Seasons Greetings from Siberia 2005

BACK (These are Noni’s Parents who are serving a mission in Siberia)

Dear Family and Friends,

Warm and wonderful Seasons Greetings from these two Siberian Snowflakes! As many of you know, we have had the great privilege of serving here in the Russia Novosibirsk Mission for eight months now. As part of our labors we have been asked to serve as the Humanitarian Missionaries for much of Siberia and have done a lot of traveling with this assignment. Names such as Ulan Ude, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, and Barnaul now bring back mental pictures of people that we love and places we have been. Our work allows us to meet with public officials, civic leaders, administrators, organizations, special schools, hospitals, shelters, invalid care centers, and orphanages, as we prayerfully seek out the “poor and needy.” We travel mostly by train, and have spent several days and nights on the Trans Siberian Railroad, which is a whole ‘nother story. Russia is huge. As the sun sets on Russia in the West it is rising on Russia in the East, and Siberia fills up most of the immense middle. The entire United States could fit inside our Mission with lots of room to spare! We are home based in Barnaul where we have the privilege of working with our dedicated Missionaries, Branch leaders, and members, and with many choice new friends.

Winter in Siberia has a beauty of its own. It is tempered for us with sweet memories of Springtime and the pleasant surprise of fragrant apple blossoms that were soon followed with the heat of Summer, and gorgeous flower beds, and endless forests of green. Then came Fall and the Dacha harvest time with crispy leaves and fresh, rain washed air, that has now been replaced with frosted birch forests and snow covered lands like those we have pictured from far away. To actually live here with the enchanting beauty of ice and snow and long Winter nights made warm with many new friendships and activities, and an endless parade of people and furs and coats and hats and new sights and sounds, is memorable indeed. We could go on at great length telling of their culture and talents and training, and of their sincere and warm friendships. It is a privilege to labor among these choice and wonderful sons and daughters of Israel.

And then there are the children, from the tiniest two by two toddlers on up through school children and teenagers all bundled up in warm snow suits, coats, mufflers, mittens, boots and hats of many different shapes and descriptions. The adorable one year olds can barely move as they walk around looking like jolly little colored snowmen with big smiles and rosy cheeks. And even the wee babies are still taken out for fresh air in baby buggies or on small sleds with the precious cargos all wrapped up to the eyes and snuggled in warm blankets with zippered covers and hoods to shed the snow.

We are grateful for the love and support of our family at home, and for the safe arrival of our newest grandson, Jesse Flake VanDerwerken, and that our oldest grandson, Elder Davies, is serving in the Taiwan Taipei Mission. We recognize the special blessing of having Grandpa Keith, still sharing his wisdom, love, and talents with all of us. Our family has been richly blessed during this year.

Amidst all of this, we remember with gratitude the birth of the Son of God, and ponder once more the inspired and prophetic words of scripture: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” We are grateful for His birth, and life, and atoning sacrifice, and for His invitation to come, and follow Him.

Our warmest holiday wishes to you and yours, Elder & Sister Lowry & Maylene Flake