Turns out the Mormon world is a very very small one.

So. Remember how last week I told you I was getting a new companion, and that she's from the States? Well, I did. Guess where in the states? And guess what city? Guess what high school she went to? And guess what company her dad works for? Did you guess Oregon, Beaverton, Westview, and Intel? Because if you did, you'd be right. Ha. We really do live in a small, small world. In any case, I'm serving with Sister Jarman, who is very down-to-earth and hilarious, and who speaks Russian probably as well as I did when I came into the country, and who lived in Moscow with her family because apparently her dad is somewhere up in the High-ups as far as Intel-in-Russia is concerned. She and I had a crazy week of running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but it's definitely made for interesting times. I'm not gong to lie though, I'm still laughing about the smallness of this world. How does that sort of thing happen?

I know I promised pictures of my new hat this week, but there never seemed to be enough time to take them and in any case I don't have my camera adapter with me. Maybe I'll try it while I'm in Korea. Otherwise... well... you'll see it eventually. Even if it is only when I come home (which, Cynthia was unkind enough to remind me, apparently happens in less than 80 days. I'm disgusted).

Like I said, we had a ridiculous week. Sister Volkova and I had to leave for the airport last Tuesday at 7:30 AM, which, in comparison to some of the other flights I've had, was actually quite nice. We didn't have to get up any earlier or anything. Once she got off I had to wait around another two hours for Sister Jarman, and then another 1.5 hours for her baggage, for some reason. Then we had to race over to one of the local hospitals ( where the our Branch Visa Registrar was and had been located) in order to fill out necessary forms, and then from there to the very lively and entertaining Foreign Migration Services building where we got to wait around for somebody willing to deal with "the foreigners." Ha. I'd just as soon not infringe on their day, but it is, after all, their law that we have to be registered. But. I digress. Sister Jarman's first official lesson was Institute on Tuesday night, and then we had a very long lesson with a pair of, well, now they're former investigators, but at the time they were current,  who knew their Bible very well, and who kept trying to insist that we show them physical evidence of the Book of Mormon. Nothing like starting out your time in the field with a little bit of fire (no, for the record, I don't actually know what that's supposed to mean. It's just there because it sounds... I dunno. Wise? But I'm digressing again).

We also spent some more time on the street (where we got a few marriage proposals each), and generally tried our best not to freeze. Tomorrow I have to fly to Korea to renew my visa, and since Sister Jarman can't play around here by herself, that means she gets to come with me and play around in Vlad for a few days while I'm gone. Nothing like trying to memorize two cities at once.

In any case, that's apparently all the time that I've got today. Pass along a huge congratulations to the Hoffmans please, and of course my love to everybody else. And please, have an enjoyable week.

I love you all,

Sister Read