Sunday, March 22, 2015

Oven issues and good times in the country

Week of March 16-22, 2015
We realized this morning we have been in country for a month now.  It has gone by so fast yet it seems we have been here forever.  What an amazing place and what amazing people!  Still can't understand most of what they say but they are so patient and kind that eventually we are able to communicate (with everybody still smiling).
A very old gas stove no thermostat. The pan in the bottom
is filled with salt to help disperse the heat evenly?
     Our week started with a cooking lesson.  We were in charge of dessert for the ward party last week and even though the brownies were a failure according to American standards, they were a hit here and a sweet investigator wanted to learn how to make them.  They turned out much better the second time and became treats for Family Home Evening, at the Branch, for non- members, where we played  Ukrainian versions of games we play in America and a few American ones as well along with a spiritual thought.  Great times!
We were able to go out into the country again twice this week.  We love it best in the country!  It feels like home there, probably cause country folk make you feel at home, but otherwise its not like home at all.  The streets are all dirt roads, the clean water comes from wells (the water piped into the houses is just used for cleaning etc.), the food comes from gardens, many of which are the main source of income for the families (They call theses truck farms.  They work well as long as the truck is in good repair and can get the food to market).  It's a hard life, but a good one.  Theses families are so happy. and so strong.  Work is a blessing to them.
The end of the road. Now just a short mile walk to the members home

Typical road. It was very cold this day.

Notice the well. This is the water supply here in the country.
Some wells look better than others. This is a good one.

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Notice Edelweiss in the tire. Little ladies are selling this everywhere
Those of you that need a way to tow your trailer try a rototiller
notice behind the tree.
     We were blessed to be fed Ukrainian style several times this week.  One day we were at a sisters house, we thought for a quick meeting, which turned into a wonderful meal of PLOV  (So good!) and a wonderful salad made from cabbage, dill, oil, and salt  (so good! and I don't even like dill).  We had to run because we had a dinner planned at our house 20 minutes later.  A sister brought a pot of amazing Borscht.  We had left over Borscht for lunch. 
Elder Porter got the Chicken Skin surprise.
 The next day we had Borscht again but with an amazing bread made with no yeast. Beet Soup three meals in a row really is good for the digestion.They use a ground up plant to make a kind of sourdough start. This traditional bread, served with a dish of salt, is a sign of prosperity and is placed on the table for royal or very honored guests. This was very humbling to have them tell us this we are the ones that need to honor them.
     Ned went toy shopping this week.  We get to help a family build a greenhouse so we went to the local Ukrainian version of Home Depot.  Pocket tools, tape measures, levels, gloves-- He's ready!  Look out Ukraine!
Now I just need to measure using metrics.  I just had to have the
pocket tool. One never knows when it will be needed!!!
     Other than still having trouble figuring out our oven, it's been a great week here.  Hope it has been great for all of you there.  Exciting news this week.  Looks like we'll be having two weddings this summer.  Daniel proposed to Sonina and will be married on August 14 in Logan Jonathan is having his wedding in Columbus Ohio on August 7 we wanted to make sure a quick trip home would cover all the bases.  They have a tradition here when couples get married they go to the bridge and lock their love forever by adding a lock to those already secured there.  Wonderful tradition.
Married couple come to the bridge to lock their love on their wedding day.
 This will be a really big week for us Jonathan and Kelsey will be welcoming their Daughter and our first Granddaughter into the world on Wednesday if all goes as planned.  We are so excited and by this time next week we will have our first granddaughter, Welcome Riley Mikkelsen.
     Love to you all!