Random People....

Armen, Charentsavans Branch President’s Mom, was at a recent activity.  She kissed me so long and hard and so many times I felt like I had slobber all down my cheeks.  She just loves me so much and I love her.  Oh how I wish I could communicate with her beyond kisses.

Sister's B&B visiting me at the office.

Sister C.     LOVE the Sister missionaries.

Kristina - She is the Ajapnyak Branch Primary President.  She does a wonderful job.

Here are some of her Branch's children doing a Pioneer Skit.

Elder P.

Elder G.   Great missionaries.

This is how the roof was repaired below our apartment.  Fabric was applied, tar was applied on the edges, smiley face was painted, then they were done.

Here we are after 14 months. Older, tired, and Happy.

Relief Society & Primary Activity

Elder Jones and I went to a Relief Society and Primary Activity. We were in charge of games. We taught them “Duck, Duck, Goose” and then did “Tutta Tatta” It was a lot of fun and wonderful to hear the children sing a few Primary songs in several languages as well as doing a little skit about the pioneers.

Charentsavan Branch Children

Ajapnyak Branch Children

Aren't they beautiful!

The Sisters made us feel so welcome. They kept wanted to have our picture taken with them. Then kept filling our plates with cake and food. Each of the branches had brought a beautifully decorated cake that we got to eat. The one cake I was served had glitter all over it, THICK. I thought “Oh Boy, am I going to put glitter in my stomach? What happens if you eat glitter?”

I called this the "Barbie Cake" 

  Sister Cheikco Okazaki a wonderful autor and speaker, died a few weeks ago. Here is a quote from her.

“Again, look around the room you are in. Do you see women of different ages, races or different backgrounds in the LDS church? Of different educational, marital and professional experiences? Women with children? Women without children? Women of vigorous health and those who are limited by chronic illness or handicaps? Rejoice in the diversity of our sisterhood! It is the diversity of colors in a spectrum that makes a rainbow. It is the diversity in our circumstances that gives us compassionate hearts. It is the diversity of our spiritual gifts that benefits the church.”

I really do rejoice in the diversity of our sisterhood. There were sisters in all of the above categories at the activity.

At the last minute our Arabkir Branch sisters asked me to lead them in singing “Love At Home” in Armenian.  I kind of muttered the words, because I had failed to bring my transliterated copy of the hymns.

These are my dear Arabkir Branch Sisters whom I have grown to love so much.
Luda, Zhenya, Zhenya, Shohik, Emma, Me & Asya

Everyone loves to dance.  I joined in.

No one seems to care that these spontaneous things happen, instant choirs, dancing or whatever.  They really have a lot of fun.  We stayed until the end.
About 3 ½ hours worth of fun.



Just the Facts

This was a little construction project below my window.  These boxes of rocks were the construction "cones" so the cars wouldn't drive on the fresh concrete.  Next morning, the boxes were smashed with rocks strewn everywhere and tire tracks in the concrete.  I guess they forgot to put a light in them so the cars wouldn't hit them.

Most restaurants have their menus in Armenian, Russian, and sometimes in English. We went to lunch at a restaurant called "Armenian Kitchen"  Please note the English translation of Fried Veal Filet -

Or I could have had Soup with lamb and ladies fingers!  Yum!  By the way the service was WONDERFUL.  I had turkey, Elder J had veal filet or filled vill.

I could buy milk from the weed patch,

I prefer to buy from the SAS (Sauce) store by my house where I buy Italian Milk, Parmalat, for about $11 a gallon. Ouch!  The taste is......  adequate.

They paved part of the driveway by our apartment.  This is the roller they used.  The guy at the top of the picture ran behind and in front with his little bucket painting the rollers drum with oil.



We'll Sing and We'll Shout!

A few weeks ago we went to the Ashtarak Branch to Church.  After church while we were waiting, we went back into the chapel. I was playing the piano and surrounded by kids singing.  At one point I had over ten children taking turns singing “I am A Child of God” in Dutch, English, French, Russian and Armenian.  It was wonderful.  Wish I could have recorded this.  We also sang nearly every action song in the Children’s Hymn book.  There were three beautiful little girls visiting from Belgium who helped us with the Dutch and French.

 "I Am A Child of God"

Աստծո զավակ եմ - Armenian

Ik ben een kind van God - Dutch

Я дитя Бога - Russian

Je suis un enfant de Dieu - French

Listen to "I Am A Child of God"

This is Benjamin and Me just getting warmed up.

Sunday School and Relief Society -

Funny how during Sunday School and then Relief Society there was so much commotion going on yet I could still feel the Spirit. Benjamin came in during President’s lesson on tithing, with three footballs and threw them into the room. Another little kid came in and out and in and out MANY times. Some people were visiting, one lady was feeding her handicapped son lunch, another was feeding any of the little kids that came into the room. During Relief Society Benjamin switched from throwing footballs to driving trucks in the middle of the room.

Loved By All -

All the kids in the branch are loved, hugged, fed and shirts tucked in by which ever woman was closest to the child.
The teacher in Relief Society did a great job and showed no signs of frustration dealing with what we in America might consider chaos. I think this is a normal day in Relief Society. I have learned so much from these good people.
Piano in Relief Society -
I played the small electric piano, but a sister had to stand by the piano and hold in the electrical cord or it wouldn’t work. Several times it still came unplugged and she quickly pushed it in tighter, but then I had to find the on button on the piano and press it, then find where they were at singing and try again. No one blinked an eye.
Memories Forever -

These are days never to be forgotten.    Loved it.