So first of all, thank you SO much for the gift! The recorder is exactly what I desired, and it helps so much! I have been using it to keep journal entries, but also I have used it to record my voice, and hear how I speak Russian. I hope to improve my accent, so that people can understand me even more. I love the gift!
So the little blip about Russia for this week is about transportation. Today we got on the bus, and it was FILLED to the brim! We had to squish in order for all of us to fit in. It is funny, but it happens as the weather is cold now. Last week, it was really warm, and even muddy as the snow was melting. There are huge puddles, but now they are frozen solid--ice is everywhere. Everyone stuffs like sardines in transportation. Also, the tickets you get have 6 numbers on them. If you add the first three together, and the second three together, and they are the same, then the ticket is lucky! For example, 123024. 1+2+3=6, and 0+2+4=6 so it is lucky! Sometimes, people eat lucky tickets, but I just collect them.
Hey Family! It's the Birthday Boy...except he's a MAN now. Well, maybe that status won't officially happen until my next birthday when I am 21. How did I celebrate my birthday?...with a cold. It is not big at all, but I have been sniffling a little, and my voice has been a little gravely.
Right now, it is just Elder Smith and me, and we have been working like crazy! It think that is a wonderful birthday present, to help others come unto Christ. We will be picking up our new elders on Thursday, which is so soon, but so exciting! I don't know why we only stay in Russia for three months, then leave to get our Visas renewed, but I think it is because of our reason being here. As foreigners, and as religious officials, we can only have a temporary visa. I just know that in Novosibirsk they take our old passports, and send them somewhere to place new visas in them. We have two passports, one with us at all times, and the other is sent to get the new visa.
Also, we got a call from President Gibbons last night, and he wants me to play the piano for the conference on the 18th! I will also be accompanying a missionary musical number! I was so excited to be a special part of the conference, and also grateful and humble for the opportunity. I just hope that I will still be around for the forming of the stake. Could I get an extension on my mission, Mom? I don't know if you would like it.
What else? We don't really have many investigators, and it is hard to meet with them. The most progressing I think would be Nastya and her boyfriend Alexander. We have met a few times, and they came to sacrament meeting twice. Nastya was an old contact, and we met with her in a cafe, food court, and pancake restaurant. She brought her boyfriend along as well. They have a lot of questions, which is good, but I just haven't met with them a lot. We don't know if Alexander has a serious interest, but he is listening and asking questions.
We have Olecya, who is a devout Russian Orthodox member. We found her as she came to the branch building for English Club, but it wasn't going on just then, and we taught her instead. She hasn't come to church, as it conflicts with her other church schedule. We hope to meet with her and the Holmes, who really help in meetings.
We have been contacting new people, and we are hoping to get new investigators. That is the problem here, is that we don't have very many new investigators. What I hope to do is to tract the apartments which are near to us, because they are new, very nice, and they are full of families! I hope to be able to find a family as I am training, which is my goal, and our goal as a district. We have only two companionships with a senior couple, and it is our goal to 2 families to teach and baptize while we are training. I ask for your prayers as we go on this endeavor.
Yulia, the recent convert, is doing amazing. What is difficult for her is that she is the only member of the church in her family, and they are kind of против (pro-teev) which means "against" the church. She comes to Family Home evenings, and went to this youth gathering in Novosibirsk with the other youth in Barnaul, and they are really supporting her. It is hard, as many people are the only member in their families, but they support each other, and together they are strong.
Something interesting happened this week, as on Sunday it was a "working" day. Pretty much everyone had to work on this Sunday, so we held sacrament meeting at 7:00 at night. The men also got together, and we made origami flowers for all the women, as it was women's day. Unknownest to us, Brother Pertzevoi, who is the president of the priesthood quorum, sprayed all of the paper flowers with different kinds of perfume. He has his own business, selling perfume. We were all surprised because we had no idea when he did that. We read some poem verses, and gave them the flowers. They really liked it. We also sang "Ye Elders of Israel" because that is the only song we can sing that actually sounds good...but they enjoyed it nonetheless.
I love being a district leader already. I like feeling like I am leading something big, as I take charge in meetings, and that I am the link between the missionaries and the branch. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I hope to be able to fulfill them as Heavenly Father would want me to.
I love you all, and I am glad that I have been on this earth for 20 years already, and I am here at this moment. It was all thanks to you, Mom, and Dad, that I was born, and that you molded my life, so that I could be here, e-mailing you from another country, as I share the great gospel of happiness to these wonderful people. You have done amazingly, and I will be forever grateful for your choices, which have brought me here right now.
Love,
Elder Hoggan (The Siberian District Leader)
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