Russia Yekaterinburg Mission - Week 70 - July 23 - 29, 2018

Another sunrise over the mountains.



We had an appointment with Miriam whose NGO helps adult cancer patients.  Finally.........finally (we first met her on January 2nd) the project is complete.  Here is the hospital - it is a governmental hospital....pretty big - new.  Stem cell transplants are done here.



We had to wait a bit in the lobby on these couches.  I"m talking to our translator Zhuldeez (Жулдыз)





When we met Marina for the first time last January, she showed us these rooms which were not very useful because of the exposure of the direct sunlight..........we're told that direct sun is very difficult for cancer patients to bear.  And, yeah, it was really bright!



Miriam requested window coverings for ten of the rooms.  And they had been installed!  Quite honestly, it seems poor planning to have a hospital built without planning for window coverings.  But maybe that is just me.

Here are the windows now.  I'd rather rest and recover in this room.





And Marina requested two - just two - high quality, water filters.  These are the kind that are installed under a sink with a faucet installed on the counter.  Guess how many water filters there are in this hospital - yep, just these two.



Note the extension cord slinking up into the "under the counter" space.



We wore face masks to go into the rooms



Marina says it is a great blessing to the patients to have the filtered water, because now their families don't have to bring in their own bottled water.

Marina had a framed Letter of Appreciation for us.



It was really a good feeling to have been able to help in such a 'big' way by doing such small and simple things - water and sun protection.



After meeting with Marina we went on a exploratory walk to find the DHL office where we needed to pick up the passports for President and Sister Beck who were coming to Astana later in the week.  These were their "second" passports which they need to get a new Russian visa - kinda complicated to explain.  So we walked on a very main street which, except at bus stops, had no sidewalks.





But there were some great flowers



And some interesting sidewalk public art



We got the passports just fine and then went to a food court and got KFC.  No photos this time around as this was a mundane DHL quest after the one we experieced in Antalya....and we've been to KFC too many times by now.

One day this week we passed a lady in a wheelchair who sells bracelets - I assume she makes them herself.  We've seen her before, but this time we stopped.



I bought this one but think the next time I see her, I'll check for a turquoise blue one.




Some interesting pictures

This cobblestone roadway is being torn up and something else will soon be here.







Some poor, dead, dried up, and brown pine trees were being plucked out of the soil of the steppe and taken to tree heaven.


Landscaping crews getting ready to cut grass



Some big construction project is going to be happening at the Triathlon Park

Here you can see walls of sheet metal going up all along one of the paths - this is a sure sign that something will happen but, no, you can't see it.





Big machinery





A  security tower has been moved to the site



And a workshop - which shows signs of having been previously moved by the braille method



And a new workshop being created from an old shipping container.



And the next day, the colorful plastic murals had been attached to the fence, and we learned that the building will be a Triathlon Academy.....I'll have to ask Mr Google to see what a triathlon academy is.



It'll be interesting to watch (if there is a place where I can see through the fence) the construction over the next two months.



President and Sister Beck came for the weekend; we picked them up from the airport.



After our District meeting we look pretty happy at the prospect of LUNCH!



On our way to catch a bus



We went to a restaurant called "One More Burger" which had their own variations to, in my opinion, the greatest American burger, The Favorite Star at Carl's Junior (here it is called Hardees).  The restaurant is so serious about their burgers, that black gloves are served with each one.  Elder Shutler-Levi takes this business seriously while Elder Paul is, well...normal.



Sister Beck has a good, "I'll try anything attitude."



Saturday evening we had a Branch Social where President Beck and Sister Beck presented some great thoughts about making small changes in your,  then we had Dodo Pizza (which was, like doughnuts, disappointing) and, then we watched a recording of Almaty's production of the Book of Mormon............

Sunday morning there were 12 in attendance - 8 Americans, 3 Kazakhs, and 1 Russian.  The meeting really went well - I think sometimes, the smallest meetings are the most spiritual.....like our Christmas meeting in 2018 may have been the best one I've even attended....because it was just "us".

The Young Volunteers sang a rendition of "Come Thou Fount of Many Blessings" accompanied, blessedly, by Sister Beck.



During the second hour President Beck gave us a presentation on the church's new program of Ministering which replaces Visiting Teaching and Home Teachers.  It was all new to me because for the last year I have been in Primary and had never received any of the new information and training.  Jenny -if you read this, can we be ministering partners???



Sunday dinner was with the Becks and the Young Volunteers.  I tried a new recipe called Mongolian Beef - but it really is just Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Beef with Veggies.  Quite tasty.



And after dinner, the Becks gave us new ideas about how to think about changing our methods if we want different results.  All in all, it was a great evening.



I have become fond of sunrises at the Triathlon Park





And what about this one - same day - same time - but turned 180 degrees to the west.  The sunlight cast a beautiful golden brown glow on the city.



And this is a close up of the same scene, but is shows a "Moon Drop"!  Right above the Golden Rocket on the left.



From the Center of the Great Steppe!!!

Russia Yekaterinburg Mission - Week 69 - July 16-22, 2018

Sunrise over the mountains!!!  View from the trail on one of my early morning walks.



This was a slow week for us - - we spent a lot of time waiting for emails or telephone calls which never came.     We had three different appointments to go to projects to see all of the equipment which had been ordered and to get final delivery documents.  At the Blood Cancer Hospital only half of the window coverings had arrived - the other half were in an car accident, and delivery was postponed.    At the center for autism therapy...oh - I don't even remember - I just know that product wasn't delivered.  For the Women's Crisis Center, we nearly had a crisis ourselves when the accountant and our partner had 'words' while discussing which additional documents were needed.  We finally got the documents, got them signed and stamped and then waited for a courier person to come by and pick them up.  I wandered around the parking lot looking for courier guy - then he finally called me, as he'd been wandering around the same parking lot looking for me.  But we connected, and I hope, all is well.  Actually, kinda a normal week.  Here we are - a phone in one hand while watching the laptop screen.



After we stopped "waiting" each day, we went on some exploratory adventures.  In Astana there is a big structure in the shape of a pyramid.  It was built several years ago and is called The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.  As I understand, it was built so that it could be a conference center where leaders of the world's religions could gather and talk about peace and reconciliation.  It is at the eastern end of the big city mall (think the mall in Washington DC).  The mall goes from the Khan Shatur Mall (the one that looks like a big circus tent), past the Baiterek Monument (think Kazakh Tree of Life structure with the bronze hand print of the President), past the curving Ministry Building, up to the President's Palace (maybe home or office), over the river, and then right across the street from where the Korean Mini Market is (think brown sugar for sale), and the Korean Chicken restaurant (think yummy chicken).

Anyway, the President's Park is adjacent to the pyramid.  If you have Google Earth Pro or want to download Google Earth Pro, then you can enter these coordinates for the park:
 51 07 27.57 71 27 21.19   If you can, it is really cool because from a satellite view, you can see the outline of an eagle (the eagle is the country's symbol....I think it is a Golden Eagle).  It is a beautiful landscape architectural design!

However, from the "boots on the ground" point of view, you can not see the eagle.  Since we knew it was there, we could identify bird parts.

Pyramid in the distance



The structure is build upon a raised mound so it is a lot higher than the surroundings.



These pools are the long feathers on the wings



the other wing



In the photo above (and the one below), look at the street lights.  They are all different!  We should go there in the dark and see what they look like.



other views



There are a lot of fountains and water falls



This fountain is not functioning now.  This in the center of the eagle (I think) and there was an ice cream stand and kids riding their bikes all over the paths - up and down the hills.



This is the tail of the eagle...Dad is being carried away like a rabbit in the eagle's talons.  The water in the little stream flows from the water sources shown in the previous photos.  I don't know where the water originally comes from.  A few people are frolicking in the water - not us, we saw the water at the source of this stream.





The Presidential Palace opposite the tail feathers.  The stones on the sides flay out to look like feathers - if you're in the sky or a drone.



And these are the final tiny tail feathers which lead to the river.  The size of the stones are graded - from large to small - as the river is approached.







It is really an impressive park.  It is regrettable, in my opinion, that so much work went into a design which can not be appreciated unless you have Google Earth Pro, a drone, or a helicopter.  And it is so poorly maintained.  It almost looks like a site of ancient ruins.  Oh well, we enjoyed what we saw and appreciated the designer's innovative idea.

Another day we went to Central Park which is advertised as an amusement park on the river with rides, a swimming pool, and a beach.  And indeed it was.  Unfortunately, it was blistering hot the day we went.....hard to enjoy when you are sweating.  We took the bus, got off, walked around a couple of buildings and came to the river.  You can see the round object - it is not a ferris wheel but a clock.  It is claimed to be the biggest outdoor clock in the world.  (But don't agree with that claim)



We couldn't see anything clockish about this.  Maybe the numbers are on the water side of the river.  Maybe the numbers are lit up only at night.



And to the left is the new pedestrian bridge which I walked to last week or the week before.  I had no idea I was that close to the Central Park.



Up and over - you can almost see the sweat on Dad's neck.



The bridge is incredible - not covered as I had previously suggested.  Give an architect a big budget, and an incredible design will emerge!





The park itself was a bit unremarkable.  Lots of trees, ice cream carts, kids bouncy toys, a pool with some geese, little electric cars for kids,  one (only one) hot dog stand which was not opened yet for business.  We could hear the pool and see umbrellas and lounge chairs.  And here is the entrance to the beach.  If you see advertisements for Central Park, this beach looks like something on the Mediterranean.

Admission $0.60 for kids and $1.50 for adults.



View of the beach from the side



And a normal pedestrian bridge to the other side of the river



A couple of random pictures

Astana is an example of updating and implementing new ideas to build a better future in Kazakhstan.



Camping in the Triathlon Park where I walk



Lights installed under the bridge and along the walls of the bridge - decorating and improving city life.





New tile installed around our elevator entrance



We had a big change in our District this week as Sister Nelson (our Connetik Cutter) from Connecticut was transferred to Yekaterinburg.  It was sad for all of us.  She had been here since last November - about eight months!  When the young volunteers have very few transfers (sometimes they are in the same city for 10-12 months) you get to know them pretty well.  So we were sad - all of us were - but at the same time, very glad for her because she will see new things and have new experiences.

She left on Monday - Preparation Day - so what better way to commemorate the occasion than to go out to lunch at Sister Nelson's favorite sushi place.  We ordered a $33.00 combo plate of sushi, and it was delicious!  And we had all we could eat.







Sister Nelson and Ulpon, a great friend from English Club.



A signature photo in front of  the Baiterek Tower.



So, we all took her to the airport to see her off at the International Terminal.  Then we went to the Domestic Terminal to welcome Sister Mulberry who was being transferred here from Almaty.  And what a better way to commemorate Sister Mulberry's arrival that to go out for dinner at our favorite shashlik restaurant.  Sister Mulberry is left front.  At the end of the table is Ken Bateman, everyone's friend from Idaho.  He comes frequently to Kaz on business and when he's in Astana, he always takes us out to dinner - we feel so very special when Brother Bateman is in town.



Saturday was our monthly Branch Game Night.  This game night was our 'baby' because all of our "Branch leadership" was out of town.  At District Meeting I complained that Game Night is always the same - we.... always..... play.... the..... same.... games.  Let's do something different!!  So we had a Dance Night.  Elder Shutler-Levi (from Weymouth, a town south of London, UK) is a dancer which plans to study choreography and dance when he returns to the UK - he volunteered to teach  Break Dancing and specifically volunteered to teach the dance to "Beat It" (is that a form of break dancing?) And Sister Critchfield is from Idaho and lives on a farm, and we all assumed she knew how to do Line Dancing.  Right!  We all volunteered her to teach us Cotton Eye Joe.

The evening was a rousing success!  I can now do a very poor rendition of the dance to "Beat It" - I cannot, however, do the jump and twist at the end.  And Dad can punch the sky



Kazakhs can do it too





Sister Critchfield clicking her heels in Cotton Eyed Joe.



And in the Individual Dance Category, Sisters Critchfield and Mulberry demonstrate "The Worm" - Legendary!



Sunday was a rainy stormy thundery day.  We walked to and back from church in the rain.



This intersection is always bad



But the vacuum pumper truck is hard at work.  The work on the back of the truck, вакуум, actually spells vacuum.





We had the Young Volunteers and Ulpon over for dinner.  Spaghetti and sauce, fresh fruit, bread, and cinnamon rolls made by Elder Paul - way to go Elder Paul!!!!.  Thee was one left over which we divided up into small bite size pieces.




And we had a nice spiritual thought about faith.  Here Sister Mulberry is demonstrating a display of faith by using her burst of exhaling breath to lift a penny off the counter top and on to a book.

It was better in person that in this photo.



To help you think of the Great Steppe this week----a photo taken out of the window of our taxi on the way to the airport.