Christmas!

Well, as you all know, it is almost Christmas. I am so excited, though I have to admit that it doesn't really feel like it. It is hard to believe that within a few days I will be able to call home. So, here is what I think will be best. First, my phone card won't work from here because I am not in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Lame, I know. You can use my calling card, or if you already have one, then you can use that. Sister Саргсян (Sargsyan) has a card that she said I can use to call you first. (Left - Komsomolski open house) I will probably call earlier than 7:00 Saturday night. What I'm thinking will be best is if I get ready Sunday morning, then I will call to give you the information and you can call back when you can. I hope that works, so hopefully someone will be home. If you want to use my calling card, here is the information: first dial 1-800-325-9370 then enter this number:7148-0999-6834, then you will dial the number I will give you when I call on Saturday night. That will be cool because it will be Christmas for me, and Christmas Eve for you. Weird. I hope that works. As for time, it depends on how much time you want to be able to talk to me. If I call around 5:30 (which is probably the earliest I can call) and you call me right back, we leave for church around 8:30, so that is three hours. But, I may not be able to call that early and if you can't call back that early then you will probably not want to put that many on, or if you don't think we will talk that long, then you also don't need to have that much. That is just the longest we will be able to talk. So, it's really up to you. Just remember that if you don't use the minutes when you call this time, we also get to talk on Mother's Day, so there is always then.
It's so crazy to me that I have almost been in Russia for 3 months now. Friday will be three months. Then in January I will reach my 6 month mission mark. That is even crazier. That means I only have a little more than a year left. Where is the time going? Most of the time I really do love being here. (Right - While street contacting, we saw this giant head. We just had to get a picture with it) There are just those odd moments when I think, what have I gotten myself into? Like, for example, when two guys took our picture on the маршрутка (marshrutka) and laughed. That was pretty weird. There are a lot of weird things here, but when I don't see those, I love it, well the people mostly. They make it worth it.
So, something else weird happened today. We went to this new store called Park House. We didn't really know what to expect, so I was really not expecting what I found. It is a mall! Just like you find in America! It was weird because I felt like I was home. It was really eerie. They were only missing signs in English, a movie theater, and a better foodcourt. But, they even called the food court, фудкорт (foodcourt), they didn't translate it into Russian. That made me laugh.
Let's see. We bought a Christmas tree. It is a used-to-be living tree. It's kind of interesting that my first такая (takaya) (I don't know how to translate that word but I guess it kind of means, such) happens to be in Russia. (Left - after service we walked through Park Pobedi. There we decided to get a picture with this statue) The only problem is we aren't exactly sure how to set it up. We got something today to do it, but we need an ax to sharpen the trunk to fit into our stand. Hopefully we can get that done before Sunday.
Hey, I got the package from the Relief Society. It is really cool. But, I think somethings were missing. Could you find out for me what the scripture and present was for Day #6? Could you also find out if they really did send cookies, because if they did, I didn't get them. I'd also be interested to know what kind of cookies they were. Then I will know what not to have sent to me in the future. But, I really am having fun opening one present every day.
Let's see. What else is new. I can't really think of anything. Oh, did I mention I am learning Armenian? Well, just a little because we have an Armenian бабушка (babushka) and she thinks it is great. (Below - my first real Christmas tree!) There are a lot of Armenians around here, so it is useful to know how to say a few things. They like it because most Russians don't care enough to learn anything. In fact, many are prejudiced against them. Sister Саргсян has had a lot of problems registering in cities because of it.
Did you know that they celebrate Christmas on January 7 in Russia? I used to think it was universally Dec. 25, but maybe Russia is the only country that is different. They go by a different calendar or something, but either way it is the православный (provaslavni) church that celebrates on the 7. For some reason the branch here in Тольятти (Togliatti) follows that even though I guess everywhere else follows ours. That means I get two Christmases! New Year's is a bigger holiday here. They celebrate it a lot like Christmas, with trees and presents. But, we aren't allowed to leave our apartment on New Year's (I wonder how that will work with it being on Sunday and all) because they also celebrate it with a lot of drinking. That should be an interesting time.
This Saturday we are doing something with the Elders for Christmas. I don't know what, but we are eating together and I think we may be going to go sing together somewhere.
Well, that's about it. We can talk more when I call on Sunday! (well Saturday for you)

Love,
Сестра Атвуд

surprise!

Hey,
I bet you weren't expecting to hear from me today, but I just wanted to make sure that everything is ok for me to call on Sunday, Christmas Day. I didn't really think about it until I realized that it is less than a week away and I won't have time to get a response from you if I just write on P-Day, so Sister Саргсян (Sargsyan) said we could write home. So, here is the deal. I can call on Christmas Day, but I thought I remembered that you said you were going to Utah, but I didn't know if that meant you would be there on Christmas Day or later, so first I need to know where you will be. (Picture - I got a package after sports!!!) Then, if you still have the information for the calling card you bought me, it would be good if you added minutes because I will call first to give you the phone number to call back, and then it would be better for you to call me back. I think it would be too expensive to use the cell phones, so a calling card is your best bet. Then, I also need to know what time I can call. We have church at 1:00 so that means I will not be home from 12:30-4:30, about, I think. That is 10:30-3:30 am, your time, Saturday night, but we could have it at 7:00, or after church, just remember that my companion needs to call at night home so her family will be there, but we could also have it after church, but that will be really early in the morning. So, let me know what times you will be able to, and then tomorrow we can figure things out. Let me know as soon as possible, before I write home tomorrow so I don't have to worry about it.

Love,
Сестра Атвуд
P.S. Sister Саргсян says hi.

this'll be a short one

Hey all,
This week is going to be short because I don't have a lot of time. And I just realized it is almost 8:00 in the morning there! Strange! Normally we write home earlier, but we were having too much fun.
This last week was a roller coaster ride to say the least. For the second time in my life (both happening on my mission) I felt like I never want to have kids. But, if I have time, I will get to that later.
Last P-Day, we didn't do anything with the Elders because Elder Day had to go to Самара (Samara) to get his companion who went to Moscow to renew his Visa. (Above - Service at the children's park) So, since we knew they were gone, we planned something else.
By the way, is my website still being updated? Heather told me a while ago that she waits for a new email to be posted and I didn't know if it just wasn't working here because it only has to the 11th of November when I look).
Anyway, Thursday, we had service in the hospital, and then the day ended with English, as usual. That wasn't anything special. Friday was a very bad day. We started by thinking we needed to meet the Elders at 11:00 at the church, but we waited 25 min. and they didn't show up. Apparently, Elder Ross told us 11:00, but he meant 1:00, so we weren't able to do our weekly planning. Then, he ended up being a half hour late, and we were a half hour late for our meeting with a new convert. Things are really hard for her right now, so we really needed to be there. We talked with her for a long time, and she told us that we really helped her, but because of that, we were late for something else by an hour. (Left - P-day in the woods, ready for a snowball fight!)
The branch was putting on a show for an invalid house and we were supposed to have a skit, but because we were an hour late, we got there as it was ending and we didn't do our skit. That made Sister Саргсян (Sargsyan) upset because of how everyone treated us. But, I have to say that Лида (Lida) (the new convert) was definitely more important than a skit. So, that kind of sucked, because I feel bad when she feels bad and I didn't know how to help her.
Saturday started off really well. We had sports that ended in a snow ball fight. I love snow ball fights! It was so much fun. But then all the Elders in our district went and ate lunch together without inviting us. We did our usual work, but we couldn't help feeling like they don't like us. Then Sunday, they again ate together, without us. What happened to district unity? Well, that made us feel even worse. Elder Ross calls us every night to make sure we are home and that everything is ok, but when he called that night, I guess he sensed something was different. He asked, like usual, if he could do anything to help. (Right - In the woods, snowball fighting) Sister Саргсян said, nothing. He said, well if there is anything, let me know. She responded, never will be. He then told her that he is here to serve us and that he wants to serve us, but she told him she didn't believe him. Well, she wanted to say other things to him, but she didn't.
The next day was Monday, and that means district meeting. So, it just so happens that everything came out, and now things are basically different, much better. We told them we wanted to go to Old City where the Elders like having us around and they told us the Old City Elders don't like anyone but themselves. We also learned that one of the Elders thought Sister Саргсян never wanted to talk to him. It was a good thing that happened that day. Ever since then, which hasn't been very long, I've felt a little more unified. That's good because as missionaries in Russia, we need each other so we don't go insane. Well, that Monday night was the second time I decided I never wanted to have kids. We were at a member's house and their little four year old boy punched Sister Саргсян in the face! It was so funny, but this is also the same little boy that threw rocks at his dad last time we were there. (Left - In the fort that I single-handed obtained from the Elders, and I'm ready to defend it) Then, they gave him a sharp knife! I don't know what they were thinking! But, when I talked to Elder Ross on the phone and told him that, he told me it is a commandment and that I have to procreate. It was rather a funny conversation, but probably even funnier if someone would have heard HIS side. What made it even funnier was that they almost burned down their apartment. Anyway, I don't want kids if they end up like some of the Russian kids I have met. One little girl spit on me because I wouldn't let her steal my purse!
Then, yesterday, we shoveled snow for service. That was fun. We ended that with a snow ball fight. But, the rest of our day really sucked and it ended with Sister Саргсян feeling awful, and once again I didn't know what to say. Luckily, Elder Ross is smart and he helped her to feel better. Today, we went into the forest together and had another snowball fight. This is becoming a habit here, but it is so much fun! Even though all the Elders ganged up on me and ambushed me. (Right - The Elders ganging up on Sargsyan) I don't know what they were thinking because then they used it against each other saying the others conspired together against a sister. It was still fun because I beat them and took their fort. They were all like, how did this happen? One sister took our fort! It was great.
After that we went to the church with a couple Elders from Old City (one who is leaving on Friday) to play Phase 10 and watch Prince of Egypt. That was fun, but that is also why we are late writing home. And now it is probably time for me to go. We have a meeting in Old City in 20 minutes. We may be a little late, but normally she is, too, so I guess it's not a big deal. Yeah, I like it when the days are good.
I hate to say it, but a lot of that depends on the Elders, mostly because my companion gets hurt by them very easily. When I feel like we are all united and friends, things are easier, even when I see strange things that are always happening here in Russia. What a life! And luckily, there is still more of it. Sometimes I think I never want to leave, and other times I feel like I am crazy just for being here. I guess we will see what happens next!

Love,
Сестра Атвуд

This pictures seems to accurately show our personalities: Sargsyan, me, Day with Whitaker behind him, Madsen, Paulsen, and the arm of Ross

Here we are behaving a little nicer

I can't believe another week has come and gone!

Well, hello all again. Things are going great here in Тольятти (Togliatti). I had a couple of really cool experiences. But first I wanted to say that if the Relief Society hasn't sent off the package they said they would, I would really like some peppermint candy canes for Christmas. They don't exist here. So sad . . .
So first, I have to say, I really like serving with Sister Саргсян (Sargsyan). (Left - at the theater with Valeriya-on the left- and Olga-in the center- with some random guy that we don't know) She knows the language well (she has lived in Russia for the past 6 years and learned Russian in school for 10 years before that) so that is good to know how we can help people. She wants to work hard, and I think that is what is really important. I thought with having a practically native companion I would end up eating a lot of Russian food. Well, since the day that I ate a шаурма (shaurma) off the street and felt sick afterwards, she is really careful about what she feeds me. And, if I hesitate long enough before eating it, she tells me I don't have to. That's great because she can tell the members that I don't want to eat anything better than I can. She doesn't let us be pushed into things we don't want to do. And, because she is Armenian, that opens a lot of doors.
We got a referral for an Armenian woman who works in a store because of it. This woman was worried that our church is only for Americans and Russians. So that is cool that we can show her a little more that we really are a world-wide church. But, since she is 24, she acts like a mother. She is always pulling on my clothes to make sure I look alright and won't let me carry anything if she thinks it is too heavy. It is really funny.
We did some service in an invalid house a few weeks ago and we were moving some books from one room to another. The lady who was handing them to me wouldn't let me carry very many at one time. Then one of the Elders was handing them to me and I told him to give me more. Well, she got mad at him and said, she's a девушка (devushka - that means girl in Russian). He was like, she wanted them! It was really funny and not worth putting up a fight.
So, now for last week. It started off bad because my companion felt sick. We didn't do a whole lot during the first part of the week and I felt like I was wasting my time. Then on Wednesday, all that turned around. We had our zone conference and it was great. I love getting together with so many missionaries, it makes me happy. Afterwards, the day couldn't have ended better. I read the Book of Mormon with Sister Давыдик (Davyidik), the wife of our mission president and I got a 5+, basically that is the highest you can do, and she told me I would be blessed because I am trying to finish the Book of Mormon in Russian before the end of the year. I think I'm going to make it, too. I already finished in English, and started over.
But, after that, we went to see one of our recent converts. I love meeting with her. She is so strong and has an amazing talent for expressing her feelings through poetry. So, that took up our entire day. Then, the next day was great too. It was P-day, and we had a great time knitting with the Elders. (Right - after a district lunch which was after service at the Elders' apartment) They decided to start a knitting club called the Guild. They also want me to teach them how to crotchet. It is so much fun, though the Старый Город (Stary Gorod - Old City) Elders look down on us for it. Oh well, we have fun together.
Then after английский (angliskii - English), one of the girls that always comes asked us to come to her house and meet her family. She isn't yet interested in hearing more about the gospel, but making friends with her and meeting with her family is a good way to be able to share the gospel with her. Plus, she is great and a very nice girl. She lived in America last summer or so and she wants to go again. Maybe then she can visit me, well, unless she is there before I come home. So, that was a great way to end the day. The next day was good just because everything pulled through the way we wanted.
Then Saturday, we had our sports activity. That was so much fun! We played soccer in the snow (yes, we finally got some). It was great. I even made a couple goals and all the Elders were impressed. One of the Elders tripped me. Luckily, I learned how to fall in TaeKwanDo so it didn't hurt. He was so sorry about it right afterwards, and then the next day he said it was really funny. Well, it was pretty funny. After sports we met with the girl from English. That was great. We had a member with us and were able to talk a little about the gospel, but more than that we were able to show her that we are normal people and that we really care about her, and not just about getting her to join our church. Then we went to a theater. The mother of one of our investigators invited us there, so we thought it would be a good thing. It ended up being an interesting evening. We were there a half hour before the show started and we took off our name tags when we got there. But then Ольга (Olga) was introducing us to everyone, so we put them back on. While we were talking with a couple of ladies about the gospel, Ольга pulled me aside and took me over to a group of 10 youth who were sitting and waiting. I felt like her show-and-tell. She introduced me as a girl who had come all the way from America as a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then she told them they could ask me any questions they wanted. It was crazy, but it was good. Sister Саргсян told me that when she saw me talking to them (it ended up being 11 people after an older lady came over) and she was talking with her lady, she felt like we were prophets from the Book of Mormon preaching to the people. It was great. That is the most people I have talked to about the gospel at one time. The really cool thing is that we have been asked to talk to 10 people about the gospel everyday. I had been praying earlier that day for there to be a way, and there was a prime opportunity handed right to me. It was a great example of a near immediate, but also exact and then much better answer to a prayer. It was great.
Unfortunately, Sunday wasn't so good and I started feeling like I wasn't helping anyone. (Above - youth night at the church. I don't remember exactly the point of this game, but it was a lot of fun) On Monday we went to Самара for interviews with the President. I started off the day feeling awful, and talking with President only helped a little. He told me that speaking with people about the gospel is helping them, but it only helped a little. Then I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants. I've always kind of wondered when I tried to liken the scriptures to myself if it really applies to me, because it was spoken to them and not me, but then I got my answer in section 11. You can read it if you like and try to figure out how it speaks exactly to me, almost by name. That was cool.
Then, on the way back, we stopped at a bank for my companion to get some money out. We ended up standing in line for a long time, but a man started talking to me. Basically he just asked me if it was hot in there, I responded and then someone else started talking to him. I thought that was the end of our conversation, but I really wanted to talk to him about the gospel. Two of the Elders came in to find out what was taking so long, and after they left, I was standing and waiting again. Then, I glanced over at him, and he started talking to me again. He said, you have an interesting accent. I said, I know. Then he asked me where I was from, and that led into why I am here. He sounded genuinely interested in learning about why we are here. He kept asking me for my phone number and I didn't know if he wanted it to call me, or because he wanted to hear about the church. We wanted to give him information for the missionaries in Самара, but we didn't have anything with us. So, we tried giving him the address to the church, but he said he doesn't know anyone there and he knows me now. We ended up giving him an English invitation. I hope he comes because then we can get his information and give him the information of the Elders in Самара. That would be really great. It was just a good feeling to be able to talk to him while I waited for my companion. By the way, my companion said hi.
The way home was great, we talked and laughed with the Elders. Then yesterday I was able to talk with a woman in the hospital where we do service. She doesn't understand why I am here and not going to school or with my family. I told her that I and my family both know that I am where God wants me to be. She told me I am going straight to paradise. It was neat. Well, as you can tell, this week has been really good. I hope things keep going like that.
Sister Саргсян and I have decided to do a surprise for the Elders, if it turns out well, I will tell you about it. I am looking forward to it, though. It should be a lot of fun, and probably next week I will teach them how to crochet.
I was really shocked to hear about Jordan! He just barely got out there! Could you find out the address of his mission home so I could write to him? Or maybe what would be even better is if I could write a letter to him through email, but maybe send it to you, mom, and you could print it off and mail it to him. Either way, you need to get the address, so let me know if you can.
That's probably it for today. I am going to copy this before I send it so we don't have a repeat of two weeks ago. That was insane.

Love,
Сестра Атвуд

P.S. it was a good thing I did that. I really hate myldsmail

wow, what a day

Hey, I am so glad to be able to write home today. So much has happened that I don't even know where to start. Some things have been good, and others haven't been so good, but it is all for a reason I'm sure, even when I don't know what that reason is. First, if I can answer everyone's emails. Thanks to all who wrote me. I was so surprised when I had so many more than usual. Let's see, mom, I think you were first, so you get to be answered first and hopefully I will have time to answer the rest. Thanksgiving was great. I didn't get turkey, but we had the best we could find. We had these whole grilled chickens that you can find on the street. We also had funeral potatoes, real mashed potatoes, a pie (homemade by one of the Elders and it was actually really good), deviled eggs, cake, and fruit salad. We had a lot of fun together. First we had our zone meeting and then we ate. (Left - Thanksgiving dinner) The only bad thing was that Sister Саргсян (Sargsyan) and Elder Ананд (Anand) both don't speak English and Elder and Sister Gunnell don't speak Russian so I didn't know what to do. All the Elders just spoke in English, so the two who didn't know English just left right after we finished eating. That made me feel bad, but what can be done? Then after eating and talking, we took pictures.
One of the Elders did something in one of the pictures, but I won't know what it is until afterwards. That Elder is crazy, and most of the time it is fun. The only bad thing is, I think I remind him of a little sister he has or something because he treats me like that, throwing things at me, etc. Sometimes it is fun, but other times it is just annoying. Then we talked some more before leaving to go see Swan Lake. We didn't get to see all of it because it was too long, but we saw most of it. Luckily we had a program and I was actually able to understand a lot of it. I didn't realize that it is basically the same story as The Swan Princess, with differences of course. One of the Elders asked what it was about, so I told him it was like Swan Princess and he said, yeah except that is more interesting and I can watch it in the comfort of my air-conditioned home. One of the other Elders asked, your apartment has air-conditioning? No, of course not, he was talking about in America. It was still funny. I enjoyed it, though, just because it was something different.
As for e-mails. It probably would be better if everyone just sent to gmail and you can send them here, but just because I would rather have the original there. If people can send them to both email addresses, that is fine, but if you only give them one, the gmail would probably be the better bet. I have to say, I'm excited to find out what is the package. I probably will get them during zone conference next cycle, which could be before Christmas, but will most likely be afterwards.
Dad, what is the image editing for? I don't remember anything about that, but then again, I don't really remember life before my mission. Things are weird like that. I feel like I've always been here and that I will always be here. But, maybe that's for the best so I can just focus on the here and now, though at times I still feel like this is all a dream.
Oh mom, I don't know how you are forwarding them to me, but if you notice they were already sent here, don't worry about sending them again, but if not, it's no big deal.
I have a lot to say because a lot was missed last week with this stupid email program, but I don't know if I have enough time. So, I will try to get it all written and it isn't in order of what happened. On Friday we were finally able to watch the General Relief Society broadcast. It was so great and exactly what I needed to hear. (Right - all the missionaries in Togliatti, with the exception of the Gunnells who took the pictures) It's funny how those things work, I think, but the main thing I have been praying for the last few weeks was the main subject of the conference. I really enjoyed it, but only 4 members came. That was a little sad. Not even the Relief Society president was there, and she planned it! Oh well, it was also good because I already had the Nov Ensign and I was able to read the talks the next day to make sure I didn't miss anything when I heard it in Russian.
I don't remember if I mentioned this, but I got the first package, and огромное спасибо (ogromnoye spasibo - big thanks) to Elizabeth for the paper. No one here can believe that I write so much, but I don't want to forget a thing. I've already written nearly 500 pages since I entered the MTC. I'm going to have a lot to remember my mission with.
I got a really nice compliment from the sister of one of the members last week. Since she isn't a member and she is Russian, I gotta believe she meant it. Anyway, she said that I am very beautiful, especially when you look at me (I'm not sure what that means exactly) and that when she saw me she just couldn't stop looking at me. It was a nice compliment to receive. I've also had a lot of people telling me I look like a Russian and then others tell me that I look very American. It's weird. Oh, I also forgot to say Happy Thanksgiving! in my redo letter last week, so here it is a little late.
During our zone meeting last week one of the Elders told us about something he had heard. You know how in the Bible it talks about fishers and than hunters to gather Israel? Well, he said that in some places in the world, like Mexico and many S. American countries, they don't really have to do anything to find investigators and converts. One missionary there said in one week he got 60 referrals from members. We would be lucky to get that for the whole mission in a year! (well, that's how it seems to me). He said, the fishers they send to places like that and to the rest of the world. The hunters, they send to Russia. I think that must be true because we have to hunt for people who are ready and mostly it seems like we are here to help prepare people to accept the gospel later on. (Left - Swan Lake. Do you see the female? She was disgustingly thin, like she was just skin a bones. Is that ever natural?) We just don't see the fruits of our labors and may never know. But, I guess that must mean they send the hardest workers to Russia. Hmm... what does that say about me?
Well, already I am out of time, but I wanted to tell you about my day yesterday. It was great. We had zone conference (that's why I didn't write yesterday) with the Mission President. It was great. These things are always exactly what I need to hear. I was able to see Sister Wilson, my MTC companion, and we talked about a lot of good things. She is still having a really hard time with the language and towards the end of our conversation she told me, you're amazing, just think of how amazing you are. I also got a letter from Jordan and it was a really good letter.
Anyway, that's probably about it for now except for one of the APs was getting on me for speaking English yesterday. I can't help it, after the MTC, it is impossible for me to speak Russian with Sister Wilson, and then I was talking with the senior missionaries who don't speak Russian. He told me he just wants me to use the gift I have been given. The ZLs were there and both said that I speak better than them, than he said, I can see that. It was funny, but I speak Russian all the time, I have no choice. Oh well, he is a good Elder.
I also quick have to say, I love the people here so much. They are amazing, and I think it will be just a matter of time before the entire country excepts the gospel. There are too many good people here for me to believe otherwise.

Love,
Сестра Атвуд