Flashback Thursday???

Okay, technically I know, this is supposed to say Flashback Friday, but I really thought it would be appropriate to post today. Our bishop challenged us to teach our children something this 4th of July about what a great country we live in. So here goes....

When I was 17 years old, I was given the opportunity to travel to Russia. At the time, Russia was still under a strict communist rule. We traveled to Washington DC, and then we left and went on a 15 hour flight to Russia. We landed at Moscow airport. Getting off the plane felt normal, until I walked into the airport. Everywhere you looked were Russian soldiers. Their entire presence was cold and scary. We stood at customs as soldiers undid your suitcase, looked through them, moving items with a long stick, murmuring something in Russian, taking items that were not allowed, or maybe that they wanted, and then sliding it back to you.

As if that were not scary enough, we then boarded a bus, that was a relic from the 60's and headed to our hotel. Now the whole way to the hotel, we were told how we were staying at one of the NICEST hotels in Moscow. When we got to the hotel, it was pretty, but in a Addam's Family sort of way. So, here is this small L.D.S. hometown girl in a beautifully haunted hotel. We were given our room assignments, and sent off to settle. I was put into a room with two other girls. I remember one being Elizabeth and I think the other was Sarah. Elizabeth was from Sheboygan, WI. She was a staunch catholic. Sarah was an agnostic. She didn't deny there was a God, but she also failed to recognize His hand.

As we walked into our room, it was like walking back in time. The bathroom held a toilet and a sink. In order to flush the toilet, you had to actually reach your hand into the tank and pull a little lever to flush it. The shower, however, wasn't in the bathroom. It was in the corner of our bedroom. There was no shower curtain....so in order to shower, you had to stand with your back to the two walls and wash. If you turned around, the water would go all over your room. Talk about primitive!!

As soon as word got out that I was from Utah, the questions started. "Are you Mormon?" "Where are your horns?" "How many mom's do you have?" etc. But the hard questions were like "How can you believe in God when he has punished the world with AIDS?" "How do you KNOW there is a God? You can't KNOW!" So, here I am, just this scared little girl, not knowing what to say, not knowing what I believed in, wondering if they were right and I was wrong. I think I prayed more earnestly on that trip than I ever had.

We went to various sights. We visited the Kremlin, museums and Red Square. We went to the GUM, which was like a shopping mall. We went to Lenin's tomb. While standing in line at Lenin's tomb, the lady in front of us was looking in her purse. She accidentally dropped a paper out. When the line moved, and she moved forward, she was arrested for littering. Talk about scary!! Everywhere we went, when our bus stopped, we were surrounded by members of the black market. They would give anything for American clothing. Especially Levi's. We were encouraged to not do business with them. However, a kid decided to trade some Levi's for vodka. He drank the vodka in his room that night, and was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. We ate at nice places, but obviously there was no USDA over there. Our meat was highly marbled and not exactly "choice".

When we left Moscow and drove to Kiev, there was sewage running down the streets. At the people's houses, you would see an outhouse right next to a water pump. It was here that I got sick. I had food poisoning, but it also didn't help that I was home sick too. They took me back to Moscow and put me in a hotel, by myself, to await a doctor's visit. The doctor was convinced that I had appendicitis, so my parents were phoned. All I could do was cry when I heard my dad's voice. "Dad, I want to come home!" My mom talked to our supervisors and made arrangements. She was ready to board a plane and meet me in New York. The soonest plane I could get was two days away. So I stayed, alone, in Russia for two days. Talk about horrifying!!! I remember one night being so scared and alone. I started to sing "How Great Thou Art." I still remember the peace and comfort I found from singing this song. When it finally came time to go home, I was sure ready. We boarded the plane in Moscow, which once again was quite an experience.

When we flew into New York, the pilot requested to take a different flight plan to take us past the Statue of Liberty. Man was that a sight!!! Never had I felt so peaceful. Never had I been so happy to be an American. When we went through customs, a kind officer took me by the hand, asked me if I was American, and passed me through customs quickly. I am sure I looked quite terrified. I boarded the plane to Utah. When I arrived, I was SO happy. My whole family was at the airport to welcome me with signs and banners and balloons. I was so grateful to be home. I asked my whole family to sleep over that night at my house. So all the nieces and nephews and I slept downstairs. Man was I happy!

Now, looking back, I see that this trip was such a blessing. I learned so much. I gained my OWN testimony there. I learned the importance of having a close family, of having parents that love you and would give any amount of money to get you home. But most of all, I learned how lucky I was to be born in this land. This promised land of Freedom. Still to this day, I can't hear the National Anthem without tearing up. I am eternally grateful to be a member of this wonderful country, with all its faults. I know what the alternative is...I saw it first hand.

P.S. Only two weeks after I returned home was when the coup overthrew the Soviet Government and there was all kinds of riots. Whew was I glad I was home!!