In Memorium

It was the summer of 1940.  A dark chapter in Estonian history began in earnest.  A year earlier, the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop pact had been signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.  It was promoted as a non-aggression agreement, but there was a secret protocol that divided up the territories of Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence.  Less than a month after the pact was signed, Germany invaded Poland and thus started a domino effect where subsequently all of these countries were annexed.  During Stalin's "Reign of Terror", the Soviet Union deported over 30,000 people from Estonia to Siberia.  They were mostly women and children.  Anyone connected with politics, government, military or other persons of influence were summarily rounded up with little or no warning and given only a few minutes to pack a suitcase and then shipped in boxcars across the vast stretches of Russia.  Many others were imprisoned in jails where torture and neglect were a daily routine. For many, their lands and property were confiscated and never returned to them. It is estimated that Estonia lost over 17.5 % of its population during the purge.  In the late 1950s, they were allowed to return home.  Many never returned, having died in captivity.  

On March 25th every year, the memory of these lost loved ones is commemorated with a candlelit display at the Vabaduse väljak (Freedom Square) in the center of Tallinn.  We viewed the display with a feeling of reverence.  In the background we could hear a recording of some very sad-sounding music - a crying cello.  People talked in hushed tones.  I am humbled to live among these noble and precious people.  It is amazing to me that so many people from the "Land of the Free" think that socialism/communism is the way to go.  If we do not study history, we are bound to repeat it.

The pattern is in the shape the country of Estonia

Oh, the places you'll go!  . . . Dr. Seuss

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an orthodox cathedral in the Tallinn Old Town, Estonia. It was built in a typical Russian Revival style between 1894 and 1900, during the period when the country was part of the Russian Empire.  It is dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky who in 1242 won the Battle on the ice on Lake Peipus, in the territorial waters of present-day Estonia. 

In a future post, I will show you the inside of this magnificent and historical edifice.

Want fresh squeezed orange juice?  Many stores here have a solution.  Just pick a plastic bottle, turn on the machine, and watch it squeeze the juice out of the oranges, right in front of you.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are highly prized in Estonia.  The less processing of the food, the better.












This is a memorial to those who were engaged in battle during WWII.  Each pillar is dedicated to the 15 counties or parishes of Estonia.  

This giant sword commemorates the St. George uprising in 1343 when Estonians attempted to drive out all the Danish and German rulers and landlords.  The initial skirmish was successful, but an invasion by the Teutonic Order succeeded in squashing the rebellion.  In 1346, the Duchy of Estonia was sold to the The Teutonic Order for 19,000 köln marks by the king of Denmark.

St. George Uprising in 1343

Some of the things we get to participate in are activities that can bring a little bit of home for the young missionaries who are, for the most part, living away from home the first time.  Here is Sister Dean celebrating her 20th birthday.  She accomplished her task of blowing out a single candle in a tub of ice cream in a most splendid manner.

On Sunday, we had the annual Tallinn Branch conference.  Afterwards, a group photo was taken.  Quite a few people were missing.  We normally have a few more than this attending.  We love these people so much.

In almost every foreign mission in the world, we can find traces of America.  Here, nestled between the two towers of the main gate to Old Town, you can see, in subdued colors, the widely known golden arches of McDonald's: Old World meets New World.  

Why wouldn't we see some Americans enjoying a taste of Americana?

Every once in awhile, on a preparation day . . .

Actually in this picture, besides the Americans, there is a Ukrainian, a Brazilian and a South African.

Have I mentioned that I love my job?

Eggs are not refrigerated here.  There is no need for it.  Government regulations in America, and in some other countries, require that the eggs you buy at the store have to be washed clean and then packaged.  The washing, however, removes the protective film (cuticle) from the shell and makes it susceptible to invasion from bacteria (salmonella, for one) and so they must be refrigerated.  In Estonia, the cuticle is not washed off.  So basically, when eggs are packaged, they are simply taken from the hen and placed in a carton and sent to the store as is.  So sometimes when you buy eggs, you get a reminder of just how fresh they are.  Sometimes a feather and sometimes something else.  But always good eggs that have rich yolks.

Farm fresh (feather included)

Every Thursday, the district serves at the food bank.  This has been a topic in the blog before, so I won't say much more about it other than we get to meet all kinds of people that are in need.  The added blessing of working side-by-side with such good company is a plus.  Here are our wonderful Sister Missionaries (all the along the back with a couple of member girls in front).

On one of our errands, we decided to walk home instead of riding the bus.  We walked over what remains of the moat that surrounded Old Town long ago, so basically, the back side of Old Town.  There was an opening in the trees and I captured this shot.  Notice the very old stonework to build the massive walls, that in some places, are 16 feet thick.  What an interesting place we live in with so much history. These walls, if they could speak, would tell you stories of war, conquest, defeat, thriving commerce and a hearty people with an indomitable spirit.  

In case you didn't notice, there is still snow and ice on the ground.  The rain over the last couple of days is finally putting and end to it, but we can't really say that with any real confidence.  We have more snow in the forecast.

And finally, we host a young single adult Family Home Evening on Sunday nights.  In addition to some socializing and an inspirational lesson, there has to be a place for cookies.  I used this picture on Facebook to lure them here.  I love my job.

World famous white chocolate and macadamia

Grand Central Station

This week was a transfer end and beginning.  We lost four of our most senior missionaries who ended their missions with honor and have returned home.  However, to replace them, we received four Estonian missionaries and one Russian missionary from the MTC as well as one additional Russian sister and two additional Russian missionaries from other places.  With so many people coming and going and using our apartment as a holding place while who goes where with whom is all figured out, it felt like Grand Central Station in New York.

We wouldn't have it any other way.  We love their youthful enthusiasm and energy and are just happy they have a place to come and re-energize.  Before all this happened, we had our last district meeting together before everyone started going away.  It was a sobering moment as we realized that this unique blend of personalities and talent would not be together again like this in this lifetime.  Of course we had to get a group picture for posterity.

The Narva Elders on a Skype call with us.

By the way, two of these elders (on the right) were here when we left the mission back in November of 2017 and are now ready to go home.  Everyone else is new to us.  Following our meeting, we hosted a luncheon for the district with some homemade stuffed potato soup and cornbread.  I think they liked it (smiles all around).

On Friday, we met again with new district members to have a phone conversation with Pres. Pokhilko.  We came fasting to be prepared for what he was about to tell us.  To give us perspective, he had someone read the dedicatory prayer that Pres. Nelson gave back in 1990 to open the land of Estonia for the preaching of the gospel.  He wanted to have a dedication prayer for the next 6 weeks for Satan to be held and to dedicate ourselves to the work.  He asked that I offer that prayer.  Afterwards, he compared our work to seeing the Red Sea, like Moses, but then to expect it to be parted, even for just 6 weeks that we might accomplish wonderful things and that we would be changed forever because of it. 

Later that day, they had a contacting activity which happened to be International Women's Day.  We made little cards with a candy attached for them to hand out to women and girls as they walked by.  The card says:

Happy Women's Day

Come and get to know God's love

[address of the church and when it starts]  

It is signed: A servant of Jesus Christ

We made over 100 of them in different colors and different kinds of candy.  On the backside was the same thing, but in Russian.  It was a lot of fun.

Today was the branch conference in Narva.  We tagged along as I am a counselor in the district presidency.  For those unfamiliar with Narva, you may learn more from this link here.  After every conference, our district president always asks for a group photo.  I threw my camera into the mix.  Here's what I got.

Funny thing happened during the sustaining of church leaders.  One of the attendees was an investigator who, we think, may have been in touch with some other spirits (the kind in a bottle) and surprised us as she spoke right out loud, "Who are these people?  I can't sustain them if I don't know who they are."  Since it was all in Russian, I didn't know what she said until afterwards.  Things are different out in the field. 

I love what I get to do here - to be involved in something so much bigger than myself.  I am surrounded by excellent young missionaries who are the best the church has to offer.  I am so blessed.

Estonia Zone Conference . . . in Latvia?  
We had our zone conference in the Riga chapel.  That meant shipping all missionaries in Estonia on a 4.5 hour bus trip to Latvia the day before. 

The young missionaries stay with Latvian based missionaries and Õde Allred and I stayed at the Gertrude Hotel that sits right behind the chapel on the next block (we stayed here on our last night in the mission back in 2017).  Elder Golden from the area presidency, came to visit.  He invited a few to bear short testimonies.

Our Tallinn sisters were great to share.  Afterwards, we eat a catered meal (Chinese in a box) with fruit and honey cake on the side.  Yum.

Sisters Durfee, Smith-Driggs and Tullis reunite for one last time before Durfee and Tullis return home this week.


Every week we try to plan a district contacting activity.  It is usually in an area where lots of people will be walking by.  This week was at Tammsaare Park.  The sky was clear and the sun was shining, so that can mean only one thing this time of year -- cold, very, very cold.  Here are a few pics of the activity.

Elders Mosher & McQuivey

Sister Goodell talking it up

Sisters Smith-Driggs & Mishchenko

One of the things that the young missionaries do here is to help with activities for the youth.  Here we have Elder Rau with some youth from the branch making alfredo chicken pizza in our kitchen.  It was really good.

The sisters are good at meeting many people on the street or on the bus and they gather into the gospel net "fish of all kinds".  They met a woman at her pasta shop who is Vietnamese.  Her English was limited, so the sisters arranged for her to be taught her first lesson via Skype with sister missionaries serving in Vietnam.  How cool is that?

Sisters Goodell & Smith-Driggs assist an investigator using Skype

This year, 2019, is the year when the national song and dance festival will be held (this is the BIG one that is only held every five years and will be the first week of July).  We went Saturday night to scout out the Tallinna Lauluväljak (Tallinn Song Festival Grounds) for our upcoming Monday activity as some of the missionaries had never been there.  We went at night and took this picture.  This is like sacred ground for Estonians, especially LDS Estonians.  It was here in 1990, that Elder Russell M. Nelson, dedicated the land for the preaching of the gospel.  Little did anyone here know that the very next year they would be free from the Soviet Union and would be able to reestablish their independence.  I've read that the shell holds 15,000 people and the grounds can hold 100,000.  Hearing the music that comes from that many singers is thrilling and breathtaking. The songs of Estonia are both patriotic and cultural in nature.  There is a great national pride in their music.  We don't even know what the words mean, but they fill our eyes with tears.

Snow-covered for now, but will be green and lush by July.  Downtown in the background