I arrived in Ufa in late February after having lived 4 years in Irkutsk and 5 years in Yekaterinburg. I am often asked to compare the 3 cities. So let’s take a look: Weather – Ufa’s weather is more like Yekaterinburg’s as far as I can tell. Winter days tend to be overcast and the days are short. It was much colder in Irkutsk but there was lots of sun. I would always take the cold with sun over dreary and not so cold. Spring in all three places seems comparable. Temperatures fluctuate from day to day and it is the season of “mush” – the time when the snow melts, refreezes, and remelts. Simply put, it is nasty in all three places in the spring. History – Ufa is the oldest of the three cities (almost 450 years old) followed by Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg. Both Ufa and Irkutsk were originally fortress cities for their area built on the banks of a river and later became major trade centers for their regions. Yekaterinburg was founded as a manufacturing city and continues to be home to many factories and processing plants. All three cities are the administrative centers for their region and the influence of visitors from the west is seen in the types of restaurants, shopping, etc. that is available. The thing I like about Ufa is that they still have some neighborhood “rhinoks” where one can go and buy food and other supplies according to the more “Soviet” style. At the same time, it is nice to have the option to go to larger grocery stores to do one-stop shopping. Architecture – I haven’t had a lot of time to wander the streets of Ufa but have seen several areas of older buildings that I look forward to investigating. The architecture of Ufa reminds me of Irkutsk – more provincial and not as many “big city” tall buildings as the younger Yekaterinburg. I really look forward to spending some time poking around this summer. People – The vast lostness is the same in all of the cities. It can be overwhelming at times but at the same time gives urgency to the work. My first impression of the people is that they are a little more friendly and not quite as busy as they were in Ekaterinburg. I look forward to the summer months when people are out and about a little more than during the winter. Praying for many chances to engage the lost people of Ufa and get to know them better. Submitted by Jesse H.