Voldemort

Yup, I'm going to PRAGUE on July 16th! It’s only for a couple of days, but UM!!! I'm terrified the plan is going to change or something, but that's the plan right now. Can you believe it!? It's like I'm in a movie! Sister G, we'd like you to accept a secret mission to Prague. Objective: obtain new visa and rendezvous back in St Petersburg as soon as possible. I'm so freaking stoked!

We got our phone stolen this week by totally normal people. I saw it and everything, just didn't realize it happened. So sad totally normal people will do that. Funny though cuz the elders got theirs stolen last week. So we had to buy a new one.

I've learned a handy trick. Vinegar is good for sucking poison out of bug bites so they don't itch. KILLS at first, but been super good revelation from my comp this week. I've been eaten alive.

Last week we went to the Kremlin in Pskov and into the cathedral there. They kicked my comp and me out because we didn't have scarves on our heads. I refused to use one of their dirty ones. After a while, the man that kicked us out came and DRAGGED me in even though I wouldn't wear one. Haha! Today in Ostrov we went into a church they were holding a service at and an old babushka almost chopped my head off for not having on a head thing, so she gave me one. Then I got reprimanded for videotaping, even though S had been doing it already right in front of her. So I got kicked out. Good day though.

I saw Voldemort on the street this week. Thought you ought to know.

Oh...so yea, he's done it...Paul has grown on me. That's all I'll say for now. :)

The work is going good here. My comp and I don't talk much, but I think she likes me a little bit so we're good. I love our elders! I learn SO much from S!

I had another break down doing service this week...It was a lady who we had helped when I served here before. It's so sad. You think the smell of cat urine is bad....oh no. Not once you hit the smell of human urine. I seriously was scared to death I would pass out in front of this poor woman. My comp went in to clean her dishes and I stayed out and talked to her while scrubbing the floors...mom, I can't even describe it. I don't think I can, I feel tears again. Lets just say it was so hard scraping poop up off the floor and the urine while trying to act like it was fine. This poor woman has a daughter who never comes to visit because she's an alcoholic and I think just doesn't want to have to deal with her handicapped mother. She can’t walk. She just lies in this dark, old, DIRTY place by herself, all day every day. It's devastating. I can't tell you all the details, but really, my heart broke and I fell apart after we left. But what can you do. I just hope we can go back to help her again. If my physical body can take it.

I'll just end on something else not sad. I was reading this week and something struck me that Jesus said. It was something like; a man would give his soul to gain the world. But what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For some reason that struck me and stuck with me all week. Of course, people give up their souls to get gain, we see it EVERYWHERE, EVERYDAY! But really, if you think about it, wouldn't everyone be willing to give up everything to have their soul?

Love, you! (written Jun 5, 2008)