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)
August 29, 2008
"I will take you home"....NOT!
It's super rainy here, as it has been of late. No fun, but today we're going to go hang out at the branch, so should be fun. I don't mind the rain, it's kind of cool.
Okay, what to tell you about this week? SOOOO many cool experiences! Yes, after the weekend from AD we're back safely in Pskov. We're back in business and the spirit has been so strong and amazing this week! It's been awesome! We had a meeting with our cute investigator Anya last night. I cut her hair SO hot, and then we watched the Testaments, which I love! And she loved it too! She cried! She loves reading the Book of Mormon, and she said she will come to church on Sunday! Yay! I love her.
A couple of days ago, we were riding on the bus to District Meeting, and this woman sitting across from us started asking about our tags. I told her who we are and about the gospel a little bit. She started going off on how she believes in God, but that's it, because nobody has the answers. Let me tell you, those words get you super excited when you KNOW you have the answers someone is looking for! So we were talking, and the spirit was just feeding the words B. and I needed to say. I love working with her because I've really had a whole knew world of understanding open up to me, and because we're both American and not so good at the language, we get to explain things simply, which I see is the best when talking to people on the streets.
But the cool part of this experience was that everyone on the bus seemed to be listening. The provaslovic women started getting into it with our woman and were DEFENDING us! That's huge, cuz first, we're American, and everyone hates us right now. Second, we're MORMON, so everyone hates us ALWAYS. It started a little tiff, but I loved it cuz the whole time I felt just so calm and happy, and so did B. There were some other people listening too, including some guys in their 20’s and the bus conductor. But the words just came so perfectly, and we testified, so real and so spiritual. We accidentally missed our stop because of it all.
When we got off, we were just like, that was AMAZING! SOOO RAD! And we just talked about the amazing spirit that was just so TANGIBLE there. I loved it. :)
That day we had district meeting and I made a KILLER scotch cake and sadly, ate a lot of it, but it was divine. I like our DM, because our district is so tight and we always get into really deep life and gospel discussions. It's so fun.
Oh, mafia man story: My comp and I had just gone through the most stressful weekend EVER, rushing up to St. Pete's and back. We had finally made it to the bus station to get tix back to Pskov. Long story, short, B needed an ATM, so she asked this really nicely dressed man. We're like, okay, he's for sure mafia. You can just spot them here so easily. We went back an hour later to wait the last couple hours before our bus arrived in a bistro right outside the station. We were starving. Well, that guy was in there, and suddenly, as we were looking at the things to choose from to eat, he ordered for us! And was PAYING for us! I was like, um, NO! So weird! We didn't know him, he was a man, we were missionaries, I was just like AHHH!
But it all happened so fast, and the cashiers wouldn't listen to us, they thought it was all very funny that the rich mafia man was going after the dumb California girls. So, I was like, what do we do?! And I just decided, fine, we'll talk about the gospel, duh! Haha, so we did, and found out he was Muslim, named Abu. It was all very awkward and such, but we finished eating and he was like, what bus are you taking? HE was going to Pskov TOO! Dangit! We made excuses to get away from him the last hour before the bus got there. He was very nice and dignified, but I just didn't like the situation.
On the bus he was super into us, it was more obvious. Gross. So then, because the buses weren't going to be running by the time we got in, he said, "I'll take you home." Blah blah blah. I frantically called our elders, told them to meet us at the station, and they said the word had to go up through zone leaders, APs, and prez, (HORRIFIC! I WAS MORTIFIED! But prez had just that day given us a lecture on safety issues, so it wasn't so bad).
I guess the elders RAN from their apt to meet us. I'm so glad they did, cuz when we got off the bus and the elders ran up, Abu who had been so gentlemanly and nice and was insisting we go with him, took off! Like a predator! We watched as he met ANOTHER big man, and they hopped in a car with ANOTHER man! Oh man, both B and I felt the spirit so strong like, AHHHH! That could have been horrible! We weren't planning on going with him no matter what, but I was just so thankful the elders came to our rescue, cuz afterwards, the spirit was just SINGING to us we did the right thing.
Okay, that wasn't all the details, but it was too long anyways. :) I love my family so much and miss you all DESPERATELY! I'm so happy I'm finishing up my rockin' mission so I can come home and attack you all, I miss you so much! I love the spirit, I LOVE the priesthood, I love the people here, I love my mission! And most of all, I love you!!!! (written Aug 28, 2008)
Okay, what to tell you about this week? SOOOO many cool experiences! Yes, after the weekend from AD we're back safely in Pskov. We're back in business and the spirit has been so strong and amazing this week! It's been awesome! We had a meeting with our cute investigator Anya last night. I cut her hair SO hot, and then we watched the Testaments, which I love! And she loved it too! She cried! She loves reading the Book of Mormon, and she said she will come to church on Sunday! Yay! I love her.
A couple of days ago, we were riding on the bus to District Meeting, and this woman sitting across from us started asking about our tags. I told her who we are and about the gospel a little bit. She started going off on how she believes in God, but that's it, because nobody has the answers. Let me tell you, those words get you super excited when you KNOW you have the answers someone is looking for! So we were talking, and the spirit was just feeding the words B. and I needed to say. I love working with her because I've really had a whole knew world of understanding open up to me, and because we're both American and not so good at the language, we get to explain things simply, which I see is the best when talking to people on the streets.
But the cool part of this experience was that everyone on the bus seemed to be listening. The provaslovic women started getting into it with our woman and were DEFENDING us! That's huge, cuz first, we're American, and everyone hates us right now. Second, we're MORMON, so everyone hates us ALWAYS. It started a little tiff, but I loved it cuz the whole time I felt just so calm and happy, and so did B. There were some other people listening too, including some guys in their 20’s and the bus conductor. But the words just came so perfectly, and we testified, so real and so spiritual. We accidentally missed our stop because of it all.
When we got off, we were just like, that was AMAZING! SOOO RAD! And we just talked about the amazing spirit that was just so TANGIBLE there. I loved it. :)
That day we had district meeting and I made a KILLER scotch cake and sadly, ate a lot of it, but it was divine. I like our DM, because our district is so tight and we always get into really deep life and gospel discussions. It's so fun.
Oh, mafia man story: My comp and I had just gone through the most stressful weekend EVER, rushing up to St. Pete's and back. We had finally made it to the bus station to get tix back to Pskov. Long story, short, B needed an ATM, so she asked this really nicely dressed man. We're like, okay, he's for sure mafia. You can just spot them here so easily. We went back an hour later to wait the last couple hours before our bus arrived in a bistro right outside the station. We were starving. Well, that guy was in there, and suddenly, as we were looking at the things to choose from to eat, he ordered for us! And was PAYING for us! I was like, um, NO! So weird! We didn't know him, he was a man, we were missionaries, I was just like AHHH!
But it all happened so fast, and the cashiers wouldn't listen to us, they thought it was all very funny that the rich mafia man was going after the dumb California girls. So, I was like, what do we do?! And I just decided, fine, we'll talk about the gospel, duh! Haha, so we did, and found out he was Muslim, named Abu. It was all very awkward and such, but we finished eating and he was like, what bus are you taking? HE was going to Pskov TOO! Dangit! We made excuses to get away from him the last hour before the bus got there. He was very nice and dignified, but I just didn't like the situation.
On the bus he was super into us, it was more obvious. Gross. So then, because the buses weren't going to be running by the time we got in, he said, "I'll take you home." Blah blah blah. I frantically called our elders, told them to meet us at the station, and they said the word had to go up through zone leaders, APs, and prez, (HORRIFIC! I WAS MORTIFIED! But prez had just that day given us a lecture on safety issues, so it wasn't so bad).
I guess the elders RAN from their apt to meet us. I'm so glad they did, cuz when we got off the bus and the elders ran up, Abu who had been so gentlemanly and nice and was insisting we go with him, took off! Like a predator! We watched as he met ANOTHER big man, and they hopped in a car with ANOTHER man! Oh man, both B and I felt the spirit so strong like, AHHHH! That could have been horrible! We weren't planning on going with him no matter what, but I was just so thankful the elders came to our rescue, cuz afterwards, the spirit was just SINGING to us we did the right thing.
Okay, that wasn't all the details, but it was too long anyways. :) I love my family so much and miss you all DESPERATELY! I'm so happy I'm finishing up my rockin' mission so I can come home and attack you all, I miss you so much! I love the spirit, I LOVE the priesthood, I love the people here, I love my mission! And most of all, I love you!!!! (written Aug 28, 2008)
"Dyen Krasotky"
Yesterday was amazing! We had "dyen krasotky" which was BEAUTY DAY! haha it was so fun, my comp and I put it all together! First we started off by meeting at the branch. PS, I totally set off the alarm for the branch, which is never a big deal, because nobody ever comes. But of course, yesterday when I was there ALONE, the cops show up. Dirty Russian cops. But I convinced them I belonged there and that I really did know the code and everything. I don't know why it hadn't worked, but I fixed it.
THEN, a lady cruises in and reads some legal document to me and starts grilling me on what exactly we DID there. We were ONLY a religious organization? I was like, no, we sell Russian children through the black market too, is that bad? Gosh. And for some reason, it was like the FIRST time EVER our prez of the branch wasn't there in the morning.
So we met there, and we set out to go thrift store shopping! It was so fun! It was really funny, because two of our babooshky showed up, and they were SO into it! I found them a bunch of really cute clothes at the store and they were so funny calling me over to model their clothes for me. They bought some cute stuff. :) They were soooo cute being all girly and giggly, like they had never had a girl's day before!
We headed back to the branch where Barlow and I had prepared a bunch of food like pasta, pizza, desserts and stuff. There were some more people there, including a lady friend of one of the babushkas. She seemed kind of weird and mad about the whole thing at first. But before we ate, we gave a little lesson on modesty and how it's important to be beautiful. I have to say, it was a super good lesson! haha, no really, it went so good. Then we started piggin' out, I started cutting and dying hair and Barlow started doing people's makeup. We also had a little movie going on called Enchanted....LOVED it! (We had gotten permission from the prez). I swallowed it up like I was a 5-year-old princess!
All the girls and babs were soooo into the whole day, it was such a blast! The elders showed up and pulled up chairs to watch it all. It was super funny, they were fascinated, and wanted their makeup done, but we didn't get to it. Haha! So, all in all, we had an awesome turnout, this other lady who isn't a member fell in LOVE with us and wants to come again (Yay! New investigator!)And I cut and dyed all the babooshky for their temple trip this next week. It's the first time in their lives they're going! It'll be so fun!
So, despite all the war stuff and hostility that is HUGE right now, we've had a really good week! Barlow and I set amazing goals and we've already doubled our numbers this week! And we're only 3 days in! It's so fun! But let me go back to the war stuff...people HATE us here! It’s insane! We're dying to know if something huge happened, because we're getting stuff thrown at us, getting yelled at, thrown off of busses, and even Anya, our best investigator who LOVES us, yelled at me the other night about how horrible Americans are. I got assaulted by a military man on the bus the other day. But I just yelled at him and we got off. He followed us, but then we just ran into our apt building. There are so many more stories on that, but we'll just talk about it later.
I never told you about Zone conference. It was amazing! I loved having it all combined! It was just a huge, happenin', spiritual party! So fun! I hope they do it like that again for my last one.
So, earlier this week was really hard and sad, because of all the scary stuff going on. A bab told us Russia was going to war with Ukraine soon, I've been stressing out about America and having nightmares it's going to fall like so many power nations have in the scriptures and in history (stop laughing at me) and we were just really down. So I was kind of devastated and I was like, WHY am I still here?! I feel like I should be home helping MY country, which is falling fast in every other way because God is being forced out of every aspect and everything our country was founded on is being tainted...I'm being dramatic, I know, but my feelings were so much more extreme than I can explain on here. I think I'm just scared for America to become like Russia, when it's this haven I look forward to returning to. Like, I know there's something better in the world, so it makes it easier to be here. That's how it is for the people here. America is totally the hope of the world. But if America falls, what else is there left? I know there are good people still, but I don't know. There's so much I want to say right now but the clock is ticking and I'm making no sense. Anyways, I was just sad. And then I read Moroni 3:3 which says something like, Preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. For some reason that calmed me a lot. Like yea, I have a job here to do, ya know. And in chapter one it talks all about how Moroni was having to hide from the Lamanites so he doesn't get killed like all his other people, but Moroni is still keeping a record for the Lamanites. To benefit them. Even tho they seem like they're so far past fixing, I mean, they're killing anyone who won’t renounce Christ, he's keeping a record for when they...come around. :) Nobody is past saving. I hope. :) Okay, I am out of time already, even tho I have sooo much more to say. It would probably make just as much sense as all the stuff I wrote already, haha!
I love you and miss you madly! I can't wait to hug you!!! I'll leave you with the thought that we have an "ugly naked guy" that we always see through the kitchen window at the branch. Here's H commenting as he's making us lunch on a weekly basis: "Blah blah blah, yea, and there's ugly naked guy again, so blah blah blah..."
And yes, one time he did have a friend. haha (written aug 20, 2008)
THEN, a lady cruises in and reads some legal document to me and starts grilling me on what exactly we DID there. We were ONLY a religious organization? I was like, no, we sell Russian children through the black market too, is that bad? Gosh. And for some reason, it was like the FIRST time EVER our prez of the branch wasn't there in the morning.
So we met there, and we set out to go thrift store shopping! It was so fun! It was really funny, because two of our babooshky showed up, and they were SO into it! I found them a bunch of really cute clothes at the store and they were so funny calling me over to model their clothes for me. They bought some cute stuff. :) They were soooo cute being all girly and giggly, like they had never had a girl's day before!
We headed back to the branch where Barlow and I had prepared a bunch of food like pasta, pizza, desserts and stuff. There were some more people there, including a lady friend of one of the babushkas. She seemed kind of weird and mad about the whole thing at first. But before we ate, we gave a little lesson on modesty and how it's important to be beautiful. I have to say, it was a super good lesson! haha, no really, it went so good. Then we started piggin' out, I started cutting and dying hair and Barlow started doing people's makeup. We also had a little movie going on called Enchanted....LOVED it! (We had gotten permission from the prez). I swallowed it up like I was a 5-year-old princess!
All the girls and babs were soooo into the whole day, it was such a blast! The elders showed up and pulled up chairs to watch it all. It was super funny, they were fascinated, and wanted their makeup done, but we didn't get to it. Haha! So, all in all, we had an awesome turnout, this other lady who isn't a member fell in LOVE with us and wants to come again (Yay! New investigator!)And I cut and dyed all the babooshky for their temple trip this next week. It's the first time in their lives they're going! It'll be so fun!
So, despite all the war stuff and hostility that is HUGE right now, we've had a really good week! Barlow and I set amazing goals and we've already doubled our numbers this week! And we're only 3 days in! It's so fun! But let me go back to the war stuff...people HATE us here! It’s insane! We're dying to know if something huge happened, because we're getting stuff thrown at us, getting yelled at, thrown off of busses, and even Anya, our best investigator who LOVES us, yelled at me the other night about how horrible Americans are. I got assaulted by a military man on the bus the other day. But I just yelled at him and we got off. He followed us, but then we just ran into our apt building. There are so many more stories on that, but we'll just talk about it later.
I never told you about Zone conference. It was amazing! I loved having it all combined! It was just a huge, happenin', spiritual party! So fun! I hope they do it like that again for my last one.
So, earlier this week was really hard and sad, because of all the scary stuff going on. A bab told us Russia was going to war with Ukraine soon, I've been stressing out about America and having nightmares it's going to fall like so many power nations have in the scriptures and in history (stop laughing at me) and we were just really down. So I was kind of devastated and I was like, WHY am I still here?! I feel like I should be home helping MY country, which is falling fast in every other way because God is being forced out of every aspect and everything our country was founded on is being tainted...I'm being dramatic, I know, but my feelings were so much more extreme than I can explain on here. I think I'm just scared for America to become like Russia, when it's this haven I look forward to returning to. Like, I know there's something better in the world, so it makes it easier to be here. That's how it is for the people here. America is totally the hope of the world. But if America falls, what else is there left? I know there are good people still, but I don't know. There's so much I want to say right now but the clock is ticking and I'm making no sense. Anyways, I was just sad. And then I read Moroni 3:3 which says something like, Preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. For some reason that calmed me a lot. Like yea, I have a job here to do, ya know. And in chapter one it talks all about how Moroni was having to hide from the Lamanites so he doesn't get killed like all his other people, but Moroni is still keeping a record for the Lamanites. To benefit them. Even tho they seem like they're so far past fixing, I mean, they're killing anyone who won’t renounce Christ, he's keeping a record for when they...come around. :) Nobody is past saving. I hope. :) Okay, I am out of time already, even tho I have sooo much more to say. It would probably make just as much sense as all the stuff I wrote already, haha!
I love you and miss you madly! I can't wait to hug you!!! I'll leave you with the thought that we have an "ugly naked guy" that we always see through the kitchen window at the branch. Here's H commenting as he's making us lunch on a weekly basis: "Blah blah blah, yea, and there's ugly naked guy again, so blah blah blah..."
And yes, one time he did have a friend. haha (written aug 20, 2008)
Stinging nettle and skeletons
This week our branch had a little pioneer trek thing, which meant walking through the city of Pskov. What I didn’t 't know, and what nobody else knew, was that Elijah was going to take us through some super freaking Pskovian jungle I didn't even know existed! It's right down by the river. So it was all cool, fun, we talked about pioneers and made our own temple out of sand, rocks and I miraculously found seashells...on the shore of the fresh water (but extremely dirty) river. But it ended up super cute.
Then we were going to go a little further along the river and have a picnic. Little did I know that that was when the REAL pioneer trek would start! So let me tell you.....TRAUMATIZING!!! I can't even explain it! But I can tell you I was screaming and shrieking bloody murder the whole time! For a good reason too! Not only were we cruising through thick shrubs, swamps and trees, but this is obviously the land that nobody ever goes to...because apparently it's where the mafia kills everyone!!!! I stepped on so many shoes, ripped clothing, ropes, and...You won't believe me, I know you won't, but a SKELETON!!!! AHHHH! I was screaming bloody murder! First it was a femur bone, but then further on, a WHOLE body!!!!!!!!! OMG! IT was unreal!
It was a super crazy experience that I haven't even begun to paint the picture of for you. But lets just say that I DESPISE stinging nettle. Sadly, Barlow and I both wore shorts that day and we are still suffering from the effects of major stinging nettle. My legs are hideous! And they were already bloodied after the insane hike through heck. But it was fun afterwards. All very funny. I’m out of time. I love you madly and cant wait to see you!!!! (written Aug. 14, 2008)
Then we were going to go a little further along the river and have a picnic. Little did I know that that was when the REAL pioneer trek would start! So let me tell you.....TRAUMATIZING!!! I can't even explain it! But I can tell you I was screaming and shrieking bloody murder the whole time! For a good reason too! Not only were we cruising through thick shrubs, swamps and trees, but this is obviously the land that nobody ever goes to...because apparently it's where the mafia kills everyone!!!! I stepped on so many shoes, ripped clothing, ropes, and...You won't believe me, I know you won't, but a SKELETON!!!! AHHHH! I was screaming bloody murder! First it was a femur bone, but then further on, a WHOLE body!!!!!!!!! OMG! IT was unreal!
It was a super crazy experience that I haven't even begun to paint the picture of for you. But lets just say that I DESPISE stinging nettle. Sadly, Barlow and I both wore shorts that day and we are still suffering from the effects of major stinging nettle. My legs are hideous! And they were already bloodied after the insane hike through heck. But it was fun afterwards. All very funny. I’m out of time. I love you madly and cant wait to see you!!!! (written Aug. 14, 2008)
Goodbye to Kor
Transfers were yesterday! it was way fun to see everyone and we all went out to carl's jr for lunch. We're having a combined mission conference next week, so we'll be going back up again and seeing everyone! YAY! I got my new comp, the cali girl! I like her a lot! So yea, two California girls with identical personalities breakin it down in pskovland!
It was super devastating to say goodbye to kor yesterday. I know we're going to see each other again, and hopefully soon. But you know, there's always that , well what if I don't cuz we live halfway across the world from each other thing. But we will. People always told me it was hard to kill off missionaries, to be their comp when they 'die'. Didn't think that was true. super wrong. I've obviously been super trunky this transfer, which I HATE cuz If I'm here, I just want to do what I'm here for ya know. I'm so sorry this is the choppiest writing experience for me cuz of this dang keyboard and the space bar that sticks so i'm about to scream! So all this week I felt like I was going home too because kor was. But i wasn't. haha
But this transfer is going to rock, I can already feel it. I already feel better, so yea, this is such a lame letter, but i can't do this anymore, it's too hard to type. I love you all so much! (written aug. 8, 2008)
It was super devastating to say goodbye to kor yesterday. I know we're going to see each other again, and hopefully soon. But you know, there's always that , well what if I don't cuz we live halfway across the world from each other thing. But we will. People always told me it was hard to kill off missionaries, to be their comp when they 'die'. Didn't think that was true. super wrong. I've obviously been super trunky this transfer, which I HATE cuz If I'm here, I just want to do what I'm here for ya know. I'm so sorry this is the choppiest writing experience for me cuz of this dang keyboard and the space bar that sticks so i'm about to scream! So all this week I felt like I was going home too because kor was. But i wasn't. haha
But this transfer is going to rock, I can already feel it. I already feel better, so yea, this is such a lame letter, but i can't do this anymore, it's too hard to type. I love you all so much! (written aug. 8, 2008)
Alma 37:37
Today is Harry Potter's Bday!!! We're probably going to do something to celebrate. I would love to read the book, but what can you do. I've waited this long, I can wait a little more. :) H, W, and I sit for hours and asked each other questions from the books trying to stump each other. Wow. I'm a major nerd. Still. :)
I taught relief society this week, and it actually wasn't that bad. Probably just because the woman are so cool and love me, for some super strange reason. Haha I made lunch for district meeting. Spaghetti, it went over well. Nothing like dad's tho. :)
This week we returned to the "Scary" babushka. I don't think I ever told you about her. She’s this crazy baba we go over and wash. She's super fat, and BUCK-naked! I guess she was in the war or something so she's crazy, but my opinion is, she's totally sane, just hilarious. She can walk, but likes to wheel herself (yes, naked, always) around in a wheelchair. So, if you could imagine the head of the cowardly lion with the naked body of a walrus, you know exactly what she looks like. And she likes to growl at us. She wants us to believe she's scary, but she loves us cuz we're just straight up with her and tell her not to fight us. It's funny. We give her dry baths...it's where she lays down and we scrub her with brushes...super weird.
This morning, I was freaking out cuz it was finally pday and I was like "WAKE UP! WE HAVE TO GET TO EMAIL!" jumping on kor's bed. Anyways, I was just running around all morning, but while she was getting ready, I just got the sudden urge to read the scriptures. So I flipped them open, not even to where my place is, and I just pointed to a verse and read it. It was Alma 37:37. The part that stood SCREAMING out to me was, in the morning, let thy heart be full of thanks to God. I hadn't said my morning prayers today cuz I was just running around...Well, it made me smile, and of course I got down and said my prayer and thanked God for my amazing life and this experience he's given me being able to serve him and his children here in Russia. I just love how Heavenly Father will help us out, even with little things like forgetting to pray in the morning. :) I love you all so much! I miss you like INSANELY much! And I'm loving my mish, so I know I always say this, but thank you so much for sending me! :) (written July 31, 2008)
I taught relief society this week, and it actually wasn't that bad. Probably just because the woman are so cool and love me, for some super strange reason. Haha I made lunch for district meeting. Spaghetti, it went over well. Nothing like dad's tho. :)
This week we returned to the "Scary" babushka. I don't think I ever told you about her. She’s this crazy baba we go over and wash. She's super fat, and BUCK-naked! I guess she was in the war or something so she's crazy, but my opinion is, she's totally sane, just hilarious. She can walk, but likes to wheel herself (yes, naked, always) around in a wheelchair. So, if you could imagine the head of the cowardly lion with the naked body of a walrus, you know exactly what she looks like. And she likes to growl at us. She wants us to believe she's scary, but she loves us cuz we're just straight up with her and tell her not to fight us. It's funny. We give her dry baths...it's where she lays down and we scrub her with brushes...super weird.
This morning, I was freaking out cuz it was finally pday and I was like "WAKE UP! WE HAVE TO GET TO EMAIL!" jumping on kor's bed. Anyways, I was just running around all morning, but while she was getting ready, I just got the sudden urge to read the scriptures. So I flipped them open, not even to where my place is, and I just pointed to a verse and read it. It was Alma 37:37. The part that stood SCREAMING out to me was, in the morning, let thy heart be full of thanks to God. I hadn't said my morning prayers today cuz I was just running around...Well, it made me smile, and of course I got down and said my prayer and thanked God for my amazing life and this experience he's given me being able to serve him and his children here in Russia. I just love how Heavenly Father will help us out, even with little things like forgetting to pray in the morning. :) I love you all so much! I miss you like INSANELY much! And I'm loving my mish, so I know I always say this, but thank you so much for sending me! :) (written July 31, 2008)
Batman envy
My comp goes home in less than 2 weeks...wow. Needless to say, she's super trunky. Let's be honest, it's passing onto me. Wow. I've let myself totally go this week. I'm living out of a sports bra, not doing my hair and not wearing makeup. I'm losing it! But I promise I'll pick back up. I can't waste these last moments here! I have less than 100 days! AHHHHH!
We went on splits this week, and by that I mean Sister Varygina and M came and partied with us in Pskov. Haha I was with M this time, and I love her! We talked a ton and laughed and I just loved it. It's sad we'll never serve together, I think we would have done well. The service we did while they were here tho....wow. I can't really explain or talk about it. But in the end the babushka we helped sang to us, and we sang "families can be together forever" in Russian. So it was so worth it. :)
So, it's bat week, huh...wow...struggle! Haha! Please, tell me how it is, but don't tell me anything about it. Batman!
Don’t forget me! Remember Jesus loves you! Oh, and the church is true! :) I love it so much! And I love you! Again. (written July 23, 2008)
We went on splits this week, and by that I mean Sister Varygina and M came and partied with us in Pskov. Haha I was with M this time, and I love her! We talked a ton and laughed and I just loved it. It's sad we'll never serve together, I think we would have done well. The service we did while they were here tho....wow. I can't really explain or talk about it. But in the end the babushka we helped sang to us, and we sang "families can be together forever" in Russian. So it was so worth it. :)
So, it's bat week, huh...wow...struggle! Haha! Please, tell me how it is, but don't tell me anything about it. Batman!
Don’t forget me! Remember Jesus loves you! Oh, and the church is true! :) I love it so much! And I love you! Again. (written July 23, 2008)
Magical Prague!
I'm back, and soooo dying! I don't know why losing time is so hard on the body, gaining time was amazing! So yes, I'll probably sound super delusional in this letter, but what can you do. I WENT TO PRAGUE!!! Where to even begin? I wish I had taken notes the whole time I was there. And so much happened before Prague, what with zone conference and all, so lots to tell.
Okay, so we made our way up to Peter again. A transporter (no joke, straight from the movie, in a nice car and everything, we didn't even have to pay him cuz it "was all handled" already), so yea, a transporter picked me up after the elders and got us to the airport. We took a SUPER small airplane, like totally intimate, and we flew to PRAGUE!
We first met up with a woman waiting for us with a sign, and she escorted us to our hotel with another group of missionaries we knew in the mtc who are all serving in Moscow. Our hotel was way nice, and I had my own room, of course. Well, we just dropped our stuff and ran, cuz, well, we were in PRAGUE! Haha
Let me tell you a few things about Prague....It's the most beautiful city I've ever seen, hands down. It was magic. Beautiful castles and cathedrals everywhere, ALL the streets are cobblestoned, it's just a fantasyland, I tell you! And it is soooooo CLEAN! There is ZERO garbage on the streets. People don't smoke there. Everyone is so polite and courteous! All the public transport is all done on the honor system, like nobody collects money for anything, and people still paid the machines. Everything was super high class and just all around amazing. Basically, you just have to go and experience it. I am being completely honest when I say, I really hope I can live there at some point in my life.
Everyone there knows at LEAST two languages, so chances are you can talk to anybody on the street. Everyone is so nice, so they all want to talk. (SO diff from Russia! I still love Russia tho.) It's a huge melting pot of every culture. The shopping is amazing, they had the greatest stores EVER, and I was stuck with a group of elders...hahaha! But we had a rad time together. They gave me two minutes in H&M, which I loved, but it was torture not buying anything! I did buy a cute shirt on the street that says 'Prague' and has the city, I love it. Yes, I am a tourist...haha. I also bought a RAD ring and a super cute scarf.
We went into one of the shops and the woman working there spotted me as American right away. So she said hello in English. but she asked me if I spoke Russian because she saw my tag. I launched into Russian, and we had a grand old time chatting it up. She sold me my shirt and scarf and gave me a major discount, cuz she loved me. It was just so weird, I was in a foreign country still, so I felt like I need to speak the foreign language I knew, it was just weird how I was more confident speaking Russian than English. haha crazy.
What else about this amazing city?...It's so safe! You just feel insanely secure at all times, I can't explain it. And I loved my mtc group I got to see, they were so fun, I just will love them all forever. Can I just say, McDonalds really does own the world. They were on every block there. They sell absinthe all over the city! CRAZY! But I guess it is Bohemia, so yea. And, Praguish men are GORGEOUS, just fyi. Not that I was looking.
There was a businessman I asked where a good place would be to eat and he sent us to this really fun pub, but he automatically asked me if I was from CA! I was like, how did you know?! He wasn't even from America! He told me it was just obvious, haha. Weird. PS, I read the newspaper on the airplane, the world hates America. No wonder, the things the paper had in it were ridiculous, and totally untrue! What can you do.
Zone conference was RAD! I love our prez and his fam, they're just amazing! It was the best zone conference I’ve ever had. It was the perfect combo of spirituality and humor! We all laughed so much! And yes, it was all in Russian, but I liked it. It's interesting, it's so easy to just be open and joke with President and his wife, but still have SUCH high respect for them. It's so cool. I mass produced no bake cookies for the conference and everyone loved them.
I guess all the missionaries who were coming here from America have been reassigned. Like NO more Americans! It’s so sad, but I feel sooo lucky I got in and had this experience! Oh, I broke my tooth. Ouch. Front and center, lower tho. It's not bad, just a chip, but it hurts, and I was DEVASTATED! Ah, I have no time, but remind me to tell you about the old, fat naked "scary" woman we washed. haha! I love you so much. (written July 18, 2008)
Okay, so we made our way up to Peter again. A transporter (no joke, straight from the movie, in a nice car and everything, we didn't even have to pay him cuz it "was all handled" already), so yea, a transporter picked me up after the elders and got us to the airport. We took a SUPER small airplane, like totally intimate, and we flew to PRAGUE!
We first met up with a woman waiting for us with a sign, and she escorted us to our hotel with another group of missionaries we knew in the mtc who are all serving in Moscow. Our hotel was way nice, and I had my own room, of course. Well, we just dropped our stuff and ran, cuz, well, we were in PRAGUE! Haha
Let me tell you a few things about Prague....It's the most beautiful city I've ever seen, hands down. It was magic. Beautiful castles and cathedrals everywhere, ALL the streets are cobblestoned, it's just a fantasyland, I tell you! And it is soooooo CLEAN! There is ZERO garbage on the streets. People don't smoke there. Everyone is so polite and courteous! All the public transport is all done on the honor system, like nobody collects money for anything, and people still paid the machines. Everything was super high class and just all around amazing. Basically, you just have to go and experience it. I am being completely honest when I say, I really hope I can live there at some point in my life.
Everyone there knows at LEAST two languages, so chances are you can talk to anybody on the street. Everyone is so nice, so they all want to talk. (SO diff from Russia! I still love Russia tho.) It's a huge melting pot of every culture. The shopping is amazing, they had the greatest stores EVER, and I was stuck with a group of elders...hahaha! But we had a rad time together. They gave me two minutes in H&M, which I loved, but it was torture not buying anything! I did buy a cute shirt on the street that says 'Prague' and has the city, I love it. Yes, I am a tourist...haha. I also bought a RAD ring and a super cute scarf.
We went into one of the shops and the woman working there spotted me as American right away. So she said hello in English. but she asked me if I spoke Russian because she saw my tag. I launched into Russian, and we had a grand old time chatting it up. She sold me my shirt and scarf and gave me a major discount, cuz she loved me. It was just so weird, I was in a foreign country still, so I felt like I need to speak the foreign language I knew, it was just weird how I was more confident speaking Russian than English. haha crazy.
What else about this amazing city?...It's so safe! You just feel insanely secure at all times, I can't explain it. And I loved my mtc group I got to see, they were so fun, I just will love them all forever. Can I just say, McDonalds really does own the world. They were on every block there. They sell absinthe all over the city! CRAZY! But I guess it is Bohemia, so yea. And, Praguish men are GORGEOUS, just fyi. Not that I was looking.
There was a businessman I asked where a good place would be to eat and he sent us to this really fun pub, but he automatically asked me if I was from CA! I was like, how did you know?! He wasn't even from America! He told me it was just obvious, haha. Weird. PS, I read the newspaper on the airplane, the world hates America. No wonder, the things the paper had in it were ridiculous, and totally untrue! What can you do.
Zone conference was RAD! I love our prez and his fam, they're just amazing! It was the best zone conference I’ve ever had. It was the perfect combo of spirituality and humor! We all laughed so much! And yes, it was all in Russian, but I liked it. It's interesting, it's so easy to just be open and joke with President and his wife, but still have SUCH high respect for them. It's so cool. I mass produced no bake cookies for the conference and everyone loved them.
I guess all the missionaries who were coming here from America have been reassigned. Like NO more Americans! It’s so sad, but I feel sooo lucky I got in and had this experience! Oh, I broke my tooth. Ouch. Front and center, lower tho. It's not bad, just a chip, but it hurts, and I was DEVASTATED! Ah, I have no time, but remind me to tell you about the old, fat naked "scary" woman we washed. haha! I love you so much. (written July 18, 2008)
New/Old companion
High drama AGAIN. Emergency transfer of my comp and now I'm with Kor back in Pskov. We are having a rad rocking time together! So many things have happened that just SCREAM this was meant to be. I know the situation and circumstances all sucked, but I'm fine now cuz it's totally soodba (destiny, haha!) We're working our rears off! It's Kor's last transfer and I only have two more after this so we're like... AHHHHHHHHH! Go GO GO! It's super fun!
Tomorrow everyone in our zone and prez and his fam will be arriving for zone conference. Ooooo. And we have to do a musical number. Is this a joke? Whatever. I'm excited for the zone conference spoken fully in Russian/Ukrainian. :)
We've got these miracle new investigators. I'm panicking cuz I'm trying to sort out our area book cuz I know I'm going to be here next transfer again. It's good knowing already, I like it. Not so tortuous. Yesterday, Kor and I ran 40 minutes in the morning to the elders' apt (cuz H is in Prague and so K was staying at the OTHER elders apt, so this one was empty for the time being) to take a real shower. With hot water! Oh, it was so nice. We were so happy! And clean. I hope they turn our hot water back on soon, I can't go another month without it!
K, this is short, I know. I'll be in Prague next week! Sadly, we're going for only 1 1/2 days, way less than any other group, but what can you do. I'M GOING TO PRAGUE! haha! I love you so much! Don't forget me. :) (written July 9, 2008)
Tomorrow everyone in our zone and prez and his fam will be arriving for zone conference. Ooooo. And we have to do a musical number. Is this a joke? Whatever. I'm excited for the zone conference spoken fully in Russian/Ukrainian. :)
We've got these miracle new investigators. I'm panicking cuz I'm trying to sort out our area book cuz I know I'm going to be here next transfer again. It's good knowing already, I like it. Not so tortuous. Yesterday, Kor and I ran 40 minutes in the morning to the elders' apt (cuz H is in Prague and so K was staying at the OTHER elders apt, so this one was empty for the time being) to take a real shower. With hot water! Oh, it was so nice. We were so happy! And clean. I hope they turn our hot water back on soon, I can't go another month without it!
K, this is short, I know. I'll be in Prague next week! Sadly, we're going for only 1 1/2 days, way less than any other group, but what can you do. I'M GOING TO PRAGUE! haha! I love you so much! Don't forget me. :) (written July 9, 2008)
Still in Pskov
We had transfers...I'm still in Pskov..With GEGAULCHYI! You remember her? The "dreaded" comp. Wow. It's been interesting. Already. Yes, we have fought, but basically I'm just being her best friend and being super chill just cuz she loves me so much and has been waiting for this companionship since I got here. We were in Peter yesterday in the office, and let me tell you...I can’t even count how many condolences I got. haha! And hugs. Everyone was acting like I was going to my grave. Maybe I was. Maybe I am. Maybe SHE is..Um, anyways, nothing huge yet. She did catch the kitchen on fire last night. And when I say fire, I don't mean just a little flame. It was a freaking 5-foot tall raging oil fire, and super hot! I was like "WHAT THE HECK!!?!?!?! DO SOMETHING!" She just stood there, smirking. So I had to grab a huge metal bowl and throw it over the pan. It's lucky we happen to have a metal plate on the ceiling right there cuz our apt would have been GONE. Wow. Let the adventures begin. Just pray for me not to hit her and get sent home.
I met the new sister from CA yesterday! She's way rad and we had fun talking. Some of the elders wanted pics with the "CA girls" ahah. Um. I said goodbye to prez and sister S. yesterday. They were super nice and sister s. was just like, “I love you so much!” It was sweet.
After our Mummy adventure last week in the catacombs, we've been bombarded with phone calls and texts! Man, the girls are adorable, but wow. So I'm hoping to plan some kind of FHE and invite them and their fams. We'll see. Okay, I know this is super short, but I’ve got to go already. She made us late today....but you know what, this transfer is going to be all right. No biggie. I love you! More than all the American and Mexican food in the world! More than all the amazing movies I'm missing! More than my boyfriend Batman! Obviously. hahaha! (written June 26, 2008)
I met the new sister from CA yesterday! She's way rad and we had fun talking. Some of the elders wanted pics with the "CA girls" ahah. Um. I said goodbye to prez and sister S. yesterday. They were super nice and sister s. was just like, “I love you so much!” It was sweet.
After our Mummy adventure last week in the catacombs, we've been bombarded with phone calls and texts! Man, the girls are adorable, but wow. So I'm hoping to plan some kind of FHE and invite them and their fams. We'll see. Okay, I know this is super short, but I’ve got to go already. She made us late today....but you know what, this transfer is going to be all right. No biggie. I love you! More than all the American and Mexican food in the world! More than all the amazing movies I'm missing! More than my boyfriend Batman! Obviously. hahaha! (written June 26, 2008)
Detained
Dearest Darlingest Momsy and Popsicle!...:) HELLO bce! That means everyone. haha
Can you believe that transfers are in two days?!?!?!?! And two new sisters are coming in. Dude, so much drama and new prez and stuff, it's TORTURE waiting to see what will happen! AH!
We just got back from a little excursion to a village called Pechory. SO RAD! We went to this monastery, and they made me and my comp put on skirts, and of course tried to push the head wrap thing on me again, but I was like, UM, the MEN don't have to wear them. All in all, I ended up putting my sweatshirt hood on my head so we could enter inconspicuously. Let me tell you our adventure. There are these tombs we wanted to get into. But you have to have a guide because they're just crazy tunnels underground. So we asked this fieldtrip group with a ton of little kids if we could go with them. The women were so cool about it and just told us not to talk with accents and just blend in with the kids...who were all up to my chest. hahaha
Anyway, we had to wait a while, don't know why, but I ended up talking to all the little girls around me. OMG, so funny! hahaha! I'm like, eh, I don't want to talk to them, and they're all speaking Russian. But they were FASCINATED by the Americans. (F clamed he was Chinese, and we went with it. He's sooooo Josh Hartnett!) So, it was super entertaining, I talked forever with this huge group of little girls about Britney Spears and Madonna and stuff, and they wanted to know everything about me.
When we got into the monastery, they gave us all these tiny candles and lit them for us and we followed a monk into the scary, dark, deep depths of the tombs. AH! So creepy! Dead bodies everywhere. All the little girls were clinging to me and it was just a total adventure. S kept checking on me to see if I was okay because he knows I hate graveyards. And this was the ULTIMATE graveyard.
It was freezing, and you could hear a heartbeat...talk about FREAKY! There were holes in the walls you could stick your candles into and see the coffins and bodies. OMG. I kept saying to the girls, one of these times a hand is just gonna grab you. haha I’m evil. But they were loving it. The older ones, like 12 and 13 years old, were totally LOVING on S and H, hahahaa! We came to a tall room, just lined with DEAD PEOPLE! And all we had were these dim little candles. Oh yea, I forgot to tell you, the monk crossed my forehead with liquid wax. So somehow I think I’ve been baptized into another church or something...um. All these little girls and I were showing off our shiny wax crosses to each other. Such an adventure.
Then....I was like, what do we do when our candle burns out? We were deep in the catacombs and I was getting a little worried. Well, guess what...they DID! All of ours went out at once. My girls and I started shrieking and running like crazy, trying to get through the suffocating darkness to the exit. We made it. ahhaha it was so fun! We said about 7 goodbyes, literally. I got a few presents from some of the girls, and also spent about 15 minutes signing their hands with my name and cell number, hahaha! I felt like such a celebrity! :) They're all from Pskov, so we're gonna get into the families thru their 10 year olds. haha We’ve gotten about 75 calls and texts already. They're so cute! We saw them pass by on their bus and they were all freaking out waving and screaming my name. I love them all!
Varigina thinks I’m boring. Everyone does. I've mellowed out so much here.
We had another lice scare this week. But we think we just have fleas. Yay. But now the elders (mainly S.) are FREAKING out about the lice thing! haha I wish I could tell you stories, but there is no time. But now they know that the girls in the branch have lice.
We got to go back to the blind cat lady again! I love her! We went buck wild on her apt, cuz it's just so dirty. She LOVES us! So cute! My comp and I are doing better right now. We've discovered we like each other a lot on Midol. Interesting. H is so rad, I love him! I hope my sons will grow up to be like him, he's just way cool. He and I talked about Harry Potter for more than an hour the other day at district lunch. Everyone else hates us, hahahaha OH! I didn't tell you. Today, when we got off the train in the village (it's on the BORDER of Estonia,) we wanted to just slip by the guards super fast and unnoticed. So S led the way...to a place off limits. Well, a bunch of military jumped on us and hauled us into a military building where they put a guard on us and took off with our passports for 45 minutes. It was super crazy, and funny that it happened like that, ahha! I have sooo much more to tell you, but zero time! I love you so much! (written June 19, 2008)
Can you believe that transfers are in two days?!?!?!?! And two new sisters are coming in. Dude, so much drama and new prez and stuff, it's TORTURE waiting to see what will happen! AH!
We just got back from a little excursion to a village called Pechory. SO RAD! We went to this monastery, and they made me and my comp put on skirts, and of course tried to push the head wrap thing on me again, but I was like, UM, the MEN don't have to wear them. All in all, I ended up putting my sweatshirt hood on my head so we could enter inconspicuously. Let me tell you our adventure. There are these tombs we wanted to get into. But you have to have a guide because they're just crazy tunnels underground. So we asked this fieldtrip group with a ton of little kids if we could go with them. The women were so cool about it and just told us not to talk with accents and just blend in with the kids...who were all up to my chest. hahaha
Anyway, we had to wait a while, don't know why, but I ended up talking to all the little girls around me. OMG, so funny! hahaha! I'm like, eh, I don't want to talk to them, and they're all speaking Russian. But they were FASCINATED by the Americans. (F clamed he was Chinese, and we went with it. He's sooooo Josh Hartnett!) So, it was super entertaining, I talked forever with this huge group of little girls about Britney Spears and Madonna and stuff, and they wanted to know everything about me.
When we got into the monastery, they gave us all these tiny candles and lit them for us and we followed a monk into the scary, dark, deep depths of the tombs. AH! So creepy! Dead bodies everywhere. All the little girls were clinging to me and it was just a total adventure. S kept checking on me to see if I was okay because he knows I hate graveyards. And this was the ULTIMATE graveyard.
It was freezing, and you could hear a heartbeat...talk about FREAKY! There were holes in the walls you could stick your candles into and see the coffins and bodies. OMG. I kept saying to the girls, one of these times a hand is just gonna grab you. haha I’m evil. But they were loving it. The older ones, like 12 and 13 years old, were totally LOVING on S and H, hahahaa! We came to a tall room, just lined with DEAD PEOPLE! And all we had were these dim little candles. Oh yea, I forgot to tell you, the monk crossed my forehead with liquid wax. So somehow I think I’ve been baptized into another church or something...um. All these little girls and I were showing off our shiny wax crosses to each other. Such an adventure.
Then....I was like, what do we do when our candle burns out? We were deep in the catacombs and I was getting a little worried. Well, guess what...they DID! All of ours went out at once. My girls and I started shrieking and running like crazy, trying to get through the suffocating darkness to the exit. We made it. ahhaha it was so fun! We said about 7 goodbyes, literally. I got a few presents from some of the girls, and also spent about 15 minutes signing their hands with my name and cell number, hahaha! I felt like such a celebrity! :) They're all from Pskov, so we're gonna get into the families thru their 10 year olds. haha We’ve gotten about 75 calls and texts already. They're so cute! We saw them pass by on their bus and they were all freaking out waving and screaming my name. I love them all!
Varigina thinks I’m boring. Everyone does. I've mellowed out so much here.
We had another lice scare this week. But we think we just have fleas. Yay. But now the elders (mainly S.) are FREAKING out about the lice thing! haha I wish I could tell you stories, but there is no time. But now they know that the girls in the branch have lice.
We got to go back to the blind cat lady again! I love her! We went buck wild on her apt, cuz it's just so dirty. She LOVES us! So cute! My comp and I are doing better right now. We've discovered we like each other a lot on Midol. Interesting. H is so rad, I love him! I hope my sons will grow up to be like him, he's just way cool. He and I talked about Harry Potter for more than an hour the other day at district lunch. Everyone else hates us, hahahaha OH! I didn't tell you. Today, when we got off the train in the village (it's on the BORDER of Estonia,) we wanted to just slip by the guards super fast and unnoticed. So S led the way...to a place off limits. Well, a bunch of military jumped on us and hauled us into a military building where they put a guard on us and took off with our passports for 45 minutes. It was super crazy, and funny that it happened like that, ahha! I have sooo much more to tell you, but zero time! I love you so much! (written June 19, 2008)
Midnight beating
I'm so excited it's pday! I'm always bouncing around the apt in the morning and my comp hates me. haha she hates email tho...so sad. So I'm running to internet in the morning and she's like 30 feet behind me.
Today is a holiday...again. We're gonna go eat after this, then play tennis if we can (we're craving something american! ps, S. has introduced baseball here. People think it's the weirdest thing ever,) and then we have to be in by 5.
Right now I'm experiencing the most silent time of my life. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you know I hate silence. haha. Anyway, my comp just doesn't want to talk to me. It's sad, and I try, but what can you do. The other day I realized as we stopped to pray at the door before we left the apt and I said "my turn," that those were the first words uttered that morning. But at least I have the elders. And I'm working on Baikalova. Like I ask her stupid "would you rather" questions and whats your fave color type of things. Most of the time I'm answered with silence, but sometimes she responds. PROGRESS! I asked her straight up if she had a prob with me and she said no. So, nothing to do but the work. :)
I had some AMAZING contacting experiences this week! I think this is causing me to talk more to people on the streets (normally I can just add in things as my russian comps talk,) so it's probably totally meant to be. I'm teaching Spanish again. It's so interesting to teach it from Russian. hahaha! Most of my students are from my english class, and Spanish seems SO similar to english for me now that I've learned russian. So I'm kind of teaching spanish and english at the same time, if that makes sense. They think spanish and english are similar too, so it helps. I taught them ten little indians in spanish in my last class, so that was fun.
The other night, I was totally sleeping and all of the sudden we heard a man's blood curdling scream and glass breaking coming from outside. My comp and I immediately vaulted out of bed and ran to our big window. There was a man curled up in the fetal position on the sidewalk. An old man and a woman were circling him. I was like, why is nobody touching him or trying to help or something!? Tons of people walked by and finally a couple stopped and the new woman was like, what the heck? She went over to the man on the sidewalk (he was obviously drunk or something) and she started beating the CRAP out of the guy. In the face. For ten minutes straight. Then they started dragging the guy and wrestling him and beating him more. (He for sure had a black face in the morning, man, I've never seen beating like that before.) While he was lying on the ground again and being beaten by this woman, the first woman went over and was petting his back, then leaned down and whispered something to the guy. For the first time he showed sign of life. He hauled back and socked the girl in the face! Well, she took off. I was like "YEA! YOU GO GIRL! YOU WALK AWAY, YEAH!" Anyways, lots more happened, but i'm out of time.
I love you truly madly deeply do!! (written June 12, 2008)
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)
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)
Honeycomb, hand pumps, and holy waterfalls
Big drama of the week:
Last week at English class the members were all talking about a nuclear explosion that happened at a plant just south of St. Petersberg. They said the cloud was heading straight for Pskov! Needless to say, I was a little scared. Only one of my all time worst nightmares. S was scared too, but we couldn't get ahold of prez. They said it was going to hit late that night or in the morning. Lovely.
We thought, well, for sure someone would have called us. The members and Russians all told us not to worry, that this happens sometimes....WHAT?! Ever heard of Chernoble... how do you even spell it? I don't know, I've only HEARD of it.
My comp told me this happened to her city and the government just shoots major weapons at the cloud to lift it over the cities in the way so it will rain down right PAST them. The members said even if it did rain down on us, the radiation shouldn't be too bad and to just drink milk with a little bit of iodine to help with it....what the...am I freaking living in a MOVIE or what?! So that night was kind of nervous...What can you do?
The next morning we woke up to what normally is a very sunny white-nights morning, but instead was a scary dirty black sky. My comp said we couldn't go running that morning, it was super scary. But it never rained, despite the fact that the sky was super dirty all day, clearing up though as it went on. I talked to prez about it and he said he heard about it too and made a call and was told it was a rumor. Bad thing is, I guess the Russian government doesn't always tell people until way later. And our members said it was for sure true...I don't know, the thing that confirmed it for me was the sky the next morning.
Anyways. Adventures. Things with my comp are getting better. We've said a few more words to each other. :) I cut and flat ironed her hair, and she was in shock. She acted like she hated it, but then the next day we HAD to go and find her a flat iron and she had me do it for Zone conference and stuff, so all is well. I think she likes me a little more now.
We had zone conference, which was totally good. We took our 4 hr bus ride and got interviews with prez that night in Novgorod. Then sister S took my comp and I to the Kremlin (it's called a kremell, or stronghold, or fortress, but for some reason I call it the Kremlin...) and the little city was so so pretty. Then, we went back to the hotel...uh huh, they got the sisters a hotel room this time! What the heck?! Nothing fabulous, but I felt so wrong being in a hotel when the elders didn't get to too. So we stayed up over hours and had dinner with the Prez and Sister S. They treated us, which was so nice and I felt insanely spoiled, but it was just really awkward and quiet, I'm not gonna lie. You know me, I hate silence, so I would just blurt out random things trying to start conversation, which would quickly die into utter silence again. And I felt sooo heavy afterwards cuz I had meat, chicken wrapped in bacon, and it was so good, I just haven't eaten meat in a while.
In the morning, our area Presidency got into Novgorod and we ate breakfast with them and the Prez. I love the P's, they are amazing! So natural and they LOVE the Russian people, I love it. Our conference went really well. It was the S's last, which means our last in English. :)
Let me tell you about visa issues. Prez talked to me about it cuz I'm going to Tallinn (Estonia) next month to get mine renewed. I guess they've passed new laws saying that we can't send our papers ahead anymore, so now we have to go and do our paperwork there, then return ten days later to pick up our visa. President told me that we are the only mission here doing it that way. All the other ones are flying their missionaries to Madrid or Prague to renew theirs, meaning they have to stay there for a week at a time....I told President, Um, are you SURE we shouldn't do that too?! haha he laughed, but I told him to seriously consider it. UM! HELLO! PRAGUE OR MADRID! I'll take a week vacation to one of those places! He said I should have one more time I need to renew my visa after this next month, and we're just trying out this two-trip thing to Tallinn to see how it works. But of course it'll change when I leave the mish....haha.
Last p-day my rad district took a little trip to an outside village named Izborsk. So beautiful and so fun! I pumped water our of real water pumps, we bought and ate honeycomb from a little lady on the street that she had harvested herself, we cruised the rolling fields and ran into a snake that the boys had fun playing with, we walked through a graveyard, played in the holy waterfalls, the wind was intense I loved it, then we ate at a little soup and blini restaurant. It was super fun. (written May 29, 2008)
A tender mercy: microwave popcorn!
I just wrote you a really long email and i got cut off. i think i'm going to cry, i wrote a lot...and i can't get it back. i cant write it all again. basically, i love my district. this sucks. I'm sorry, i don't know what to do. i can't get more time, my comp said i could just have 5 more minutes. I'm so sorry. i'm so sad. I love you so much. (written May 24, 2008)
(On May 25, 2008 mishgirl hand wrote a letter home and sent it by snail mail):
I’m writing this because of the huge email disaster this week. I’ll try to remember everything, because I told you a lot.
Let me name my district to start with:
S—obviously I love him! He is such a fun district leader, such a rad missionary, all around amazing. PS: he’s got a bunch of hot brothers too! Haha!
M—Salisbury’s comp; from California; super nice, and really good at the language for being so new!
H—super funny! He’s like a hyperactive little boy bouncing off the walls. He’s a really good leader, which is good cuz he’s the new Branch prez. AMAZING at Russian, and he loves everyone—literally!
F—definitely on my list of faves! Hilarious; TOTALLY Josh Hartnett clone; really in touch with nature…haha! I love him!
Baikalova—my comp. She’s super nice, but we’ve said a total of 10 words to each other the whole transfer. She’s not shy, just uncommunicative….with me. I talk to myself a lot…I say “ok,” “just kidding…” and “never mind” a lot. But I don’t know, I LIKE her a lot! It’s just a really quiet relationship. I’m trying--I even attempted to talk about Sponge Bob…her favorite…whom I HATE. That got 3 words out of her, so, progress!
We got a new apartment and I am so happy! It’s an old commie one, but 50 thousand times better than our other one. Moving was a little bit devilish, but soooo worth it! On Monday, moving day, my comp and I took a load to our new apt then went and met the elders at S’s apt, cuz they were moving too. OMG, their new place is freaking RAD! I felt like I was in America! It was even cool for American standards! The shower is my fave, it’s like pimped out futuristic style and even has a built in radio and cool lights and faucets and stuff. Sooo jealous! And did I mention their dishwasher? Who knew THOSE could be imported?! I didn’t want to leave their place. We had District Meeting there and then made lunch together which was so good. I haven’t had meat in awhile. PS: remember my phobia of touching raw meat? I promised S to give him credit for having me do that for our lunch.
Then my comp and I went to move more stuff of ours. Sadly, I pulverized my suitcase! It’s only a mile or two from our old apt to the new one, but every trip I felt like I was literally dragging dead bodies. Well, I finally looked down at my wheels... and they were shredded! So all that time I basically WAS dragging my suitcase back and forth with loads of stuff…nice. Explained my blistered hands. I thought I was just a wanny. And it didn’t help that absolutely NOTHING in Russia is handicap accessible! So, lots of stairs, curbs, dirt, and potholed streets.
The next day M and S went and got our mattresses for us…OMG, S was super entertaining swinging the mattress around to carry it in every different way possible. He would balance it on his head and march down the street greeting people. Our elders are way cool for taking care of us here. We live a two-minute walk from the elders’ new place now, so that’s fun.
Have I mentioned that I love Pskov? I mean, I know it’s the pit of the mission and all, but I love being back. It’s nice having people who want our invitations we hand out and actually say ‘thank you.” Weird!! I like already knowing where to go and who people are. It’s nice. I know Russian a LITTLE better now, so I’ve gotten some nice comments about that too, haha!
We’re back to doing Pskov service, if you remember how that was. I remember how traumatizing it used to be, I do. But physically, the memories just don’t click till you’re in it again, ya know. It’s so sad and crazy how some people have to live. This week, we went to help a really cute, fun, blind and crippled babushka. The whole apartment smelled like cat urine cuz she has three cats that just do whatever, wherever. The smell was so bad we got dizzy. Gross. I’ll keep these details to a minimum.
During the first hour of cleaning, my comp was talking to the bab and I was in the hall when one of her nasty, mangy cats waddled in and collapsed. It proceeded to writhe and seize in a way I’ve NEVER seen or imagined a cat could do! The cat had a hairlip and it was suffocating or something and it peed all over. I didn’t know what to do! Um, excuse me, your cat is dying?
Would you believe it though, it’s still alive! It bit my comp twice after that. So then we gave this adorable babushka a shower, cuz she literally had not had one for SEVEN months! It was kind of an ordeal, but SO worth it! She loved it so much, she loves US so much! She insisted that we take her (spoiled) sausage meat to eat, which we fed to all the cats on the street. I hope we can go back and help her again!
I’m already booked up for the next week with haircuts. I’ve done a couple super cute ones, and I did Gala’s (a girl from our branch) hair (which is past her rear) for her sister’s wedding.
Did I mention something HUGE that came with our new apt.? Well, while negotiating with the owner and realtor (for some reason the decision to get it or not was left up to me), I said we would take the place if they hooked us up with a microwave. Total joke, but they did it! So for the first time in a year I got to eat popcorn! Oh the little things that make me happy! But at this point I’m so used to NOT having one, I’m at a loss of what to make! So today I purposely made soup to put in the fridge just so I could reheat it this evening! Fun!
OMG, the other day I witnessed the girl in front of me in line at the store have some kind of seizure and pass out, taking out the candy shelf (made of metal!) with her face, then hitting the ground with it too! Nobody did ANYTHING! I was like, “Um..HELP!” But after a second she got up, face bleeding and all, paid and got her stuff. And the weird thing was, nobody SAID anything! Nobody cared! Nobody was even fazed! What the heck!?!
I love you all madly and miss you like crazy and am dreaming of the day I will see you again!
(On May 25, 2008 mishgirl hand wrote a letter home and sent it by snail mail):
I’m writing this because of the huge email disaster this week. I’ll try to remember everything, because I told you a lot.
Let me name my district to start with:
S—obviously I love him! He is such a fun district leader, such a rad missionary, all around amazing. PS: he’s got a bunch of hot brothers too! Haha!
M—Salisbury’s comp; from California; super nice, and really good at the language for being so new!
H—super funny! He’s like a hyperactive little boy bouncing off the walls. He’s a really good leader, which is good cuz he’s the new Branch prez. AMAZING at Russian, and he loves everyone—literally!
F—definitely on my list of faves! Hilarious; TOTALLY Josh Hartnett clone; really in touch with nature…haha! I love him!
Baikalova—my comp. She’s super nice, but we’ve said a total of 10 words to each other the whole transfer. She’s not shy, just uncommunicative….with me. I talk to myself a lot…I say “ok,” “just kidding…” and “never mind” a lot. But I don’t know, I LIKE her a lot! It’s just a really quiet relationship. I’m trying--I even attempted to talk about Sponge Bob…her favorite…whom I HATE. That got 3 words out of her, so, progress!
We got a new apartment and I am so happy! It’s an old commie one, but 50 thousand times better than our other one. Moving was a little bit devilish, but soooo worth it! On Monday, moving day, my comp and I took a load to our new apt then went and met the elders at S’s apt, cuz they were moving too. OMG, their new place is freaking RAD! I felt like I was in America! It was even cool for American standards! The shower is my fave, it’s like pimped out futuristic style and even has a built in radio and cool lights and faucets and stuff. Sooo jealous! And did I mention their dishwasher? Who knew THOSE could be imported?! I didn’t want to leave their place. We had District Meeting there and then made lunch together which was so good. I haven’t had meat in awhile. PS: remember my phobia of touching raw meat? I promised S to give him credit for having me do that for our lunch.
Then my comp and I went to move more stuff of ours. Sadly, I pulverized my suitcase! It’s only a mile or two from our old apt to the new one, but every trip I felt like I was literally dragging dead bodies. Well, I finally looked down at my wheels... and they were shredded! So all that time I basically WAS dragging my suitcase back and forth with loads of stuff…nice. Explained my blistered hands. I thought I was just a wanny. And it didn’t help that absolutely NOTHING in Russia is handicap accessible! So, lots of stairs, curbs, dirt, and potholed streets.
The next day M and S went and got our mattresses for us…OMG, S was super entertaining swinging the mattress around to carry it in every different way possible. He would balance it on his head and march down the street greeting people. Our elders are way cool for taking care of us here. We live a two-minute walk from the elders’ new place now, so that’s fun.
Have I mentioned that I love Pskov? I mean, I know it’s the pit of the mission and all, but I love being back. It’s nice having people who want our invitations we hand out and actually say ‘thank you.” Weird!! I like already knowing where to go and who people are. It’s nice. I know Russian a LITTLE better now, so I’ve gotten some nice comments about that too, haha!
We’re back to doing Pskov service, if you remember how that was. I remember how traumatizing it used to be, I do. But physically, the memories just don’t click till you’re in it again, ya know. It’s so sad and crazy how some people have to live. This week, we went to help a really cute, fun, blind and crippled babushka. The whole apartment smelled like cat urine cuz she has three cats that just do whatever, wherever. The smell was so bad we got dizzy. Gross. I’ll keep these details to a minimum.
During the first hour of cleaning, my comp was talking to the bab and I was in the hall when one of her nasty, mangy cats waddled in and collapsed. It proceeded to writhe and seize in a way I’ve NEVER seen or imagined a cat could do! The cat had a hairlip and it was suffocating or something and it peed all over. I didn’t know what to do! Um, excuse me, your cat is dying?
Would you believe it though, it’s still alive! It bit my comp twice after that. So then we gave this adorable babushka a shower, cuz she literally had not had one for SEVEN months! It was kind of an ordeal, but SO worth it! She loved it so much, she loves US so much! She insisted that we take her (spoiled) sausage meat to eat, which we fed to all the cats on the street. I hope we can go back and help her again!
I’m already booked up for the next week with haircuts. I’ve done a couple super cute ones, and I did Gala’s (a girl from our branch) hair (which is past her rear) for her sister’s wedding.
Did I mention something HUGE that came with our new apt.? Well, while negotiating with the owner and realtor (for some reason the decision to get it or not was left up to me), I said we would take the place if they hooked us up with a microwave. Total joke, but they did it! So for the first time in a year I got to eat popcorn! Oh the little things that make me happy! But at this point I’m so used to NOT having one, I’m at a loss of what to make! So today I purposely made soup to put in the fridge just so I could reheat it this evening! Fun!
OMG, the other day I witnessed the girl in front of me in line at the store have some kind of seizure and pass out, taking out the candy shelf (made of metal!) with her face, then hitting the ground with it too! Nobody did ANYTHING! I was like, “Um..HELP!” But after a second she got up, face bleeding and all, paid and got her stuff. And the weird thing was, nobody SAID anything! Nobody cared! Nobody was even fazed! What the heck!?!
I love you all madly and miss you like crazy and am dreaming of the day I will see you again!
PS: we have bedbugs!
Can you believe I’m back in Pskov!? I LOVE IT! We got here late last night and the elders were waiting for us to help me with my killer bags. I was super thankful S and his comp were there to help. I'm so stoked I'm back with S, he's so freaking rad! I'm back in the lovely sites and smells of Pskov!
Yesterday was transfer day and I got to ride a train again. Should be fun being back to the long train and bus rides to anywhere we need to go. I'm serving with sister Baikalova, who REALLY doesn't want to serve with an American, but what can you do. She slept the whole train ride...which I considered a major miracle since I chomped on cashews (my fave, as of late) so loud the whole time.
Once again, I'll update you on how transfers went down. It was, of course, TOTRURE as always having to wait. But Saturday was a really good day. We had sports in the morning at Udelnaya Park near our home. Then we had our last English practice, which was super sad. (I also got in a huge fight with my Zone leader who is the biggest male-chevanistic and hypocritical gaylord EVER!) Then we took Sveta Zabrodina (you know the girl who didn't like us and we sat on the dirty floor in her apt by candlelight then wallpapered it and everything, she is soooo traumatized I left, I love her!) and our two black girls, masha and enessa to Yanna's baptism! From center! I can't believe she got baptized, I'm so happy! We found and taught her while I was there! B. baptized her. Then there was another baptism for a kid in our branch.
THEN we went home and waited for transfer calls, which means anything and everything that was possibly edible was sitting in front of me on the kitchen table. B. was 100% sure I was going to Petro. But when Prez called he told me I was going to Pskov...I couldn't breathe for a whole minute and a half! But once it sunk in I was super excited and happy! Then E, another fave called and said he was going to Petro! He thought I was too...sad. I miss my district! But I think my new one is going to be rad.
I totally feel like I'm home in Pskov. A couple of the members met us at the station and I love them. They said I was fat, but what can you do. Haha! Oh, ps, we have bed bugs. Yup. Uh huh. What else can I say? I'm back.
I forgot how cold our apt is too. S found us a new apt he says is waaaaay better, so we're trying to swing for moving in soon. The prob is that our contract doesn't wind up until next transfer...we'll see. I love you! (written May 14, 2008)
Yesterday was transfer day and I got to ride a train again. Should be fun being back to the long train and bus rides to anywhere we need to go. I'm serving with sister Baikalova, who REALLY doesn't want to serve with an American, but what can you do. She slept the whole train ride...which I considered a major miracle since I chomped on cashews (my fave, as of late) so loud the whole time.
Once again, I'll update you on how transfers went down. It was, of course, TOTRURE as always having to wait. But Saturday was a really good day. We had sports in the morning at Udelnaya Park near our home. Then we had our last English practice, which was super sad. (I also got in a huge fight with my Zone leader who is the biggest male-chevanistic and hypocritical gaylord EVER!) Then we took Sveta Zabrodina (you know the girl who didn't like us and we sat on the dirty floor in her apt by candlelight then wallpapered it and everything, she is soooo traumatized I left, I love her!) and our two black girls, masha and enessa to Yanna's baptism! From center! I can't believe she got baptized, I'm so happy! We found and taught her while I was there! B. baptized her. Then there was another baptism for a kid in our branch.
THEN we went home and waited for transfer calls, which means anything and everything that was possibly edible was sitting in front of me on the kitchen table. B. was 100% sure I was going to Petro. But when Prez called he told me I was going to Pskov...I couldn't breathe for a whole minute and a half! But once it sunk in I was super excited and happy! Then E, another fave called and said he was going to Petro! He thought I was too...sad. I miss my district! But I think my new one is going to be rad.
I totally feel like I'm home in Pskov. A couple of the members met us at the station and I love them. They said I was fat, but what can you do. Haha! Oh, ps, we have bed bugs. Yup. Uh huh. What else can I say? I'm back.
I forgot how cold our apt is too. S found us a new apt he says is waaaaay better, so we're trying to swing for moving in soon. The prob is that our contract doesn't wind up until next transfer...we'll see. I love you! (written May 14, 2008)
Families are forever...
Lots of shocking and devastating stuff going on here. Last night we got a call in the middle of the night from Sister Grigorieva. Do you remember her? I LOVE her more than life itself. She's one of my comps from Center. Anyways, she just called to say a quick goodbye...her dad died! I am so traumatized for her. She's the only member in her family and it's really hard for them to understand why she's here. In fact, her dad didn't really know the real reason why she's here. He's had cancer and they've been begging her to go home. She has literally less than a week left...sad huh. He died the week she was going home. My heart hurts so bad for her. I'm so happy we know why we're here and that there is life after this one. She's so strong. I love her. We just sat in shock last night for I don't know how long. I'm so sad I didn't get to see her and say goodbye. But I'll see her again. Pray for her.
Funny things this week: I've mastered peeing while standing....horrible huh! But totally necessary, and I'm not bad.
We had cinco de mayo of course! And V and I celebrated! I made Taco salad and rice ole, and we just pigged out! It was the most expensive meal of my mish, and took hours to gather ingredients, but we did it eventually. Looooots of traveling for it. haha I can't wait to just go to one store down the road from home and have everything we need for good meals and not have it cost a FORTUNE! It'll be fun.
We have an amazing new investigator! His name is Zhenya and he's freaking GOLDEN! We taught our first lesson with him this week with Elders E. and S. It was soooo good! The spirit was amazing, and I just love our elders. The lesson flowed better than any that I've ever seen. He's coming to church on Sunday. And our other investigators are awesome. I really don't want to leave this area.
Tomorrow is Victory day here, so we can't wear nametags or missionary clothes, we have to be in by 5 and we get to watch the huge parade on Nevsky! Yay! They just said that we have to lay low cuz there's tons of anti American groups cuz of course, it's a war holiday, and everyone will be crazy drunk. Well, more crazy drunk than normal.
K, I have to go, but I love you TMD and I'm sooo thankful we get to be together FOREVER! :) (written May 7, 2008)
Funny things this week: I've mastered peeing while standing....horrible huh! But totally necessary, and I'm not bad.
We had cinco de mayo of course! And V and I celebrated! I made Taco salad and rice ole, and we just pigged out! It was the most expensive meal of my mish, and took hours to gather ingredients, but we did it eventually. Looooots of traveling for it. haha I can't wait to just go to one store down the road from home and have everything we need for good meals and not have it cost a FORTUNE! It'll be fun.
We have an amazing new investigator! His name is Zhenya and he's freaking GOLDEN! We taught our first lesson with him this week with Elders E. and S. It was soooo good! The spirit was amazing, and I just love our elders. The lesson flowed better than any that I've ever seen. He's coming to church on Sunday. And our other investigators are awesome. I really don't want to leave this area.
Tomorrow is Victory day here, so we can't wear nametags or missionary clothes, we have to be in by 5 and we get to watch the huge parade on Nevsky! Yay! They just said that we have to lay low cuz there's tons of anti American groups cuz of course, it's a war holiday, and everyone will be crazy drunk. Well, more crazy drunk than normal.
K, I have to go, but I love you TMD and I'm sooo thankful we get to be together FOREVER! :) (written May 7, 2008)
"Religion is opium for the world!"
Today is a holiday in Russia. Shocked? I mean, there are holidays every other day. So we're in normal clothes. Luckily we don't have to stay in today, but we will in two weeks for the next holiday. It's some kind of communism holiday, so I'm looking forward to being on the streets. I hear there will be demonstrations and stuff. Should be super fun!
We went to Ikea last p-day after I wrote to you. Yes, I want to single-handedly introduce all the Mormon Russians to this amazing store out in the middle of nowhere. It was so fun of course, and we ate tons of good food.
Varygina and I REALLY want to stay together, but I think I'm for sure getting transferred. But it looks like my chances of ever serving in Kaliningrad are shot. I'm kind of devastated. The only other place for me to go is the one place I didn't want to serve... Petro, 8 hrs north of here.
I went on splits with Kor in Nevsky yesterday, and it was super fun. Their apt is amazing! I love the area, sad I can't serve there! Maybe by some miracle I’ll stay here in shuvaluva with Varygina! We’ve been working super hard and we have 4 new AMAZING investigators! That's a miracle for this area! I'm loving it! We've been doing a lot of service, moving people and cleaning parks and stuff, which has been sooo fun since it's warm! We’re loving it!
Sunday we had our area conference, so everyone met at our main building in center. So many people were there, it was awesome. RIGHT before the meeting started, president came up to me and asked me to translate....WHAT!? There are TONS of REALLY good people, not just missionaries, to translate! But oddly, I felt super calm about it. So I went and sat up front and just PRAYED for me to be able to do this. Guess what. Went AMAZING!!!!! It totally wasn't me of course! It was all the spirit! It was such an amazing experience being able to translate word for word.
This week I really had this amazing realization, that we all have an unspoken language... so hard to explain. But at this point on my mission, I can hear something, know exactly what it means, see it, feel it, understand it, but not in an English word. Does that make sense? Like before, I hear Russian and translate it in my head. But now, I feel it instead. Anyways, after the conference, sister Sandberg had me follow her around to translate back and forth with the members cuz it's their last conference. That was weird, going from English to Russian and Russian to English. But I’m telling you, wasn't me. It was all the spirit, SUPER amazing! I was EXHAUSTED afterwards.
I only have 6 months left! What is going on!? I'm dying to get home, but time is suddenly FLYING by! Oh, we're no longer peeing by candlelight. Thought you ought to know. But it was a major experience changing the light. Toilets here are super junky and the ceiling is super high, so I wish you could have seen me carefully balancing on the back of the toilet praying it wouldn’t tip over and explode. I know, I know. “How many sisters does it take to change a light bulb?”…
I read Our Heritage and LOVED it! I started Marvelous Work and a Wonder yesterday and hopefully will finish today, it's soooo freaking good! Can I tell you that I've been reading the bible more and Paul...yea, he's not my favorite person. Totally sexist. Maybe he will grow on me, we will see.
Sorry I sound scattered, I only have 3 minutes left! Did I tell you English practice is ending? I’m super sad. So is my class. Want to hear one of the funny things I got yelled at me on the street this week? “Religion is opium for the world!”...hahaha!
Do you know how much I love you? I have so much more to say, but time is up. I miss you! Pray for the people of Russia! It works. :) (written May 1, 2008)
We went to Ikea last p-day after I wrote to you. Yes, I want to single-handedly introduce all the Mormon Russians to this amazing store out in the middle of nowhere. It was so fun of course, and we ate tons of good food.
Varygina and I REALLY want to stay together, but I think I'm for sure getting transferred. But it looks like my chances of ever serving in Kaliningrad are shot. I'm kind of devastated. The only other place for me to go is the one place I didn't want to serve... Petro, 8 hrs north of here.
I went on splits with Kor in Nevsky yesterday, and it was super fun. Their apt is amazing! I love the area, sad I can't serve there! Maybe by some miracle I’ll stay here in shuvaluva with Varygina! We’ve been working super hard and we have 4 new AMAZING investigators! That's a miracle for this area! I'm loving it! We've been doing a lot of service, moving people and cleaning parks and stuff, which has been sooo fun since it's warm! We’re loving it!
Sunday we had our area conference, so everyone met at our main building in center. So many people were there, it was awesome. RIGHT before the meeting started, president came up to me and asked me to translate....WHAT!? There are TONS of REALLY good people, not just missionaries, to translate! But oddly, I felt super calm about it. So I went and sat up front and just PRAYED for me to be able to do this. Guess what. Went AMAZING!!!!! It totally wasn't me of course! It was all the spirit! It was such an amazing experience being able to translate word for word.
This week I really had this amazing realization, that we all have an unspoken language... so hard to explain. But at this point on my mission, I can hear something, know exactly what it means, see it, feel it, understand it, but not in an English word. Does that make sense? Like before, I hear Russian and translate it in my head. But now, I feel it instead. Anyways, after the conference, sister Sandberg had me follow her around to translate back and forth with the members cuz it's their last conference. That was weird, going from English to Russian and Russian to English. But I’m telling you, wasn't me. It was all the spirit, SUPER amazing! I was EXHAUSTED afterwards.
I only have 6 months left! What is going on!? I'm dying to get home, but time is suddenly FLYING by! Oh, we're no longer peeing by candlelight. Thought you ought to know. But it was a major experience changing the light. Toilets here are super junky and the ceiling is super high, so I wish you could have seen me carefully balancing on the back of the toilet praying it wouldn’t tip over and explode. I know, I know. “How many sisters does it take to change a light bulb?”…
I read Our Heritage and LOVED it! I started Marvelous Work and a Wonder yesterday and hopefully will finish today, it's soooo freaking good! Can I tell you that I've been reading the bible more and Paul...yea, he's not my favorite person. Totally sexist. Maybe he will grow on me, we will see.
Sorry I sound scattered, I only have 3 minutes left! Did I tell you English practice is ending? I’m super sad. So is my class. Want to hear one of the funny things I got yelled at me on the street this week? “Religion is opium for the world!”...hahaha!
Do you know how much I love you? I have so much more to say, but time is up. I miss you! Pray for the people of Russia! It works. :) (written May 1, 2008)
I love Russians!
HELLO AMERICA!
I hate Russian mail. Speaking of which, tell grandma I got her pkg! It was the HUGEST ordeal! But the pkg made up for it. The clothes were so bright and fun but what made my life was the picture album. Thank you thank you thank you so much! I've looked thru the pics 5000 times and my comp just laughs at me.
My comp and I are getting along amazingly. I love her. She's the best sister missionary I've ever known. I'm learning a lot from her. And we laugh sooo much! This week, I've been teaching her all the primary songs in English and the abc's and stuff. It's fun walking down the street singing them together. Haha we're such nerds! She taught me my fave Russian song, Katoosha, and I belt it all the time.
We did service a few times this week in JEANS.... oh my gosh... I love jeans. We did a lot of cleaning and stuff since the snow is gone. While cleaning up trash I found a dead rat and a dog jawbone...gross. SOOO much trash! Elders E. and W. keep me super entertained, they're like one huge stand up act, I love them! We ran into a man peeing on the street this week. Happens a lot. We talked to a drug addict who wants to get off drugs. He also just got out of prison and wanted me to go home with him. Um. Yesterday we taught an AMAZING nineteen yr old couple who are getting married next week. I love them, they're amazing! When we talked to the guy on the metro before, I was like, it's Anikan Skywalker! He even has the freaking braid! Katya, the girl, wants me to do her hair for the wedding...um.
Our apt is falling apart! Our water filter has been a little haywire for a couple of weeks and every time I try to get a DRINK of water, I get a major, high-pressure spray in the face. I'm always super ticked if its right after I flat ironed my hair and did my makeup, cuz it DESTROYS me. ahha! And our light in our toilet is out so we have candles. Romantic.
I love these people! I love the Russians! I feel so at home with them, it's weird! I love you all so much! I miss you so much it hurts, but I'll be home in FOUR transfers! AHHH! (written April 24, 2008)
I hate Russian mail. Speaking of which, tell grandma I got her pkg! It was the HUGEST ordeal! But the pkg made up for it. The clothes were so bright and fun but what made my life was the picture album. Thank you thank you thank you so much! I've looked thru the pics 5000 times and my comp just laughs at me.
My comp and I are getting along amazingly. I love her. She's the best sister missionary I've ever known. I'm learning a lot from her. And we laugh sooo much! This week, I've been teaching her all the primary songs in English and the abc's and stuff. It's fun walking down the street singing them together. Haha we're such nerds! She taught me my fave Russian song, Katoosha, and I belt it all the time.
We did service a few times this week in JEANS.... oh my gosh... I love jeans. We did a lot of cleaning and stuff since the snow is gone. While cleaning up trash I found a dead rat and a dog jawbone...gross. SOOO much trash! Elders E. and W. keep me super entertained, they're like one huge stand up act, I love them! We ran into a man peeing on the street this week. Happens a lot. We talked to a drug addict who wants to get off drugs. He also just got out of prison and wanted me to go home with him. Um. Yesterday we taught an AMAZING nineteen yr old couple who are getting married next week. I love them, they're amazing! When we talked to the guy on the metro before, I was like, it's Anikan Skywalker! He even has the freaking braid! Katya, the girl, wants me to do her hair for the wedding...um.
Our apt is falling apart! Our water filter has been a little haywire for a couple of weeks and every time I try to get a DRINK of water, I get a major, high-pressure spray in the face. I'm always super ticked if its right after I flat ironed my hair and did my makeup, cuz it DESTROYS me. ahha! And our light in our toilet is out so we have candles. Romantic.
I love these people! I love the Russians! I feel so at home with them, it's weird! I love you all so much! I miss you so much it hurts, but I'll be home in FOUR transfers! AHHH! (written April 24, 2008)
August 5, 2008
Chooda! (Miracle!)
Wow, I got some major mail today! And TONS of pics! Too bad I'm at an internet that I can't see them on! I'm super mad, but I have some major pic action to look forward to next week. :)
This week, my comp and I have been doing a TON of contacting! One day we tracted and contacted for 8 hrs straight and it was FREEZING, so total torture. But seriously, I'm loving it, being with Varygina because we both really push each other to work hard and we feel good with what we've done by the end of the day. Then we die on our beds. It feels super good. Sure, we don’t have any investigators and nobody wants to meet with us...haha, but it's not for lack of TRYING.
I'm loving Varygina...Chooda! (Miracle, haha) We were pretty open in the beginning about how terrified we were to serve with each other again. But very quickly, we just fell into an awesome relationship with each other. I love her. I think she's my favorite comp (besides my MTC comp) that I've had yet. I just respect her a lot, and I think she respects me. I think we both just changed a lot in the last 6 months, and it was enough to make us come together and love each other. I'm sooooooooo thankful.
She did the most fun stuff for me on my birthday! She woke me up in the morning with something SUPER bright in my face. I realized the lights weren't even on....it was a cake she made for me! And the 22 candles that lit up our whole apartment building. I'm sooooo freaking old! What the heck? When did this happen? On my birthday, I know. That was a stupid question. Anyways, she knows I'm not eating sugar or anything, so the cake was made solely of fruit. She's so cute. Then we went out to the kitchen and she had decorated it all really cute with balloons and "happy birthday" and stuff. It was so super sweet! I wanted to cry, cuz I really wasn't looking forward to my birthday, but she made it totally fun. Then she died on her bed, cuz she had been up in the middle of the night doing it all. She rocks me.
We have a lot of fun fantasizing about being Sister Darcy and Sister Knightly. We both love Jane Austin AND Harry Potter, and sometimes I stop us after hour long convos about us basically living these books and I'm just like, we're sooooo weird and CRAZY! ahahahha! It's so fun.
The FLDS issue on the news is huge here in Russia, and totally taking a toll on the streets. EVERYONE seems to have heard about it. And the thing is, none of the missionaries really know what was on the news and what the fact really are. But people are like, "MORMONS! NOOOO" and like all about Mormons being rapists and stuff. They don't get it that it is NOT our church!
One guy on the street the other day, tho, was way rad. I noticed him come up really close behind us, so I brought my purse to the front of me so he couldn't rob me, but then he stopped us and asked if I was from Samara or something weird. When I told him I was from America, he was super stoked and shook my hand. Then when I told him I was a Mormon, he freaked out again and shook my hand. He was super funny. He told my comp so many times that she was AMAZING at Russian, even tho we told him every time that she was BORN in Russia. He FINALLY got it, haha. At the beginning of the convo he asked my comp if I didn't understand Russian very well and was talking all about me, hahahahaha and I told him myself I understood EVERYTHING he was saying.
Conference was AWESOME! Loved it! I LOVE President Monson, he is sooooo rad! He was hilarious! Gabriel, (who is TOTALLY getting baptized by the way!) was like, "this is the prophet?" and then listened sooo intently. He was so excited. So yea, on Sunday after conference, he announced he wanted to be baptized! I was sooooooo excited and I couldn't contain myself, I wanted to jump on someone, but I couldn't hug any of the elders. They all thought that was hilarious, watching me freak out and struggle not to touch anyone. But finally I saw sister Martineau and jumped on her.
I cut a bunch of hair of course this week. I cut mine and my comps today actually. And I did a perm, which was super fun cuz I haven't done one since school. Turned out awesome.
So my package ROCKED! It took most of the day to get it, but soooo worth it! I loved everything! And the clothes are so cute! I wore the black and white plaid shirt yesterday and today I'm wearing the cute black tweed jacket. toooootally hot. Guigalchyi planned some birthday thing for me today, which is nice, but has caused major drama, cuz we're meeting at the Mexican restaurant Tres amigos, but it's a rule that not more than 6 missionaries can be in a public place at a time. So I got reamed by a bunch of people last night, and I didn't even WANT this thing to go down. I BEGGED guigaulchyi not to do it. But she is. Half way it's sweet. But I really didn't want it. But she's nice to do it.
The other night, Varygina and I were on our way home and we got onto the escalator. We decided to climb it, which is KILLER, but we wanted the exercise and needed to get home quickly. Tons of people on it. Well, on our way up, of COURSE I fell...it's me. And it was a huge fall! hahahahaha! My leg is super bruised and scraped up. I think we laughed for 3 hours straight after that. Varygina said it wouldn't have been so dramatic and bad, if I had just fallen instead of falling, screaming, laughing, and shrieking my apologies for taking her out with me. For some strange reason, I reacted when falling by grabbing her leg with an iron grip and not letting go!
I'm out of time already. But I love and miss you madly! Don't forget me. I love you!
I know I'm so cheesy for putting in scriptures, but I liked, and mostly FELT this one when I read it:
Ephesians 2:19
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. (written April 17, 2008)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
