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.