorn took us in so we could see how to get tickets if we were able in the future.

A fountain in a small square.

A Russian Orthodox church near the Metro station.

After the Sister.s conference, we went to a huge market where we hoped to shop for ties, scarves and other things.  We were disappointed that they start packing up at 4:00 pm and we got there at 6:00.  This purse store was still open and Sister Tolbert found the exact bag she was looking for.  For us it was a very long walk for nothing.  I was so tired I finally had a good nights sleep on the night train home that evening.

Sister Lewis playing cowboy on the Metro train.