Christmas dinner with Latvian and Russian friends

Elder & Sister Carson, the CES couple, invited us and some Latvian and Russian friends to dinner at their apartment. Sister Carson fixed chicken cordon bleu and we took a carrot cake (becoming our favorite dessert to share).

In the middle picture is Zane (Latvian for Jane) and her Dad. Zane joined the Church 5-6 years ago and is a great strength to the Branch. Her Dad was baptized in August, after having overcome alcoholism and making dramatic changes in his life. Zane's mother is deceased. Seeing her father baptized was a very joyful day for her.

In the background are Elder and Sister Carson, with Sister Humphrey in the middle.

On the right is Dmitry (Dimi) and on the left is Aleksanders (Sasha), two Russian single adults. Dimi has been a member of the Church for a few years and is a stalwart of the branch. Sasha is a returned missionary.

The young couple on the couch are Janis and Lina. He is Latvian and she is Lithuanian. All of these people speak at least Latvian and Russian. I'm in awe of their linguistic abilities.

Elder and Sister Jacques are next to Zane and her Dad. They are from Rexburg ID and have been serving here since September. They are a delightful couple and doing a great work here. The blonde next to them is Sveta, a returned missionary. She is teaching President Dance to speak Russian. She is the Russian Branch Relief Society president and a great strength to that branch.


I don't suppose I will ever get used to being surrounded by Russian people, hearing Russian being spoken. When I was raising my children in Walla Walla, and even 2 years ago, I never would have expected to be in this place, having these experiences.