President Pieper said that missionaries serving in Europe East are more deeply touched than those who serve in the rest of Europe. He thinks it's because this area has remained in darkness so long.

Elder Pieper said they took a group of 50 people, journalists, scholars and government people to the open house of the Helsinki temple. Afterward an atheist conducted an interview on the media. He said that he had had an experience that he had never had anything like it before. He had visited the Mormon temple. He said the churches in Russia were dark. People came into them, knelt and there was no light. What he saw in the Mormon temple was light for a future, not only for the individual but for families including ancestors. He said that there is hope that a soul, even mine, and he pointed to himself, can receive salvation. Since his interview the media in Russia have changed.

The ancestors of the Russians are working on their posterity. There were 15 family history centers in Eastern Europe a year ago. Now there are 350. People are clamoring for them. They are having dreams, like a sister who said that her sister appeared in a dream and asked her to do her temple work. Twenty five million Russians died in World War II.

Elder Pieper and his wife befriended a couple a couple years ago. The man is a Colonel and used to aim guns at U.S. planes that came close. One day Elder Pieper felt inspired to invite this man to go with him to a youth conference. After the conference this Colonel said, "Now I have hope for the future of Russia." Eventually his wife called the Piepers to say she thought her husband was ready to listen to the missionaries. When he said he wanted to be baptized a young missionary looked him in the eye and said you can't. This tough old Colonel wanted to know why. The young elder said, "Because you are not ready." This Colonel was not used to having someone in authority talk to him that way and he was upset at the young missionary. However, the old Colonel spent the night in prayer. After that night in prayer he said the elder was right. He wasn't ready. He was baptized and this spring he said he wanted to go to general conference. He attended the Piepers and Elder Pieper sealed him and his wife in the Salt Lake temple and on April 3rd he and his wife had baptisms performed in behalf of their mothers, both of whom had died on an April 3rd.

The Europe East Area covers 11 time zones and extends from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. It's the biggest Area in the church. Elder Pieper has to cover only 9 time zones. He and his family have lived here 10 years now. He said the people in this Area have no hope except in the Church. Everything they have ever hoped for has never come to fruition. Those friends that were baptized wish they had known the gospel earlier. She wishes she would have had 8 children. The people in Eastern Europe love to see our families' pictures. They need to see that fathers are authorities in their homes, because in East Europe women traditionally run the house.

The newly sustained Seventy from the Ukraine is a wonderful man, Elder Pieper said. He was demoted twice by his company, because they didn't want someone with strange beliefs in a high position. Picketing and demonstrations formed outside their Branch meeting place.

Those are some of the things Elder Pieper taught us 22 senior couples as we sat at our tables in a Best Western City Hotel in Sophia, Bulgaria.

We've visited 4 of these Orthodox Churches, including the Armenian Apostolic churches now and they are really dark. They have no pews. People buy candles and light them. They really are like dungeons and the murals are ancient and dim. I'll see what we have for photos and attach one.

more snowmen

David had the idea of a marshmallow snowman toasting a marshmallow. Brigham furthered the idea by making a mini M&Ms fire. Great kids!

Marshmallow snowmen

The kids made these snowmen on our first real snowy day - the day before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving: almost time to dig in!

If it looks like wall to wall food - that's because it was! We had a wonderful meal together and loved every bite! After the meal, at David's suggestion - we each said one thing we were especially thankful for this year. Dade's job was high on the list, as well as living in Maine, family and friends, our home, "42" (that was Adam's - he said it's the meaning of life and the universe), winning the Revolutionary war, Christopher Columbus, and cookies (Ethan's choice). Anyway, it was all great and we are still working on the delicious leftovers. Only 18 pies this year! I think next year on our mission Dad and I will just have pumpkin pie and I will declare the end of personally making so many pies . . . that will probably only last untill we get off our mission! :)

Sue is making a corn chowder and biscuits and Dade just took a chocolate cake out of the oven. It smells heavenly on this fast Sunday (due to our stake conference next weekend). We had a new family of 5 attended church today - the missionaries were so happy - and the family stayed for all 3 hours. They live in Corinth - the elders have been meeting with them for about 2 months. Dad and I met with President Page after meetings today - made some progress on our mission papers. He asked if we'd be willing to go before Christmas and we said we would - we'll see how long the process takes. We may meet with Prsident Hassell next weekend.

Hi everyone - It's a rainy Saturday - Susannah is studying - Dade is reading the newspaper - Laura is making a mask for one of the missionary Elders - Ethan is running around enjoying the sound of his bare feet slapping the bare floor in the kitchen and dining room - the boys are downstairs playing video games - and Jessica is doing some crayon art at the table with Grampy, who is trying to study his scriptures. I made "Nutritious Muffins" for our breakfast this morning - that's the actual name of the recipe - one of my very favorite muffins. Of course - I tripled it like we always do around here nowadays - and there are only 4 or 5 left - so good reviews from the kids. Nutritious Muffins ¾ c. whole wheat flour ¾ c. oat bran ½ c. brown sugar 1 t. baking powder ½ t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon 1/3 c. mashed banana ½ c. plain yogurt 1 egg 2 t. oil 1 t. vanilla ½ c. shredded carrot ½ c. dates or raisins ½ c. chopped walnuts Mix dry ingredients. Mix liquid ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine and sir until combined. Fold in carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Bake in greased muffin tin at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Makes 10-12 muffins YUM!

This is our breakfast schedule which we stick to most of the time:

Sunday - Dry Cereal, Monday - Pancakes or Waffles, Tuesday - Baked Oatmeal, Wednesday - Dry Cereal, Thursday - Eggs & Toast, Friday - Maypo, and Saturday - Muffins & Fruit/Juice or Smoothies. It's kinda fun to have the variety. I get up around 5AM to get the ball rolling in the kitchen and the cooking aroma gets everyone up in a good mood! :)

Brigham and Adam helped at the school with a Spook Alley activity last night and the rest of us played "Apples to Apples" and watched "Song of the South". Susannah made pizzas. First time for me playing the game - I liked it alot. Do you? Of course it can never replace Scrabble as my all time favorite - but it was very fun.

Gram is at the Temple today (Stake bus trip). Dad and I have been asked to speak at Saturday session of Stake Conference next weekend and we go to the Temple Thursday and Friday this week. Life is busy and good. Have a great weekend, everyone.