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)
August 29, 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)
July 17, 2008
The trees are alive!
I got no mail again! So, I'm super sad and traumatized... I’ve been waiting all week (and it's been a SUPER long wait) to come and check my email since I didn't get any last week cuz the stupid box was full, and now what?! It sucks. Anyway, Not a good way to start off my writing to you, I'm sorry, Haha. Let me start again... I LOVE YOU!
It's a little cold and rainy today. No complaining though cuz spring has totally sprung! Yay! Instead of fried and peeling skin from the arctic blizzards we have really dirty wind. But there's sun! Not today, but most of the week. :) Sooooo unlike me, but I actually noticed that on all the black gnarled trees are buds. They live! So it should be fun to see Peter when it's green.
Everyone here is on roller blades now that it's warm. hahahahahaha! Totally 90's or like Saved By the Bell. :) Too bad it's neelzya (not allowed) for us missionaries. We've been walking a lot lately, which I totally love. Instead of riding the metro, we've been walking from metro to metro, and it's interesting to see how everything is connected. And I'm getting a little well-needed exercise. And I die every night when I go home. We're working hard, and despite our MAJOR differences, Varygina (my comp) and I are getting along really well. There are little problems here and there, but I think she sees how badly I want to work, so she respects me a little more this time around and we're getting along really well through the gospel. That's the way it works. :) The gospel brings people together. It rocks.
The other day we were walking and we had to cross a really big busy street. At a break in the cars, I thought for sure we could make it across the first section of the street, but as I stepped off the curb I realized a car was coming way too fast for me to make it and my comp let out a blood curdling scream. It was funny, cuz even tho she screamed, she followed me off the curb into the street. I don't know, I think you had to be there for the full effect. It was super hilarious! We finally made it across safely, but I was DYING laughing cuz she thought I was gonna die, but followed me to death as well. Her scream still makes me laugh.
Did I tell you that Varygina got lice while she was in Pskov too?! hahaha she said that her comp did too, and when sister P. went down for an exchange for one day, she got it too! Nightmare. But I'm not alone. Haha
The other day at English practice, a black African guy cruised into my class. His name is Gabriel and he's from Nigeria. I freaking love black people. They're just so spiritual and ready for the gospel. We were wondering why the heck he was there cuz his native language is English. He later told us he was given one of our English invites on the street and felt he HAD to come. The next day after English (in English we had talked a lot about the church and gave the first lesson cuz a guy asked about it,) he came to church. It was fast and testimony meeting and at the end, he got up to bear his testimony! But the Branch Prez stood up and said we didn't have time. UM!>!?!?!>!>!>! I was so angry! How about we cut one verse out of the 4 verse song we sang! Frustrating.
But afterwards, Gabriel said that the night before he had thought about how we had talked about Joseph Smith in English class, and how Joseph had read James 1:5 and asked God. He said he wanted to do the same thing, cuz he felt something special. He asked God to wake him up the next day if he was meant to go to church. He didn't set his alarm, but said he woke up at 9 o'clock sharp, which was a miracle for him. He said that during testimony meeting, which was all in Russian by the way, he felt and KNEW that this church was true, and that he was meant to be there. .... omg. I love these miracles!
Yesterday was zone conference, and it was super good! It was all about testifying. I loved it. And we got to testify, of course. It was funny, President asked me to pray again unexpectedly, out of EVERYONE there! Haha, everyone kept asking me "don't you pray at every conference?" And it's always unplanned, which is weird, cuz they always assign things before the conference. Anyway, way funny. And it was a really good spiritual conference.
I love and miss you all so much! I love my mission and the work I'm able to do here! I seriously hope that I can do half as much for the people here as I am receiving from serving them. I love you!
PS--I liked this:
Proverbs 4:23 keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. (written April 10, 2008)
It's a little cold and rainy today. No complaining though cuz spring has totally sprung! Yay! Instead of fried and peeling skin from the arctic blizzards we have really dirty wind. But there's sun! Not today, but most of the week. :) Sooooo unlike me, but I actually noticed that on all the black gnarled trees are buds. They live! So it should be fun to see Peter when it's green. Everyone here is on roller blades now that it's warm. hahahahahaha! Totally 90's or like Saved By the Bell. :) Too bad it's neelzya (not allowed) for us missionaries. We've been walking a lot lately, which I totally love. Instead of riding the metro, we've been walking from metro to metro, and it's interesting to see how everything is connected. And I'm getting a little well-needed exercise. And I die every night when I go home. We're working hard, and despite our MAJOR differences, Varygina (my comp) and I are getting along really well. There are little problems here and there, but I think she sees how badly I want to work, so she respects me a little more this time around and we're getting along really well through the gospel. That's the way it works. :) The gospel brings people together. It rocks.
The other day we were walking and we had to cross a really big busy street. At a break in the cars, I thought for sure we could make it across the first section of the street, but as I stepped off the curb I realized a car was coming way too fast for me to make it and my comp let out a blood curdling scream. It was funny, cuz even tho she screamed, she followed me off the curb into the street. I don't know, I think you had to be there for the full effect. It was super hilarious! We finally made it across safely, but I was DYING laughing cuz she thought I was gonna die, but followed me to death as well. Her scream still makes me laugh.
Did I tell you that Varygina got lice while she was in Pskov too?! hahaha she said that her comp did too, and when sister P. went down for an exchange for one day, she got it too! Nightmare. But I'm not alone. Haha
The other day at English practice, a black African guy cruised into my class. His name is Gabriel and he's from Nigeria. I freaking love black people. They're just so spiritual and ready for the gospel. We were wondering why the heck he was there cuz his native language is English. He later told us he was given one of our English invites on the street and felt he HAD to come. The next day after English (in English we had talked a lot about the church and gave the first lesson cuz a guy asked about it,) he came to church. It was fast and testimony meeting and at the end, he got up to bear his testimony! But the Branch Prez stood up and said we didn't have time. UM!>!?!?!>!>!>! I was so angry! How about we cut one verse out of the 4 verse song we sang! Frustrating.
But afterwards, Gabriel said that the night before he had thought about how we had talked about Joseph Smith in English class, and how Joseph had read James 1:5 and asked God. He said he wanted to do the same thing, cuz he felt something special. He asked God to wake him up the next day if he was meant to go to church. He didn't set his alarm, but said he woke up at 9 o'clock sharp, which was a miracle for him. He said that during testimony meeting, which was all in Russian by the way, he felt and KNEW that this church was true, and that he was meant to be there. .... omg. I love these miracles!
Yesterday was zone conference, and it was super good! It was all about testifying. I loved it. And we got to testify, of course. It was funny, President asked me to pray again unexpectedly, out of EVERYONE there! Haha, everyone kept asking me "don't you pray at every conference?" And it's always unplanned, which is weird, cuz they always assign things before the conference. Anyway, way funny. And it was a really good spiritual conference.
I love and miss you all so much! I love my mission and the work I'm able to do here! I seriously hope that I can do half as much for the people here as I am receiving from serving them. I love you!
PS--I liked this:
Proverbs 4:23 keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. (written April 10, 2008)
Cats in the Hermitage
I am HOPING spring has sprung, but the weather already faked us out once before, so we'll see.
We had transfers. As you see, I’m not typing for joy or anything, but what can you do. I really want to go to k-grad, but I think because I want to so bad, I never will. But maybe next transfer. :) I'm still in shuvalovo, but this time with Varygina... Remember her? The comp I had in the threesome. We were both in shock. And pretty open with each other about how shocked and scared we were/are. But whatever. She's an AMAZING missionary, and if anyone can pick up this area, she can. We don't particularly like each other, but I watch her in awe cuz she's just fearless at contacting. I want to be like that. :) Sure, she's got the Russian thing down... cuz she was born here and all. But I still am like, wow. So we'll see how this turns out. I have a feeling its only for a transfer. This is my 4th transfer here, everyone keeps grimacing and giving me their apologies, haha! Shuvalovo isn't the popular place in the mish.
Kor got put with Sosyak. They were not a happy pair either, Haha but I think it'll be fine. It’s only for a transfer cuz Sosyak goes home after this one. Weird! She was my trainer! But anyways, yea, Kor is gone and last night I realized was the first night in a long time I slept without her noises. Haha! I told you about that right? EVERY night. Did I tell you about how I woke up in the middle of the night the other night and how we were in the middle of a conversation in Russian? hahahaha I think I ran into a word I didn't know so it startled me into awake mode and I realized we had been talking. I wonder how many convos we've had in our sleep.
Last week, we did a really weird service thing at the Hermitage. They were having this private showing of the underground halls there, for famous people, because there are hundreds of cats living there! In the hermitage! I guess a long time ago they had a rat problem so they just brought in a ton of cats and they live there still. In these underground nasty halls. Just running around and making it stink! It was sosoooooo weird! And they tried to make it all urban with videos of these cats and music and stuff... sooo not cool.
But I was up close and personal with a bunch of famous Russians. Too bad I had no clue who any of them were. My fave was this really Russian, fat dude who was dressed super nice with a long black palto and Russian mink shapka with medals and stuff on him. He was way funny and joked with me a few times. I guess he's on TV or something, don't know. I also met this way cool girl from Germany named Katrin. She was very interested in the church and we talked a bunch on the phone, but I think someone else talked to her cuz she doesn't want to talk religion anymore, which was a COMPLETE turnaround from what she was wanting before. Sad. But she called and invited me out to a nightclub with her and my zone leaders were there so I asked them (totally jokingly, haha) and they freaked. :)
I got no mail this week. Sad. I’m a little traumatized. I live for my mail. :( My stupid mailbox!
I love you so much. Write me lots, I’m clearing out my mailbox right now! Hug everyone for me. (written April 3, 2008)
We had transfers. As you see, I’m not typing for joy or anything, but what can you do. I really want to go to k-grad, but I think because I want to so bad, I never will. But maybe next transfer. :) I'm still in shuvalovo, but this time with Varygina... Remember her? The comp I had in the threesome. We were both in shock. And pretty open with each other about how shocked and scared we were/are. But whatever. She's an AMAZING missionary, and if anyone can pick up this area, she can. We don't particularly like each other, but I watch her in awe cuz she's just fearless at contacting. I want to be like that. :) Sure, she's got the Russian thing down... cuz she was born here and all. But I still am like, wow. So we'll see how this turns out. I have a feeling its only for a transfer. This is my 4th transfer here, everyone keeps grimacing and giving me their apologies, haha! Shuvalovo isn't the popular place in the mish. Kor got put with Sosyak. They were not a happy pair either, Haha but I think it'll be fine. It’s only for a transfer cuz Sosyak goes home after this one. Weird! She was my trainer! But anyways, yea, Kor is gone and last night I realized was the first night in a long time I slept without her noises. Haha! I told you about that right? EVERY night. Did I tell you about how I woke up in the middle of the night the other night and how we were in the middle of a conversation in Russian? hahahaha I think I ran into a word I didn't know so it startled me into awake mode and I realized we had been talking. I wonder how many convos we've had in our sleep.
Last week, we did a really weird service thing at the Hermitage. They were having this private showing of the underground halls there, for famous people, because there are hundreds of cats living there! In the hermitage! I guess a long time ago they had a rat problem so they just brought in a ton of cats and they live there still. In these underground nasty halls. Just running around and making it stink! It was sosoooooo weird! And they tried to make it all urban with videos of these cats and music and stuff... sooo not cool.
But I was up close and personal with a bunch of famous Russians. Too bad I had no clue who any of them were. My fave was this really Russian, fat dude who was dressed super nice with a long black palto and Russian mink shapka with medals and stuff on him. He was way funny and joked with me a few times. I guess he's on TV or something, don't know. I also met this way cool girl from Germany named Katrin. She was very interested in the church and we talked a bunch on the phone, but I think someone else talked to her cuz she doesn't want to talk religion anymore, which was a COMPLETE turnaround from what she was wanting before. Sad. But she called and invited me out to a nightclub with her and my zone leaders were there so I asked them (totally jokingly, haha) and they freaked. :) I got no mail this week. Sad. I’m a little traumatized. I live for my mail. :( My stupid mailbox!
I love you so much. Write me lots, I’m clearing out my mailbox right now! Hug everyone for me. (written April 3, 2008)
Angels among us
OMG, it was hilarious reading about the Russian salads you did. And yes, you NEED to add mayo, they put it on EVERYTHING here! Literally.
The blizzards have been adventurous! I'm finally seeing the Russia I THOUGHT existed! I totally feel like I'm in a movie! It's freaking INSANE!!!!! The winds are CRAZY and its just whiteouts!
soooooo fun and crazy. But difficult too since we get around everywhere by foot. Even if we can take the metro, we still have to walk long distances to them. But this is my adventure. :) After I wrote to you last week, we actually had a couple days of amazing sun. I would literally sit in our kitchen windowsill in the morning, just soaking it in.
Elder W's bday was this week. I feel bad cuz birthdays suck for missionaries here, but there's not much to be done. We're all out of money cuz of mess ups in the office and it's not like we could party in any way. Haha so I just made cookies and stuff.
I've become a bread maker... who am i?! Yes, I literally knead it with my hands, let it rise and bake it. I feel so.... I don't even know. Domestic isn't even the word, I just feel weird. Haha. Maybe I could make wheat bread, but I don't know how. Anyways, hopefully we can buy some flour soon, so I can make some more.
Easter isn't happening this month, not sure when it will. But daylight savings will finally hit this Sunday.
The Bible is soooo X-rated. I just keep thinking as I'm reading, there is no WAY our world is worse off now than it was in old testament times. No way.
So do you remember Dima from my English class? The really sarcastic guy I love to death that doesn't believe in God. Yea, well I had a spiritual experience with him the other day. Every English class, I share a spiritual thought at the end and he expressed to me that he likes them a lot, which to me was a total miracle. But that wasn't the experience. We were talking about a bunch of junk, me and my class. And I was telling them how I wanted to go to University after my mish and all. Anyways, I don't remember exactly what I was saying at the moment, but he very seriously turned to me and told me to pray about my situation. Everyone went really quiet, cuz everyone knows Dima, and that's not something that would EVER come out of his mouth. STUPIDLY, I was like, WHAT are you talking about, this is coming from YOU? You don't even believe in God! (I know, I'm a moron, but I just said what everyone else was thinking.) He very seriously was like, "I know. But YOU do. And I know he will answer your prayers." .... I felt the spirit so strong, I don't know why, he was simply reminding me of something I testify about all the time. But I felt HIS testimony when he said that. It's like he was testifying he DOES know there's a God and that prayer does work. I don't know, maybe you had to be there. But everyone was dead silent and it was just a really good moment. I really do love Dima.
I had something else awesome happen this week. The other night my comp and I were on our way from the hospital from a meeting with a woman member not from this area. It was snowing and we were riding the tram, but decided to get off a few stops before ours to contact a little. We hit a few people with English invites and stuff a?? my comp finally tried to give the BOM to a babushka. She said no, but that wasn't the point. It all happened kind of quick, but as we were turning back to continue on our path, I glanced up at the snow as it fell over the street lights and I felt EXTREME happiness. I SPECIFICALLY felt the impression that an angel was with us. Maybe I'm being dramatic, but I can honestly say that at that moment, I felt peace that God is always with us, that he loves his missionaries, he loves us. It was a cool moment for me. I'm thankful for his love. How lucky am I to have this gospel in my life! How lucky are WE as a family! To know what's up. :) We are so blessed.
The work is really hard right now, our teaching pool has evaporated. This area is just really hard. So, the next day, our family home evening situation fell through, like it so often does. So we contacted and tracted instead. We gave a lady a BOM in the building that we tracted and she started BAWLING. She didn't talk to us for long, but looked like she had been waiting for us. We got her number and are calling her today. In that same stairwell, a young guy came up the stairs lugging a baby carrying case and a stroller and we asked him if he wanted a BOM. He SERIOUSLY looked like he wanted it, but his hands were full which is why he was hesitating and his wife walked up and was super rude and said they didn't need it. So sad, because he looked sorry. It's usually the men who deny, so I was sorry to see a potential priesthood holder walk away. It was a good night though. We left a handout in their box. :)
I do love my mission! I have absolutely no regrets coming on a mission. I'm definitely meant to be here. I just wish my fam could be with me. :) I miss you and love you so much! (written March 27, 2008)
soooooo fun and crazy. But difficult too since we get around everywhere by foot. Even if we can take the metro, we still have to walk long distances to them. But this is my adventure. :) After I wrote to you last week, we actually had a couple days of amazing sun. I would literally sit in our kitchen windowsill in the morning, just soaking it in.Elder W's bday was this week. I feel bad cuz birthdays suck for missionaries here, but there's not much to be done. We're all out of money cuz of mess ups in the office and it's not like we could party in any way. Haha so I just made cookies and stuff.
I've become a bread maker... who am i?! Yes, I literally knead it with my hands, let it rise and bake it. I feel so.... I don't even know. Domestic isn't even the word, I just feel weird. Haha. Maybe I could make wheat bread, but I don't know how. Anyways, hopefully we can buy some flour soon, so I can make some more.
Easter isn't happening this month, not sure when it will. But daylight savings will finally hit this Sunday.
The Bible is soooo X-rated. I just keep thinking as I'm reading, there is no WAY our world is worse off now than it was in old testament times. No way.
So do you remember Dima from my English class? The really sarcastic guy I love to death that doesn't believe in God. Yea, well I had a spiritual experience with him the other day. Every English class, I share a spiritual thought at the end and he expressed to me that he likes them a lot, which to me was a total miracle. But that wasn't the experience. We were talking about a bunch of junk, me and my class. And I was telling them how I wanted to go to University after my mish and all. Anyways, I don't remember exactly what I was saying at the moment, but he very seriously turned to me and told me to pray about my situation. Everyone went really quiet, cuz everyone knows Dima, and that's not something that would EVER come out of his mouth. STUPIDLY, I was like, WHAT are you talking about, this is coming from YOU? You don't even believe in God! (I know, I'm a moron, but I just said what everyone else was thinking.) He very seriously was like, "I know. But YOU do. And I know he will answer your prayers." .... I felt the spirit so strong, I don't know why, he was simply reminding me of something I testify about all the time. But I felt HIS testimony when he said that. It's like he was testifying he DOES know there's a God and that prayer does work. I don't know, maybe you had to be there. But everyone was dead silent and it was just a really good moment. I really do love Dima.
I had something else awesome happen this week. The other night my comp and I were on our way from the hospital from a meeting with a woman member not from this area. It was snowing and we were riding the tram, but decided to get off a few stops before ours to contact a little. We hit a few people with English invites and stuff a?? my comp finally tried to give the BOM to a babushka. She said no, but that wasn't the point. It all happened kind of quick, but as we were turning back to continue on our path, I glanced up at the snow as it fell over the street lights and I felt EXTREME happiness. I SPECIFICALLY felt the impression that an angel was with us. Maybe I'm being dramatic, but I can honestly say that at that moment, I felt peace that God is always with us, that he loves his missionaries, he loves us. It was a cool moment for me. I'm thankful for his love. How lucky am I to have this gospel in my life! How lucky are WE as a family! To know what's up. :) We are so blessed.
The work is really hard right now, our teaching pool has evaporated. This area is just really hard. So, the next day, our family home evening situation fell through, like it so often does. So we contacted and tracted instead. We gave a lady a BOM in the building that we tracted and she started BAWLING. She didn't talk to us for long, but looked like she had been waiting for us. We got her number and are calling her today. In that same stairwell, a young guy came up the stairs lugging a baby carrying case and a stroller and we asked him if he wanted a BOM. He SERIOUSLY looked like he wanted it, but his hands were full which is why he was hesitating and his wife walked up and was super rude and said they didn't need it. So sad, because he looked sorry. It's usually the men who deny, so I was sorry to see a potential priesthood holder walk away. It was a good night though. We left a handout in their box. :)
I do love my mission! I have absolutely no regrets coming on a mission. I'm definitely meant to be here. I just wish my fam could be with me. :) I miss you and love you so much! (written March 27, 2008)
Vicka is baptized!
K, you know how we talked about Esther and how I totally LOVED it?! Well, I’ve been using it as my spiritual thought for like, English class and stuff, and people love it! Like, how if we're doing what is right in our lives, God will put us in the right place at the right time. Just like he did for Esther. And look! She saved a whole race of people in a city! It’s awesome! You can do rockin things when you're righteous. :) ps. was the first chapter of Esther TOTALLY Taming of the Shrew to you?! I loved it.
I got super sick last night, but my companion totally took care of me. I have the flu, I think. It’s been going around, and it hit me hard and fast. So basically our plans for today are ruined because SOMETHING else went wrong with me. It sucks how our bodies just FALL apart constantly on the mish! My comp too. And all the elders say they feel like that too, so I guess I’m not alone. Lots of depression too, among all the missionaries, but I think that’s cuz of the long, dark winter. I just feel like a major moron always having something wrong. Get OVER it! I just keep telling myself that. :)
Cheyenne left! Her husband got cut from the team or something, so all of a sudden they were leaving! I don't want to write it all out. But I’m devastated. I will really miss them!
We’ve been told that by this time next year there will be HALF the number of missionaries here that there are now. When I go home there will only be a couple of sisters left.
K, huge news. Elder S. told me that my favorite girl, Vicka from Pskov got baptized! SUCH a HUGE miracle! She's 16 and has been investigating the church for a couple of years, waiting to turn 18 because her parents were against her getting baptized. We literally taught her every other day when I served there and she's just AMAZING! I love her! Well, right before I left, we had a huge breakthrough cuz her mom came to the branch building for me to cut her hair. Just her BEING there was huge. She wasn't happy to be there, and wasn't very nice. But after talking and me cutting her hair, she was just ALL about us! She wanted a picture with us and wanted to see us again. I think I told you all of this way back then. Well, then I got emergency transferred! And I hadn't heard anything since.... Vicka is baptized! She's a member of the church! I love it! It’s a miracle!
Did I tell you about the service we did at the elementary school? We went and did this big puppet show with the elders about not smoking. Kind of funny since the teachers kept going out for smoking breaks. Anyway, it was a horrible show. The puppets were cool and the message is good, but the puppets die at the end and have cancer and stuff, it's just horrible. But I wanted to tell you about the school. You know how I told you about the hospitals? Now imagine how schools could be. It was the darkest, coldest, dirtiest, creepiest place I’ve ever been! Besides the hospitals! It was HORRIBLE! A nightmare! And the kids go there every day! No wonder they automatically grow up so hard and angry in this country! I was in shock. And I had to go to the bathroom while I was there and of course, it was just a nasty hole, open to the world. OBVIOUSLY I held it. Not gonna do that. Anyway, I thought, maybe it's just THIS school. But my comp said all the schools are like that, hers was too. Sad.
I never told you about the knock down drag out fight we had with an eternal investigator girl a couple of weeks ago. Her name is Ira, she's crazy. Always wants to talk with me about sex and I’m always like, okay first off, no. Second, I’ve never HAD it! Ridiculous. Anyway, as always, Russians are really forward and my comp was just so sick and tired of all this girl's junk. So, in the street they had a screaming fight in which they pulled me into. The elders (B & W) were terrified and I had to yell at them to leave so I could handle my comp and this girl. Haha it was hilarious! And ridiculous. She’s stalking us now with hateful text messages and stuff. Crazy psycho girl.
I got super sick last night, but my companion totally took care of me. I have the flu, I think. It’s been going around, and it hit me hard and fast. So basically our plans for today are ruined because SOMETHING else went wrong with me. It sucks how our bodies just FALL apart constantly on the mish! My comp too. And all the elders say they feel like that too, so I guess I’m not alone. Lots of depression too, among all the missionaries, but I think that’s cuz of the long, dark winter. I just feel like a major moron always having something wrong. Get OVER it! I just keep telling myself that. :)
Cheyenne left! Her husband got cut from the team or something, so all of a sudden they were leaving! I don't want to write it all out. But I’m devastated. I will really miss them!
We’ve been told that by this time next year there will be HALF the number of missionaries here that there are now. When I go home there will only be a couple of sisters left.
K, huge news. Elder S. told me that my favorite girl, Vicka from Pskov got baptized! SUCH a HUGE miracle! She's 16 and has been investigating the church for a couple of years, waiting to turn 18 because her parents were against her getting baptized. We literally taught her every other day when I served there and she's just AMAZING! I love her! Well, right before I left, we had a huge breakthrough cuz her mom came to the branch building for me to cut her hair. Just her BEING there was huge. She wasn't happy to be there, and wasn't very nice. But after talking and me cutting her hair, she was just ALL about us! She wanted a picture with us and wanted to see us again. I think I told you all of this way back then. Well, then I got emergency transferred! And I hadn't heard anything since.... Vicka is baptized! She's a member of the church! I love it! It’s a miracle!
Did I tell you about the service we did at the elementary school? We went and did this big puppet show with the elders about not smoking. Kind of funny since the teachers kept going out for smoking breaks. Anyway, it was a horrible show. The puppets were cool and the message is good, but the puppets die at the end and have cancer and stuff, it's just horrible. But I wanted to tell you about the school. You know how I told you about the hospitals? Now imagine how schools could be. It was the darkest, coldest, dirtiest, creepiest place I’ve ever been! Besides the hospitals! It was HORRIBLE! A nightmare! And the kids go there every day! No wonder they automatically grow up so hard and angry in this country! I was in shock. And I had to go to the bathroom while I was there and of course, it was just a nasty hole, open to the world. OBVIOUSLY I held it. Not gonna do that. Anyway, I thought, maybe it's just THIS school. But my comp said all the schools are like that, hers was too. Sad.
I never told you about the knock down drag out fight we had with an eternal investigator girl a couple of weeks ago. Her name is Ira, she's crazy. Always wants to talk with me about sex and I’m always like, okay first off, no. Second, I’ve never HAD it! Ridiculous. Anyway, as always, Russians are really forward and my comp was just so sick and tired of all this girl's junk. So, in the street they had a screaming fight in which they pulled me into. The elders (B & W) were terrified and I had to yell at them to leave so I could handle my comp and this girl. Haha it was hilarious! And ridiculous. She’s stalking us now with hateful text messages and stuff. Crazy psycho girl.
My mish is so fun and interesting. I know that we have no investigators right now, so it's hard. But still interesting. I love contacting and tracting. It’s been fun. People are just so fun to watch and listen to their different lives and everything. I'm so thankful for this experience. It’s really helped me know how I need to live my life. THANK YOU so much for loving and supporting me while I’m here! I know I’m being so cheesy, but I’m sooo thankful you don't even know. So thankful I have YOU! How did I get so lucky?! And I’m so thankful I can be so proud to talk about you and our family and use your examples in what I teach all the time. I'm thankful for the strength I learned from you mom and for dad's integrity. I totally was giving a spiritual thought on integrity the other day and talking about Daniel and others from the scriptures, then it just came out ALL about Dad and how I'm thankful to have a father who people KNOW they can trust to be honest always and even with their lives. I love it. I'm so lucky. And yes, I brag all the time. Cuz I can. :) I love you so much!
Love, princess consuella banana hammock... (written March 20, 2008)
Love, princess consuella banana hammock... (written March 20, 2008)
Dark pickled body parts?
Remember Ira? MY Ira. She was my baptism girl. I LOVE HER! Anyways, her Mom got baptized on Saturday!!!! MIRACLE!!! We used to teach her! And her testimony is soooo amazing, but she works every sunday and had other issues to deal with in her life. She knows the church is true, so she was willing to do anything. Even if it means a new job and everything. That's HARD! Especially in Russia! I mean, it seemed a hopeless case, but she was just so amazing and willing to do what it took to be a member and follow her Savior. I love Sveta soooo much, their family is so amazing. I had to sing at her baptism (mortifying) and I made snickerdoodles. Way fun.
We had a holiday on Saturday. There are so many holidays in Russia, it's not even funny. No wonder they can't make a living. There's a holiday every other weekend. Of course the celebrating always starts the day before and goes till at least a day after. Then there are the recovery days from all the drinking... which, lets be honest, since they drink alcohol here literally like water, has to be a LOT of alcohol to get all these people drunk. Crazies. I got my butt grabbed on the metro that day. He was obviously VERY drunk, but that's not an uncommon occurrence here anyways, drunk or not.
I never told you about my insomnia nights. My gosh, could anything else go wrong. My body and mind have just fallen apart on my mish, I feel like a hypocondriac... or however you say it. But yea. I couldn't sleep for like 5 days in a row and I was dying.
But guess what! You know how there are two secret creepy closets nailed shut in our apartment? Well, one opened up! ... Maybe I helped it along a little, but it opened. :) Anyways, there are TONS of books! I am so sad I don't read russian, cuz they're all so pretty, and you know I love pretty books. I FEEL like I should be able to read them... sadly i can't. But I have learned all kinds of things from what I could read, like all the words for birds and sea creatures. I read some fairytales in russian. Whoever lived there before us was obviously studying to be a doctor or something because I found so many medical books and an arm pump and stuff. Dude, I totally scored, and it kept me entertained for the sleepless nights. I even found two puzzles and did them both. Should I have spent my time studying the scriptures? Probably...
OH! There are also HUGE jars filled with dark pickled body parts. Or at least that's what it looks like. Creepy.
We had sun on monday and I LOVED it! My comp and district leader are both in major depressions. Lots of missionaries are, I hear. Tends to happen to everyone. But it's baaaad.
The other day we had a fun metro experience that made me think of you mom. We had to switch metros and so were cruising through the corridors from one to the other. But we came around a corner and came to a wall of people dead stopped. And we were still FAR from the escalators... Imagine being in a concrete hall and having no way to go back or forward and you know it will go on forever. haha, it wasn't bad for me, but i thought of you. :) YOu would have FREAKED and screamed bloody murder! It took us a while, we don't know what was wrong, but we were eventually freed.
Wednesday we were on the train all day to a city called Vweeborg... i'm trying to spell it in english for you. :) I'm still shocked at how people live. Yea, there are stories with that, but they're all the same and boring.
So, I've been studying all the parables Christ taught in the New Testament. For the first time, I'm REALLY understanding everything I'm reading! I love it! I was reading The Parable of the Sower and it was weird. As I read and thought, I could totally see everyone we're working with here fall into one of the categories of people Christ spoke about. wow...
Something else hit me this week. It's super obvious, but I just really THOUGHT about it this week. You know how satan doesn't get people all at once. Like he doesn't coax someone off a cliff right away, he does things little by little. Always. Well, It's so interesting to me that here, the little things are mostly the biggest problems for people. People hear what we teach them, they believe, they know it's true! They're willing to give up huge things in their lives, alcohol, porn, even living with someone. But the little thing that gets people.... tea. They don't get it. Why can't we drink tea, it's so not harmful... It's so weird that BECAUSE it's so little, it's what drags people down! It drives me nuts.
Also, since I think about you guys ALL the time, (and seriously, the more I experience, the more I know I SOOO lucked out getting parents and a family like mine! SOOO thankful! I love you!) and I know families are SUPPOSED to be a huge tool to bring people to the gospel... but here... I'll teach people about how the church loves families and how we know we can be with our families forever... but it's so hard when they respond with things like "I hate my parents" or "I don't like my family, I don't want to be with them forever" and they're DEAD serious... sooooo sad! Anyway, I'm so thankful I can be with mine forever. What can I say. My family freaking ROCKS DEATH! written March 13, 2008
We had a holiday on Saturday. There are so many holidays in Russia, it's not even funny. No wonder they can't make a living. There's a holiday every other weekend. Of course the celebrating always starts the day before and goes till at least a day after. Then there are the recovery days from all the drinking... which, lets be honest, since they drink alcohol here literally like water, has to be a LOT of alcohol to get all these people drunk. Crazies. I got my butt grabbed on the metro that day. He was obviously VERY drunk, but that's not an uncommon occurrence here anyways, drunk or not.
I never told you about my insomnia nights. My gosh, could anything else go wrong. My body and mind have just fallen apart on my mish, I feel like a hypocondriac... or however you say it. But yea. I couldn't sleep for like 5 days in a row and I was dying.But guess what! You know how there are two secret creepy closets nailed shut in our apartment? Well, one opened up! ... Maybe I helped it along a little, but it opened. :) Anyways, there are TONS of books! I am so sad I don't read russian, cuz they're all so pretty, and you know I love pretty books. I FEEL like I should be able to read them... sadly i can't. But I have learned all kinds of things from what I could read, like all the words for birds and sea creatures. I read some fairytales in russian. Whoever lived there before us was obviously studying to be a doctor or something because I found so many medical books and an arm pump and stuff. Dude, I totally scored, and it kept me entertained for the sleepless nights. I even found two puzzles and did them both. Should I have spent my time studying the scriptures? Probably...
OH! There are also HUGE jars filled with dark pickled body parts. Or at least that's what it looks like. Creepy.
We had sun on monday and I LOVED it! My comp and district leader are both in major depressions. Lots of missionaries are, I hear. Tends to happen to everyone. But it's baaaad.
The other day we had a fun metro experience that made me think of you mom. We had to switch metros and so were cruising through the corridors from one to the other. But we came around a corner and came to a wall of people dead stopped. And we were still FAR from the escalators... Imagine being in a concrete hall and having no way to go back or forward and you know it will go on forever. haha, it wasn't bad for me, but i thought of you. :) YOu would have FREAKED and screamed bloody murder! It took us a while, we don't know what was wrong, but we were eventually freed.
Wednesday we were on the train all day to a city called Vweeborg... i'm trying to spell it in english for you. :) I'm still shocked at how people live. Yea, there are stories with that, but they're all the same and boring.
So, I've been studying all the parables Christ taught in the New Testament. For the first time, I'm REALLY understanding everything I'm reading! I love it! I was reading The Parable of the Sower and it was weird. As I read and thought, I could totally see everyone we're working with here fall into one of the categories of people Christ spoke about. wow...
Something else hit me this week. It's super obvious, but I just really THOUGHT about it this week. You know how satan doesn't get people all at once. Like he doesn't coax someone off a cliff right away, he does things little by little. Always. Well, It's so interesting to me that here, the little things are mostly the biggest problems for people. People hear what we teach them, they believe, they know it's true! They're willing to give up huge things in their lives, alcohol, porn, even living with someone. But the little thing that gets people.... tea. They don't get it. Why can't we drink tea, it's so not harmful... It's so weird that BECAUSE it's so little, it's what drags people down! It drives me nuts.
Also, since I think about you guys ALL the time, (and seriously, the more I experience, the more I know I SOOO lucked out getting parents and a family like mine! SOOO thankful! I love you!) and I know families are SUPPOSED to be a huge tool to bring people to the gospel... but here... I'll teach people about how the church loves families and how we know we can be with our families forever... but it's so hard when they respond with things like "I hate my parents" or "I don't like my family, I don't want to be with them forever" and they're DEAD serious... sooooo sad! Anyway, I'm so thankful I can be with mine forever. What can I say. My family freaking ROCKS DEATH! written March 13, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
