This past weekend we traveled to Kemerovo to visit the YSA in the small LDS Group that is there.  This is the view from our hotel.

 Cars come out to his big parking lot and skid around this circle.  The problem it's at night when we're trying to sleep.

 Beautiful sunset in Kemerovo.

 In the lobby a Christmas tree, sort of.

 A stream that has frozen over, except for a few spots.

 Ducks getting food off the bottom of the stream.  I wonder if the ducks in Russia have an accent?

 A Russian Santa in a toy store.  They don't sit, they stroll around the store talking with children.

 He was excited to have his picture taken, even spoke some English.

 Santa insisted that he has his picture taken with Sister J.

 The Institute class, teacher in stripes with two students.  Sometimes they have four students.

 After Sister J. cooked a meal for the Elders and students she cleaned the pan in the bathroom sink.  I have a feeling that Sister J won't allow this in the future.  They wash all the dishes used at the church in this way.

 While walking down the street we ran into some buddies that love this kind of weather.  They love to have their picture taken.

 They really loved Sister J.

 They really light up the town.

 Beautiful displays.

 Ice sculptures in the town square in Kemerovo.

 More ice sculptures.

 An ice slide.

 Stairs to the ice slide.

 The temperature is -18.8C this night.

 Lenin statue in the square.

 The bus ride back to the motel was crowded.  The woman next to me saw that I was looking out the window and asked where we were going.  I told her the name of the hotel without saying the word hotel.  She got all excited and told us we were on the wrong bus and kept pointing in a different direction.  I finally figured out what she was saying and said the name plus hotel.  She then said ok.  When we got the the place to get off the bus she told us to get off.  These people are very kind and want to help but communication is rough and it takes us awhile to figure what they are saying to us.

 The park across from the hotel looked beautiful at night.

Two young people were going down this ice slide in the park.  Tree was wonderful.  We wanted to stay longer but at -18C a brief look was all we could handle.