February 19, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

We all love that Primary song, "Once There was a Snowman, tall, tall tall". After my experience on Saturday, I think I will change it to "I Want to be a Snowman, fall, fall, fall". We had a snow storm on Saturday that gave us about 10 inches of new snow in Vanadzor in about 6 hours when it finally stopped. Of course, that didn't stop us from keeping our appointments. However, by the time we got there, we did look like snowmen. That evening, our last appointment was at 6:30. I really thought that the elders would cancel that one because it is on the top of a mountain side (like Stan's house for those of you in Logan). But our missionaries are like Helaman's Army so we took a cab up the mountain on this narrow road. About 2/3's way up, the cab couldn't make it so the elder's let the cab leave us and told us that we would hike up to our appointment's home. Those Idaho missionaries are hard workers and determined. There was a small path up the side of the mountain that is faster than the road so we took that. One missionary was the leader, my sweetheart is second, I am third and the other missionary was behind to help me if I need it or fell. Half way up, I had to stop to rest but then kept climbing. Climbing up several flights of stairs to our appointments and to our 4th floor appointment paid off and I made it. The view over the valley at twilight was beautiful as you could see a white, crystal clear little village as you looked town.

We knocked on the door and no one was home. He had gone to town and had forgotten about our appointment. So we started down which started with 3 flights of outdoor metal stairs that were straight down. That lead to the huge straight hill we had had to climb up that looked even steeper going down. I tripped and fell twice as we ventured down. That great part is that my coat is like a big sleeping bag so I didn't get hurt except for laughing so hard that my sides hurt. It reminded me of when I was a little girl making snow angels. An elder helped me up both times. Unfortunately, when he fell two times later down the hill, I couldn't help him up because he jumped up so fast because his companion was laughing at him. I guess he had teased his companion earlier that week when he fell so felt like he was getting even. When the cab came back to pick us up, some of us looked like snowmen before we brushed off for our next two appointments.

For Family Home Evening at an appointment, I had made some cards to use to play the matching game with the Plan of Salvation. I had had to write them in Armenian so they could read them and match them. We don't have colored paper here, so I had to tear pages out of a notebook I have. The house was so cold that one of the ladies was wearing gloves and we could see our breathe. It is the little things you miss like heat or plain or colored 8x11 size paper with markers that write. When they got a match, I had a bowl of candy in which they got to pick their favorite kind. The game was so exciting for them that the 30 year old brother even came in to play. They are such a happy people. Next time you use or enjoy the little things, be grateful.

I love how they are so warm and friendly at church. When you go in, the sisters all hug and kiss each other on the cheek. The brothers all shake hands and kiss each other on the cheek if they know each other very well. They always ask each other how they are doing and usually answer "shot love" which means very good. Even on teaching appointments when we go in, I shake hands with the men and hug and kiss the ladies on the cheek and ask how they are. We do the same hugging, kiss on cheek and shaking hands when we leave as we tell them good bye. On the street, the couples always walk with the women's arm linked to the men's. Most of the time two women or girls walking together link arms. You also see a lot of men or boys walking with their arms linked together. Here it is strange if you don't. One of our elders was telling a new missionary that he needed to do it with him when he was training him, but the new elder said, "I just couldn't do it." Of course, the trainer was just teasing him. It is nice to see how they are not afraid to show affection to each other as their tradition.

In church today, three sisters got up to sing a special musical number. They sang," I Need Thee Every Hour". On the chorus, everyone in the audience sang along. It is a song they all love and is usually sung 3 times at least a month. They also love to sing Come, Come Ye Saints and Silent Night year around. They sing at the top of their lungs with great love and enthusiasm. What is nice is to be able to sing along in English or Armenian and everyone thinks is great just as long as you sing and enjoy the music with them. They love music. So next time there is a special number, feel free to sing along and think of us in Armenia as we think of you all so often.

Love, Your Armenian Senior Couple:)

February 14, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

I understand that most of you are experiencing an different kind of winter this year. You need not worry any longer. I have found your winter weather and it is in Armenia. We got 12 inches of snow this last week to add to what we already had. Everyone here is saying that this winter is colder and with more snow than normal year for them. I didn't dare tell them that it is because I brought it all with me from America. One absolutely wonderful thing about the snow is that now the roads and walk way paths are covered with packed down snow instead of ice. It is really a joy for all of us which seems silly I know. But here, it really is the little things that mean a lot when you are used to snow plowed roads and sidewalks. Here all the bumps are filled in with snow for smoother walking and riding.

We entertained our first visitor from Bountiful, Utah on Saturday night. He was Patriarch Rodgers, along with the Mission President Carter, his wife and their driver. You are probably wondering why President Carter didn't just drive. It was because they were on a 5 day trip in the worst snow storm that Armenia has seen for several years. They went to the country of Georgia and a mountain village at one of the highest points here along with their other cities. As they were coming down from this village, Sister Carter told the driver to feel free to slow down as needed. He told her to close her eyes tight and pray. Patriarch Rodgers comes 3 times a year for two weeks to give blessings to Russia and eastern Europe. It is very rare to be able to get the blessing since he can only give 3 or 4 at a time usually at each city since there are so many that want them and such limited time. He got his doctorate at Yale and eventually taught Russian at BYU for 30 years. The first time he got to use his Russian was as a mission president for 3 years after he retired. He said he was so excited to see all the things he had taught about and meet the Russian people.

After 5 days on the road in the worst storm of the season and eating out in restaurants, the hot homemade potato soup, bread, salad, juice and cakes tummies. Everything in Armenia runs late so we thought that would be a good thing that we could keep warm until they got here. It was delightful to talk to someone from Utah that spoke English without a translator.

In the middle of this last week, we went out to teach a family at one of the villages. It was snowing, windy and freezing so walking part of the way was inspiring after the cab dropped us off. When we got there, they had warm milk with a bowl of sugar for us to sweeten it with to drink. Now, I am not a big fan of warm milk but it was wonderful all the way down. The milk was the best I have tasted since I got here. It was really creamy like the kind I used to drink as a child. I am not sure since we were in the village if it was fresh from a cow since it didn't taste like the milk (either Russian or Armenian) we usually get from the store. After our lesson, the sister was sharing with us some of her struggles in life at this time. She really does have it hard with her sweetheart just dying a few months ago along with her family and their children. She wasn't really complaining but was trying to teach us a new way to pray. She said that she closes her prayers in the name of Joseph Smith or Thomas Monson because they are righteous men and they will help take her prayers to Heavenly Father better than she can. She even thought that because Brother Griffiths and I are longtime members of the church and on a mission that Heavenly Father would listen to our prayers and answer them over her prayers because she has only been in the church for 3 years. We had a hard time convincing her that we are all Heavenly Father's children and he loves us all the same. We tried to convince her a fervent prayer from the heart is all she needs to do and that he would hear that prayer just as much as anyone else’s. We taught her that he knows her and loves her and that is waiting for her prayers so he can bless her with the desires of her heart that are best for her. In the end, we were able to teach her that it is not different for Joseph Smith, Thomas Monson or her to pray. Just keep the commandments to have the spirit with you and keep praying to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. She seemed very relieved but a little disappointed that President Monson or Joseph Smith couldn't give her the inside edge on answering her prayers.

That night we had an appointment to teach back out by that village at 7:30. It was still very windy and cold but the work always goes on. My sweetheart was calling the elders to see where to meet on the mar/shoot/knee route so we could finish walking together when he dropped his phone. It fell completely apart and would not turn back on. We had no way to contact anyone and tell them our problem so my sweetheart emailed the President to tell him to have them call us. We didn't know that the President at that time was on the road so we just waited. We were thinking that if this was a night to drop the phone it was a good one because we didn't have to experience frost bite that night or the elders we were supposed to meet. Well, about 10:15 that night, our door bells starts to ring. It is the Zone Leaders who we were supposed to meet. They phoned into the President (who had finally got to his motel which didn't have the internet) each night when all the missionaries are safely in. Our other two sets of missionaries had been trying to get a hold of us also to set up appointments for the next day. We usually don't call in because we are seniors but since we didn't call them to set up a place to meet and no one could get a hold of us, they told the President. He asked them to bundle up, find a cab (which is hard at night) and go out to find us(the lost sheep). My sweetheart showed them the phone and they showed him how to hold down the red button to turn it on. "and a little child or elder shall lead them". We fed them cake for their efforts and we felt bad that they had had to get out in the cold. We put them in a cab and they called us when they got home. With this parable of the Lost Senior Couple Sheep, I will close with my love to each and a wish for a Happy Valentine’s Day which we don't have here so eat some extra candy for me.

Your Senior Armenian Couple:)

February 5, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

We just in back to our apartment after a two day adventure in Vanadzor. It is always, as close as it can be at this, like going to visit Logan for a couple of days since it is a small town with beautiful mountains closely surrounding it. The branch is very friendly and make you feel like family like our ward back home. It was very cold this time including the hotel where we stayed. The little bit of warmth in the shower and the church were the only warm spots on this trip due to a cold front and recent windy snow storm. In fact, on the way home we passed snow drifts where they were craving the road out higher than 6 feet. We felt very blessed to have our heat still on when we got home; It has been shutting off quite often if we are not here to charge the "boxie" twice a day when the water comes on. That is the box on the wall of our kitchen that heats our water and our hot water radiators in the rooms. We have two little portable heaters about the size of 12 inch circle. One is next to the computer and the other one is in the bathroom since it does not have heat. When we got home, both of us were freezing so my sweetheart took the heater in the bathroom and I took the one next to the computer. At this point in my letter, my toes are toasty and warm and am able to take off my coat.

I really feel guilty about sharing our discomfort with you except I wanted you to understand the empathy for the family we visited first in Vanadzor yesterday. It was a grandma, her son and his wife and their 3 year old and 9 month old daughter. When we were visiting with them, I could see the little 9 month old daughter breathe in the air. They had turned off the gas and the electric in their apartment because they weren't able to pay their bill. The husband teaches music lessons and hadn't been able to find work enough to pay the bills. He is hoping to play with the army band this spring as a permanent job but right now things are really tight for them. As we visited with them, the grandma shared with us that they were so grateful that they still had water. The grandma is a member and we are teaching the daughter in law. Everyone was so positive and happy with their extra warm clothes on inside. I was thinking of them that night in the hotel with two little girls in the cold and dark trying to feed them what little food they had and entertaining them. The people here are so resilient. It is like they are in the wilderness and this the way life is here. I am learning many great and important lesson from them.

I was writing my newsletter and my sweetheart came into the living room and said we have to leave and be north of town to meet the elders in 30 minutes. I jumped up and dressed since I was in my pj's since it was 7:30 at night and no one had called. The missionaries have to be in by 9:00 and there is usually a transportation factor that needs to be figured into that time deadline. I am getting good at dressing in missionary clothes quickly and bundling up with coat, scarf and gloves. We were out the door in 10 minutes. We were able to find a cab and my sweetheart remembered how to give him directions to where we needed to go. As we pulled up to the spot where we had agreed to meet, there were two red faced with cold elders waiting for us. We were on time but they had come 10 minutes early. They jumped in our cab and we rode for 10 more minutes close to our appointment. When we got out it was another 10 more minutes of walking in the cold and dark to find the right building. It is always a pleasant surprise when you knock on the door and it is the right place.

We were teaching a member's mother. She told us for 5 years I have gone with my daughter on the same marshootknee to town. She would get off at the church and I would go shopping. I have watched how she lives and how it has changed her life. I want a life like that so could you teach me about the church. It taught me to remember how important our example is to everyone including our family. She had come to church that day and the teacher taught about the Tree of Life. The teacher had given the class paper and pencils to draw what she was talking about as she taught. She proudly showed us her picture and told us that she wanted to be at the top eating the fruit and not in the other places. I thought it was a really good way to teach the Tree of Life as a lesson. Paper and pencils are precious here so I was really impressed. When we got home we warmed up our dinner and changed back into pj’s. Ah, the life of a missionary.  It is never dull:)

Speaking of by your example, you are a light to others. I wanted to tell you (my sweetheart just came into the room to tell me the sister are coming in 20 minutes so I will have to make this quick-this has been a super busy week as this is my first time to write since Sunday). Do you remember about the bride I wrote you about recently who was baptized a couple of weeks ago? We went with the elders over to teach her and her 8 years old nephew who was baptized with her the other night. The elders had been asking us to come with them to teach them but we had been already busy or in Vanadzor. Eventually, the family had been asking for us to come. I took some leftover brownies from district meeting with me. We were teaching for about 20 minutes when there was a knock on the door. It was the bride's father who had wanted to me us. We figured out later that this must have been the reason that they kept asking for us to come. She had told us that she had wonderful parents and he was a very friendly man and very humble at the same time.

The father had come over to meet us and to see what kind of people we were. He came from a large family of 5 boys and 4 girls which was the size of our family so that was a plus in our behalf. He and his wife had two children. One was a son who was in the army for two years. His time is up in November of this year. His daughter was of course the bride we had just baptized. His wife is an invalid and is sick in bed most of the time. He said that since his daughter got married, life is pretty lonely at his house. He has a dog that he loves and is just like a member of the family that helps keep him company. He got out his pictures to show us his dog. Everyone in Armenia has pictures with them to show you their family and things that are important to them and they want to see yours. My sweetheart loves the mountains, so after admiring his beautiful dog and showing him pictures of Toby and Charlie, he commented on the mountains in the picture. There was an instant bond between these two men. They were soul brothers! He invited my sweetheart to come to the mountains to see his mountain cabin and hike this summer. The conversation continued on their love of the mountains. As we left that night, he agreed to come to Family Home Evening at our house with his family to learn more about our church. He was so impressed by the example of his daughter and her love for the gospel and the Book of Mormon that he wanted to know more. My sweetheart just came to get me to tell me that the sisters are running late so now we are supposed to meet them at our appointment. Onward, ever onward as we glory in His name.

We love you, Your Senior Missionary Couple in Armenia

January 29, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

Today was a special day for our branch in Gyumri because we had our 5 new missionaries in this area bear their testimonies. My sweetheart, myself and the zone leader were the only missionaries left that have been here for two months. The president moved the sisters from Vandazor (our other area) on Thursday. They were really excited to see such a strong branch compared to what they have been used to. The members were so excited to have sisters as they haven't had any for two years. Two of the male missionaries have been out for at least a year. One will be a zone leader and the other will be our district leader here. He will be training a new missionary that just came out 3 days ago from the MTC. He is just terrified would be the best way to describe him.

All the other missionaries know the language well and have been out for at least a year. They are at the stage where they are not sure if they want to go home because it feels like home here. He is at the stage of what have I got myself into. I barely can understand the language and I want to go home where I am safe and things are normal. All of us missionaries can identify with him and within a couple of months, he'll be one of us:)

It was really had to let the three missionaries go that trained us and have been working with us. They are our fathers (your trainers in missionary talk) It was almost like losing my sons again when we left to go on our mission as we left our home in Logan. The good news is that I will get to see them again here in the mission. They are incredible missionaries that were strong in the gospel. strong language skills, their testimonies and love for the people. They were great examples for my sweetheart and I to follow and learn from. Whenever I would get discouraged when we first got here, I would look at them and think to myself that if a 20 year old can do all that is required here surely I can at least 50% to try to keep up with them at my age.

During transfer day (Thursday) for the missionaries, my sweetheart and I had a free day. I decided to be brave and try the beauty shop on my own. My sweetheart dropped my off and went shopping which he loves to do except that it was snowing outside and he was going to the outdoor market. The lady that colored my hair last time remembered me and went right to work. I showed her the ends of the boxes of the color that she used last time and she smiled and said chay (no) that she didn't need to look at them. I thought to myself that she really has a great memory. While I was waiting for my hair to process, they had a lady who spoke English from the cafe next door come and tell me that they didn't have hot water to rinse my hair with and that they would get some from the cafe. So they brought in bucket after bucket to get ready to rinse my hair with when it was ready. She finally called me over to have it rinsed. It reminded me of water in a very, very hot whirl pool. At first I thought I would scream, and then I thought to myself of how often do you get to feel really hot in Armenia and endured it well.

When I sat back up after having my hair rinsed, I was really surprised to see a much, much older version of Pippi Longstockings looking back at me in the mirror. That would be the color of my hair close to the scalp about an inch or two and dark brown with red highlights for the rest. The girl was thrilled with how it turn out and knew I would love it. It is quite a surprise every time I see it in the daylight in the mirror. I have Senior Council in Yerevan tomorrow so they will get to see the new and improved me. My new motto for having my hair colored here is from a modified version of a saying from Forest Gump’s' mother. Having your hair colored here is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get:) The good news is that my sweetheart could enjoy his shopping trip because it only cost $7.00 to get your hair done here so there was plenty of money for him to spend.

I miss you all and hope your day is colored with lots of sunshine and smiles.

Love, Your Senior Armenian Couple

January 23, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

I am taking advantage of this window of internet service and hoping it won't go down before I send it. This is the fourth time to try today. I have great news about the bride I wrote you about last week. They were able to get their marriage license last week and she proudly showed it to all of us when we went into the home. She has finished all the lessons along with the 8 year old nephew in the home. The district leader interviewed them and they will both be baptized on Wednesday. I was really impressed with our last visit at the questions she was asking about the church and the Book of Mormon. She is helping her new nephew to understand as well. She was asking us if after she was baptized, she should go to the branch president and ask for a calling in the Primary or wait for him to come to her. She loves children so I am sure it would be a great place for her but there are only at the most 10 children in the Primary including the nursery if everyone comes. There is a great feeling in that little Primary. I will never forget how generous they are each time we teach them with their food. I know that they don't have much but always insisted on putting out food for us and us eating the food. These are truly a very generous and sharing people.

We visit a new family that afternoon that the elders had met on the street. Their son was in the living room on the couch as he had just had a nose operation due to his nose being bent. I told him that we were very familiar with that operation as some of our children had had it. He looked a little different though as he had white adhesive tape across his forehead, down his nose and across his nose. He looked like he was in pain. In Armenia, men go into the Armenian Army when they are 19 for two years. It is required and he wanted it done before he left. He couldn't join us for cookies, fruit and candy but ate some warm soup. They all seemed very excited about the gospel including him as he had studied about churches in school.

We met with a member and her daughter next who are very active. They have been members for several years. They have family that live in Glendale, California. They would love to go to be with them, but cannot since it is very hard to get a visa. Their family in Glendale send them money to help support them as that is the Armenia way. If I have a good job in America, I will bless your family too because we are family. You would do it for me if the situation was reversed. Her and her husband want to go on a senior mission someday. Her scriptures are well used and you can tell she loves them with all her heart.

 When we left the member's home, we took a mar/shoot/knee to our next visit. It was a new route that we had never used before and the last thing the elders said was "Are you sure you will be ok"? We confidently reassured them we would be fine after all it had been two months since we got here. We were breezing down the road enjoying the new area we were in with the few lights that were lite along the way. All of a sudden the mar/shoot/knee died and the driver pulled it over slowly to the side of the road before it stopped. There was one other man on it with us. As they try to communicate with us, they found out we are Americans with almost no language skills. They signaled us to stay seated while they worked the problem. If we tried to get off, they would signal us again it will be ok and stay seated. After about 15 minutes of trying, a car much small than the van pulls up and they hook a rope tow to the bumper. They reassure us again and off we go down the road being towed on the mar/shoot/knee route to our stop. They wanted to make sure that they had taken good care of us and got us where we needed to be. The man that was riding the mar/shoot/knee with us got off at our stop also as he had gotten us to our stop and could now find his way home. I feel well cared for here by everyone even complete strangers.

We met with our other set of elders and headed off for about a 3 or 4 block walk to our next appointment. It was a mom and her daughter who were members. They were bright, fun loving and happy. The mother shared with us about her experiences at being a bride going into her husband's home. She laughed as she told us how hard it was since there were 3 other brothers which meant 3 other brides. Eventually, they all moved out and she endured getting the family home. The parents had both died and 3 years ago her sweetheart had had a stroke. She has been caring him in their home the last three years. We talked a lot about faith and she shared some funny stories. She talked about her job. She said. "I thought to myself, I have a brain and no phone. My boss has no brain and a phone." The next day as she was walking down the street, she found a phone just like his. She felt like the Lord had answered her prayers and helped her. I asked them about how come they were both so happy and had such positive attitudes. They said that it was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that had made them so happy. They were very sincere when they said it. On the bumpy ride home, I thought about what they had said and how often I have just taken it for granted and not felt the joy that they felt. It is like water, I have never really appreciated it before. Life is full of wonderful treasures that I am learning to love and notice, but I have to agree with them that the gospel is the greatest as it includes of all I treasure and hold dear in my life that bring me the greatest joy.

All our love, your Armenian Senior Couple Missionaries

January 17, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

Dearest Loved Ones;

Today is grandpa's birthday. He has been gone since September and we really missed him even though we are far away from home. We talked for a long time today about some of our favorite memories of him. It was kind of like spending some time with him. It is hard to believe that he won't be there to meet us at the airport when we get home. However, sometimes it almost feels like at times, he is here with us. It will be interesting when we get to the other side of the veil, to ask him about it or if we just had hope in our hearts that he was getting to share some it with us.

I had to close this email and go teaching as we got a phone call from the elders so it is now the next day. It has been a busy one as we had a cab pick us up to go to Vanadzor at 9:30 for district meeting. We had a surprise for the missionaries over there. We had made them a taste of home- Brother Griffiths homemade chili, salad (cukes, tomatoes and cabbage since there is no lettuce this time of year), cake from bakery, Armenian juice that you can buy that is wonderful and of course, 4 big loaves of flat bread bigger that a pizza. So it wouldn't spill, my sweetheart engineered a travel box due to the bumpy roads for the hour trip. He put the chili in bottles with very tight canning lids and then into a container that would seal. We were very pleased that there were no spills especially since when we got there, we had the assistants to feed also. 12 hungry missionaries and one cab driver were super excited for the meal and did not even leave one little bread crumb. We cleaned up as quickly as we could and hurried back over to Gyumri to our district meeting over here. We finally got home about 4:30. I just heard the water come on, I will be right back. I had some darks that needed to be washed and we were gone last night teaching during water turn.

The family we taught last night was combined with a Family Home Evening. The family consists of a mother, the father just died 6 months ago, a daughter and her two boys which are 10 and 8, a 18 month old little girl whose mother (a daughter) is a journalist working in Yerevan to support the family 7 days a week from 10 to 8 while they babysit her. The son just got married a month ago. That means that his bride moved into the house with the rest of them a month ago. It is a tradition that the bride brings with her bed and a closet with her clothes which is about 20 feet long and 10 feet high and has room for all their personal things for the years to come. They have applied for the official marriage license a month ago and now need to go back and pay for the official paper to show that they are really married by the government. It only cost about $10 for it but they usually don't worry about it and just live together. However, these are members of the church. He has been inactive but now because he married, he has introduced her to the church. She is taking the lessons along with one of the grandsons. She is very interested in the church and wants to join. She is going to church, reading the Book of Mormon and taking the lessons.

Let me tell you a little about her life now. She fell in love with this handsome young man and they decided to get married. She moves in with this family and will stay in this home the rest of her life because he is the only son so it will be his home when the mother dies. They will raise their family there. The mother will teach her how to care for her family with the garden and fruit to preserve for the winter. She will teach her how to cook and clean the way their family likes. She calls her mother-in-law, "mom" because that is her mom now. We had a lesson for Family Home Evening and then a beet, onion and carrot salad, hot homemade bread she is learning to make daily, fried scones, juice that she learned how to prepare along with the desserts we brought from the bakery. The company is always the honored guests and gets the best plates and eats first. Afterwards, My sweetheart played chess with the ten year old while grandma helped him and the other grandson played backgammon with an elder. I helped (against much protesting) clear the table and played with the little girl. I tried to help with the dishes but they wouldn't let me saying that that is now Gayonee's job. (the bride). The sister missionaries talk about it like the bride becomes a slave. But I think that it is their tradition that more that she is to learn and some day after she will be the mother-in-law keeping the family support system going. They are extremely dedicated to their families and the family unit. It is almost like an oath. The joy that they get when they are able to go to the temple as a family and be sealed is so over-whelming for them. Life just couldn't get better. Well, there goes the phone and I am on my way. I will hang up my wash when I return.

I love you and miss you, The Griffiths Armenian Seniors:)

January 12, 2012 - Sister Griffiths

It seems like the last time I wrote you it was New Year’s Eve and there were fireworks going off all over the city that we were viewing from our apartment window. Father Winter comes to visit the children on New Year’s Eve with a few toys while they are sleeping. I haven't heard about any other gifts given except for the children and a few of the high school youth. I think for the rest of Armenian it is food. The women start preparing it a week before New Year’s Day because it takes so much preparation. It has to be already New Year’s Day to put on the New Year Table. The tradition is to make things like dolma, which is either hamburger, chicken or pork mixed with grated carrots, onions and spices wrapped in either grape leaves or cabbage and cooked in a large pot with stewed tomatoes. They are both really good but I think that I like the cabbage one the best. I probably tasted 10 different dolma's last week.

They usually have several different salads, crepes filled with cheese, meat or omelet like eggs rolled up and deep fried, which is one of my favorite things. They have chicken shredded after cooked and mixed with carrots and mayo and then deep fried in a corn meal coating. There is always mixed nuts which are always raw, dried fruit, plates of jerky and sausage, cheese, and lots of bread and lawash. They have plates of homemade desserts that look like they came from a fancy bakery. This is all served with homemade juice that they bottled this summer that you toast the New Year in with. It is all spread out with their best dishes and glasses on a fancy table cloth and fancy napkins in a beautiful holder.

It reminds me a lot of our Thanksgiving except for one little catch. How would you like to have Thanksgiving for one week? It is the biggest holiday time of the year. What happens is that family, friends and neighbors all visit each other and eat some of the food on the New Year’s table during that week. People save up for it all year like we save up to buy Christmas presents only they buy food. All the stores, restaurants, government buildings. schools or closed from New Year’s Eve until January 7th. We ate at several New Year’s tables and the food was wonderful except it was like going to 3 Golden Corrals a day for a week. Some people were very poor and only had nuts, dried food and soda while others had a buffet but they all had something on their table. We went to one home that had 6 children that were very poor. I am sure the children were told not to eat the food on the table as it was for the visitors that stop by.

On the 6th of January, they celebrate the birth of the Savior as that is Christmas Day. Many people goes to church the day before to get candles, light them and bring them home. That represents them bringing the light of Christ into their homes for Christmas the next day. It is beautiful to see all these lite candles going down the street at night. At our branch in Vandazor, they had a Christmas program on Christmas day. The branch president talked first and mentioned because we had visitors he wanted to let them know that although people call us Mormons that the real name of the church is after Jesus Christ and that Mormon was just a prophet. He talked a lot about the Savior as did the other speakers. They then had a nativity skit with the children in the branch. My favorite part was when they have 5 little ones under 4 years of age come in pretending to be sheep. We watched the church video of the birth of the Savior and had lunchmeat and cheese on a big hunk of bread sandwiches and cream soda.

Everyone was quiet and reverent as they honor the birth of the Savior. We even had a little snow for Christmas. I was surprised with the difference between the New Year’s program of dancing, singing, Father Winter, and celebrating and the quiet reverence of the Christmas celebration of the birth of the Savior. I also liked how the whole town shuts down and everyone focus was on being together with family and loved ones for a week except for the cabs and mar/shoot/knees that had to get people from house to house. How often in your life do you get to have two Christmas seasons back to back?