Greetings from Ekaterinburg- - -

- - - - - beyond the Ural Mountains!
Thanks so much to all of you who have visited and sent a few lines.
I'd rather write to each of you individually, but from here it is not
going to be possible.
Yes...this place feels VERY far away. The time here is 11 hours
ahead of central Nebraska right now.
I last wrote from Moscow. On Thursday afternoon, Wayne helped with
our luggage as we walked, went down incredibly long escalators into the
subway system, and eventually came to the train station, to our
platform, our train car, and then our assigned spaces. Around 5:00 p.m.
the train headed east out of the city. All evening, all night, all the
next day we travelled east. We ate supper, breakfast, lunch and supper
again out of the bag Luda had packed. It was very good. Sleep was
nothing to brag about...but I sure didn't miss the stops for border
control that we had when we travelled in and out of Latvia last year.
The trees with golden leaves were beautiful. Sometimes there were
green pastures. Sometimes a town or a city that didn't look much
different from those in Latvia. By Friday afternoon we came to the Ural
Mountain area. They are very old mountains and more like the Black
Hills. It was dark when we finally came to Ekaterinburg.
It is a very strange feeling to arrive in a strange city with all
the signs in a different language, and no idea what to expect. The
police stopped the taxi driver...who knows why...and we waited...but
finally we got to our apartment building. Then it is codes and locked
doors and keys. Thankfully there is an elevator. I couldn't have
managed the 7th floor without it.
We share this apartment with a young working lady, who I'm sure is
glad for the income. She has made space enough for us. My bedroom is
really the living room, and I am thrilled that it opens onto the balcony
and I can get plenty of AIR. The heat is on and it is too hot
otherwise. Besides, I like balconies.
This morning Ksenia came for a little fellowship meeting. She is
quite alone here in this city of over a million, and is rejoicing that
we have come. We'll spend as much time as we can with her. She is 74
and lives with a daughter and husband. This evening, Sveta, the lady in
this apt with us, had a meeting of her English club and invited us.
Only two others were able to come, but it was rather interesting.
Afterward, Paul who is a computer programmer, fixed my computer so I can
use the phone card.