Yesterday was my last zone conference! Talk about sad! Up to this point it hasn't been real at all that I'm going home, and I've been just all HAPPY and excited about it. But for the first time yesterday, I felt kind of sad. It's almost over. Kind of devastating. But I'm excited I have so much to go home to and a whole new adventure to start! :) YAY baby I'm coming home!
I just love my mission experience so much! I was given my death papers yesterday, so I guess it's time to start packing. They were all about my luggage. Prez, who doesn't speak English, has learned two phrases in English. "You trunky" and "HUGE problem!" Haha and he uses them constantly on me. He says, "you trunky?" every five minutes, and every five minutes, I reassure him in Russian, "yes president, VERY!" Then he pops into rooms where I am and says, "HUGE problem?!" Or "Ah, huge problem." I wish you knew him, it would make this really boring story so much more funny for you. :)
I love being back in Shuvalovo! It's fun to be able to understand EVERYTHING this time around, and to be able to speak. It wasn't even that long ago, like four months ago, that I was here last. But I guess it makes a huge difference. It's fun, cuz now I'm getting to know all the faces for real. And they're all like, "wasn't your hair black before?" Haha, yes, I have gone through every hair color on my mish. :) Did I mention I tripped when I went to sit down after speaking? On the podium cord... almost took it all down with me. Yes, I am still the same girl.
A miracle that has happened since I left: remember my little Sveta? We wallpapered the dark room she and her family live in. And then she started meeting with us and ended up loving our guts even though she started out as such a snot nosed brat. Yea, well, new shocker. Her brother, Vlad, who was such a dark sullen guy who would never even respond to our hellos... yea, he's AMAZING! Complete turnaround! He was at sports night, and I was like, Vlad? The elders told me he's the teachers quorum priesthood leader now. He prepared the sacrament, was there an hour early, so bright and lively! WHAT THE HECK?! On Monday night my comp and I went to do FHE with Sveta, who isn't active at all, and vlad was there and was the life of the party. He testified tons of times, so naturally and was like, "I was reading in the book of Mormon this.... and another time this... and it said this..." OMg... Look what the gospel does to people!!!! It freaking ROCKS!!!!
Sports night was so fun! We played soccer first, and I scored! Yay! Then we played football and I scored again! I think the elders were impressed to the extreme. I didn't want to break it to them that all of that action was totally by accident, and probably wouldn't ever happen again. Haha!
L has been sick, sad. B, I love! He's so rad! C, I'm so happy to have around, he likes to talk a lot! And B, Kor's X-boyfriend is actually super nice! I love my district! We're going to do something fun today. We're all here together at internet right now. On Monday after District Meeting, we had district lunch and I psychoanalyzed them all. And I'm gooooood at it, Haha! Well, I've done it my whole mish, so I better be! Afterwards, we talked about dating, and hints girls give and what means what and stuff. Every one of them said I should right a book. Maybe I should. I need some form of income. Haha jk! It's just funny coming from a girl who has never had a serious relationship.
The other day, my comp dropped some invites in a parking lot behind a car that, as she was down on the ground picking them up, decided to back up. I was like "nnnnnnnooooooooooo! ostarozhna!!!(be careful!!!)" Instead of grabbing my comp or something, I jumped behind the car and started pushing it!!!! hahaha It was just a stupid little lada, so I guess I thought I could take it. I didn't really do anything to it, but the people got the idea to stop cuz some crazy girl was pushing their car. Afterwards, I was like, um.... did I just do that?
Yay! In exactly two weeks I'll be in Germany or something on my way home to you! AH! (written 9-25-08)
September 28, 2008
Shuvalavo revisited
OMG, I'm coming home soon! YAY! It doesn't feel real...in the slightest. Home just really feels like this big dream to me.
Transfers were yesterday! I'm in Shuvalovo again!!!! So yea, I'm finishing off my mish with a whole 3 areas! :) But I love Shuvalovo, so no big. I'm in the same apt and everything. WHY did I lug so much junk out! Gosh...
My new comp’s name is Yemilionova...or something like that. And I love her! She's obviously Russian. :) My new district seems rad! Right now we're at internet with my new DL, B, who is way cool, and his comp L, who is very pretty. haha, jk. But so serious. ;) We're meeting up with our zone leaders later.
It was traumatizing splitting up from my other district, not really knowing if we'll ever see each other again. H went AP!!! With C! That should be a party. W got sent down to Pskov, haha, now that I’m not there. I saw S in the office, I miss him! He asked all about the fam, and he noticed my hair was different, he always does. So that was fun. B is senior comp in Avtovo with a mini missionary. She'll do awesome! W went home today! I will miss his guts. But hopefully he'll write or something.
Yea, I'm a little trunky, but I feel it’s totally not a bad thing. So what if I WANT to go home to my amazing family! I'm still working hard here. So all those negative things you hear about being trunky are totally lame.
We got kicked out of Pskov early, so B and I went to Ikea here in Peter. :) It’s my favorite. My district is going there today for lunch! It’s as American as you get....which is funny, cuz it's totally not American.. :) I love America. I can't wait to get home and be in on all the hubbub of the election! I love you madly and desperately! And I can't wait to hold you all in my arms! I don't know if I believe it's really going to happen...I'll read up on faith. :) (written 9-11-08)
Transfers were yesterday! I'm in Shuvalovo again!!!! So yea, I'm finishing off my mish with a whole 3 areas! :) But I love Shuvalovo, so no big. I'm in the same apt and everything. WHY did I lug so much junk out! Gosh...
My new comp’s name is Yemilionova...or something like that. And I love her! She's obviously Russian. :) My new district seems rad! Right now we're at internet with my new DL, B, who is way cool, and his comp L, who is very pretty. haha, jk. But so serious. ;) We're meeting up with our zone leaders later.
It was traumatizing splitting up from my other district, not really knowing if we'll ever see each other again. H went AP!!! With C! That should be a party. W got sent down to Pskov, haha, now that I’m not there. I saw S in the office, I miss him! He asked all about the fam, and he noticed my hair was different, he always does. So that was fun. B is senior comp in Avtovo with a mini missionary. She'll do awesome! W went home today! I will miss his guts. But hopefully he'll write or something.
Yea, I'm a little trunky, but I feel it’s totally not a bad thing. So what if I WANT to go home to my amazing family! I'm still working hard here. So all those negative things you hear about being trunky are totally lame.
We got kicked out of Pskov early, so B and I went to Ikea here in Peter. :) It’s my favorite. My district is going there today for lunch! It’s as American as you get....which is funny, cuz it's totally not American.. :) I love America. I can't wait to get home and be in on all the hubbub of the election! I love you madly and desperately! And I can't wait to hold you all in my arms! I don't know if I believe it's really going to happen...I'll read up on faith. :) (written 9-11-08)
Brush twice a day
28 days! Or 4 weeks! Or 3 p-days! Till I come home to you!!!! EEK! I'm so so so excited! I looked up my travel plans, and I'm just freaking out! Do you realize I've been dreaming about this (while focusing major on the work here at the same time, Haha) for a year and a half!?!?!? I'm soooo happy! Haha! ...I'm trying NOT to think about it... can't you tell. ;)
Let me tell you, Russia has lost its mind. Is that harsh to say about a country... scratch that. Is that harsh to say about PEOPLE that I love here? There has been crazy junk going on. War related, obviously. And I HATE being cut off from the TRUTH! Ugh, I won't waste more letter time on this, but let me tell you, it's been so intense. I haven't even told you the half of everything going on.
The other night, there was kind of a creepy happening. We were standing waiting for a bus and these two middle eastern men were standing 3 feet away staring blatantly at us. I was going to talk to them, but something stopped me, twice. So I just stared blatantly back. The bus came and I looked back in time to see these two men motion at three others I HADNT noticed behind us, towards us. I was like, what the heck! So I warned B and we got in a position on the bus so we were standing and facing them, where they couldn’t surround us, cuz they were trying to. That bus ride was ridiculous. It wasn't just a hey, we're picking you up situation, it was creepy and planned out and they were being very bold and blatant about it. But they never said a word. So I plotted out our stop in such a way that we jumped off out of the other door and ran from these guys and mixed up in the crowds. It was beautiful the way we pulled it off.
We've had quite a few other things happen, but I'm pretty sure prez is pulling us out next week at transfer, so we're just biding our time.
My tennis shoes died finally. The sole fell off of one. I'm shocked they lasted me so long. So I bought a REALLY cheap (and way not comfy) Russian pair to finish off my mission with. My hair is falling out still. I tried to do braids the other day, but they were too frail and skinny! I'm bald! It's so sad! So I've started taking hair vitamins, hopefully they'll work. And I had a nightmare about my teeth the other night! Oozhous! (Terrible!) Oh, kind of funny, baba masha the other night was telling me my teeth were beautiful and she asked me what I brush them with. I told her just normal toothpaste twice a day. She was soooo taken aback... "EVERYDAY?!" hahaha then it was my turn to be taken aback. One word, and now it makes sense why people's teeth here suck.
Yesterday, a woman stopped us and two of our elders on the street. She was a little drunk, but she really wanted to talk to us. We talked for a while, cuz she wanted to know who we were and everything. She told us her life story, which was super sad and twisted. She told us she sees us all the time around town and that we are the most beautiful people she's ever seen. That we have something about us that nobody else has and she wants to look like that too. It was way cool, because we knew exactly what she was talking about, but she didn't know. I was so happy and just wanted to scream, "WE HAVE GOD!" Haha, it's so fun to share this with people living in sooo much darkness! Light will always shine through darkness, I love it. :) (written 9-11-08)
Let me tell you, Russia has lost its mind. Is that harsh to say about a country... scratch that. Is that harsh to say about PEOPLE that I love here? There has been crazy junk going on. War related, obviously. And I HATE being cut off from the TRUTH! Ugh, I won't waste more letter time on this, but let me tell you, it's been so intense. I haven't even told you the half of everything going on.
The other night, there was kind of a creepy happening. We were standing waiting for a bus and these two middle eastern men were standing 3 feet away staring blatantly at us. I was going to talk to them, but something stopped me, twice. So I just stared blatantly back. The bus came and I looked back in time to see these two men motion at three others I HADNT noticed behind us, towards us. I was like, what the heck! So I warned B and we got in a position on the bus so we were standing and facing them, where they couldn’t surround us, cuz they were trying to. That bus ride was ridiculous. It wasn't just a hey, we're picking you up situation, it was creepy and planned out and they were being very bold and blatant about it. But they never said a word. So I plotted out our stop in such a way that we jumped off out of the other door and ran from these guys and mixed up in the crowds. It was beautiful the way we pulled it off.
We've had quite a few other things happen, but I'm pretty sure prez is pulling us out next week at transfer, so we're just biding our time.
My tennis shoes died finally. The sole fell off of one. I'm shocked they lasted me so long. So I bought a REALLY cheap (and way not comfy) Russian pair to finish off my mission with. My hair is falling out still. I tried to do braids the other day, but they were too frail and skinny! I'm bald! It's so sad! So I've started taking hair vitamins, hopefully they'll work. And I had a nightmare about my teeth the other night! Oozhous! (Terrible!) Oh, kind of funny, baba masha the other night was telling me my teeth were beautiful and she asked me what I brush them with. I told her just normal toothpaste twice a day. She was soooo taken aback... "EVERYDAY?!" hahaha then it was my turn to be taken aback. One word, and now it makes sense why people's teeth here suck.
Yesterday, a woman stopped us and two of our elders on the street. She was a little drunk, but she really wanted to talk to us. We talked for a while, cuz she wanted to know who we were and everything. She told us her life story, which was super sad and twisted. She told us she sees us all the time around town and that we are the most beautiful people she's ever seen. That we have something about us that nobody else has and she wants to look like that too. It was way cool, because we knew exactly what she was talking about, but she didn't know. I was so happy and just wanted to scream, "WE HAVE GOD!" Haha, it's so fun to share this with people living in sooo much darkness! Light will always shine through darkness, I love it. :) (written 9-11-08)
Stolen candy bar
This week flew by, and it all feels so surreal that this is all coming to a close. I'm excited! Let me tell you, winter has hit already! Okay, no snow...But it's FREEZING! I feel bad for the people who will be staying this winter, it's bound to be KILLER!
The birds are acting insane this week. That's super random, but it's true. Everyday, there are just millions of birds flying together in patterns. I'm trying to figure out what they're trying to tell me, what message they're sending, but...haha, jk. But no, it's like out of a horror movie. I keep wishing they were bats...
This is the last week before transfer calls. We're so crazy about transfers, it's all so up in the air. But I’m pretty positive they're taking sisters completely out of Pskov (which is sad, cuz we've literally tripled our numbers these last few weeks) and if by some miracle they leave sisters, I'll for sure be going back to the city cuz I leave 3 weeks later. Who knows tho, prez is always pulling out crazy surprises. We'll see. TORTURE!
I bought a shapka!!!! FINALLY! And I LOVE her! I found the perfect one. I knew she was perfect the moment she settled on my head. The guy selling her to me was middle eastern (they love me for some reason, my comp is appalled at all of them being so forward with me, haha. I don't get it,) and he gave me a discount. Also, when I was deciding, he was like, "its real fur, its real leather!" I was just like, "uh huh, uh huh," trying to ignore that fact cuz I'm so disgusted by wearing real fur. THEN, he proceeded to pull out REAL fox pelts! I was like, dude... you are NOT helping your sale here. But I was madly in love with my shapka, and bought her! I can't stop trying her on! I woke up this morning, rolled out of bed, and put her on again in front of the mirror. So I'm happy. :)
You know my babushka that we washed and she has the crazy cats and HEINOUS apt? We went over again, I LOVE her! But the woman from the service company who took us there this time started on a rant about the cats while we were cleaning. She made us catch the cats and throw them outside with all the other cats! I mean, it's a good idea because it was just sooooo gross and unsanitary in the apt, but the babushka was so sad! I was traumatized! I fought the lady, but what can you do. The cats are all she had! Well, she has a grandson (who is going to HELL, by the way) but he's trying to poison her so she dies. I'm so sad.
Our branch got back from their week at the temple. THEY LOVED IT! So amazing! They all got back late late Saturday night, then were all at church the next day. Elijah, I've told you about him, he's like 20, was supposed to speak about it. During sacrament, he started BAWLING! All of us were like, what the heck. And he continued to bawl. So poor elder Henderson had to be like, can you still speak? Cuz we didn't know if something was horribly wrong. But he got up, and gave such a spiritual, touching talk about the temple. It was amazing. I can't wait to come home and go! He bawled the whole way thru, but he just talked about how he's been a member for a while now, but now he has so many different thoughts on our purpose in life and stuff. It was amazing.
THEN at FHE this week, he made a big announcement. We're always telling him, go on a mish, go on a mish. But his parents...ugh. They just don't approve, it would never fly. And he promised his mom back when he was baptized that he would finish university to the end, cuz if you leave to go on a mish or for anything, it's really hard to get back in and usually you have to start from scratch. Russian education system...don't get me started. I always got the feeling he didn't really WANT to go anyways.
Well, at the temple, Eli felt he HAD to go on a mission, and on Tuesday, he was fasting to know how to tell his mom. He came home from work, hadn't even said anything, no hints or anything, and his mom said, "Hey I want to talk to you. You have mentioned this mission stuff a while ago, I want to know more about it." Um! He said it was CRAZY! So he knew he just HAD to tell her. He did, and you know what she said? Simply, "Go." MIRACLE! I LOVE the gospel! Things just work out! The spirit is soooooo AMAZING! He just works his thang and gets it done, ya know! I love all these miracles I've seen here! So many happen that you would thing it would just become the norm, but it's still SO cool every time! So we're celebrating.
B stole a candy bar from a really big store, haha! She just walked out with it! The funny thing is, they have detectors you have to walk through AND the police door man is always so suspicious of us cuz we're American and we never want a cart.... The latter is a weird thing, I know, but they find that fishy. Yea, so she just walked right out with it! The scary thing, was trying to sneak it back in! We couldn't just go up and be like, "I didn't pay for this," cuz they would be so angry and we'd get in trouble, cuz we're American. But she accomplished it.
Russia hasn't changed since the day it was founded. Really, it hasn't. I've been studying up more on it. Yes, they are the same. Living in the dark ages, which they call 'not losing the Russian culture.' What can you do. I'm working on making a difference. I love you all so much! AHHHHHHH! Get ready, I'm coming home! (written 9/4/08)
The birds are acting insane this week. That's super random, but it's true. Everyday, there are just millions of birds flying together in patterns. I'm trying to figure out what they're trying to tell me, what message they're sending, but...haha, jk. But no, it's like out of a horror movie. I keep wishing they were bats...
This is the last week before transfer calls. We're so crazy about transfers, it's all so up in the air. But I’m pretty positive they're taking sisters completely out of Pskov (which is sad, cuz we've literally tripled our numbers these last few weeks) and if by some miracle they leave sisters, I'll for sure be going back to the city cuz I leave 3 weeks later. Who knows tho, prez is always pulling out crazy surprises. We'll see. TORTURE!
I bought a shapka!!!! FINALLY! And I LOVE her! I found the perfect one. I knew she was perfect the moment she settled on my head. The guy selling her to me was middle eastern (they love me for some reason, my comp is appalled at all of them being so forward with me, haha. I don't get it,) and he gave me a discount. Also, when I was deciding, he was like, "its real fur, its real leather!" I was just like, "uh huh, uh huh," trying to ignore that fact cuz I'm so disgusted by wearing real fur. THEN, he proceeded to pull out REAL fox pelts! I was like, dude... you are NOT helping your sale here. But I was madly in love with my shapka, and bought her! I can't stop trying her on! I woke up this morning, rolled out of bed, and put her on again in front of the mirror. So I'm happy. :)
You know my babushka that we washed and she has the crazy cats and HEINOUS apt? We went over again, I LOVE her! But the woman from the service company who took us there this time started on a rant about the cats while we were cleaning. She made us catch the cats and throw them outside with all the other cats! I mean, it's a good idea because it was just sooooo gross and unsanitary in the apt, but the babushka was so sad! I was traumatized! I fought the lady, but what can you do. The cats are all she had! Well, she has a grandson (who is going to HELL, by the way) but he's trying to poison her so she dies. I'm so sad.
Our branch got back from their week at the temple. THEY LOVED IT! So amazing! They all got back late late Saturday night, then were all at church the next day. Elijah, I've told you about him, he's like 20, was supposed to speak about it. During sacrament, he started BAWLING! All of us were like, what the heck. And he continued to bawl. So poor elder Henderson had to be like, can you still speak? Cuz we didn't know if something was horribly wrong. But he got up, and gave such a spiritual, touching talk about the temple. It was amazing. I can't wait to come home and go! He bawled the whole way thru, but he just talked about how he's been a member for a while now, but now he has so many different thoughts on our purpose in life and stuff. It was amazing.
THEN at FHE this week, he made a big announcement. We're always telling him, go on a mish, go on a mish. But his parents...ugh. They just don't approve, it would never fly. And he promised his mom back when he was baptized that he would finish university to the end, cuz if you leave to go on a mish or for anything, it's really hard to get back in and usually you have to start from scratch. Russian education system...don't get me started. I always got the feeling he didn't really WANT to go anyways.
Well, at the temple, Eli felt he HAD to go on a mission, and on Tuesday, he was fasting to know how to tell his mom. He came home from work, hadn't even said anything, no hints or anything, and his mom said, "Hey I want to talk to you. You have mentioned this mission stuff a while ago, I want to know more about it." Um! He said it was CRAZY! So he knew he just HAD to tell her. He did, and you know what she said? Simply, "Go." MIRACLE! I LOVE the gospel! Things just work out! The spirit is soooooo AMAZING! He just works his thang and gets it done, ya know! I love all these miracles I've seen here! So many happen that you would thing it would just become the norm, but it's still SO cool every time! So we're celebrating.
B stole a candy bar from a really big store, haha! She just walked out with it! The funny thing is, they have detectors you have to walk through AND the police door man is always so suspicious of us cuz we're American and we never want a cart.... The latter is a weird thing, I know, but they find that fishy. Yea, so she just walked right out with it! The scary thing, was trying to sneak it back in! We couldn't just go up and be like, "I didn't pay for this," cuz they would be so angry and we'd get in trouble, cuz we're American. But she accomplished it.
Russia hasn't changed since the day it was founded. Really, it hasn't. I've been studying up more on it. Yes, they are the same. Living in the dark ages, which they call 'not losing the Russian culture.' What can you do. I'm working on making a difference. I love you all so much! AHHHHHHH! Get ready, I'm coming home! (written 9/4/08)
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