LILACS ARE IN BLOOM...

On May 4th Vivian and I went with another senior couple, the Humphreys, to visit the National Botanical Garden in Kyiv.  These gardens sit up on top of a main hill that overlooks the Dnieper River and what is called the Left Bank of Kyiv.  From the river you can see many of the iconic cathedrals and other monuments that line that hill.  You can also see the gardens from river.  

The garden covers 1.3 km² and contains 13,000 types of trees, shrubs, flowers and other plans from all over the world.  We didn't see all of the gardens this trip.  The blooming lilacs at the end of spring are popular in the central garden and this is the reason we made the visit.  It was a beautiful day and afternoon.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Red poppies are a favorite in Ukraine

Looking back up the hill to the entrance to the Garden.

Essentially "Keep of the grass"

 These pictures show the Humphreys and the Foleys with Sister Chemezov.  She is one of the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Ukraine.

As we were strolling through the Garden we came upon her enjoying the day.

The previous Monday she and her husband shared their journey with the senior couple missionaries serving in the Kyiv Mission and in the Kyiv Temple.  It was nice to talk with her some more and learn a little more of the history of the Church in Ukraine.

 One of my favorite things in Kyiv is seeing all the families out and about.  The children are so cute.  Here are three little ones we came across as we strolled in the Garden.  You can see in the background baby strollers. 

Throughout the Garden we saw lots of artists taking advantage of the great weather and the beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees.  I talked with a few of them and found out most of them are art students.

This view is looking from the Garden across the river looking at the high rises on the Left Bank. 

The building is the Vydubchi Monastery.  It is run by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  It was established between 1070 and 1077 by the son of Yaroslav The Wise.

MISSION CONFERENCE - KYIV, UKRAINE - 6/03/18

It is a rare event when the whole mission comes together in one place.  This happened last Saturday in Kyiv.  This was permitted because of a visit by Brother and Sister Tad Callister, Sunday School General President and Elder James B. Martino, Of the Seventy and President of the Europe East Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Elder Martino was accompanied by his wife, Sister Jennie Martino.

What a treat it was to have these two brethren teach us all how to be effective teachers in bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to His children, especially here in Ukraine.  They inspired us as they spent over two hours teaching the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  It was wonderful. 

The picture below is of all of the missionaries in the Ukraine Kyiv Mission; young elders and sister missionaries as well as senior couples assigned to the mission, President and Sister Kumferman and their daughter, Maggie.  I really like this picture and wanted to share it with all of you.

I am so very happy to be serving as a missionary and find growth and development each day.  I know my Savior lives, he loves us all and wants us to be happy.  This happiness comes through His Gospel, the Father's Plan of Happiness with the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ, the central core of this plan.  I hope for this kind of happiness for my family, friends and acquaintances. 

The three men in the  first row, center are Brother Callister, Elder Martino and President Kumferman, president of the Ukraine Kyiv Mission along with their wives.  

Waiting to eat after the conference concluded.  Elder Clawson is on the left and Elder Uchytil is on the right.  Both of these young men are fine missionaries and very fluent in the Russian language.  I look a little sick because I am.  I was having what my grandmother called a "dizzy spell".  Medically it's called "vertigo".  I still enjoyed the conference.

I love this picture of my wife.  Vivian (Sister Foley) with Sister Vogelsberg.  Elder Voglesberg was taking the picture.  A couple of real beauties.  The Vogelsbergs return home on June 20th.  We will miss them.

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE...

Early this month Vivian and I took a trip to Dnepropetrovsk to provide audit training to the priesthood leadership who oversee the Church in eastern Ukraine.  We rode the train which followed the general direction of the Dnieper River only a little inland from the river itself.  It took over 5 hours to travel 280 miles (about 450 kilometers).  The train ride was pleasant.  But the best part of the ride was the wonderful countryside we saw as we traveled the route.  Here area pictures I took with my iPhone along the way.  I hope you enjoy the beautiful countryside during this wonderful spring season.  I know we did.

A village along the way...

I included this one because of the cow.

It's Been Awhile

Botanical Gardens

When I set up this blog last year my plan was to post something every week.  Well, for those of you who follow this blog you know that hasn't happened.  It's been over a month since I last posted something.  My plan now is to post something at least every two weeks.  The problem is not that I don't have anything to say but that I'm technically challenged in getting pictures from my iPhone to the blog page just the way I want it.  So, like a lot of things in my life I'm so focused on the process, I miss the bigger picture (no pun intended). 

So...with today's post I'm turning over a new leaf.  I'm foregoing the need to be artistic with the want to share with you our experiences.  I have a least 5 blogs to write to share with you of our past experiences and try to keep up with current happenings as well.  I hope you enjoy them.

NOW...ON WITH THE SHOW

The weather in Kyiv has really changed over the past few weeks alternating between spring conditions and summer-like temperatures.  Almost overnight the streets we've walked during the winter full of snow and leafless trees have transformed into beautiful green canopy over the sidewalks which are lined with beautiful flowers and bushes.  They reflect the joy we have in our Heavenly Father's creations.  The Ukrainians love being outside and enjoy their gardens.  I hope you will enjoy these pictures as much as we enjoyed being in them!

A group of us senior missionaries after stake conference in April.  Visited the A.V. Fomin Botanical Gardens in the center of Kyiv.  It is part of the National University of Kyiv.  It was a wonderful day to walk around the gardens and enjoy what spring had sprung.  From left to right - Elder and Sister Humphreys, Vivian and I and Elder and Elder and Sister Haldeman.  Unidentified Ukrainian with back to camera.

Magnolia trees in full bloom.  The garden was filled with hundreds of these trees.  There were hundreds of people enjoying them and taking pictures of themselves with them.

Elder Haldeman and I testing our "selfie" skills (or lack thereof)

Elder Haldeman is a great guy and a lot of fun to be around.  He and his wife are serving as Humanitarian Aid missionaries.  They are doing a great work in Ukraine.  Also, it's a small world.  Elder Haldeman's brother-in-law, Sullivan Richardson, was a missionary companion of mine when I served in the Finland Helsinki Mission.

One of the walking paths in the gardens.  Very old steps.  

We had a wonderfully happy day!

IT'S SPRING IN UKRAINE!

Today is when the Orthodox Church celebrates Easter.  The sun is shining brightly.  Yesterday we went to Sofiyivska Square to join in the Easter Celebration.  This is a big deal in Ukraine.  Thousands of people were out with their families in the beautiful sunshine taking in the sights, sounds and smells of all things Ukrainian.  There was plenty of food from the various food stands; lots of Ukrainian Easter Eggs.  These are traditional.  They are usually made out of wood and hand painted.   I loved seeing all the families out and about.  The little children are so cute and precious.  Also, got to spend the time with the Haldemans and Andruses - other senior couple missionaries in our mission.  We also ran into President and Sister Roth, the Kyiv Temple President and Matron.  They are from Austria serving in their callings for 3 years.  A wonderful couple.

What?  Doesn't everybody hide their Easter Eggs in the trees?

Vivian and I thought the design on this egg looked very Ukrainian.  This egg is about 4 ft tall.  There were over 100, at least, of these decorated eggs all over the Square.

Red poppy is very popular in Ukraine.  In fact the major candy manufacture, Roshen, has a chocolate candy named for the red poppy.  Very delicious.

 I really like bears so I really liked this particular egg. 

 In Russian bear is:

медведь 

(pronounced Meedveed in English)

 In Ukrainian bear is:

ведмедя

(pronounced Vedmedya in English)

 This is the food stand Vivian and I purchased our food. As you can see sausages, mushrooms, vegetables and roasted potatoes and roasted pork, beef and chicken.  The smells were incredible and this is one of a dozen or more food vendors we saw.  I liked the server in the traditional Ukrainian clothing.

These are two of the senior couples serving in the Kyiv Mission.  In the foreground is Steve and Joyce Haldeman from Las Vegas Nevada. Then there is Merrilee and Rolfe Andrus from Orem, Utah. You can see Vivian in the back and of course, I'm taking the picture.

The couple on the left is President Gerold and Sister Gertraud Roth from Austria.  They are serving as the Kyiv Temple President and Matron.  They saw us on the street eating our meal and joined us for a little bit.  Notice President Roth is enjoying an ice cream cone.  

I'm including this picture of myself.  When I was taking the group picture Vivian started cracking up.  My shirt tail was out, my pants were drooping and I just looked like a rumpled mess.  Even my missionary badge is messed up.  So I had her take a picture of me.   I've lost a little weight and my clothes are much too big now.  One of the blessings of serving a mission!

Please notice the chic over the shoulder bag I'm carrying.  This is like the "European Man Bag" or "Carryall" made famous by Jerry Seinfeld in one of the "Seinfeld" TV episodes.  I'm sure all of my six sons will remember the episode. This is a fairly common method in Kyiv in which men carry their valuables.

CIRCUS IN UKRAINE...ЦИРК

Yesterday was a heavy snow fall day but it didn't deter us one bit from going out and doing something.  We went to see the Ukrainian National Circus. What a treat.  There were 29 of us; mostly senior missionary couples in the Kyiv Mission and also serving in the Kyiv Temple.  The circus is well known and has its own venue.  It's not of the three-ring type but much more intimate.  We sat within 10 rows of the ring.  It is a theater-in-the-round configuration so there wasn't a bad seat in the place. 

We saw lions and tigers but no bears.  There were acrobats, jugglers, clowns, trapezes (human and the normal).  Singers and dancers.  Escape and quick-change artists.  Horses and dogs.  And to cap it all off an elephant that closed the show.  It lasted a couple of hours and all had a great time.  They change up the program on a regular basis so there will be opportunities to go again before we leave.  This was the first time Vivian every saw any type of circus.  She said circuses never made to Vernal, Utah where she grew up.

I took some pictures but they aren't really good.  Trying to take pictures with my iPhone works well outdoors.  But any time there are significant contrasts - like stage lighting - things get really distorted.  But I included a few of the "better" shots for your enjoyment.

ON OUR WAY...

AT THE CIRCUS

A few of our senior missionary couples and others...some we don't know

What's a circus without popcorn (they didn't have peanuts) and ...

 AND NOW...ON WITH THE SHOW!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PERFORMERS.  YOU WERE GREAT!!!