I feel like she is in deep-freeze right now or something.(Left - in the Prixod, the missionaries and the branch missionaries: Paulsen, Day, Ross, Boster, Agnessa, Lena, Vernon, me, Lena, Svetlana, Veleriya) Anyway, the reason I am writing today is because our P-Day was changed to Thursday this week instead of Wednesday. Of course I didn't find out until Monday so I couldn't warn you about it. Our DL was in St. Petersburg for his emigration card (we have to do that every 6 months and leave the country for a few hours) and the ZLs were on exchanges with the APs. So, since they are all in our district and that is it, they thought we should have our day together and so it was changed to Thursday. So, we did service yesterday instead of today. It's weird though because today feels like Wednesday. Oh well, I'm ok with that, but it was weird because yesterday felt like Thursday and then we didn't have English. Oh well. It was really great to have the APs here. They are amazing Elders.
We served at the hospital again yesterday. We closed the windows with cast wrappings again (you know the plaster casts that they have, we use the wrappings to "plaster" the windows shut) and the first room we were in, there were two men. Elder Nance (he's the older AP and will be going home in a month or so) started talking to them. By the time we were done he had gotten both of their addresses and phone numbers. He is amazing. It was a good example to me of the kind of missionary I want to be. But, I need to be able to understand them in order to do that.
Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet. (Right - FHE with our investigators. I like this picture because it looks like Boster has his hand on my shoulder, he doesn't though. In the back: Tatyana, Galina, Svetlana, Boster. Front: Vernon, Kolya, Irina, me) Sometimes I understand, but it is hard for me to understand Russian when it is being spoken by Russians, especially when they speak fast and use words I don't know yet. The next room we went into, there were two women. I thought maybe Elder Nance would get their addresses, too, but he didn't talk to them as much. I tried, but I couldn't understand. Afterwards, as we were waiting at the bus stop, he told me that he wanted to invite us to talk to them. I told him I tried and he said, yeah I heard that. Then he gave Sister Vernon a funny look to try and tell her that SHE should have said something. Then I said, I want to talk to them, but I still don't understand what they say to me. He then told me that everyone says I understand and can be understood perfectly. I said, I can understand Russian when it's not spoken by Russians and the other AP, Elder Котов (Kotov) (he's from St. Petersburg and obviously a Russian) said, can you understand me? Well, he spoke in Russian and I could understand him. He told me that he was speaking fast and I said, that's not fast! Sister Vernon tried to help me out by saying how different it is when the words are unknown. Well, then our bus came, so that ended that conversation.I really am trying to understand, and it's getting better. But there are still times when I feel like I will never understand what they are trying to say to me.
But I guess that will change because Sister Vernon is leaving. (Left - A very beautiful part of Togliatti)There is going to be an emergency transfer because of that crazy man who asked her to marry him. We can't understand what the big deal is because he is harmless, but they don't want to take any chances. She is going to Самара (Samara) and Sister Саргсян (Sargsyan) from Armenia is coming here. She doesn't speak English so I will not be able to do that anymore. That will be tough because she will also speak Russian with an Armenian accent rather than an American one. American accents are so much easier for me to understand. Oh well, hopefully it will be good for my language.I'm not exactly sure how English is going to work now. They stopped having the Elders teach English here several months ago, like I wrote earlier, when one of the Elders received a letter from a member girl saying she would kill herself if he didn't pay her attention. Well, that means that it was always only Sister Vernon and I. It was rather inconvenient because we each taught a separate class and had to be in the same room, but I can't teach two classes at once now. That will be interesting to find out what happens.
I have to say, I am a little nervous about not having an American companion. Everyone that I have heard about who has served with a non-American has practically been killed by them (as in when they are done they don't really want to work). Sister Vernon told me that dieing as a missionary is a choice, but it will be harder to work hard if
my companion doesn't want to work hard. So, I will just pray for help. (Right - This is my apartment building, it says Ryabinovy Blvd 8)From what I've been told, the Russians just don't work as hard as the Americans. Plus, they eat different food, so I don't know what is going to happen to me. On the plus side, maybe I will lose some weight. At least I will have one good meal. For Thanksgiving, we are eating with the Gunnells. They are the senior couple here from Salt Lake City. They are working with Family History. It's really exciting.Hey, mom, you remember that book of stories from the Stake Relief Society? I meant to tell you last week, but we read a bunch of them together as a companionship and Sister Vernon and I really liked it. It made us feel good and inspired us. We both have to agree that there are amazing sisters in North Dakota. I just wanted to tell you about that so maybe you can tell the Relief Society President how much it has meant to us. And if anyone has more uplifting stories, I really enjoy hearing them. They always make me feel better when I'm feeling down, especially when they are from people I know.
There was one more thing I wanted to ask about. Did you get my stuff from Salt Lake? I'd really like to know because I hate to think that my stuff has been sitting at Elder Theurer's family's house for a long time, so just let me know. Other than that, I still want to hear any game ideas you might have. We are really hurting for ideas because our youth night is kind of on a down hill curve right now. People aren't coming because it is cold, and we need to make it really fun to keep them coming. So, try and think of some if you can and keep them coming.
Well, let's see. I don't really know what else to
write about. Sister Vernon is leaving on Monday so she can at least say good-bye to everyone. (Left - This is also my apartment building. In the corner on the opposite side of where people enter the apartments, there is a grocery store. Needless to say, this is where we did all of our shopping) She could have left sooner, but she doesn't feel threatened at all, so she didn't see the point. Oh well, things always happen for a reason, right? I decided to try and read the Book of Mormon in Russian before the end of the year, too. I'm almost done with it in English, and I just felt like I should in Russian, too. I am reading at least 10 pages everyday so I can do it. Right now I am in 2 Nephi. It takes me a long time to read because I don't know all the words, but I am understanding better and when I do, I feel the Spirit so strong. It's great. I also read (in English) today in Mormon 9. It was talking about the people who are called to preach the gospel and said that you could recognize them and the people who believe in several ways. One way was that they speak in a new tongue. Well, that made me think, that's what I'm doing. Russian is not my native tongue, yet here I am, speaking in a new tongue and preaching the gospel. It was interesting to think about.Well, I gotta go. I wanted to send a quick note to Jordan since he is going into the field next week, so I gotta do that real quick before we leave. Ok, well, love you all, keep writing and once again I am glad I don't have to eat any of those deer.
Love,
Сестра Атвуд
No comments:
Post a Comment