Up the Down Staircase

Week of February 1-7, 2016
Up the down stair case is a fitting way to start out this week.  As you know we live on the 3rd floor of an apartment with no lift (elevator for you Americans) so it is 57 steps up and 57 steps down, less if you're not careful walking down.  Just a block away we also have a famous staircase that is composed of over 200 steps.

Sister Mikkelsen walking up the staircase

And two weeks ago we purchased an elliptical trainer that is a lot like walking steps.  Janet makes sure I get my 40 minutes every morning.  All these things add up to lots of physical steps in our daily routine.

Trip to the 7 K Re'nok which is a huge open air market outside
of town. We went on Monday which is a day that most shops
were closed.

The other steps that we take each day are of eternal significance.  Each of us has been placed on that path that has been termed "the strait and narrow way," "the path," and "the plain road." As we travel along these thoroughfares of life we must each make decisions that will either keep us on the path or wander off and take the chance of becoming lost.  This week we have witnessed different individuals in both circumstances.  There is a wonderful young individual that we know here and have been involved with that was on that correct path and because of different things that have taken place has decided to wander off the strait path. We are like Lehi standing by the tree and beckoning and praying that they will come back. It is apparent that at a distance it is difficult for them to hear our message.  But luckily for they are not very far off the road and there are people near that are still on path that are much closer than we are.  We are encouraging them to call and reach out to bring them back to the path.  It is imperative that those new to the path (gospel) have a friend that they can walk with them until they feel comfortable holding on to the rod of iron that is there to guide us.

Stay on the path and hold to the rod

We also are working with another group of individuals that are on that same path and they have chosen to stay on the road and not wander off.  They come to Institute, FHE, and church each Sunday.  They find comfort in being with people on the path and it is easier for them to not listen to those who are in the large and spacious building laughing at them because of their peculiar beliefs.
We had several different activities with those wonderful young people this week. Tuesday we had a FHE on dating along with a dinner.

We introduced our youth to 5 Crowns card game.  They are hooked!

The pre FHE 5 crowns game

Two youth walking "up the Stairs" the one on the left has a
baptismal date for the 20th

We did a speed dating game where they asked questions to
the sisters for 3 minutes.  They loved it.

After they filled out a survey about how they fill about dating
and questions they have.

FHE treats they made cookies for another person

The crew having a great time

This gal is getting ready to leave on a mission.

Trading cookies

everyone was all smiles

The microwave addition of cookies

These kids are the best!  We work with two of the girls teaching English and one of them just got a job and asked us if we could help her. We said yes and so she brought a technical manual that her new boss asked her to translate.  So after about an hour we made it through the first two pages.  It was actually really fun.  Yesterday we had a Young Adult Council meeting and planned the activities for the rest of the year.  They have some great ideas.  We need to make sure we are calling out to those who live in this area that have wandered off the path.  We had a fireside after our meeting. We watched Elder Nelson's broadcast that he gave 4 weeks ago.  We had chips and home-made salsa and Sister Mikkelsen provided some wonderful cookies.

Fireside group

Fireside goodies

We found cilantro 

love the chips and salsa

There were 14 of us at the fireside and we devoured all the cookies and chips.  But what was really cool was, they were so excited for the Fireside and not only did they watch it, they discussed it as well.  We traveled out to a small branch in Suvorovsky to take care of an ordination and setting apart for President Packer.  The branches here are so wonderful. Some of the people we have only met one other time and when they see us, we are treated like long-lost friends.

This guy welcomed us to church on Sunday

Park just out in front of the church I want to take a summer
picture of this in a few months to compare.

 There is alway a hug and and words of love and encouragement.  Well as far as our limited language is concerned we think they are words of love and encouragement.  Their spirit is such that there is little doubt about how they feel about you.
We received a new assignment this week from President Packer.  It is a program called Pathways and is hosted by BYU-I.  We Skyped with the director of the Pathways Program this week. Our new assignment is to be the host couple for a Pathways group from Ukraine that will start in April.

The new assignment

It is a 3 semester program that helps the students improve their English and develop leadership skills that will assist them in their church service and in obtaining better employment.  At the completion of the program they can continue with an online degree from BYU-I or even apply and go to school in Idaho if they have good grades.  The Pathways program is very inexpensive,  but for some of the people here it will be a huge challenge to come up with that amount.
We had a wonderful couple over for dinner the other night.  He was the branch president but had to go to Poland to work.  They returned and the work situation is still bad so he is returning again to work there.  This time he is going by himself.  It is tough to see the challenges some of the people have to go trough when the economy is struggling.

Great family

This next week will also mark our one year mark in the mission field.  It is hard to believe that we have been on a mission for a year.  We look at all the things that have taken place in this past year and all the things we have to accomplish in the next six months and we realize the time is just going to fly by.

almost a year ago we took this picture

I traded cookies with my date

 Well it is time to move on.  I had to come to the church today to send this blog because the internet at our apartment has been off for the last few days.  That is good in a way, when the distractions are removed from your life you have much more time to focus on the scriptures and study.  It is wise that the young missionaries only have one day a week to be on line.
Stay on "The Path" and make sure you are reaching out to those around you so that you can assist them in their journey so that they don't wander off and get lost.  We love you all and want to bare witness that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and it brings joy to our lives.  Trust in Him and allow the Holy Ghost to be in your life and you will be forever blessed.
All of our love Elder and Sister Mikkelsen.

Our little Riley had an allergic reaction to
her antibiotic. She had a couple of miserable
days. She is all better now.