October has been a beautiful autumn month in Ukraine and we are beginning to adjust to conditions here and to the language. This post is just a wide spectrum of little things that we've found interesting. This first picture is a sign on the side of a little shop on the sidewalk in downtown Kiev. It is written in the Ukrainian language. It seems that just about half of the signs are in the Ukraine language, with Russian signs coming in second, and the remainder being in English or some combination of all three languages. I think that you can probably figure out that this sign says "3 bears."
Just down from the temple about a block is a turnout in the busy Ring Road that runs around the outer southern edge of the city. This picture shows a car in the turnout with a sign taped on the back. The driver comes almost everyday and sits in his car all day long so that people can see the sign as they drive along the road. He just sits there looking at his cell phone, whether the weather is hot or cold. When I took this picture it was a warm sunny day so the passenger-side door was open just a little way. I can't imagine how he can endure sitting there hour after hour, day after day. We missionaries speculate on how he makes money or what he does to pass the time while he is there.
There are almost no speed limit signs in the city so we asked a taxi driver about the absence of traffic signs and his response was that in the city you can drive 60 km per hour if you can go that fast. We never see a policeman giving tickets, but we do see them taking care of traffic accidents. Accidents on this road happen almost daily within just a few blocks of the temple. When it's really busy drivers line up together very closely and also change lanes without warning. We are thankful that we don't need to drive. The Metro (or subway) costs 25 cents and is a quick way to go longer distances--like downtown.
Buses come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. They provide the major method for getting around in the local area. It costs between 18 and 37 cents to ride the bus and you can go as far as you like for one price, but if you change buses you pay the fare again. The bus that you need usually comes along about every 10 to 15 minutes, so it is not necessary to consult a bus schedule to find out when the next one will arrive. They fill the bus until no more passengers can squeeze on and if you stand back, you could be waiting for quite a few buses to come, so you just go with the flow. The bigger buses have someone to collect the fare, but the ones this size expect you to pass your money along from person to person until it reaches the driver. We just send the money forward. It always gets there safely and if you have change coming back, it does also. Passengers are very honorable about sending along the bus fare, but, you have to watch your wallet. Two of our missionaries had their pockets picked during October and between them lost several hundred dollars including credit cards and identification documents.
This picture was taken in a large park-like area where the Ukraine people commemorate the loss of life during World War II. When the German soldiers arrived the first thing they did was round up the Jews and tell them they were being moved away from Kiev and that they needed to bring all of their valuable possessions and walk into the city. As they arrived, everything was taken from them including their clothes, and they were shot. On two days about a week apart more than 100,000 were killed with more than half of them being women and children. Many of the local people also lost their lives when they failed to follow strict instructions.
On a happier subject, the full-time temple missionaries have dinner together one time each month on a Monday evening. There are three U.S. couples who serve as the temple presidency and matrons, four additional U.S. couples, one Russian couple and one Ukrainian couple. In addition, the temple recorder and his wife attend to translate for the two Russian speaking couples. The two Russian speaking sisters are dressed in a local costume and served a very nice meal during October.
Just like all temples throughout the world, the grounds are nicely cared for. Even though it will soon be time for snow, we have beautiful fall flowers and crab apples on the ornamental trees around the temple.
We are really enjoying our time here and are very impressed with the local saints. There are over 100 temple workers who come from the Kiev Stake. Last week we attended stake conference in a large rented auditorium down town that was nearly filled with members. As we came and went, everyone around us shook our hands or said "hi" and most of the temple workers went out of their way to greet us.
On Sunday evening one of the first couples to join the church here, the Chemesovs, talked to us about their conversion. It was interesting because Brother Chemesov was the first of them to accept the gospel. His wife was away visiting her parents with their two sons. He met the missionaries on the street and they asked him if he would like to talk about God. He told them he would and gave them his address. At the appointed time they failed to show up--having not copied down the apartment number in a building with 600 apartments. He later saw them on the street and asked them why they hadn't come. They told him and made arrangements to meet again. He accepted what they taught, read the Book of Mormon in two weeks and decided to be baptized. When he met his wife at the train on her return, he told her he had some news. He was very happy and very different (according to his wife's impression when she saw him) and she was quite concerned. He told her he was going to be baptized. That shocked her as they had been baptized into an orthodox church when they were young. She asked him "why and when?" and he told her in about two hours. Needless to say, she was upset. When the missionaries came for him, they didn't invite her to the baptism or anything. She said she stood glaring at them with her arms folded when they came in. She sent her older son--15 years old--to go with him in case they meant him some harm. She was very curious why he would be gone so long. They both came home happy and it really upset her. She decided to go to the church with them to find out what was going on. She was a linguist, so in order to get her to read the Book of Mormon, they suggested she could perhaps read through it and tell them what she thought. She got out her red pencil and marked it up. She didn't really read it for content at all. They were quite sad when she told them she thought it was a poorly written book. Long story short, the missionaries read to her some passages about the "pure" waters of Mormon and the baptisms of Alma. She said when she heard the word "pure," it touched her heart and she felt something she'd never felt before. She ended up joining the Church and being baptized by her husband. The boys were also baptized. Her parents basically disowned them for joining the Church but they went ahead. It was heartbreaking for her as they had been very close, but through Chemesovs' example they eventually made up with them. This was in 1992 and they have been stalwarts ever since.
We feel blessed to be serving with such wonderful missionaries and with so many devoted Ukrainian members. God lives and loves us and He blesses us in so many ways. We need to stay close to the Spirit and heed its promptings so that we may be protected and guided. We love you all and pray for your health and happiness.
Dad and Mom (Dale & Ruth)
Just down from the temple about a block is a turnout in the busy Ring Road that runs around the outer southern edge of the city. This picture shows a car in the turnout with a sign taped on the back. The driver comes almost everyday and sits in his car all day long so that people can see the sign as they drive along the road. He just sits there looking at his cell phone, whether the weather is hot or cold. When I took this picture it was a warm sunny day so the passenger-side door was open just a little way. I can't imagine how he can endure sitting there hour after hour, day after day. We missionaries speculate on how he makes money or what he does to pass the time while he is there. 
