ANOTHER ONE FOR THE GRANDCHILDREN

This is the Pooh-Pa standing on top of the highest mountain in Armenia called Mt. Aragats. From there he could see Mt. Ararat where Noah landed with the ark. He climbed up with three of his friends----a man in his 30's, a man in his 50's and a man in his 70's. He's hoping that they will be interested in learning about the Gospel. He has lots of friends, and all of the children in the neighborhood say "Hello!" to him in English and throw him their soccer balls when we walk by. He always makes them laugh.

It was a hard climb---but he made it to the top and had a great time. There's another hard path we're all trying to climb---the path that leads to Heavenly Father and Jesus. Here's a suggestion that can help us get to the top, from President Heber J. Grant who was the prophet when Pooh-Pa was one year old:

" Do not do something that you can not ask God to help you to do"

Maybe you could talk about this at Family Home Evening next week?

SHOPPING IN WONDERLAND

I think I like to shop more than I will admit. But I prefer to do it alone, and to help myself and to have as much privacy as possible in a public place. And I really just miss going to the grocery store and finding what I need and checking out and going home. Here, as I've mentioned before, every little market that calls itself a supermarket, has the market-lassies who plant themselves next to you while you try to select something from the puzzling inventory, which is still better than fighting your way to the front of the counter and having to ask for every little thing from behind the counter, which is what you have to do in the non-supermarkets.

As we've driven to Yerevan I've noticed a new supermarket just outside of the city. Today I persuaded Elder Blunck to walk there after dropping his suit off at the laundry (no dry cleaners, but they do a pretty good job of cleaning a suit however they do it.) As it turned out, what seemed to me to be a short distance as we drive by in a taxi turned out to be a two hour walk.

The market was very attractive, very clean, and very devoid of customers, except for us. We got more cheerful attention than I ever wanted . There were at least 6 or 7 lassies everywhere, happily ignoring my "I don't know Armenian OR Russian" and chattering away and not letting me buy the baklava I wanted to buy---I think they were telling me it wasn't as good as the twinkie-like things I finally bought just to make them happy. And they didn't carry anything I can't find in the 11,0000 shops closer to home. They were relentlessly ubiquitous and merry and bright and I could hardly wait to escape.

I couldn't help but ponder the possibility that even though the Gospel is packaged very attractively---indeed first class is the only way to describe the way the Church does everything it does---I hope we, the members and the missionaries, don't get in the way of people who are interested in the truth but need some peace and quiet while the Holy Ghost works with them.

We found a nice taxi to take us home and I was very grateful for the driver who wasn't interested in talking. (Sorry if this sounds curmudgeonly----I appreciate the fact that these dear people have no privacy their whole lives. The elders even have to sometimes divide and conquer when they're teaching---one sits and chats with the sociable ones who are coming and going and visiting, and fixing food, while the other takes the serious investigator aside and teaches.)

SEDA'S BIRTHDAY

Seda does so much for everyone in her world that I wanted her to be pampered for her birthday. I bought her a cute picnic basket and dishes, and since the weather was so beautiful, planned a relaxing picnic, American style. She thought the best place to have it would be her brother-in-law's very nice summer cottage.

I roasted chicken, made salads, & chocolate birthday cake, and had what I thought was an abundant feast, ready to eat. But Armenians just can't not do what they always do, which in the summer time is khorovatz----barbecue on a wood fire. Karin, Seda's husband, got the fire going and cooked pork, eggplant and potatoes.

So my offering was rounded out with Armenian food. I think they were just concerned about confronting American food and needed a back up. "One man's ways may be as good as another's, but we all like our own best." (Jane Austin ) Nowhere is that quite as true as it is in Armenia. We all liked each other's food and Seda didn't have to work as much as she usually does.

I have tried no less than five times to post more pictures and can't get it to work, but we had a jolly old time eating and then dancing the night away. Seda can't not dance---and she's very good at it. Her best birthday present, though, is that her family is planning to be sealed in the new Ukraine temple in March. (They were actually sealed early in July, and her husband is the new branch president. Seda is one happy woman!)

MENK UNENK UHNTANIK

The majority of the Vanadzor Branch is single women of all ages. And we love them. I would like to introduce you to a not so typical family, but one for whom we have great hope of becoming an eternal family.

Samvel is the father of Lena, Rima and Kamo, and the husband of Nuneh. He has hearing and speaking disabilities, but he is a hard working, cheerful man and a great father and husband. I can say that because he has a happy wife and wonderful children. He seems to be able to fix anything. He has a baptismal date of October 9th. The family all said he didn't even need to be taught because he knows everything about the church already, but he's being taught just in case.

Next to him is Elder Cheney and darling Rima, who is nicknamed "Butterfly" by Elder Blunck. Her sister Lena is our branch chorister and the most dependable and faithful 12 year old I've ever known. Her hair comes to her knees and she is unfailingly cheerful, beautiful and bright.

Then we have cousin Laura, who is a college student, and was recently baptized. She is very faithful and and everything a young adult member should be including beautiful and intelligent.

Nuneh is the lucky mother of the three children. She was buried under a wall for two days after the earthquake 20 years ago, and is grateful to be alive. She was a young girl then and suffered some effects from that trauma, but hasn't let that get in the way of being a good wife and mother and a happy member of the church.

Elder Larson is holding Kamo who is a typical 9 year old who loves to play with his friends. Kamo's Papik is a dignified and good man who loves his family and is not quite ready for baptism, but committed to overcoming some minor things that are in the way at the moment.

Grandma Laura is in the Relief Society presidency and is hoping to go to the temple soon. (In fact, she was able to receive her endowment in July 2011.) She was very apologetic last time we visited because it was Sunday and she had just learned that day in temple preparation class that we shouldn't go shopping for food on Sunday even if we have guests coming. Being a good hostess is just what every woman does, but we praised her endlessly for making the right decision, and she served us tea and bread at the end. Actually not having the full spread, from our point of view, allowed lessons to be taught without all the distractions. We were right in the middle of our no water at all week, but that didn't stop her from using her nice cups and saucers and plates. She is very genteel. I think it is thanks to her that the girls all play the piano and that they are all busy doing their homework every time we stop by. They pray daily as a family and I know that heaven will be populated with families just like the Matevosyans.

GOOD SABBATH!

This is Navere and all of his family, except his brother Sogomon, who was there, but not in the picture. Sogomon is 14 and a teacher, and a very handsome young man who passes the sacrament each week in his priesthood uniform and a very sweet smile. Elder Thylin, who's from Sweden, came from Gyumri to baptize Navere because he had been such a good friend to the family before he was transferred. We had visited them with the Elders many times. They live in a big dorm for the homeless, and I have to confess that every time we visited it was so dark that I really didn't know what the boys actually looked like. It was very early in our mission and I tried hard to learn their names, and even wrote them down, and studied them. Now these strange names roll from my tongue, but back then, 1/2 a mission ago, it was a struggle.

We went several times, with an appointment, to find the mother not home, and I had planned lessons, wanting so much to help her become a better mother to these sweet boys because, in spite of my own failings, I'm Marjorie P. Hinckley in comparison. But they kind of disappeared on us, or maybe we on them.

The sisters found them, and the boys started coming alone. I didn't know they were the grandsons of Siranuge, who is a faithful member who lives on a hill so steep that taxis can't make it up, and who walks with one cane, and sometimes two. Families don't sit together in church, so it's hard to match people up sometimes.

It was a wonderful baptism, and the mom came, and has been coming cheerfully ever since. Grandma had a bad hair day, meaning that's not a pink hat she has on her head, and little sister Sirangue toddled around, and it was a very happy day.

The boys and Grandma came to the Kiev temple cultural event (which really was astonishingly good),and the temple dedication which was such a moving experience.( A dear Santa Clara sister had given me 12 beautiful temple handkerchiefs and neither of us could have known back then that all 12 would be used on that day by worthy members shouting praises at the dedication of the first temple in Eastern Europe.) The brothers politely shake hands with everyone coming and going, and how we hope they can stay strong through adolescence and the mandatory two years in the army, which undoes a lot of good boys.

They were back again today, and so was the whole family, including Grandma Siranuge happily sporting beautiful chestnut colored hair. We have had unfailingly great fast and testimony meetings. All of our pouters are cheerfully back in the fold, which proves once again that love, and fasting and prayers, are the best people skills. A convert of three months bore her testimony for the first time, and said how much the gospel has helped her, and how much she learns each time she comes, (which is every time). She said how thankful she was to learn from the testimony just preceding hers, that she should carry her scriptures everywhere she goes, just as she does her passport. (And a happy p.s.: just before we came home her husband was baptized and her dream of going to the temple could very well become a reality.)

Good testimonies, good hymn singing, great post meeting class on preparing for the temple. Good to hear that one member paid his tithing for the first time today, and bore a strong testimony. Good to hear a testimony from a member who learned from the temple dedication that President Monson is a real person who is alive at this moment and leading the church. Some concepts we take for granted aren't that easy for people on the other side of the world to grasp.