GAZ Factory

We toured the GAZ car factory in Dec and this is a picture of the more recent cars made with the GAZ model called Volga.  They stopped making the Volga 2 years ago.  They make tractors, trucks, and SUV's now.

This is an older GAZ model car.  It looks like an old Ford because Henry Ford came over here in 1929 and helped start a car factory.  They started rolling off the line in 1932 if I remember right.  The original cars all looked like the Ford models.  During WWII  they made tanks, planes, and other war implements and the factory was bombed several times.
They still find scrapnel of various sizes even now on the grounds, especially when digging for expansions.

We have had a wonderful Christmas season.  It has been fairly busy and sorry we haven't been able to be on the computer much.  As we have several missionaries here, we make the computer available to them and thus we have limited time ourselves, especially on pdays and holidays.  That is fine with us to share.  Sometimes when we come in late we just need to take care of necessaries and get to bed.  The other missionary couple who are here in Nizhniy each have a laptop and that makes sharing faster, as two can be on at the same time. 
We are so happy to feel the Christmas Spirit and say that it alive and well here in Nizhniy.  The people here are just beautiful, full of spirit and love for the Lord.  They are so wonderful to share their love and joy with us when we learn a new word to speak to them.  We recently learned Snovem Godem or Happy New Year and they just chatter on about our new found skill. 
I was moved beyond words when I heard a humble little brother here on Christmas day say a prayer,( which is usually a good part of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew,) pray for or acknowledge Pres Thomas S. Monson.  I could only be grateful for his testimony and wonder at the great love of these people for their prophet whom they will likely never see in person.  What a tremendous blessing it is to be here.  I sat in awe in Relief Society as a sister taught out of the Liahona a message  from the conference issue.  She was baptized in August this year.  She also has given two talks in Sacrament meeting since we have been here and does a great job.  In reverse, I don't believe I could have done the same after only being a member of the church for a few months. 
This next two weeks will be slow here in the area.  The culture is to celebrate from the Dec 31 until the second Monday in Jan.  This year it is the 30th to the16th.  Our bank is closed until Tues the 10th.  Many offices are closed longer than that.  I suppose that retail stores will be open at some point.  This is the 3rd, and we see amazingly little traffic today.
I wanted to add that we saw the sun for the first time in weeks just after Christmas.  I was so happy, it didn't last for long but the sky was blue and the sun felt so good.  What a day!!  I never thought I would be so happy to see the sun.
If you see the sun, be grateful, and remember the land where it hardly shines for months.