Family:
Today you get first letter, because the computer I'm sitting at has no word program, and it refuses to open the Official Letter to the President without one. So. While I'm waiting the 20 minutes for OpenOffice to download and install, I'll go ahead and update you all on the random acts of... goodness, I suppose. Also known as: my mission.
Last week's adventure on the snowy slopes of the mountains behind our apartment was a successful one, I think. We hiked around for hours and hours and hours (or possibly just one. Either way), took lots of pictures, and generally made fools of ourselves in the snow. It was nice to get out and wander around nature for a while, and it was even nicer that we got to go with an investigator. Work and play all at once. Hooray!
So it's official: when I get home I'm definitely going to need to buy a new set of scriptures, because mine are taking a beating. Sad day. I've had those things for more than ten years now. Which reminds me. Advice to all those going on a mission (or who are thinking about going on a mission, or who know somebody on a mission, or heck, have even heard of such things as missions): learn to love the Book of Mormon. I mean love it. Because you kind of use it a lot in this business. Like really, a lot. Go figure. Basically what I'm getting at here is that the Book of Mormon is kind of what you might call important. Maybe. But feel free to draw your own conclusions on that one.
Anyway, OpenOffice refuses to open, so I've got to go figure out some other way to write to President (Email is just SO yesterday). I love you, stay safe, and try to keep the nasty bacteria away for a while.
-Sister Read
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
To my beloved parental units, family, extended family, extended extended family, and so forth:
Per usual on a Monday afternoon, I'm sitting in an internet cafe (we found one much closer to our apartment, in case you wanted to know) trying to think of what to say about this week. For the record, Russian teenagers are apparently just as fluent in English swearwords as they are in Russian. They just say them all with a strange accent. Go figure. Long story short here, we may or may not be currently on the search for yet another place to write home. Wish us luck.
And given that I haven't got a whole lot on my mind this week, please to be informing Cynthia that I'm DISGUSTED. She knows why. And please to be informing Shana that I'm disappointed in her for letting things get like this. Please also however to be informing them that I rather enjoyed the latest combined-effort missive from them, although it wasn't exactly what I'd call understandable first time around. And therefore: More information, please. From both of them.
So January is, in case you wondered, apparently the month of holidays in Russia. New Year, Christmas, Old New Year, Something about Baptism on the 19th (although I see from your letter dad that it's "Baptizing - Sacred Epiphany" day... whatever that means. Thanks anyway), and about 100 other random reasons to take a day off. So. With the holiday, everyone! With the holiday!
Last week (or the week before... I can't actually recall at the moment) when Sister Ivanova and I wanted to go play in the snow didn't actually work out, so we're going to try again this week... only this time we're taking an investigator with us. We decided that it was about time that we got acquainted with the families of our members, and so we took it upon ourselves to stop by and talk with them this week. Guess it worked, because Natasha (mom of one my favorite members. Yes I have lots of those. So what?) declared that we need to go wander around nature with her. Well okay then.
Anyway, I'm all out of time and ideas and tolerance. Soo... I love you all, please to be feeling free to do something wild and crazy this week (don't do anything I wouldn't do), and take a trip to the temple for me, please?
-Sister Read. Or Rad, according to one of our investigators.
Per usual on a Monday afternoon, I'm sitting in an internet cafe (we found one much closer to our apartment, in case you wanted to know) trying to think of what to say about this week. For the record, Russian teenagers are apparently just as fluent in English swearwords as they are in Russian. They just say them all with a strange accent. Go figure. Long story short here, we may or may not be currently on the search for yet another place to write home. Wish us luck.
And given that I haven't got a whole lot on my mind this week, please to be informing Cynthia that I'm DISGUSTED. She knows why. And please to be informing Shana that I'm disappointed in her for letting things get like this. Please also however to be informing them that I rather enjoyed the latest combined-effort missive from them, although it wasn't exactly what I'd call understandable first time around. And therefore: More information, please. From both of them.
So January is, in case you wondered, apparently the month of holidays in Russia. New Year, Christmas, Old New Year, Something about Baptism on the 19th (although I see from your letter dad that it's "Baptizing - Sacred Epiphany" day... whatever that means. Thanks anyway), and about 100 other random reasons to take a day off. So. With the holiday, everyone! With the holiday!
Last week (or the week before... I can't actually recall at the moment) when Sister Ivanova and I wanted to go play in the snow didn't actually work out, so we're going to try again this week... only this time we're taking an investigator with us. We decided that it was about time that we got acquainted with the families of our members, and so we took it upon ourselves to stop by and talk with them this week. Guess it worked, because Natasha (mom of one my favorite members. Yes I have lots of those. So what?) declared that we need to go wander around nature with her. Well okay then.
Anyway, I'm all out of time and ideas and tolerance. Soo... I love you all, please to be feeling free to do something wild and crazy this week (don't do anything I wouldn't do), and take a trip to the temple for me, please?
-Sister Read. Or Rad, according to one of our investigators.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
So, business first: Happy Almost-New-Year, everyone! Haha, yes, there is in fact another holiday coming up on the Russian calendar. I'm not entirely sure why they celebrate New Year on the 14th of January, but I'm glad it's only a semi-official Russian holiday. People are hard to talk to when they aren't on the street.
Secondly: Thank you thank you thank you Grandma Read for the package. It was basically everything I needed and almost everything I miss. Since this weekend was Zone Conference again, Sister Ivanova also got a package from home, but hers was entirely filled with chocolate. Needless to say we've got lots of goodies floating around our apartment right now. Russian chocolate just doesn't do it for me like American does though (especially when the American chocolate is macadamia turtles... heh), so once again thank you. :)
Thirdly... I think. Thank you, mom, for fasting for my success this week. I'd say it worked. We found 4 new investigators this week (FOUR!), and 3 of those are a family... with another 3 people we haven't even met yet. Oh man. We're excited. Their story is a pretty amusing one in and of itself, actually, but I dunno if I've got enough time to relate it. I'll see what I can do.
About a month ago we were contacting as usual when we ran into an elderly couple taking a walk down the street. We stopped and started talking to them, but the wife immediately declared, "We're Russian Orthodox! We aren't interested!" Then she started to walk away, pulling her husband along with her. He stood his ground though, and said, "Hang on, I'M interested! I'm an atheist. What have you got for me?" Well. If only you knew, sir. So we talked for a few minutes more while his wife waited impatiently on the side. Then I guess she'd decided she'd had enough, because she forcefully pulled him away and told him that they were going HOME.
Well, okay, bummer. Maybe in the future, we thought to ourselves. We continued on down the road for another 10 minutes or so, when, to our surprise, Vladimir Vladimirevich (nice and easy to remember, that name) came running up after us. He told us he'd walked his wife back to their doorstep and then ditched her so he could come back and talk to us. During the course of that conversation it became fairly obvious to us that he wasn't nearly as atheistic as he'd like people to believe, and we tried our hardest to get an appointment set up with him. Apparently they've had all sorts of church-type representatives over before (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, you name it, they've seen 'em), and his wife (Angelina) had had enough of them. So he took our number and told us he'd call when he could get her to soften her heart a little (his words, not mine). Unfortunately I can't say that we were all that hopeful for it at that point.
Then about a week ago we were contacting again on the other side of our area, and we ran in to Vladimir again. According to him, our appearance was obviously a sign from God that he needed to meet with us, and he'd try to convince his wife that she needed to invite us over. So he took our photo with his shiny new cell phone ("Silly Young People gadgets!") and told us that he'd show it to her, and she'd be bound to invite us over. Mmmkay. Well if it works...
Then the next day he called and told us to come by on Friday. What?! It worked? Crazy! Apparently all she needed was a picture of us smiling. Well okay. So we went by on Friday and ended up spending 2 hours over there talking with him, her, and their amazingly open and receptive eldest daughter, who joined us after she got home from work. Wow. And we have a return appointment this week. They refuse to refer to us by our titles though, and instead insist on calling us Sofia and Calista (or, more accurately, Kaleesta. Ha), which I think makes Sister Ivanova just a little bit uncomfortable. It's defnitely weird to hear my first name again, but I figure it's really no great secret, and if it helps us make good contact with them I'm all for it.
Anyway, we'll see what happens in the future with them, although of course we're going for the most optimistic route here. I'm all out of time though, so feel free to enjoy yourselves until next week, and try to stay out of harm's way for a while.
I love you all,
Sister Read. Russia. 2010. 3:04 PM.
(Ed. Received 10 January 2010, 9:06 pm, eighteen hours before Russia time.)
Secondly: Thank you thank you thank you Grandma Read for the package. It was basically everything I needed and almost everything I miss. Since this weekend was Zone Conference again, Sister Ivanova also got a package from home, but hers was entirely filled with chocolate. Needless to say we've got lots of goodies floating around our apartment right now. Russian chocolate just doesn't do it for me like American does though (especially when the American chocolate is macadamia turtles... heh), so once again thank you. :)
Thirdly... I think. Thank you, mom, for fasting for my success this week. I'd say it worked. We found 4 new investigators this week (FOUR!), and 3 of those are a family... with another 3 people we haven't even met yet. Oh man. We're excited. Their story is a pretty amusing one in and of itself, actually, but I dunno if I've got enough time to relate it. I'll see what I can do.
About a month ago we were contacting as usual when we ran into an elderly couple taking a walk down the street. We stopped and started talking to them, but the wife immediately declared, "We're Russian Orthodox! We aren't interested!" Then she started to walk away, pulling her husband along with her. He stood his ground though, and said, "Hang on, I'M interested! I'm an atheist. What have you got for me?" Well. If only you knew, sir. So we talked for a few minutes more while his wife waited impatiently on the side. Then I guess she'd decided she'd had enough, because she forcefully pulled him away and told him that they were going HOME.
Well, okay, bummer. Maybe in the future, we thought to ourselves. We continued on down the road for another 10 minutes or so, when, to our surprise, Vladimir Vladimirevich (nice and easy to remember, that name) came running up after us. He told us he'd walked his wife back to their doorstep and then ditched her so he could come back and talk to us. During the course of that conversation it became fairly obvious to us that he wasn't nearly as atheistic as he'd like people to believe, and we tried our hardest to get an appointment set up with him. Apparently they've had all sorts of church-type representatives over before (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, you name it, they've seen 'em), and his wife (Angelina) had had enough of them. So he took our number and told us he'd call when he could get her to soften her heart a little (his words, not mine). Unfortunately I can't say that we were all that hopeful for it at that point.
Then about a week ago we were contacting again on the other side of our area, and we ran in to Vladimir again. According to him, our appearance was obviously a sign from God that he needed to meet with us, and he'd try to convince his wife that she needed to invite us over. So he took our photo with his shiny new cell phone ("Silly Young People gadgets!") and told us that he'd show it to her, and she'd be bound to invite us over. Mmmkay. Well if it works...
Then the next day he called and told us to come by on Friday. What?! It worked? Crazy! Apparently all she needed was a picture of us smiling. Well okay. So we went by on Friday and ended up spending 2 hours over there talking with him, her, and their amazingly open and receptive eldest daughter, who joined us after she got home from work. Wow. And we have a return appointment this week. They refuse to refer to us by our titles though, and instead insist on calling us Sofia and Calista (or, more accurately, Kaleesta. Ha), which I think makes Sister Ivanova just a little bit uncomfortable. It's defnitely weird to hear my first name again, but I figure it's really no great secret, and if it helps us make good contact with them I'm all for it.
Anyway, we'll see what happens in the future with them, although of course we're going for the most optimistic route here. I'm all out of time though, so feel free to enjoy yourselves until next week, and try to stay out of harm's way for a while.
I love you all,
Sister Read. Russia. 2010. 3:04 PM.
(Ed. Received 10 January 2010, 9:06 pm, eighteen hours before Russia time.)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
If it's Monday and you know it...
Well it's officially 2010, which, according to the current most popular movie here (I dunno, maybe it got just as much hype at home. Either way it's definitely brought us more than a few investigators), means we're only 2 years away from THE END. I hope you're all prepared.
In any case, we had a small snowstorm blow in over New Year's, and as a result we're now walking almost on level with the bottom-floor windows of every building. And for the record, those windows are normally about 8 feet above the ground. And this is a "soft winter," or so they tell me. I'm not complaining though. Snow means it's warm, and warm means people are out on the streets. Plus, it's snow. Yay snow! Sister Ivanova and I are hoping to do something fun with it today (time permitting), because you can only trudge through so many snowdrifts before you decide to throw yourself in one. Somehow though it just doesn't seem to fit with the whole Professional, Match-the-Message-You-Preach thing if we were to do so in our proselyting clothing. So. Monday... Also known as today.
Missionary work as a whole though was not exactly the most productive this week. New Year's is officially the biggest holiday in Russia, and so of course nobody had time even to stop and talk with us on the street, much less to meet up with us later. Thursday evening we missionaries had to be in our apartments by 6:00, and Friday we weren't allowed to do any sort of proselyting. So instead we made ourselves a whole bunch of food and got together as a Zone to watch WALL-E. Cute movie, even in Russian. Not a bad translation either, if I do say so myself. Technically the holiday extends until the 7th (Christmas day), so we're still having to twist a few arms to get appointments set up. But in the end it's not so much of an issue, because those we are able to meet with are pretty much amazing investigators. We're hoping to set a few baptismal dates in the near future, so... keep your fingers crossed, or something.
So since I've got a few extra minutes this week, let me tell you about some random adventures (ish) we've had on the street in recent times:
One very deaf old lady, while we were trying to explain that we were in fact MISSIONARIES, and not policemen ("Militianaries." Very very common mistake people make here), looked at me and declared, "You have beautiful teeth. Beautiful."
Then there was the older gentleman who spent 10 minutes talking at us before we could get a word in, declared he wasn't interested in our message and then asked me, "How old are you? 21? I've got a grandson that age. You two need to get acquainted."
And of course the other older gentleman who, with what could possibly be the world's largest frown on his face, glared at us and shouted, "I AM A HAPPY PERSON! HAPPY! YOU SEE ME? I AM HAPPY! AND IT WASN'T RELIGION THAT MADE ME HAPPY!"
Anyway, that's all for now folks. Have a good week, stay safe, do big things, and heck, feel free to celebrate Orthodox Christmas as well.
I love you,
-Sister Read. Beautiful teeth and all. HA.
In any case, we had a small snowstorm blow in over New Year's, and as a result we're now walking almost on level with the bottom-floor windows of every building. And for the record, those windows are normally about 8 feet above the ground. And this is a "soft winter," or so they tell me. I'm not complaining though. Snow means it's warm, and warm means people are out on the streets. Plus, it's snow. Yay snow! Sister Ivanova and I are hoping to do something fun with it today (time permitting), because you can only trudge through so many snowdrifts before you decide to throw yourself in one. Somehow though it just doesn't seem to fit with the whole Professional, Match-the-Message-You-Preach thing if we were to do so in our proselyting clothing. So. Monday... Also known as today.
Missionary work as a whole though was not exactly the most productive this week. New Year's is officially the biggest holiday in Russia, and so of course nobody had time even to stop and talk with us on the street, much less to meet up with us later. Thursday evening we missionaries had to be in our apartments by 6:00, and Friday we weren't allowed to do any sort of proselyting. So instead we made ourselves a whole bunch of food and got together as a Zone to watch WALL-E. Cute movie, even in Russian. Not a bad translation either, if I do say so myself. Technically the holiday extends until the 7th (Christmas day), so we're still having to twist a few arms to get appointments set up. But in the end it's not so much of an issue, because those we are able to meet with are pretty much amazing investigators. We're hoping to set a few baptismal dates in the near future, so... keep your fingers crossed, or something.
So since I've got a few extra minutes this week, let me tell you about some random adventures (ish) we've had on the street in recent times:
One very deaf old lady, while we were trying to explain that we were in fact MISSIONARIES, and not policemen ("Militianaries." Very very common mistake people make here), looked at me and declared, "You have beautiful teeth. Beautiful."
Then there was the older gentleman who spent 10 minutes talking at us before we could get a word in, declared he wasn't interested in our message and then asked me, "How old are you? 21? I've got a grandson that age. You two need to get acquainted."
And of course the other older gentleman who, with what could possibly be the world's largest frown on his face, glared at us and shouted, "I AM A HAPPY PERSON! HAPPY! YOU SEE ME? I AM HAPPY! AND IT WASN'T RELIGION THAT MADE ME HAPPY!"
Anyway, that's all for now folks. Have a good week, stay safe, do big things, and heck, feel free to celebrate Orthodox Christmas as well.
I love you,
-Sister Read. Beautiful teeth and all. HA.
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