Odds & Ends

Elder Jones outside the Mission Office/Church. Apparently just this year they planted the grass and fixed up the outside better. Elder Scott came to visit in June before we arrived.

Our apartment still isn’t quite ready for us to move into! This is a picture of the outside, NOT KIDDING. I showed this to the other Senior Missionaries and they laughed and said, "it looks better than ours!" The inside right now needs some work, so in two weeks it will be done. I have heard, “In two weeks it will be ready,” for lots of weeks now. Good news, the concrete steps going up to our apartment look deluxe compared to a lot of others we have seen.

There are statues everywhere.  According to our taxi driver, George, this guy was famous for having something to do with nuclear bombs. I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying.

Through a lot of hand signals at a little store, the lady told me that these were the best Kleenex. I guess hand signals don’t talk in color. In real life every other tissue is either BRIGHT pink or FLOURESCENT green. This was worth a giggle. Oh if I could only read Russian… I can sound out the words on some packages, by reading Armenian, but I don’t know what the words mean… Oh, shucks!

I wish you could see how bright these colors are in real life!

This is who watches me exercise every morning! I try to do my best and Choose The Right exercises….

There are lots of Noah’s Ark pictures, t-shirts, etc here in Armenia. Even a store named "Noah's Ark"  They sell office supplies. These pictures are in the Mission Home. Bob loves this one. I don’t like it. To Science Fiction looking for me.

I like this one better. Kind of cool!

Serious note! "All because a young boy prayed." This is why I’m nearly 8000 miles from home, hoping to be a little part of bringing the Gospel to those that don’t know the love and peace that is available to all.

Love to all my friends and family that read this crazy little blog!  I appreciate your kind and loving comments.
Love, Barbie/MOM/Sister Jones

Artashat & Ararat Journey

Last Sunday we attended the Artashat and Ararat Branches which are just outside of Yerevan.  We went with President and Sister Carter. 
 
The building in Artashat was actually built by the Church, which is unusal in Armenia.  Usually they remodel or just use an existing building.  Note there is even a steeple (red) on the left end. 

These are some of the Branch Members and Missionaries.

See the sign, we know it is our Church.

We traveled in more rural areas to these two branches.  It was great to see farmland and open spaces.  What was even more awesome was seeing Mt Ararat!  These pictures were taken out the window of the van going 60 mph so they aren't the best, but it was spectacular.

Mt Ararat! It is beautiful. Armenians often call it Masis (Մասիս). (16,854 ft) elevation is a snow-capped dormant volcanic cone The Book of Genesis identifies this mountain range as the resting place of Noah's Ark after the Great Flood described there. Archeologists are said to have found remains of the ark here.

 

 

The smaller (12,782 ft) cone, is called Sas.  The Armenians say that Noah named it, when the Ark rested between its two peaks, and looking forth at the receding waters of the Flood he saw the first land emerge and exclaimed, "Yerivan!" which means, in Armenian, "It is seen!".

This is where the small Branch in Ararat meets. There is no airconditioning in this building.  It was hot.  But the members were so excited to see Pres Carter, and the District President who came with us.  It was fast Sunday and they bore their testimonies for 1 1/2 hrs.  They had lots of hugs for me!

Inside the Church

The neighborhood...

We gave these members a ride part of the way home.  They live a few miles from the church.  They told us how they are both refugees from Azerbaijan.  As they were forced to leave the country the Turks were throwing rocks at them and they left with none of their pocessions.

Back to the City!