The Baltic Traveler: Hello, Goodbye

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hello, Goodbye

It seems like just yesterday that we were sitting in the New Mission Presidents' Seminar in Moscow with other brand new mission presidents and their wives - jet-lagged, nervous, excited, exhausted, and in my case, terrified. Now we're at the other end, seeing our release with a huge mixture of emotions. It's literally painful to think about leaving all the missionaries and friends we've made here, yet breath-takingly exciting to contemplate being with family and friends again. I remember the first year at Christmas I was decorating the tree, with tears in my eyes, thinking, "I have to do this 2 more times before they let me go home." The second year, while again decorating the tree, I thought, "I only get to do this one more time before we leave." Last December I remember thinking, "I'm not leaving this place and they can't make me." Funny how perspective changes over time. Good friends in this picture include the Andersons (Donesk, Ukraine), Davises (Kiev, Ukraine), and Sandbergs (St Petersburg). We entered our service at the same time, and will finish together in July.

2 comments:

HRH mbs said...: Time flies when you're....

serving the Lord with so much love in your heart!

What a HUGE difference you two dynamos made in the lives of the young elders and sisters and the Baltic members and non-members!

God bless you...the END is no easier than the BEGINNING...you will leave the Baltics but the Baltics will Never leave you!

xox, hrhmbs; March 21, 2008 at 5:00 AM
Dana and Ken said...: We met President & Sister Dance at the mission reunion. In some ways, he reminds me of President Watterson, but I can't say how - sort of looks, sort of not; sort of mannerisms, sort of not. If you're in any fittin' condition to judge such things when you meet him, let me know what you think.; April 10, 2008 at 6:41 AM

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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!