Christmas in Armenia #3 and #4

Christmas Day the Senior Missionaries went to the Mission Home for Dinner, Music and Cookie House Building!  We were pretty serious with the constructing of our houses.

Elder Jones' had a "Mickey Mouse" motif

Elder and Sister VanDyke played their Psaltery or  Lap Harps.  It was awesome.

We then went to a wonderful Baptism service where three Men were baptized.  What a wonderful experience.  A Christmas these three men, their families and missionaries will never forget.

Oh My!  Where was my camera for this most memorable experience??!!!

THEN, it was our Branch Christmas Activity.

"The Walk Through Bethlehem" 

A really nice spiritual Christmas party that the Sister Missionaries produced.
This is Sis C. playing "I Know That My Redeemer Lives"  It was fun to accompany her on this challenging arrangement.

The Young Missionaries got to Skype their parents, so there was a lot of joy and happiness filling the Mission Office yesterday.
Elder A.

Elder D.

When we finally got home about 8:00 we Skyped with the kids.  We did group Skyping and were able to connect simultaneously to Arizona, California, and Nevada.   We saw Grandkids on scooters, Fairy dolls, new pajamas and more!  Life as a Senior Mission is sweet.

Two of the gifts we received were so special.  We got a Christmas card signed by the First Presidency of the Church.
AND
President & Sister Carter gave us an Armenian Triple Combination with Masis and Sas (Mt Ararat) engraved with our name on the front.

After a long day  - "Sleep in Heavenly Peace"

Today we spoke in Church.  I must have done pretty good, because they applauded afterwards.
  (Not kidding)

Christmas in Armenia #1 and #2

Because the Church (the Orthodox church) in Armenia still uses the old Julian Calendar, Christmas is celebrated on January 6th. The Christmas holiday season starts on New Year's Eve (December 31st) and continues until the old Julian calendar's New Year's Eve on January 13th.
At the beginning of December, a big Christmas Tree is put up in Republic Square in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Sister Peterson & I went to Mama Mia's Pizza and found these two!



Some people do celebrate December 25th. But the biggest celebration and when most people exchange gifts is New Years.  In Armenian Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Shenorhavor Dzenount'
(which means 'Congratulations for the Holy Birth'). I like that saying.

We started our celebrating with a Young Single Adult Party on Dec. 23rd, where I helped with some of the music. It was fun to hear some of the traditional Armenian songs.  

Party #2 - Zone Conference Christmas Celebration!

We had food, fun, games, a program and a walk with Christ through the scriptures.

This was the Senior Missionaries attempt at singing, "Silent Night' in Armenian

Our mission will be reading a new unmarked Book of Mormon from January - March.  As we read we will be marking any verses that have references pertaining to the Savior.
Susan Easton Black did some research and determined that there is an average of every 1.7 verses, that are references to Christ. Also there are 101 different names for the Savior in the Book of Mormon.
I am looking forward to this wonderful experience!


 

 

Sunday Fun in Ashtarat & Shengavit...

We went to the Ashtarat Branch's Childrens Sacrament Meeting Program on December 12th.  It was great.  The children did great on their singing and the children's talks were all done without any notes!  This is the Branch President Sargis and Elder VanDyke who is a Counselor.  The three boys on the right are Sargis and Margarit's.  They are full of vim and vigor!

Later that evening we were invited to Sargis' home in Shengavit for his birthday party.  We had a lot of good food and good company.  

We giggled while the boys and Elder J. played catch/volleyball with a balloon.

Sister Ferguson & Sister Deaver joined in the fun!

Happy Birthday to Sargis!

Armenian Mothers worry and take care of their children no matter how old they get.  One Sister told me that even though her son is married, has children and lives in Russia, she still worries everyday. "Is he warm enough?  Did he wear his coat?  Does he have enough to eat?" 

So as I am getting ready to go, Sargis' Mom (who is probably younger than me) comes and adjusts my coat and snuggles my scarf around me.  Cute huh?

Where We Walk!

A picture is worth a 1000 words!  Well this is our back yard, actually the front yard looks a lot the same.  No, we do not live in Ghetto.  I'm not sure where the Ghetto is here.

 This is the main electrical line into the apartment complex. 

We walk up and down these stairs everyday.

Whew! We made it home and we didn't get electrocuted!

You won't see these things in Downtown Moapa!

I'm glad we don't live in these buildings. I'm not sure if they are a work in progress or they ran out of money or ???

Check out this workmanship!

A couple of Sunday's ago, I spent 11 hours with three Armenians, District YW President, YM President and Primary President. We drove in a small Taxi for a total of 7 hours squished together to Alaverdi. I was in the middle in the back seat.

By the time we got home I felt like I had been beat up. A small taxi, no shocks, windy narrow road, smashed body, with Armenian music playing loudly on the CD player with a little Shakira and Michael Jackson mixed in.

Now don't start feeling sorry for me, I actually had a great time.Vasgan kept us laughing with his stories and jokes.  Armanush has a delightful personality and Susanna is great. They all spoke varying degrees of English and kept translating for me.

Vasgun, Branch Pres, Susanna, Armanush

We went to visit the Alaverdi branch and do a little training. The Primary President in Alaverdi is 24 and has never been to Primary, nor has seen Primary taught and has not been a member that long. She is doing her best and appreciated our help. They had ?? seven kids from age 3 to 11. I taught them a little lesson and we did some singing, while Susanna trained the President.

View from back of Church.

While we were driving, I noticed what I would call a “classic car”.  It reminded me of the old blue Ford that that my parents had when I was a kid.  As we got closer I thought they had some sort of rug over the back seat.  When we got closer a cow head popped up.  THEY HAD A COW IN THE BACK SEAT OF THEIR CAR! When we got right up next to it there were actually TWO COWS in the back seat.  I was laughing hysterically and Vasgan was trying to take a picture and then someone said, "Only in Armenia do you see cows in the back of your car." 

The cow picture didn't work :( :(

On our way home just outside of Alaverdi the police pulled us over because Vasgun, in the passenger seat didn’t have his seat belt on.  The driver had to pay a 2000 drams bribe (around $6).  No ticket was written.  After that we drove about 10 minutes and he got pulled over again, this time for driving across the white line.  (NO ONE ever drives on the correct side of the road.)  I think he had to pay about 10,000 drams this time.  No tickets were written you just pay the bribes.  Armenian has a openly corrupt government run by (well, I dare not say or I might get arrested.)

It has been VERY busy at the office.  We had four missionaries leave last Saturday and eight missionaries arrive!  I have grown very attached to these missionaries and I shed a few tears when they left. Great great individuals....

In Moapa you won't see us in Hats, Gloves, Scarves, Boots, Coats etc.  It isn't super cold yet, but we walk back and forth and around and up and down so we bundle!

Trust me this list of things you won't see could go on and on and on.  Couches on tops of cars, watermelons in cars, actually everything piled in cars, unwrapped bread on the street in mesh sacks, trash burning on the sidewalks, fish flopping around on fish market store.  Fish eggs and limes for sale, displayed on the top of the ice cream freezer. on and on and on..... 

It all keeps life interesting and fun!