Bridal Vehicles

Several Bride and Groom's were doing their pictures along the Volga on Saturday.  They had decorated cars.  Here are a couple:

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Dear Family,

Happy Pioneer Day! I made cookies to take to the office tomorrow to celebrate. Sister Ottesen and I went to Metro to shop. Ramon came in with us to help Sister O get her metro card. While we were standing there, they asked for my card and passport so I gave it to them. When Ramon handed it back to me, he pointed out that it said Jane Schwab on it. When we filled everything out it had all my information on it and my passport number so I don’t know how it ended up with Sister Schwab’s name. Oh well, it gets me in the door.

Last Sunday Sister Vera (from NovoK) invited us and the Ottesen’s to come to dinner on Monday. The AP’s came with us to translate. One reason Sister Vera wanted me to invite the Ottesen’s because she wanted her temple recommend signed. She had it signed several weeks ago by the Branch pres. and now needed it signed by Pres Ottesen. She showed it to me after she got it. She was so excited. We had the NovoK elders tell them that they didn’t need to feed us because we know they don’t have a lot of money, but when we got to their home, they had dinner ready. They fed us but didn’t eat themselves. I can only hope they ate earlier. Sister Vera told us this was all for us. She sent the leftovers with us.

There was a plate of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, a plate of green beans and some macaroni salad with chopped peppers in it and corn. I ate everything and really enjoyed the salad. Then they brought out this heavenly looking chocolate cake. It looked like it was professionally done. The outside was ringed with walnuts. They cut us nice big pieces. I tried to eat around the nuts and when no one was paying attention I traded plates with Dad and he ate my nuts. We had homemade cherry and apricot juice. Then when we were stuffed full, they brought out watermelon. I finished one piece and they put another on my plate.

They are such a neat family. Vera’s husband is out of work and has a leg that isn’t working right. He hasn’t been to church since we started coming. He started to tell Pres. Ottesen about how it used to be. He had a picture of the Missionary who baptized them. He said things were different now. I was so impressed with Pres. Ottesen. Instead of getting defensive or trying to find excuses he just looked Levon in the eye and asked, “What can I do to help.” Levon was taken aback, looked intently at Pres Ottesen and said, “I don’t know.” I could see Levon really start to thaw. At another point during the time we were there, Pres Ottesen put his hands on Levon’s shoulders, looked him in the eye and called him Brother.

Before we left Pres. O asked if he could leave a blessing on this family. He gave a beautiful one that touched everyone. I know Levon will come back and be a big part of this branch. Dad is so happy to have another male crier at the mission. Dad tears up a lot and so does Pres Ottesen.

The beginning of the week Dad and I were helping the Ottesen’s get ready for zone conference in Saratov. After the conference, they planned to meet with the ward and branch presidents to talk about all the changes taking place. I was printing off tons of things for them. Sister Ottesen wanted to make some cookies or something for the meeting with the presidents so I offered the ones I had in my freezer. They left for Saratov on Wednesday afternoon. It’s about a 5 ½-hour trip. The Zone conference with the volunteers started at 9:00 am Thursday, and the presidency meeting started at 6:00pm. They left to come back to Samara at about 8:30 PM, drove all night (Ramon drove) and we started our meeting in Samara about 10:30 am. We had both the Toliatti and Samara zones together. Dad and I went home around 5 and the Ottesen’s didn’t get home until around 8:00pm. Soooo happy we didn’t have to live their schedule.

I have to tell you about one highlight of zone conference. Let me go back a little bit. The day after the Ottesen’s got to Samara, we had baptism. One of the sisters we are close to, asked Dad to administer a blessing to her. President Ottesen assisted in this and did the anointing and Dad gave the blessing. This sister had an ovarian cyst. She had been given medication to dissolve it. It didn’t work. She was on a second round of medication and if it didn’t take care of the problem, she would have to go home early from her mission for surgery.  She had asked Dad during the week to do this for her on Saturday either before or after the baptism. Dad prayed about it and prepared himself to give this blessing. Through the power of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, they laid their hands on her head and Dad told her that the cyst would be gone and she would finish out her mission. He told her that there for more people for her to teach. It was pretty profound and had us all in tears. This sister gave Dad a huge hug.

Then of course, came the questions in Dad’s mind. Was that right, was that me or the Lord? However, he knew, beyond anything, that he was supposed to say what he did. He decided to trust in the Lord and say what he had been prompted to say.

So at Zone conference this was our conversation with this sister.

Sister Stewart, “So, what is happening with the Cyst?”

Sister, “I went to the doctor yesterday for an ultra-sound. She was looking at the screen for a while and I asked her, ‘so, how does it look?’”

Tech, “Small, of course.”

Sister, “Small, I guess that’s good, right?”

Tech, “Of course your uterus is small, you haven’t had kids yet.”

Sister, “What about the cyst?”

Tech, “What cyst, there’s no cyst there.”

Sister, “No cyst at all?”

Tech, “No cyst.”

The sister started screaming and crying. I told her she had to tell Elder Stewart about this. We called him over and he couldn’t help himself he grabbed her and gave her a big hug with tears shining in his eyes, which of course made me tear up. Elder Stewart doesn’t get to hug the sisters normally but he made an exception in this case.  We told her in another conversation that we knew we were in Samara for a reason and she feels that she is one of those reasons. This was a sacred time for us; one that we will never forget.

Thank heaven for the power of the priesthood. I remember the first time Dad used this holy power. Not being a frequent churchgoer Dad hadn’t see the priesthood in action very often. Brian was just a little guy, somewhere between a 6 months and a year. He started crying and we knew it was a cry of pain. He was holding his ear so we also knew it was an ear infection. There was no insta-care at that time; we didn’t know what to do to help him feel better. I suggested that Dad give him a blessing. Dad hadn’t ever given a priesthood blessing before. He gave a very sweet and sincere blessing, asking Heavenly Father to ease Brian’s pain that night, just until we could get him to the doctor. No sooner had he closed that blessing than Brian fell asleep in our arms. Dad looked at me, I stared right back and he said, “It worked!” Priesthood power is real and it comes from God. I’ve had blessings from my father and from my husband and I felt the power in both of those.

Saturday Dad and I met Sister O out on the Volga at about 12:15. President stayed home to read letters. He gets letters from each volunteer once per week. We walked down to the end and we showed her all the different monuments. 

The Volunteer’s, Branch Pres, Bishops, President and Sister Ottesen, the Stake leaders in Saratov have been working hard to figure out how to effectively use the Volunteers. 

 I love you all. Thanks for all your emails and phone calls. They mean so much to Dad and I.

Love,

Mom

Church's Statement on New Law in Russia

"The Church recognizes a new law will take effect in Russia on July 20, 2016 that will have an impact on missionary work. The Church will honor, sustain and obey the law. Missionaries will remain in Russia and will work within the requirements of these changes. The Church will further study and analyze the law and its impact as it goes into effect."

We love volunteering!!

July 10, 2016

Dear Family,

Ok, It’s a small world just took on new meaning. My new mission president, President Ottesen and his wife Elizabeth (Liz) are from Poway, California. It just so happens that they were in Uncle Richard and Aunt Jeans ward. In fact, Sister Ottesen was Jean’s visiting teacher for years!!  President told us about the first time he ever met Jean. He said they were at church and she came up to him, lifted his tie off his shirt and looked at it for the longest time. Then she let it drop. Looked him in the eye and said, “That’s the ugliest tie I’ve ever seen.” Then she walked away and he mouthed to someone, “Who was that?” 

The Ottesen’s are great and I think will do a wonderful job here in Russia. A new law was passed in Russia that will change the way missionary work is done. You’ll have to look it up on the internet. The members will have to get more involved.

President went on a mission as a young man to Germany. He was in the same mission as President Schwab was. He told us at zone conference that at the age of 15 he started to think about the woman he would eventually marry. He prayed that she would be his sweetheart and friend. When he got his patriarchal blessing, he also talked about knowing his wife. He expected some physical attributes or something from that but no, it simply said he would know her.

When he went on his mission, he told us that his first night in Germany after the other Elders were asleep he crept out to a conference room and knelt to pray. He promised his Heavenly Father that he would work harder than he had ever worked before. He asked Heavenly Father to please, let him know when he met his wife.

When he got home expected to find her right away. Well one year went by then another then another and all his old companions and friends were getting married and starting families. Then 5 years later, he was somewhere (I can’t remember where) and he was looking at some of the young women. When he saw Sister Ottesen, she was holding her handicapped little brother and he knew there was something very different about her.

 1Nephi 13:37

37 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

When Sister Ottesen was about 16, she had a dream several times it showed her having a house full of boys. After she and President were married, they ended up with 5 boys. All five boys went on missions. When their middle son came home from his he had a reaction to some medication, had a heart attack, and died. This was a tough time for them, but because of what they know about the Plan of Salvation, they know that they will be with him again. In fact, they feel very strongly that he is here with them in Russia, with the intent of helping them while they are on their mission.

President said he worked so hard on his mission that some of his companions didn’t like him very much, but he put everything he had into to it but didn’t get to baptize one person. He told the Elders and Sister that the number of baptisms you get doesn’t show if you are successful missionary or not.

Helaman 10:3-7

3 And it came to pass as he was thus pondering—being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities—and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying:

 4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

 5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

 6 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.

 7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

Work as hard as you can, having faith, and the Lord will bless you. Analyze yourself and decide what, if anything, more you can do. Then do it.

The Ottesen’s were set apart by President Russell M. Nielsen. They were told that the true measure of their mission isn’t the 2 or 3 years they are here, it’s not the 10 years after they go home. If the Gospel is evident in the lives of the missionary’s children and grandchildren, it will be evident that it is rooted deep in the family’s hearts.

 Sorry this letter is so much about our new Mission President and his wife but that is really what’s been happening this week. Sister Ottesen and I took a taxi to Metro to grocery shop. Dad put the taxi app on her phone and she got us there and back. She will do great. She wants to get her license and drive.

 We are sending you some pictures of the activity on the Volga. The Russian words you can see say Tarzan and Trapeze. I thought the kids would enjoy doing something like that.

 The sunsets are still gorgeous.

Well, I love you all.

 Love,

Mom

Sunday, July 03, 2016

Dear Family,

Happy 4^th everyone!! I almost forgot about it since our independence day isn’t celebrated in Russia. Go figure!!  I’m bringing my cookies to the office tomorrow in honor of the day.

Well, we met the new Mission President and his wife on Friday. They are delightful. It will be fun to get to know the both of them. Saturday President and Sister Ottesen rented some bikes at a shop on the Volga and went for a ride. He said there were several people helping them to negotiate the deal. The bike rental person knew very little English and put that with Ottesen’s little bit of Russian and they needed help. Dad went over to the office on Saturday morning to help hook up President’s phone and laptop. He apologized for taking up our P-Day, but Dad was grateful he knew enough about those kinds of things to be able to help.

President was sick when he got here and was on antibiotics and now his wife has whatever he had. She is on antibiotics now and is feeling a little better. I bet jet lag made it tons worse.

When Schwab’s left Thursday morning for the airport, apparently the airlines changed the departure time by one hour and didn’t let them know. When they got to the airport they were already finished boarding and wouldn’t let them get on. They ended up staying in a hotel and left the next morning at 4 or 5 in the morning. They were going to tour St. Petersburg. You’d almost think it was God’s plan that they miss the plane, because I didn’t get their passports out of the safe and they didn’t remember either.  (I did give them their deworming pills) They had their second passport, which is for only three years but not their main ones. Ramon the mission driver had to come back for an appointment so he got the passports and drove back the next morning to take them to the airport.

This week we’ve been trying to get everything ready for the new President. I created a book that President Schwab wanted to put together with all kinds of stuff and then Sister Schwab was redoing and streamlining the orientation handbook.  Jenni called and invited Dad and I to go with her for one last Box Master from KFC so we did that. Then Jenni and I went to the Rinick (like a flea market) because she wanted to buy spices to take home. I used my google translation tool to write what she wanted in English, which the app translated to Russian. Worked pretty slick.

Tuesday, the AP’s invited us to meet with them and Dema, an investigator. He has taught himself Greek because he wanted to read the New Testament in the original text, knowing that the translations aren’t always correct. He studies things deeply. Dad and I were able to bear testimony to him about the truthfulness of the scriptures.  We watched a short video about overcoming trials. It was about a man who lived kind of a wild life and was very unhappy. It is a true story and really seemed to touch Dema. These are the extra blessing times. I feel so fortunate that Dad and I are able to share our thoughts and feelings about Christ and the Church with others. Taking care of the Mission Office and being a support to the President and his wife and all the missionaries is very satisfying to me. However, testifying and sharing the light, Heavenly Father has blessed my life with, means so much more. It, frankly, goes beyond words.

I went with the Sisters to visit Svetlana on Wednesday. She was happy to see me. Whitey, her cat, (the young one) took a nosedive out of her 4th story window the other day and lived to tell the tale. When she brought him back in the house, he was alive but stayed almost motionless for a few days and then seems to be good as new. I wonder how many of his nine lives he lost that day.

Svetlana is funny, one minute she is saying that she knows God helped Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon and the next minute she says she looks at the book as a sort of history book. Just when you think, she gets what the sisters are trying to teach her she comes up with something that makes you wonder what it is she really thinks about all of this. She really loves the sisters and she loves speaking English.

Saturday morning I was doing laundry and making cookies until around 12:30. I made a lot of cookies. The sisters were having a baptism that day and asked the missionaries to bring some refreshments. Elders Anderson and Haroldson made snickerdoodles and I made chocolate chip cookies.  The Sisters made three cakes. I saw tons of people going out with hands full of cookies. They chowed down, pretty well, on the cakes too. One of the Sisters in the branch asked Dad and I:

“How are you doing.” In English.

Dad and I, “Harrahso.” (fine) “Kak Delaw,” (how are you in Russian)

The Sister, in English, “super pooper.” I’m assuming she was going for super-duper. That was pretty funny.

The baptism was an Armenian woman who was like a golden investigator. She was so ready for the gospel. The sisters worked with her on the church’s stop smoking program. She has a son who is also taking the lessons and her daughter is going to take them also; what a blessing the gospel has been to them.

One of the sisters is having health problems and asked Dad and President Ottesen to administer to her. Pres. Ottesen anointed her and Dad gave her the blessing. It was very inspiring and Dad was rewarded with a big hug. We certainly love these two sisters.

Elder Wickman from our NovoK branch’s grandfather passed away this past week and President Ottesen called and told him after the baptism. I made him a card and brought him some cookies to church on Sunday. He is such a sweet young man. He has such a happy nature. We talked to him at church and he said it wasn’t unexpected. The hard part was that he was supposed to skype with his grandpa last Wednesday but his parents never called and they weren’t on line. I’m guessing his grandpa was going downhill fast.  He is handling it all pretty well.

Today at church Dad was asked to pass the Sacrament. It’s great to see him do these types of things. He still hasn’t mastered the sacrament prayers yet. Meesha was given the Melchizedek Priesthood. He is 18 and a very sweet, handsome boy. He is thinking about going on a mission. I think he is only the third active Melchizedek Priesthood holder we have in our branch.

We invited the AP’s to dinner today. I made Stroganoff. I warned them that I didn’t make homemade rolls because I spent so long baking cookies that I just couldn’t bake anything else. They were happy with the cookies. Elder Worden says they are dangerous because you can’t stop eating them. Thanks again, Grace, for the recipe. I bruised my hand from chopping up so many chocolate bars. Oh what I wouldn’t give for some chocolate chips.

Well that wraps up the week that was!!

Love you all,

Mom

 

Mom found herself wearing brown and black shoes.  Together...

Jenni and Mom

Preparing for the baptism

 

June 26, 2016

Hello Family,

I hope you are all happy and healthy. The past week has really flown by. Well really, they all do. We didn’t do much this weekend as far as sightseeing. Saturday, we did laundry, went to the market, and I was invited to go with Jenni, President and Sister Schwab’s daughter, to a few souvenir shops. The Sister missionaries, Sister Taylor and Warnick met us there so they could interpret for Jenni. It was fun, but I was under strict instructions not to spend any more money. We’ve spent a lot recently trying to get Christmas bought so we could ship it home with President Schwab’s household items. Of course, if I had found anything I couldn’t live without I’m sure Dad wouldn’t have had any objections. I guess, for once, I was being responsible. It’s funny, because even though we are paying for our mission, apartment, food, utilities, etc., we are saving money. I guess it’s because my kids and grandkids aren’t around for me to spoil.

The Schwab’s called us later that afternoon and they had decided to go to a Russian Orthodox ceremony (church meeting) and wanted to know if we wanted to come. We did. I had my scarf in my purse but I grabbed my extra one to take along too. They picked us up and Sister Schwab said she forgot her scarf and needed to go back home but I told her I had grabbed my extra one so she was set. The bells were ringing as we got there. It was beautiful.  It was a church we’d been in previously but is was neat to see the service. The Priests went around the outside of the congregation with one of them swinging bells and something filled with incense. Therefore, everyone got smoked so to speak. They also stopped at a few of the icons of Christ and did something there. There were people singing during this whole time in a loft above us. It was beautiful but really made me appreciate our services.

The countdown is on, 5 days until the Schwab’s leave. Sister Schwab and I have found so many things in common with each other. We both look to the positive in things, we both like to laugh until our guts ache, and we both have the middle name Marie and many other things. She is a special woman who loves watching out for her missionaries. President Schwab is amazing too. He makes the missionaries toe the line about obeying the rules but I’ve never met a more compassionate man. He knows his scriptures backward and forward. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him called as an Area Authority. I’m sure we will be even closer to the Ottesen’s since we will serve with them for a year, but it’s hard to imagine.

I got a call on the mission landline the other day. I hate answering that line because most of the time it’s someone speaking Russian. I have to find someone who can talk to them. However, the other day when it rang there was no one in the office but Dad and I. I slowly picked up the phone and answered.

Me, “Russia Samara Mission, this is Sister Stewart”

Him, “Hello Sister Stewart, I’d like to speak to the widely known Elder Stewart please.”

So I handed the phone to Dad. It was a guy from the Mission office in Moscow on the line. They were calling about a Branch audit all the wards and branches needed to do that Dad was in charge of making sure it’s done. Dad and I were sure wondering if being “widely known” is a good thing or a bad thing.

Last Tuesday was Elder Haroldsen’s birthday. He turned 21. They called to see if they could celebrate with us. We told them if they got permission to go out of their area they could come over for dinner. We ordered Papa John’s pizza. Elder Anderson made his pear cake for us again. It was nice to have them over and nice that they wanted to celebrate with us. I made him a card with some pictures of him on it from zone conference. They couldn’t take the left over pizza and cake with them since they were going teaching so Dad and I had it for lunch for the next two days.

The AP’s are finally back. They left Tuesday afternoon to go to Saratov for splits or as they call it, exchanges. It’s always too quiet when they are gone. It’s not that they are loud but they are always getting calls from other missionaries.

Svetlana was still sick this week so I didn’t get to visit her. I told the Sisters on Friday, during our district meeting that is was my fault. I told her I thought she wasn’t an atheist anymore and all of a sudden, she is too sick to see the missionaries. They just laughed at me. They are supposed to meet with her today.

The sisters have a baptism on July 2^nd at 7:00 PM. They are so pumped. The AP’s found this woman tracting and turned her over to the Sisters. She is Armenian and her older son is taking lessons from the AP’s. They are both doing the Church program to stop smoking. She has been cigarette free for a while now. They asked me for an Armenian Triple. I was surprised that I had one. We have many Books of Mormon in other languages. Then I discovered I had a “Preach my Gospel”, “Gospel Essentials” and several pamphlets in Armenian. The Sisters were way excited. I’m going to make cookies to bring. It will be the new mission president’s first baptism.

Thursday night we had dinner with Pavel and Maria. You probably saw my post on Facebook. It was a beautiful evening. Last week was too hot and humid but this week has been great. We ate dinner at a restaurant called “Myasnoff".  We can’t find anything that tells us what that means. They picked us up at almost 8:30 PM. We were starving waiting that long. We didn’t get home until 11:00PM. I was a lot of fun. Pavel is a taxi driver who speaks English. His wife Maria works for the tourism industry and is helping getting Samara ready for the World Cup in 2018. They have a 6-year-old daughter who we haven’t met yet.

 

The stoplights are interesting here. The green light flashes for a tiny bit as it is getting ready to change then it hits yellow for just a second and then turns red. When it’s red it will then change to yellow and then green.

Friday the Schwab’s bought pizza and dessert for the whole office to tell them thank you. It was fun. Sasha acted as an interpreter for him since the AP’s weren’t there. President Schwab asked them all to tell about meeting the missionaries and being baptized. It was amazing to see the Lords hand in them being lead to the Missionaries. Sister Scherova said her husband met the missionaries and talked to them. This was right after they moved to Samara. She asked her husband why he didn’t invite them to dinner since they didn’t know anyone else. He just told her if it was meant to be they would see them again. A week later, they ran into the same missionaries. They were invited to church and her husband told her afterwards “This is the church we need to belong to.” Sister Rieesa has been a member for over 20 years. President Blinkov and Clemov both are long time members. They all have an incredible spirit about them especially when they talk about their conversion. Working in the office, we don’t often get to see this side of them.

We invited the Schwab’s over for dinner on Friday night and I made my (famous among the missionaries) pot roast, corn, carrots, baked potatoes, rolls and salad. It turned out great. I use Kelly’s recipe but I make the au jus sauce into gravy. They loved it and we sat and talked for quite a while. It’s fun to see President Schwab relax.

For those of you (you know who you are) who think I need more exercise than walking I want to tell you about the hills I climb daily:

Stairs to our apartment 26

Stairs from our apartment to the mission office 48

Stairs from the mission office to the walking street 72

And that’s not counting all the uphill stuff that doesn’t include the stairs. Man do I do weight bearing exercises. Every time I heft my body up one of those stairs, I’m bearing a lot of weight!!!

Most days, we leave the apartment between 5 and 6 am to go walking. Then up the stairs to go home. Then repeat to go to work. Weekends are better or worse depending on if we take a bus or walk. So far, my knees have held up pretty well. Keep praying for them as well as the rest of Dad and me.

We love you all!

Love,

Mom

A Few Pics!