March is Value Your Cold Water Month

Family family family family family. What is this baloney sandwich I hear from you about not getting any pictures from me, mmm? I SENT pictures via email around Christmas. Don't tell me you didn't get them. I know you read that email, because you all responded to it. I'll think about sending more in the distant future.

Speaking of responding to emails, tell Lisa Hoffman to stop feeling guilty. :) I love having new topics to study, and anyway she's not the only person who wonders about that sort of thing. In fact, one of the members here in Yuzhno asked almost the exact same questions not too long after that. So. I was, as you might say, prepared for them. ... Ish. But I forgot my scriptures again, so I can't tell you off the top of my head which references I used.

The vast majority of the new investigators we found last week are just as interested this week, which is pretty much amazing. We got an Official Letter From Church Headquarters a while back that told us we aren't supposed to go into a whole lot of detail about the people we're teaching (which of course makes sense, given that my letters apparently get posted on the internet somewhere, for everybody to read), so just for now know that things are looking up. The only problem for us now is consistency. We need new investigators every week, and that doesn't always happen (see also: this past week). Welp. Guess I'll go reread PMG chapter 9 again. Hooray!

In other news... Because there is other news... I'm already halfway through another transfer this week, which means that I've offically been in Russia 5 months as of Friday, and offically on a mission 7.5 months. And in another two weeks I'm due for another visa exchange. Have I mentioned that time goes much faster from this side? Well it does.

In any case, we've got lots to do today, and I'm all out of time. Enjoy yourselves, as always, and stay safe. REALLY safe. I heard about that earthquake in Chile.

I love you,
Sister Read. Raid. Reid. Pug. Something like that.

Hippo Birdies...

So mom, dad tells (told. Three weeks ago... ish) me you fasted for my success on Fast Sunday. Are you still fasting? Because if you are you can go ahead and eat now. Sister Kapustina says you need to start eating please, because fasting this long just isn't healthy. Ha.

Basically what we had was a week of miracles. Every day (EVERY DAY) we found at least one new investigator. EVERY DAY. NINE new investigators this week. I don't think you all realize what a miracle that is. We have a standard here where we've got to find at least 3 a week, and that in and of itself is extremely difficult. Especially when the weather is really really really cold. Like the week before last (which in and of itself was an interesting week, because it got warm enough for icicles to fall and then froze over again. But I digress). And yet somehow we managed to find 9 this week. SO. Thank you mom (and anybody else who fasted for us in recent times). Really. Thank you. But please to be feeling free to start eating again, mmmkay? Ha.

Today, as you may have noticed, is the 22nd of February. For me, anyway. Happy birthday George Washington! What year was he born in, anyway? It's just that I wanted to do something to celebrate his birthday today and I dunno what. Sister Kapustina made me breakfast this morning (although I'm still not entirely sure why. I'm not George Washington) and gave me an amazing hand-drawn picture of the Savior. Have I mentioned that she's one of those skilled-in-absolutely-

everything-she-does kind of people? Well she is. She cooks, she draws, she cuts hair, basically I'm living it up here, missionary-style. Although she hasn't actually cut my hair, and probably won't anytime soon. Or possibly at all. I don't want a haircut on my mission.

Let's see, what else? Lots of interesting people on the street this week, of course. No specific instances come to mind at the moment, but I'll think about it some more and get back to you next week.

Basically that's all I've got for you this week. Have fun, enjoy my birthday (go to the temple for me!), stay safe, and of course remember that I love you.

-Sister Read

Oh and: I left my scriptures at home today and I don't remember the exact reference, but if you would be so kind as to pass along 2 Nephi 4:18ish-22/23/24ish to Lisa Hoffman, that'd be just swell. Not exactly an answer, but I'll do some more thinking about it this week. Yay! I love challenges!

Here are a couple of pictures of Calista with her companion, Sister Ivanova, in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. We got these from a member family. Here's their email:

Hi,
My husband and I live in Yuzhno and your daughter is serving in the branch here.
She is a great missionary.  I wanted to send you a couple of pictures we took at a dinner awhile ago.
I just remembered I told your daughter I would send it.
Sincerely,
Dee Jones

 

 

It's that time of year again...

Well okay then. I start talking about needing a change of scenery and they take my companion away. Not exactly what I had in mind, but apparently I can work with it. My new companion, Sister Kapustina (accent on the U. "Kapusta" means "cabbage" in Russian. Ha.) is from Ekaterinburg and she's very very very very very very... chill. Mmm... no, not chill. Relaxed. I don't think she even knows the meaning of the word "stress" (in English OR in Russian, even though it's the same word). I'd say we're going to get along just fine.

So how went all the planning for the cruise you're going on over Spring Break did you mention you were going on a cruise well you're going on a cruise and there's lots of planning to be done and oh, something about a cruise? I get the feeling from the last few emails that there's a cruise in the works with somebody, although I'm not entirely sure who. Spring for me at this point is one of those things that happens to other people, and only in films. I'm pretty sure it's going to be winter the rest of my life. I think I'm actually okay with that though. If you put on enough layers, you don't notice the ice from your breath forming on the scarf in front of your face.

In any case, this week I met another exciting person on the street. She noticed I was handing out pass-along cards and decided that whatever it was I had, she needed it. So she walked over, noticed my nametag, and (this is a favorite Russian pastime, apparently) read my name aloud. "Sister READ. American?" Then she gave me one of the craziest looks I've seen outside of a horror flick and said, "I want to go to America. Take me with you. America. There. Write my number down. Write it down! Come visit me as guests! We'll drink tea! Don't worry! Tea! Ameeeeerica..." And then at that point she wandered off. So. If I come home with a new friend or 700, well, consider yourselves forewarned.

Oh, and for the record, there are apparently 55 states in the US right now. An elderly gentleman told me so. Our conversation went like this:
Him: "Sister READ. From America?"
Me: "Yes, American."
Him: "Ah yes, America. And there are... 55 states in America, yes?"
Me: "No, actually there are only fif-
Him: "Don't interrupt! 55!"
Me: "Ah, yes. 55."
Him: "And, yes, I remember a lady. She was from the state of Mann."
Me: "There is no state of-"
Him: "Don't interrupt! Lovely lady. State of Mann. Around Utah."
Me: "Not possibly the city of Manti? Or Manhattan?"
Him: "I said STATE, didn't I? STATE!"

Haha, so I guess that was my week. Hope yours are going just as well. Enjoy yourselves, have fun planning your cruise, and remember I love you.

-Sister READ.

Fully half of my time spent reading emails...

But that doesn't mean I don't like it. Please to be feeling free to keep on sending them.

Last week I meant to wish Geoff an early happy birthday. And Actually now that I think about it, I did. Fully written and everything. But then it erased itself. Or something. In any case, happy belated birthday Geoff!

Oh and dad, I also forgot to tell you about the memory card. It's an SD pq1 High-Speed 60 2GB. I'd give you the serial number on the back, but somehow I don't think it's really all that necessary.

Transfers are coming up this week, and I'm really hoping to get off Sakhalin. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. Members, crazy investigators, random more-than-comfortably-friendly people on the street, it's great. I just need a change of scenery. Of course, now that I've said that, I'll be here another transfer, and I guess that's okay too, because we've got some pretty hilarious people we're working with.

We taught the Word of Wisdom to one of our investigators this week, and we ended it by demanding her entire supply of black tea. Ha. Then to our surprise, she actually handed it over. Well, most of it, anyway. She kept the one last open box. So we took the other two and ran to the nearest grocery store (for the record, they look NOTHING like they do in the states. More like glorified tobacco shops.), where we bought two boxes of herbal tea and ran back to give them to her. And since we'd given her two, we demanded (well ish. She's about 65 ish, and you just don't demand things from 65 ish old ladies in Russia) the last open box. So for the record, I am officially a Russian Tea Bandit.

Also for the record, if you ever actually get the chance to talk to Sister Ivanova, well, I guess you'll just know that we've served together. She's picked up all of my phrases, including "for the record", "lame", and "it's just that..." HA. Even better is the way she says them all with a Very Russian Accent. Good days.

I figured out this week why my coat cost me an arm and a leg. Because it's warm. Not because it's extremely high quality. The zipper, which has been sort of limping along the last few weeks, finally gave up and died, and I couldn't get it to zip at all. Lame. And while I wouldn't say the zipper is the most important part of any coat, it's still what you might call necessary, especially when you're walking around in cold weather with lots of wind. Sister Ivanova worked as a wedding dress designer/maker before her mission, and if she'd had a sewing machine she could've fixed it herself, but given that sewing machines don't come with missionary apartments, we had to go find somewhere where we could hand in my coat and they could fix it quickly. We found a place, and they did it in just over an hour, but it still cost a ridiculous amount of money. Still. I have a coat, it's warm, and it works. I am officially grateful.

That's all for now, folks. Feel free to enjoy yourselves this week, thank you for the illness, whoever sent it to me, stay safe, and I love you.

-Sister Read