YSA Conf & Magadan

The top row is more pictures from the YSA conference. On Saturday, Aug 15, 2009 we flew up north to Magadan. The farthest city in the mission. It was about a 4 hour flight in an old fighter plane. We climbed into the back of the plane, they stack up the luggage in the rear of the plane. The seats were about a foot apart, no over head compartments so we held our carry on luggage on our laps.

We have a small group of 12 members that meet each week in a rented room in a hotel. They used to be a branch of a 140 members but several years ago the branch was disolved and missionaries were removed from the city. A member of the mission presidency tries to visit every 3 months. They collect the tithing from these faithful saints. There is Anatoli, the group leader. He is 70 years old. There were 3 older sisters, all named Olga and they were 70 and older. They have been members for about 10 years.

Magadan was a prison labor camp during both World Wars. Men were exiled to this Siberian countryside. It was a closed city until 1944. I need to check my facts! If you want accurate info google Magadan. Anyways, these people told us of how their fathers were falsely convicted of crimes and sent here to work. The Sister in the picture with us was 17 when she and her mother were finally able to reunite with her father. When they arrived in Magadan, they held him for another 5 years. After working in this labor camp for 15 years he was finally released and told that he had been held their by mistake and that he hadn't done anything wrong. They each had a story to tell.

The monument is called the "Mask of Sorrows". It honors all those that died in the Labor Camps.