Christmas, Nor Tari and Sprint to the End

We are very sad to be leaving this beautiful place.  Christmas is very  different in Armenia than it is in America.  The Armenian's do not celebrate Christmas on December 25, but rather on January 6.  They also don't really celebrate the birth of Christ, even though this is a Christian country.  There is a lot of socializing and, of course, that means a lot of food.  We had some Missionaries leaving in the middle of December and the Branch had a party for them.  They start celebrating Christmas on New Years Eve and finish on about January 13th, which is their old New Year.  They visit and have dinners throughout the entire period.

Relief Society Sisters at the Missionaries Going Away.

The Branch President and two of the departing Missionaries, Elder Zebley and Sister Crawford

Elder and Sister Rich at Syuzi's home for dinner.

Syuzi and her mother

Elder Anderson going home.

The only public Nativity was at the Marriott Hotel

 

 

This was our second Christmas here in Armenia.  It was a wonderful experience.  We had all of the Missionaries in Armenia, including all of the Seniors in attendance.  Since Christmas was on Sunday, we had our party on Saturday at one of the Branches. It was a combination of some very spiritual things coupled with the Missionaries having fun in a talent show.  It is amazing what will pass for talent.  We also have some very talented singers that are serving here and they gave us some beautiful music.

Sister Carter and all of the Sister Missionaries

Pres and Sister Carter

Senior Sisters singing carols

Sister Loveridge wearing the White Elephant Lady Bug Slippers.

Our new Office Couple got their talent from the islands.  They were pretty good.

A TV cooking show parody by two of the Sister Missionaries that was really funny.

Really serious Elders being really silly and funny.

Wonderful singing to end the day on a Spiritual high.

This was a REAL snow storm

Grigor and his 40 dollar Rolex

LDSC Christmas party at a really good Armenian restaurant, African Pandok

Delivering a Christmas card to the Mayor of Saralanj at his home.  Our last trip to a village.

The Mayor and his wife.  We were unannounced.

We took the new Couples with us to the village

Mt Aragats across a snow field.  This is the highest peak in Armenia.  This is true since Mt Ararat is in Turkey.

Artur and Elder Rich digging into the food at Suzanna's home.

Suzanna's son and daughter at their home.

Suzanna and her daughter

Dinner at Anahit's

Anahit and a New Years specialty, a baked pork leg, not a ham.

Dinner at Erik's.  His sister took charge of the cooking, not just another pretty face, but an Armenian cook.

Erik and his father, Ruben

One of the finest families in Armenia, the Gasparian's.  His mother was at a funeral.

A really big tree for an apartment.  Each branch has to be installed.

Presentation is very important.

The Budd girls and some fish.

The Seniors, Rich, Watkins, Ayer, Reading, Loveridge

Christinia had a Family Home Evening,  the cake says Elder and Sister Riches

FHE along with the new Embassy couple, the Hansens

We think this is the best shawrma in Armenia

The meat, chicken and pork,  is cooked on a vertical spit.

The secret is that they are cooking with wood rather than gas.

Korean night at the Budds.  Embassy people do not live in Armenian Apartments.

Justin and Laura Budd and two of their children. They are wonderful people.

Sister Tolman and Sister Boyle, two of the great ones.

Question, can I get another month out of these glasses?

This is the last blog entry that we will do from Armenia.  It is not unusual for the sprint to the end to include trying to make do with something until you get home, in this case a cheap pair of reading glasses.  We have finished all of our projects that can be finished.  We have organized the computer and the office.  We are slowly but surely getting used to the idea that this wonderful adventure is coming to an end.  We have loved every minute of it and eagerly look forward to whatever is next.  We have learned a great deal about the world, ourselves and the Lord during this past 18 months.  We appreciate all of the support our family and friends have given us to make this Mission possible.  We love the Lord and know that He knows us and loves us and for that we are grateful.

Love,

Elder and Sister Rich

November, A Month Of Thansgiving

Time is really flying by.  It seems like just yesterday that we decided to put in our papers to serve a Mission.  The call came to serve in Armenia as the Country Directors over Humanitarian. Our reaction was where is it and what is the job.  We soon found out on both counts.  We have learned to love this land and the wonderful people in it.  Our Mission has given us the opportunity to travel all over Armenia as we check out the needs of the poor and needy and how LDS Charities can help them.  As we are now in the middle of December, 2011 and we only have about a month left, we are saddened.  But, all good things must come to an end.  We have learned that the two of us, working side by side and with the Lord's help, can accomplish anything and really enjoy doing it. 

November is a month when we celebrate Thanksgiving.  We are thankful that we were called to Armenia to help these people. We don't take credit for this work, it is the people around the world that contribute to the LDS Humanitarian funds and the Lord that make it possible. During November, we finished all of the preparation work for a 34 village water project.  The construction on this project will be done during 2012.  We visited and selected the villages.  The needs are great.  Most of them have not had water in their villages for 25 or more years.  This will be a big project.  It will take water to about 50,000 people.  During this past summer, we completed a 33 village project that helped about 55,000 people.  It is a lot of work and a lot of time ridding in the back seat of a bouncy van on really bad roads, but it is really worth it.  We have loved helping these wonderful people.  They are so poor that there is no way that they could do this without help and the government doesn't help these particular villages. To celebrate the end of the 2011 water project, we took all of our crew and their partners to dinner at a really nice Armenian restaurant.

A typical Armenian Party

 

The LDSC Crew

We have to spend a lot of time in the office doing the paper (computer) work that goes along with this work.

Is Elder Rich working or sleeping?

We had President and Sister Schweitzer, the Europe East Area President visiting the Mission.  All of the Seniors went to dinner with them. The cook at the restaurant, George Odo, is a member of our Branch.  He has a rather unique way of cooking Horavatz (BBQ).  He cooks the meat vertically and the drippings fall on the potatoes and vegetables.  He also cooks a lamb stew in lavash (Armenian flat bread).  Both dishes were really delicious.

Elder Watkins admiring the pork Horivatz (BBQ)

This lamb stew was wonderful.

 

The man who really knows how to cook.  He is from Nigeria.

The Rich's are always together, even when they hang up their coats and hats.

We are thankful for our togetherness.

Our normal lunch at the office.  The sandwich costs about 68 cents

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This is a stork condominium.  Apparently they are visiting somewhere south.

It was getting really late in the year to be selecting villages for the new water project.  Winter comes early when you are up high. This village will really enjoy their water.

This small village will enjoy the water next year.  When your car can't make it to the top, you walk.

Goats on a wall was a bit unusual for us.  This is a refugee village.

 

We helped an Eye Doctor with a refractometer in a small city clinic.  This was in Ijevan, which is one of our favorite places in Armenia.

A very happy doctor.  He used the machine over 20 times during the first week.

We love these villages and we are going to miss them.

"You are not in Kansas anymore Toto."  This is a world away.

Thanksgiving Day.  This is an American holiday.  We ate dinner by Zone.  The Missionaries took care of most of the cooking.  Sister Rich tried to get involved with cooking the turkey, but she could tell that the young Missionaries were really looking forward to the adventure of cooking the bird.  We all met at our Branch.  Elder and Sister Jones were with us also.  The new office couple, Jones replacements, Elder and Sister Ayers were also there. It was a lot of fun.

Two very happy Missionaries, Elders Frie and Zebley.  The turkey was really good.

Sisters Crawford and Tillman

 

 

Sisters Brower and Kohler

Elder Frie and Erik

The whole very thankful group.  It was wonderful.

The Seniors went to the Mission Home for a get together.

Back to checking out villages for the 2012 water project.  It would really be nice if it could all be done before the snow hits.  Winter came really early this year.

It is as beautiful in the winter as in summer,  just colder.

A fox looking for a hen house.  We saw several of them on this day.

The tradition is to have all of the Seniors go out for dinner as a couple is leaving.  The Jones were heading back to Nevada.  President and Sister Budd are shown here.  He is a Military Attache with the American Embassy and a councilor in the Mission Presidency.  He and his wife Laura and their four children are a wonderful addition to our Mission.  They live in an American style area in an American style home.  We love them all.

The Watkins and Budds.

LDSC does not do any renovation projects.  For these, we partner with a couple of large NGO's, IRD and Counterpart.  These two worldwide organizations are funded by the U.S. State Department.  We have done several kindergartens with them.  They do the renovation and LDSC provides the materials.  These are great projects.  We normally work on bathrooms and kitchens.  These buildings are usually over 35 years old and the sanitary conditions are deplorable. The children attend kindergarten from 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.  They range in age from 2 to 6 years old. While we don't necessarily agree with the day care concept, we do like to improve conditions for these children.  They are the future of Armenia.

A typical bathroom before renovation.

After renovation.

New stove in renovated kitchen.

The new U.S. Ambassador came to a couple of these closings.

Elder and Sister Rich and the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia

The children put on a program for us.  They were really enthusiastic.

We think that Armenia has some of the most beautiful children that we have ever seen any place in the world. They have really big beautiful eyes and a lot of hair.  They just melt our hearts.

Pres and Sis Carter and the children stacked for their naps.

 

Doesn't she just warm your heart?

During this season of Thanksgiving, we are both thankful that we have been able to serve in this part of the Lord's vineyard and we are thankful for everyone back home who have supported us.  Without them, this would not have been possible.  We are really sorry to see this great adventure winding down.  We love the Lord, we love each other, we love our Mission and we love all of you. 

Elder and Sister Rich