Mission Presidents' Seminar...Tallinn, Estonia and 2 Baptisms!

 Eastern European Mission Presidents' Seminar ~ Tallinn, Estonia

 Helsinki, Finland Temple

After the temple session, just outside the front door. 

This past week was an amazing experience! We traveled clear across the country of Russia (some 14 hours on Aeroflot) to Tallinn, Estonia via Moscow for the Annual Mission Presidents' Seminar. Because we are in Eastern Russia, we came the farthest for this meeting. We gathered with all the mission presidents and their wives of the Eastern European Area for one week of training and spiritual uplift. (In actuality, our mission is definitely located in Asia; however, we are a part of the Eastern European area because of the Russian language.)We learned so much and had the wonderful opportunity to meet the other mission presidents who preside in Bulgaria, Armenia, the Baltics, 3 missions in Ukraine; Samara, Russia; Rostov, Russia; Moscow, Russia; Novosibirsk, Russia; Yekaterinburg, Russia (we were delighted to meet our son's mission president and wife); and of course Vladivostok. One of the highlights was at the end of the conference where we took a ferry to Helsinki, Finland and attended the Helsinki Temple. Pres. Brinton and I were thrilled to be selected to be the witness couple in the session. What an uplifting and motivating experience we had this past week. I must admit we missed all our missionaries though. On our return trip home, we sat two rows behind Maria Sharapova, Russia's elite tennis player. She is a tall and beautiful blond. We are happy to be back home to find all the missionaries doing well.

While we were gone, we had two more baptisms. The two new members had been taught by Sister Huber, Sister Morgan, and Sister Hesley in Irkutsk. Also Sister Cropper, my awesome Russian tutor in the MTC arrived in Ulan-Ude as a short-term missionary where she is now serving with Sis. Morgan. She returned to the city that she came to love while serving her mission a couple of years ago. We are so grateful to Sister Cropper for her willingness to serve the Lord there.

We send our love!
President and Sister Brinton