Christmas Eve

We spent 2 days in Moscow with other Senior Missionaries from our mission. A day was spent learning about our callings and some new resources we have for doing Family History and helping people to better prepare themselves for employment. In the evening we went to a Ukrainian restaurant. It was very good but more than we could eat. On the way to our lodgings we took the famous Moscow metro and I hurt my back carrying all our stuff and getting jostled around on the herky-jerky train. The next day we spent at the Humanitarian office discussing projects and funds with the Area manager. That evening we had dinner with 2 other couples in one of their apartments and then headed to the airport for our late flight back to Astana. It was very snowy in Moscow – snowed all night and the next day so there was an additional 5-6 inches when we left.

Today we held a baptism for 5 new converts who have chosen to follow our Savior Jesus Christ. It has been wonderful to get to know them and see how they have changed their lives to answer His call to “Come, follow me.” Tomorrow, Sunday, Christmas Day, they will receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

This shows the fabulous 5 with the Elders that baptized them.

This is a picture of all who attended the baptism.

One of our Humanitarian projects that is coming to a close is our project with the Deaf Society in Almaty. The Church donated high quality hearing aids to 15 people with the hope that this would enable them to become more self-sufficient. Here are 3 stories from that project. I did not ‘clean’ them up from our translators translation.

“I Dauletov Kanat Askanovich, a disabled person of the 3 category, am studying computer programming in the polytechnic college. I am deaf since I was two. But with the help of the hearing aid I started to understand lectures and to study better. I can hear my children running, calling me “Father”. This hearing aid discovered new sounds to me. I am grateful to the sponsor “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints”

“I Bayramova Kaima Aybassovna, a disabled person of the 3 category, cannot hear. I am deaf. A good hearing aid is very expensive. I cannot afford myself it since my pension accounts for only 14500 tenge. I have 2 children. My son is 15 years old, my daughter is 16. Now I hear much better because I have a new hearing aid. I found a job. I work in the “Rixos” hotel in the kitchen. I hear everything well. My children are so happy. Thank you for your help. I am so grateful, my children either.”

“I Baybolova Gulmira Bolatovna, a disabled person of the 3 category, bring up 3 children; the oldest is 23 years old. My second son is 19 and the youngest is 5. The hearing aid helps me a lot. For example when I have a conversations with the teachers in the university, when I do shopping without my children I can talk to people without any help. Now I know that my son has nightmares at night because I can hear him. Thanks to this hearing aid I talk to my family and friends easily. “

What a wonderful blessing it is to us to participate, in a small way, blessing the lives of these good people.

We think of tomorrow as our Savior Jesus Christ's birthday and of course the most we can give Him is our obedience to His commandments. We show our love to Him by doing His will. Yet with all of our striving to follow Him, He still has given and continues to give each of us more than we can comprehend. We testify that He lives and loves us all. His loving arms are open to gather us in if we will but turn to Him and be healed.