It's a party!

Boy, are we learning Russian culture. When we first got here our mission president asked us to work on getting all the young adults married. Just like that, no ideas or comments, just try to get them all married in the temple. As we have thought about it over the months, and watch them meet and find each other we have been very puzzled. It looks like it is pretty haphazard in how they tell each other that they are interested and then all of a sudden they are a couple. There is no 'dating' involved until they have already made a commitment. So we decided to try something radical. We decided to throw a party for the young adults, a Halloween party. We had no idea how complicated that could be out here.

First of all, when we proposed having a party, our student council looked at us with th0se blank faces that we have come to interpret, "What in the world are they talking about." After much discussion we got them to agree to try "our party" which would consist of the youth coming together at the institute to play games, visit with each other, and eat. Sounds pretty simple. Come to find out they don't do that. First they don't come together to just visit, that seems to be unreal to them. Second, they don't just come together, unless there is a program planned. Just to 'hang out' seemed very foreign to them. The eating part they understood.

Next came getting the word out. It was announced at all the branches but that is like bouncing a ball against a wall. Either they don't listen, or they don't hear, or more importantly, they don't understand. So we started a word-of-mouth campaign. That was much more successful. A few actually put it on their Facebook page, hooray for modern technology, and it was announced and explained at our institute classes.


The night of the party came, Halloween, and the place was filled with young people having fun. Can you believe that? They came and were having fun even though there was no organized plan for them to follow. There were a few who stood around and wanted to know when the program was going to start, but they soon joined in. Our Chinese members brought some friends, there was an American group of English teachers on holiday from Lithuania who came (most of them were members and heard about it from our own English teachers). There were some enthusiastic investigators who the elders and sisters brought. And there was a nice crowd of our students.

From 6:00 on the ping pong table and the foos ball were in constant use. We had Twister going and some board games. There were people at the puzzle table all night. The couches had groups visiting. "Do You Love Your Neighbor" always is a very popular group game. One of the elders had made a pinata in the shape of a pumpkin. After it was hit several times the top separated from the body of it so I had a sister pitch it to me and I batted it quite successfully with the candy flying all over the room. And we had a video going staring Bill Murray (with voice-over translation) that people drifted in and out of. The kids hadn't bought nearly enough food. (Nobody ever makes and brings food.) I gave the elders some more money and sent them to the closest little market where they bought out all their cookies. Anyway, it seemed to go over well, and we even had a few cookies left over at the end.


So we taught them how to have a successful "party." Who would have thought something so innovative would come out of Rexburg. Our student council president and our district young adult leader were so excited about the night that they both insisted that we plan a party each month. Our young adult leader even asked if the youth in America have parties like this. It would be like any Young Men and Woman combined activity. They were amazed that everyone was having a great time.