Terror in an elevator!

Happy New Year! It's freaking 2008! What the heck, weird.

I survived all the guns going off all New Year's eve! New Year's Eve was an interesting day for me here in Mother Russia. We kicked it off with a really good district meeting. I've really grown to love my district and I'm so sad it's being ripped apart by transfer calls in a couple of days. This transfer FLEW by! Scary.

After DM my comp and I accompanied Elder Ganiev and Uldaltsov to a member's apt for a spiritual thought and New Year's snack. We picked up a guy from the branch, Roma, on the way and started our very long journey to the farthest northwest corner of St. Petes. After asking a LOT of people for directions and consulting a few maps, we made our way into a neighborhood that reminded me a lot of Pskov. We found the apt building and with much rejoicing, called the man to buzz us in.

He lived on the fifth floor, so with much reluctance, as always, I stepped into the scary 1 1/2 by 3 feet steel rickety elevator and was followed by everyone. Uldaltsov didn't make it in before the doors shut so we opened the doors again to retrieve him. At that moment, I felt a huge urge to push my way past everyone and just take the stairs. But Uldaltsov was busy trying to squish in and I quickly convinced myself that I always have these thoughts in Russian lifts, and it always ends up ok. In a few short seconds we would be stepping out onto the fifth floor. We squeezed together as tight as we could and for the second time, the doors smashed shut...the freaking doors of doom...The lift didn't move. Someone suggested that maybe we were stuck. I laughed nervously along with the others. Roma tried pressing all the buttons, then tried the door opening once again. Nothing.

Now, until this moment in my life, I had never experienced, and can hardly explain, the sheer panic that took over my brain. I have always mocked mom's claustrophobic tendencies, insisting that they were all in her head. I urgently started telling myself that same thing, because I realized how quickly I was losing it..ahha! I don’t know how, being so tightly encased with four other people there, but almost immediately I ripped off my coat and purse. I begged Roma to try again. Nothing. I suggested we all jump, but immediately they all screamed no. The lifts are old I guess and can fall...lovely. But that didn't sound too bad to me at the moment. I think I scared the crud out of everyone, cuz I didn't start crying loudly or anything, my face just became very stony and white and tears just started falling from my eyes without me moving or anything. (I was told this afterwards...) I was trying to be very calm, but at the same time I was terrified.

Nobody's phones were working because we were in a freaking STEEL box with no vents or anything. I pushed on the ceiling maybe 5 in. above my head. It was steel too. It was official. I was stuck in an old, rusty, communist, steel casket with ALL Russian speakers, and was running out of air... I was stuck in my own personal hell. I prayed sooooo hard! They were all like, "this is totally normalna! Maybe we'll ring in the new year here..." It was two in the afternoon. I turned to Elder Ganiev and pleaded VERY seriously for him to hit me in the face. None of them would do it. I just wanted to be knocked cold, instead of stuck with these thoughts of being buried alive running through my head. I was super embarrassed at the same time because I never let the elders see me cry and I HATE drama and THOUGHT I was a strong person.

I turned to the dirty Russian germ and feces covered wall closed my eyes and laid my face against it. I was trying to find a happy place. I forced a laugh and said how this was such a fun adventure...no one bought my act. haha :) Ganiev suggested we sing and faster than I can possibly explain I bellowed "NO!" I didn't want to use up the little air we had. A few times we could hear people walking by the elevator and the elders would politely murmur, "excuse me, um, excuse me" and the people would just keep walking. Russians can be evil. On about the third time this happened, I SCREAMED "HEEEELP!" In English. Yes, I know I’m in Russia but I could NOT think of any Russian words.

Anyways, it felt like days to me and then the elders pried open the doors a crack and propped it open with a Book of Mormon so we could have a little air. They wouldn't open it further cuz they said they would break the doors then we would never get out. That shut up my cheering them on really quickly. Finally there was clanking from above. After ONLY 45 long and traumatizing minutes, the doors slid open and I dove out, not believing my freedom! Needless to say, I wanted to bawl. I thought I would die there. Goes to show how completely sad and pathetic I am. I couldn't thank God enough for rescuing us.

The man we had gone to visit was just like, "Yea, I wondered where you had gone," when we showed up at his door... ps the sign outside the lift said 4 people max...I was mortified I was such a crazy wanny in front of the elders. They were super nice about it and said they could see my fear and were shocked I stayed so calm. They swore they would take this secret of me losing it to their grave... or at least the next steel coffin they step into. I will never ride an elevator again.

Just fyi, the weather has suddenly turned and I’m terrified! Two days ago plus 5 degrees C. Yesterday minus five. Today, minus 13. Man, it doesn't mess around. When it drops, it plummets really fast!!! They said tomorrow will be colder! AHHHH! Way to ease me in! I guess I spoke to fast when I told you at Christmas, yea, not too bad of a winter...

I’ve got to go, but I love you so so much and I loved talking to you the other day!!!! I’ll write more about my new year later. (written on Jan 3, 2008)