Russian Missionaries

My niece Taralee entered the Provo MTC earlier this month.  She is heading to Russia.

Tara is the redhead on the right.

Her companion is from Sweden.

 

Emily's good friend Ross is also heading to Russia next month.  He had an open house on Sunday and looked so awesome in his Russian attire (and Soviet hat!) that I had to post some pictures. (No one ever explained how his dad comes to own a Soviet hat....)  His grandparents just got home from a mission to Moscow and were in town on Sunday to say goodbye.

 

He looks Russian already, doesn't he?

Hamming for the camera

It will be fun to read their letters and see how they experience Russian culture.  Taralee will be on the western border of Russia and Ross will be on the far eastern border just above North Korea.  Will it be like comparing New Jersey and California--very different cultures within the same country?  It will be interesting to find out!

Ross's grandmother made Russian celebration foods: borscht, plov, and Olivier salad.  The plov was AMAZING!  It looked and tasted like Thanksgiving dressing, but had pork in it instead of turkey.  Yum!

Megan, Ross, Emily, Heather

She looks so short!

In addition to our new Russian missionaries, Taralee's sister is currently serving in Bolivia and the girls' stepbrother is going to Tacoma Washington starting the end of October.  It will be very exciting to see them all grow.

And Heather is counting the days until she can leave in 2016!