Russian Moscow: January 2011

As you would expect, there is a lot of snow and it is cold here in Moscow. Since it started snowing the first part of December, it hasn't melted at all. It just continues to pile up. It is amazing to me that the city, in order to get rid of the snow, has huge dump trucks that are filled with the snow and carry it away. If they didn't do that, there would be about one lane for cars to drive on and no parking places available. Here in Rosinka where we live it remains beautiful and I'm enjoying seeing the earth covered with beautiful white snow. I think come the end of February I will be sick of it, though, and ready for spring. Every time you go outside here it's essential to put on a coat, hat, scarf, boots and gloves. So, here's a few of the things that I see in Russia in the wintertime.

Views from our front yard.

This was taken at 9:30 in the morning. It was just getting light. The sidewalk to the front door has a solid sheet of ice on it, with a sprinkle of newly fallen snow.

Two different kinds of animal tracks outside our back door. Does anyone know what kind of animals these tracks belong to?

Our car being towed because of failure to start.

Yea! A bit of blue sky and sunshine for a few hours.

The Sisters and Elders in one of our districts decided to try their hands at snow sculpturing as a way of doing street contacting. And, they are having success! The pictures below are of Moroni buryingthe plates. It takes about two hours for them to do this snow sculpturing so you can imagine how cold they are when they are finished. These are just a few of our hard-working, creative, and sacrificing missionaries!