Better and Better

I thought last week in Istanbul would be hard to beat but this week, well, just amazing. Except for Monday, when we took our every-90-day visa renewal trip. We went to Tallin Estonia, and it was worse than driving to Salt Lake and back in one day. We left at 5 in the morning and got back around 7:00 at night. All that time in a van to the border, then a bus to Tallin, then the bus back, and then the van back home. Of course, it's easier for us than for many who have to travel much further. One 'fun' part was the border lady on the Russian side when we came back who seemed fascinated with my passport. She kept studying it and then looking at me and scanning at and looking at it. She even went to the other passport booth and scanned it there. I was sweating bullets. Finally she let me pass through, but about two minutes later, as we were waiting for the other couple to come through, she came out and demanded my passport again. She took it back in and studied it some more. But I passed somehow! Communism may be gone here but the red tape is just as bad as ever. We have heard such horrer stories.

Picturesque Narva, Estonia. I have done puzzles that look like this.

Tuesday we were finally back with our students. It was so fun to greet them and have them welcome us back. Grandpa and Grandma we certainly are. I love my English speaking class and our African students were especially happy to see us back.

Wednesday the classes were cancelled as the teachers and most of the students had gone to Finland to the temple. One of the teachers was getting sealed after having been married on Saturday. (That was our second fun wedding experience here.) So we thought it would be quiet. Then in walked a guy who introduced himself as Dima. He had been given a pass-along card and followed up with calls and had been directed by the office elders to our building as a place he could go to English Club on Saturday or to speak with the American couple there. He mostly wanted to speak English with Americans and then maybe hear about the church. So for two hours we talked with him, gave him an 'unofficial' first lesson and played some ping pong with him. He came back on Thursday and visited some more. Then came to a fireside on Friday and said he is coming to church on Sunday.

We had an interesting firside Friday night. Our Eastern Europe Area CES supervisor, Henry Kosak, was here visiting. We spent the day with him. He visited the institute, took us to Pizza Hut (ah, real American pizza!) and then a dinner at the mission home. The mission president had decided that all the branch presidents should personally invite each of their inactive young adults to this dinner and then to the fireside with Henry.

Henry Kosak enjoying a song with some elders and some of the African members.

The fireside was very well attended. The best we have ever seen. Henry is a very charismatic speaker. He is German, speaks pretty good Russian, but gives his talks in English. Dima actually found his way to the fireside, although he was late. Don't know how he felt about it but it must have been okay because that was when he asked about coming to church.

Henry Kosak on the right with our coordinator, Sasha, translating for him. Good looking guys, aren't the?

It was one of those 'journal entry days.' Now it will be interesting to see how many of these inactive youth come to an institute class during the week. What a life we live. One adventure after another and loving it all.
Louis