The Baltic Traveler: Tennis, Anyone?

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Tennis, Anyone?

We met Alexej one night on the highway about 10 kilometers out of Tallinn. His car, traveling in front of us, was shooting sparks and smoking like crazy. We honked and flashed our highlights until he pulled over. He didn't know what to do about the car, so we took him and his mother into Tallinn to their apartment, getting to know them on the way. Alexej is a tennis champion and coach in Tallinn, and a great young man. We told him that we had a missionary serving with us, Elder Peterson, who has offers of a tennis scholarship waiting for him when he's done serving here. Logical outcome - we set up a tennis match between our missionary and Alexej! When I called E. Peterson to see if he was game for this, he could hardly believe his good fortune. When the day came for the big match, we met Alexej at the sports club where he teaches. We brought E. Peterson and his companion and a set of Russian speaking missionaries. It was SO fun to watch. Alexej pretty much toyed with E. Peterson, who didn't even care because he was playing tennis again. They smacked that ball around for an hour, with Alexej running the legs off E. Peterson. When all was said and done, we had one happy missionary and one new friend. After the match Russ and I took all the missionaries to dinner at Caramba's, the only Mexican restaurant we've found in the Baltics. The Russian speaking missionaries are teaching Alexej. What a great guy!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Agnese and Astra

When we first arrived in Riga, one of the first groups of people we got to know well were the Young Adults. Agnese is one of my favorite people in the world. She has boundless energy, and knows EVERYTHING that is going on in the mission at any given time. I don't know how or where she gets her information, but she manages to always be in the know. 3 years ago her attire was jeans, T-shirts, and a baseball cap, usually worn backwards. I told her, after we knew each other really well, that the goal of my mission was to get her looking like a girl. I think I've arrived! Agnese and her mother Astra came for dinner, and Agnese was wearing girl clothes and some makeup. I think she's beautiful, and I think SHE likes it too. She just got her mission call to Yeketerinburg, Russia, and will leave for the MTC in May. She'll set the place on fire, to be sure!

The Cookie Jar

What's the most popular place in the mission home? Why, the cookie jar, of course. Keeping it full is a challenge. I came home one day to find the jar empty, and a laminated picture of the Assistants to the President, pointing to the empty cookie jar with very sad little faces. They had put the picture in the bottom of the cookie jar as a reminder that it needed filling. I told them they had shot themselves in the foot with this one - the picture makes me laugh so hard when I look at it that it's incentive not to put anything in there to cover it up.

Fashion Statement?

This is NOT the newest in missionary attire in the Baltic Mission. Elder Gardner came to the mission home pick up his new companion. While here, he asked me how long it would take to fix the rip in his suit pants. When he found out it was an easy, quick fix, he dashed into the Assistants' apartment next door, took off his suit pants, put on his sports/sleeping shorts, dashed back to our apartment, and handed me the pants. Although the suit coat/shorts combo is undoubtedly a comfortable, casual look, I don't think it will catch on here.

Caroling in Dome Square

The missionaries were invited to sing Christmas carols as part of an ongoing Christmas show in Dome Square in the center of Old Town. It was a good public relations opportunity - a chance to meet some new people and create good will for the Church. All the missionaries wore Santa hats and big smiles. I brought my flute to accompany them, but soon found that it's impossible to play outside in really cold, windy weather! My fingers got too cold to move, and I noticed that a drop of my saliva had frozen on the mouthpiece. I gave up playing and joined in the singing!

The Afghan

Elder Racker (a great missionary) is the original Renaissance Man - he does everything and very well. He took a bit of hassling, however, over his ability to crochet. He can whip out a hat in about 45 minutes. He's taught many of the other Elders to crochet as well, causing a little bit of concern on Russ's part as to how much time was being spent on this activity. So he had to issue a policy statement limiting the crocheting to Preparation Day! He thinks that we're probably the only mission in the Church that has need for such a policy. . . At the Christmas Conference in Estonia, Elder Racker presented us with an afghan he had made for us, which displayed the flags of each of the countries in our mission. Impressive!