Mangled limbs & high tech toys

I can't wait to talk to you on Christmas!

We spent our WHOLE p-day at the hermitage taking a tour of basically ONE room with the Sandbergs and missionaries, and it might have been fun, had it not taken 15 hrs when we have soooo much to day today! They had us looking at old snuff boxes the whole time! Of ALL the things to see in the Hermitage, we looked at snuff boxes!

So it's 4:30 in the afternoon right now and I haven't eaten a thing all day and I have to go to the office which is forever away then go pick up my pkgs! That'll be my highlight if we can make it on time!

So you know how I wanted to do a district party on Christmas? Well my elders really wanted to as well but Elder N. is like, suuuuper strict and was like, no we can't cuz we can't be in each other's apts. So I said, no prob, I’ll just run it by Prez. But they were all scared said no we'll do it officially, we need to plan it, blah blah. As of this morning, nothing had been done. So we were cruising through the hermitage and I was walking by president and I just asked him. He was really cool about it! Said it's all good! I'm excited, the elders were shocked, but they're really stoked. I'm making Hawaiian haystacks and some other treats I think. It should be fun, I hope!

The only person we've really visited the last couple days is this old babushka, Ryeesa. She's an invalid which there are a LOT of here in Russia. Have I mentioned there are also tons of young men missing hands, arms, feet, or legs? They’re ex-soldiers. It’s sad, but you see them everywhere. My hand does not stand out at all, cuz missing and mangled limbs are very common here.

But yea, Ryeesa can't get around very well at all, she's just this cute little crippled lady that needs someone to talk to. So we were there and she had one of those little rubber toys that you bounce and a light goes off inside, you know. They’re so cheap and basic, but I'm telling you, my comp and her sat there for forty minutes FASCINATED by the thing and kept holding it out to me like it was some new amazing techno gadget or something. It was so weird. But it made me ONCE again realize all the things I take for granted in my life. I need to DO SOMETHING FOR THESE PEOPLE! I just don't know how or what!!!!! The Gospel of course, I know, but HOW!!!!!????? I don't speak the language well enough!!! Anyways, I'm working on it.

We're going to talk on the phone in like 4 days!!! I’m so excited! I miss you like INSANELY crazy! Have fun with all the Christmas festivities and all! I love you! (written on Dec 20, 2007)