29 March 2005
This morning we got up a little early and went downstairs to join the ladies for breakfast. We ended up getting there a few minutes after them. When the hostess was going to seat us we motioned to her that we wanted to join our friends. She said in English,”Excuse me! Have a seat.” firmly and told us to go around the corner from them at our own table. The breakfast was similar to the “to go” breakfast bags we’ve been eating but the things were on plates and heated. We even had hot tea and 2 hot dogs each (what a weird thing for breakfast). We met up with the other and started on our “tourist day”. Twenty minutes into it I was already hurting (my feet). We got to go into the Kremlin and see the churches and things there. Our tour guide named Luba (Love) spoke English pretty well and told us the history of what we seeing. Unfortunately when Lori spoke with her she found out she didn’t believe in God at all. It is so sad. She is such a nice lady and I wish we could make her see the truth. For now we can just pray for her salvation. It was the coldest day yet outside (14 degrees).
We also got to see the very center point of Moscow and stood on the spot, made a wish, and threw a coin over our shoulders. We saw the guard change outside the Kremlin. That was cool! We also got to see the newest cathedral that was finished in 2000. How huge and awesome with the paintings too. It was sad that they know so much but so little about God and religion and Christianity. Somewhere in there we went to this cool place called Mongolian Express. They take your jackets when you enter and you get 1 bowl and can fill it at the buffet line of meats and veggies and then they cook it all on the huge grill and give it back to you. Wish we had one in the US. We also ate at the chicken place again. We went over a bridge that showed a lot of buildings and water and then to the University overlook to see the Olympic stadium and ski jumps and bought a few souvenirs along the way. We got in trouble with the “bus police” because 4 people didn’t have tickets of at least didn’t punch them. They got fined 100 rubles and ended up having to get off the bus.
We finally made it back and had a meeting to “regroup” in our room and to signify the halfway mark of our trip. Tomorrow we will try breakfast again and then we will all hand out invitations all day. I sure hope my feet feel better tomorrow. We asked Lori to call Erin or my mom tonight to find out about the baby and I had the nights mixed up so they will call again tomorrow hopefully. I wish we could call out from our hotel but they say there isn’t a way. Hopefully we’ll be able to soon and go see Lori so we can.
