MYSTERY SOLVED

Those of you that have read the blog learned that we took shoes around to some of the handicapped people that Mehai had contacted to get their foot size. We experienced a unique mystery while doing this. 

Sister Gibson and Bray went with us to deliver the shoes. We went into the front door thinking that this little cubicle was the information place. We asked for the room numbers and showed her the names. She immediately took the paper and wrote down the room numbers next to the name. We started off.  The first room had a really nice woman, she loved the shoes and she had a good chat with the sisters. While there, a second woman had heard we were there and came into the room to get hers. She accepted the shoes and the Book of Mormon with a big smile. In the third room, we had the same success. The fourth room, a guy named Victor was at work. In the fifth room (#315) was a tall, large framed, man and very Russian.  He took the shoes and acted upset because the shoes were size 41 and he needed a 44. We quickly gathered the shoes and left a bit disappointed. The last was a man confined to a wheelchair and very grateful for the shoes.

We left and as we left we stopped by the window. We asked if they would give Victor his shoes when he came home from work. I ask them if someone in the care center could use the size 41, she nodded yes and we left. Well that was almost a success. 

Lee and I went down to the store and bought a pair of 44 so the man could get them faster that having Konstantin make a pair.

 A few days later we asked some Elders to accompany us since the man with the wrong sized shoes  was Russian speaking. We arrived at the center went to the window and ask for Eugene (the intended recipient) and they told us he was out front-we just passed him. We went outside and didn't see him, "Outside, they insisted", so we looked again and no Eugene. Then as we talked to the old woman, a man in a three wheeled wheel chair came in and she told us this was Eugene and we were shocked. This was not the man we met. This man needed a size 41. The old woman insisted that this was the right man with the name we gave them. We told them about the other man and they said, "he was and imposter, that this was Eugene." Well if that is the case we would like to have the size 41 back that we left here. They promptly gave us Victor's shoes and said that we had only left one bag not two. We had a discussion about the shoes they called the woman that we gave them to and she had only seen one pair!?!?

Well, we took Victor's shoes and explained to Eugene what had happened to his shoes and left to get him a size 41. We also found out through a phone call that Victor worked right by Konstantin's shop, so off we went to deliver Victor's shoes and order Eugene's.

Several days later we received a message that the shoes were done, hooray! They we beautiful and Konstantin had put a zipper on the inside to make it easier for Eugene to put them on.

Sister Gibson and Bray were happy to go with us since Eugene was Romanian speaking. We arrived and the man at the window was kind enough to let Eugene know we were there. He then proceeded to take us to his room (#315). Hey, wait a minute this isn't the way we went last time. Yep, room 315 and inside was Eugene so happy to see us and thrilled with his shoes and his Book of Mormon.

So mystery solved there were two wings in the care center and so our Russian friend was in his room but we had the wrong wing. LOL!!! Oh, yes we also found out that the window was not the information place, it was located on the other side of the building.  We had gone to the disinformation place!

Our Merry Christmas Shoe Story did have a HAPPY ending.

This Russian Man who is still living in the Soviet era and who lives in a village in the south ended up  with the size 44. He will put the shoes to good use!