Wow - this week went pretty fast. We had a pretty wacked D with Николай и Татьяна [Nickolai and Tatyana] on Friday. We had it without Володия [Volodiya] and she [Татьяна] mentioned this book again called "The Gospel of Peace from Essen." It's way false doctrine. In there they pray to God in the name of Heavenly Father and then they pray to Mother Earth. Also it says that you have [should] not eat meat, eggs and fish. Well they [Николай и Татьяна] believe it is scripture. So obviously they have a concern there. So we will probably put off there [their] baptism for a little longer.
Well to catch you up on the rest of the week. We played a North vs. South Gatorball match on P-Day. The South lost in overtime. I whined too much. Then we came home and made lunch for Сты. Reegan and Nelson. It was spagetti and fries. It was pretty dang good.
Then they left and Ст. Schwartz wanted [to go to] Арбат [Arbat] street to see it for the last time. Well we had quite a metro ride. We were on the metro and this hot girl got on showing off long legs and breasts in a low-cut shirt. Well she wasn't anything compared to what we saw next. This other hot girl got on and she sat across from us. Well she had on a short pink dress. So short that I would have to say that white is a good color for panties. I was stunned, it was my first flash, well almost. Ст. Schwartz covered his face and studied his words and I looked away. When we looked up next time, just to see if uh, uh - what the next station was, she had covered up her indecency with her purse. I looked her in the eye for a while. I don't know if she did it intentionally or not.
Thursday we went and played with the kids [service at the orphanage] and then tried to find tinfoil after we got jaked by Евгения [Evgeniya]. We didn't get there in time so we went back to the reenik, on Пролетарская [Proletarskaya], Friday - after service and in between o[u]r D with them [Николай и Татьяна]. After the D we ate and then made a whole lot of calls, mostly talking with the District Leader, Ст. Reegan. He gave us some good ideas - have a D with the Spirit so we can tell them straight up without upsetting them, get them to pray about the existence of only one true church - ours.
Okay, so what did we do today. We got up so freaking early and went to Речной Вокзал [River Train Station] we met up with Ваге [Vageh - by the way - I think this is the dude who kicked me in the leg while playing gatorball - when I was companions with Ст. Gammon] - if that's how you say his name and bought potatoes and onions and met up with everybody else in the metro and then got on a bus to Зелененград [Zelenongrad]. There we met our match - the rain and so many freaking mosquitoes. We started a fire - a чудеса [miracles] in itself and cooked boyscout foil dinners. Yep it tasted just [like] I remember - when you['re] that hungry anythings good. Then we did a little play about the Restoration of the Priesthood and came home. All in all it was a fun time. After the fire started and the rain stopped it was definately better. Not something I really want to repeat. I whined a lot before the fire started, but then I went to work and made the dinners. Man that new Strawberry Zuko is good. Well night. I'm so freaking tired.
6/28/12
6/26/12
June 26, 1997 - Thursday (Letter Home to family)
To: AhKuna Mattahing Herricks
On the back of the envelope - I'll have you know that there are three Klingon Warships off the bow of this Letter...So watch it bud. Remember all letters to be sent to Elder Walter D. (stands for darn cute) Herrick as before - namely the pouch - but now add South after Moscow - Thank you for your gratitude and charity. May the Lord Bless you, my little ones. South Mission Rules!!
Dear Family, We had a couple of contests this week in our district. The first one was about less-active work. You had to pick a family and see who could get the most hours with them and D's etc. We one [won] that one because we got members along with us on the Ds.
The other was SYLing. Speaking your language, meaning speaking in Russian the most over 5 days this last week. We also kicked but on that. We spoke about 58 hrs. those 5 days. The most we could have gotten was 80 hrs. We were just animals. It was really cool because it's the first time that I thought that I could speak well. And I've seen that it has helped me speak a lot better. So my comp. and I are thinking about SYLing more this week too. Your last letter dated June 8th was addressed to Gilbert so I'm wondering if he got mine. It was pretty funny to read.
As I was on the metro today I was reading in 3 Nephi and I found this scripture and I thought about it a lot. 3 Nephi 15:9 "Behold I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall life; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life." All it says is to look to him, Christ. How could that be? Those are some of my questioning thoughts. Then I just pictured I was in the dark and I saw a light ahead. Of course I would head for the light. I would look and move toward it. In my opinion when we walk to the l[ight] it just means keeping the commandments and reading the scriptures and going to church. So when we do the basic, all of the three above, BOM, Church etc. we are constantly drawing nearer to Christ and we will be filled with his light when we endure to the end.
It’s amazing th[at] the only thing that separates problem less or inactive families from good strong active families is going to church and reading the BOM. If they don't do those things it's hard to work on the other less outward virtues, like charity etc. I'd also put tithing in there. I tell you now know [now] that there will never be a time in my life when I won't be going to church. I've really gained a testimony of that here in Russia.
That's sad about Sister Plunkett [she got sick with cancer, and died while I was on my mission, but my mom didn't tell me about her death until after I came home from my mission]. I hope the family pulls threw [thru] whatever will happen and stay close to the Lord.
Well I gotta go now. Please mail this letter to Vernae and pass on this other letter to Sis Plunkett as soon as possible
On the back of the envelope - I'll have you know that there are three Klingon Warships off the bow of this Letter...So watch it bud. Remember all letters to be sent to Elder Walter D. (stands for darn cute) Herrick as before - namely the pouch - but now add South after Moscow - Thank you for your gratitude and charity. May the Lord Bless you, my little ones. South Mission Rules!!
Dear Family, We had a couple of contests this week in our district. The first one was about less-active work. You had to pick a family and see who could get the most hours with them and D's etc. We one [won] that one because we got members along with us on the Ds.
The other was SYLing. Speaking your language, meaning speaking in Russian the most over 5 days this last week. We also kicked but on that. We spoke about 58 hrs. those 5 days. The most we could have gotten was 80 hrs. We were just animals. It was really cool because it's the first time that I thought that I could speak well. And I've seen that it has helped me speak a lot better. So my comp. and I are thinking about SYLing more this week too. Your last letter dated June 8th was addressed to Gilbert so I'm wondering if he got mine. It was pretty funny to read.
As I was on the metro today I was reading in 3 Nephi and I found this scripture and I thought about it a lot. 3 Nephi 15:9 "Behold I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall life; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life." All it says is to look to him, Christ. How could that be? Those are some of my questioning thoughts. Then I just pictured I was in the dark and I saw a light ahead. Of course I would head for the light. I would look and move toward it. In my opinion when we walk to the l[ight] it just means keeping the commandments and reading the scriptures and going to church. So when we do the basic, all of the three above, BOM, Church etc. we are constantly drawing nearer to Christ and we will be filled with his light when we endure to the end.
It’s amazing th[at] the only thing that separates problem less or inactive families from good strong active families is going to church and reading the BOM. If they don't do those things it's hard to work on the other less outward virtues, like charity etc. I'd also put tithing in there. I tell you now know [now] that there will never be a time in my life when I won't be going to church. I've really gained a testimony of that here in Russia.
That's sad about Sister Plunkett [she got sick with cancer, and died while I was on my mission, but my mom didn't tell me about her death until after I came home from my mission]. I hope the family pulls threw [thru] whatever will happen and stay close to the Lord.
Well I gotta go now. Please mail this letter to Vernae and pass on this other letter to Sis Plunkett as soon as possible
6/24/12
June 24, 1997 - Tuesday
Today was a pretty full day. We had собрание округа [District Meeting] and then we went to Лариса's [Larissa's] where she jaked us. But we talked with her daughter Саша [Sasha]. We also watched the Simplsons. We waited a half an hour or so and then we left. We came home and dropped off our books and stuff and travelled to Stockman's to get milk. Well we came home and ate some potatoes and then rushed off to our D with Николай и Татяна [Nickolai & Tatyana]. We were in there [their] apartment and they have a lot of mystical stuff. They have all these pictures of people that were supposedly prophets or had some kind of power to heal people. It was strange.
But then we walked to the metro with Николай and Володия, and Володия talked to him a lot and just did cool. If I can say that. Then we stood in the metro, Ст. Schwartz, Володия and I and talked about Николай & Татяна for a while. Then we talked on the ride home about the gospel and sat outside the metro and talked about the Gospel some more. He's a stud and has such a firm grasp on the Gospel. He has such a testimony. I keep teasing him about getting married. He's under a lot of pressure at work and he said he was sorry for just taking over our discussion. Today I felt the Spirit a lot and it made me want to set goals to do better and stuff. One was to read the BOM [Book of Mormon] an hour a day. The other was to just study more and basically be a better person/missionary.
While we were talking about the Gospel, I just thought that one of the most important things I'll learn on a mission is to always go to Church. I'm very grateful that I always went to Church before my mission. Sometimes 6 hours a Sunday. We also talked about how we will go home and see things that are different in America than we saw.
But then we walked to the metro with Николай and Володия, and Володия talked to him a lot and just did cool. If I can say that. Then we stood in the metro, Ст. Schwartz, Володия and I and talked about Николай & Татяна for a while. Then we talked on the ride home about the gospel and sat outside the metro and talked about the Gospel some more. He's a stud and has such a firm grasp on the Gospel. He has such a testimony. I keep teasing him about getting married. He's under a lot of pressure at work and he said he was sorry for just taking over our discussion. Today I felt the Spirit a lot and it made me want to set goals to do better and stuff. One was to read the BOM [Book of Mormon] an hour a day. The other was to just study more and basically be a better person/missionary.
While we were talking about the Gospel, I just thought that one of the most important things I'll learn on a mission is to always go to Church. I'm very grateful that I always went to Church before my mission. Sometimes 6 hours a Sunday. We also talked about how we will go home and see things that are different in America than we saw.
6/23/12
June 23, 1997 - Monday
Today is just beginning. We are going to go shopping and etc. for we have no food with which to eat. so...we already dropped off our clothes at the Ягадкин's [Yagadkin's]. Надия [Nadiya] is doing them - she's so cool. She laughed at me though when I dropped off my shirt that had a hole in it. Well we are off to buy some stuff. bye
Okay, its after English. It's getting pretty warm again. Yep the naked chicks are coming out again. Just kidding. My freaking chest hurts a lot. I could always crack it before, but a while ago it started hurting a little off to the left, right where a rib connects with my sternum. English was really slow because no one was there. These last couple of days we have talked in Russian for about 58 hrs. That's pretty freaking amazing. Well bye.
Okay, its after English. It's getting pretty warm again. Yep the naked chicks are coming out again. Just kidding. My freaking chest hurts a lot. I could always crack it before, but a while ago it started hurting a little off to the left, right where a rib connects with my sternum. English was really slow because no one was there. These last couple of days we have talked in Russian for about 58 hrs. That's pretty freaking amazing. Well bye.
June 22, 1997 - Sunday
Today was so freaking busy. It's really nice to have goals you can accomplish. Like speaking your language. This last 4 days we have spoken about 49 hrs of SYLing. We had better win that award. 2 DPs had better be waiting for me.
[mid-journal chat - Remember from the MTC - SYLing is Speaking Your Language - ie. 1. Speaking in Russian to everybody who can understand Russian - that means to each other most of all because we are almost always together. 2. When you can't express yourself in Russian - you first ask in Russian if you can speak English, and then you can say it in English.
Toward the end of my mission my last companion (Elder Andrew Wright) & I SYLed for about 2 months. The only times we didn't SYL were when we were at English Class - and then we only spoke English to those in our classroom, and to the Senior Couple Missionaries that didn't understand Russian much at all. It was actually pretty fun. But sometimes a little boring. At one point Elder Andy Wright and I were speaking in a mexican accent - in Russian. We did others too - Irish, British etc. They weren't very good, except for the Mexican - the Mexican accent was AWESOME - I mean it actually sounded hispanic. Ahhh Andy - where are you?]
Well we had our [D with the] Залыгин's and the girls pretty much talked among themselves and we listened in. It was pretty cool. We also had a D with Николай и Татяна [Nickolai & Tatyana], but Володия [Volodiya] asked at the end if they had a date with babtism [there I go again mispelling things - baptism]. It was suppose to be last Saturday - yep Yesterday - well thanks for letting the investigators know about it. Well Володия scheduled it for next Sunday. We won't be able to accomplish everything this week, so I had to call them and tell them that we would have to do it через воскресение [next Sunday - literally through Sunday].
Other than that, nothing except Ст. Jurvelin wants to go on splits. Well night.
[mid-journal chat - Remember from the MTC - SYLing is Speaking Your Language - ie. 1. Speaking in Russian to everybody who can understand Russian - that means to each other most of all because we are almost always together. 2. When you can't express yourself in Russian - you first ask in Russian if you can speak English, and then you can say it in English.
Toward the end of my mission my last companion (Elder Andrew Wright) & I SYLed for about 2 months. The only times we didn't SYL were when we were at English Class - and then we only spoke English to those in our classroom, and to the Senior Couple Missionaries that didn't understand Russian much at all. It was actually pretty fun. But sometimes a little boring. At one point Elder Andy Wright and I were speaking in a mexican accent - in Russian. We did others too - Irish, British etc. They weren't very good, except for the Mexican - the Mexican accent was AWESOME - I mean it actually sounded hispanic. Ahhh Andy - where are you?]
Well we had our [D with the] Залыгин's and the girls pretty much talked among themselves and we listened in. It was pretty cool. We also had a D with Николай и Татяна [Nickolai & Tatyana], but Володия [Volodiya] asked at the end if they had a date with babtism [there I go again mispelling things - baptism]. It was suppose to be last Saturday - yep Yesterday - well thanks for letting the investigators know about it. Well Володия scheduled it for next Sunday. We won't be able to accomplish everything this week, so I had to call them and tell them that we would have to do it через воскресение [next Sunday - literally through Sunday].
Other than that, nothing except Ст. Jurvelin wants to go on splits. Well night.
June 20, 1997 - Friday
Okay we pretty much screwed off today and yesterday. We went signboarding today and I freaking suck. No I did alright but I need to do it more. Oh I almost forgot but when I called Лидия Залыгин[а - Lidia Zaligina] to talk about her birthday. I said "Что - тебе двести лет да?" [What - you're 200 years old right? - Instead of 20 years old.] She got a good kick out of that. So did Ст. Schwartz. In fact he teased me unmercifully.
Tomorrow we have a pretty full day already. If everything falls into place. And we might even have a D with Дима [Dima] the guy that speaks English. That will be weird to see how we do that. Service today was draining because the kids were really freaking wanting. They don't get love or attention very often so they want all they can get. One little girl, Катя [Katya] (the not so nice one) kept grabbing me in the balls and they told me пипсик & баначки two words that I don't exactly know what they mean.
[mid-journal chat - pipsik & banachki - hahahaha - two words that I still don't know what they mean. Both words are shortforms - meaning small versions of the normal words - so I assume that they were calling it little - the picture below is of service, but with the companion after Shwartz - from left to right are Elders Steve Nelson, Ken Bassett, Ben Erickson (my companion) and some really awesome dude from Idaho! Look at how freaking cool the little kid is sitting off to the side on his own.]
.jpg)
I had one good contact Васили Филипович [Vasili Filipovich - I'm probably talking about when we went signboarding earlier in the day] - he lives outside the city in Подолск [Padolsk - a city just south of Moscow - almost a suburb - an electrichki - an electric train - carries passengers in every day - about a half an hour ride to Moscow]. It would be cool if we could go out to Подолск and give this guy a D and then go over to a member's house and eat and have a little family home evening! Well night!
Tomorrow we have a pretty full day already. If everything falls into place. And we might even have a D with Дима [Dima] the guy that speaks English. That will be weird to see how we do that. Service today was draining because the kids were really freaking wanting. They don't get love or attention very often so they want all they can get. One little girl, Катя [Katya] (the not so nice one) kept grabbing me in the balls and they told me пипсик & баначки two words that I don't exactly know what they mean.
[mid-journal chat - pipsik & banachki - hahahaha - two words that I still don't know what they mean. Both words are shortforms - meaning small versions of the normal words - so I assume that they were calling it little - the picture below is of service, but with the companion after Shwartz - from left to right are Elders Steve Nelson, Ken Bassett, Ben Erickson (my companion) and some really awesome dude from Idaho! Look at how freaking cool the little kid is sitting off to the side on his own.]
.jpg)
June 17, 1997 - Tuesday
Well today I woke up like 10 or something. It was great. The weather was almost cold and I could sleep really good. Last night we had a lot of fun at семеный вечер [Family Home Evening]. Today we had our собрание округа [District Meeting] and I did get some mail. I told Ст. Schwartz that I was going to scream if I didn't get anything but I did, so I didn't get to scream. Still nothing from my mom, but oh well. I got two packages also. From Tammy Krajnik. Cool huh? They are cookies. Pretty good ones in fact. Well on came in a "Pringles" can and the cookies are so thrashed that I can't eat them. So I am going to use them for cereal in the morning. I got a letter from Nick also. And one from Grandma and Kathy Bishop and Sister (I forgot her name, but she's psycho anyways) D...
Nick's letter is pretty hard to read but I assume mine was like that also. We made chili again but it doesn't taste right and it's so freaking hot (spicy). I still hate mail days. They freaking suck so bad. I hate it when I get hardly any mail. Actually I could get a whole lot of mail and still be upset. I just want to be home, because Russian f'ing sucks dude. (?!# Bleep Bleep
[mid-journal chat - Alright - for some reason I was pretty upset here. It's a good thing that a journal is a private place - haha - where I can vent my feelings so that I don't vent during my missionary work. I look back at my mission and I see times when sometimes for no reasons at all I get depressed, or even if I think there is a reason - looking back it seems like my feelings are all out of proportion to what they should be.]
Well we are done with our D with Евгений [Evgeny or Eugene in English] and some dude followed us from the metro. We got in the elevator with this old dude and his dog and then this other guy got in with us. We got out on the 6th [floor] and the guy also got out. It was really weird he didn't get in the elevator again. And then he asked "which one of you is going to help me, I'm from Afghanistan." It was freaking strange. Anyways we just told him that we can't help that way and he eventually left. Man it's wigging me out. Well I gotta write some letters, so bye for now.
Nick's letter is pretty hard to read but I assume mine was like that also. We made chili again but it doesn't taste right and it's so freaking hot (spicy). I still hate mail days. They freaking suck so bad. I hate it when I get hardly any mail. Actually I could get a whole lot of mail and still be upset. I just want to be home, because Russian f'ing sucks dude. (?!# Bleep Bleep
[mid-journal chat - Alright - for some reason I was pretty upset here. It's a good thing that a journal is a private place - haha - where I can vent my feelings so that I don't vent during my missionary work. I look back at my mission and I see times when sometimes for no reasons at all I get depressed, or even if I think there is a reason - looking back it seems like my feelings are all out of proportion to what they should be.]
Well we are done with our D with Евгений [Evgeny or Eugene in English] and some dude followed us from the metro. We got in the elevator with this old dude and his dog and then this other guy got in with us. We got out on the 6th [floor] and the guy also got out. It was really weird he didn't get in the elevator again. And then he asked "which one of you is going to help me, I'm from Afghanistan." It was freaking strange. Anyways we just told him that we can't help that way and he eventually left. Man it's wigging me out. Well I gotta write some letters, so bye for now.
June 16, 1997 - Monday
Well today we got freaking screwed big-time. First we went to service on a non-normal day, then we got jaked [stood up] at our D with Лариса [Larissa], then we went to Stockman's [a European/Western type store that stocks a lot of stuff that you can't get in a Russian store] and there wasn't a paper - screwed again! On the way back we were handed these little advertisments for a businessmen's lunch. Well it sounded like you got a salad, a soup and then a main course - like a burrito or a steak. Well not so. You could choose between the soup or salad and then get a burrito. So we picked the soup. It was water with a little flavoring and an uncooked - I repeat an uncooked egg floating in the broth. At least the burrito was good. Never again will I go to the Чанго [Chango]. It also cost 48,000 [rubles - about 8 dollars - way too much for a burrito and crappy soup!]
June 15, 1997 - Sunday
Today was pretty cool. We went to Church and after we were going to leave but there was a problem. Володия Кабанов [Volodiya Kabanov] has these two friends that he is helping teach the Ds to. Well he scheduled a D this Sunday (today) after Church and Сты. Reagan & Nelson already had something going on so they couldn't make it. So they asked us if they could give us the investigators. So we now have 6 investigators, two of them being at Church. It's cool! We are slowly building up our investigator pool. Then after the D we came home and ate the rest of our chili and then I took a nap. I was so freaking hot. Then we went over to Wright's to plan the семеный вачер [Family Home Evening] tomorrow night. We got home kind of late and so now it's time to sleep. Night Dude!!
6/14/12
June 15, 1997 - Sunday (about Sat really)
Yesterday [Saturday June 14, 1997] was pretty fun. We had a празник [holiday] for the 150 yr anniversary of the pioneers' trek across the U.S. We met at the opening of Измайловский парк and we walked through it to a lake in the middle. Then we had a couple of talks by some church members and on by През. Jarvis [Pres.]. Then I waited in line forever for a hot dog that basically sucked. Then everybody played soccer or volleyball. I played volleyball. My team - all guys one [won] 3 in a row and we were so tired that we kind of let the 4th one go. It was just so hot.
I had the handkerchief Mike [Herrick - my brother] gave me wrapped around my neck so I wouldn't get a bad sunburn. Well I kind of forgot about my face. It's not too bad. Just a little red, but my face will definitely be darker. I have a pretty good tan now.
6/13/12
June 15, 1997 Sunday (about Fri really)
I forgot to tell about Friday [June 13, 1997]. We went signboarding after lunch in a park on Царицино [Tsaritsina]. It's really pretty and it reminds me of the pictures of Joseph Smith's First Prayer. Well as we were signboarding, these Jehovah's Witnesses came up and talked to Shwartz. I took over because I just wanted to have fun, so I talked to them for a while and I just bore testimony in the name of Jesus Christ.
The only good contact I had was a lady named Олга [Olga]. She said she might come to church but she didn't have a phone. I didn't get her address either, so if she doesn't come then...well it really sucks. Well it's time to go to Church, bye.
The only good contact I had was a lady named Олга [Olga]. She said she might come to church but she didn't have a phone. I didn't get her address either, so if she doesn't come then...well it really sucks. Well it's time to go to Church, bye.
6/12/12
June 12, 1997 - Thursday
Today I didn't do much of anything. We came home from service, I was so freaking tired and I had [a] migraine - so I slept - from after lunch until, we had a D at 6pm, so it was 5. Took a shower and went to the metro to wait for these people from Ст. Reagan's area. Well we waited there with Володия Кабанов [Volodiya (a form of Vladimir) Kabanov]. So when they didn't show at 7 - we waited an hour - we went over to Залугин's [Zalugin's] and only Катя [Katya] was home. So we told her a little bit about the thing on Saturday and we left with a word of prayer. That was Кабанов's idea, and a good idea it was. Man Катя's dangerously attractive. Then we went over to Кабанов's house so we could know where it was and so we could have D's over at his house if we need to. He's a stud. I really felt the spirit while we were talking. Well I...[that's the end of the diary - evidently I went to sleep or something. bye]
6/11/12
June 11, 1997 - Wednesday
Actually it's 40 min. after midnight on the 10th, well 11th. Today showed me just not to worry about things. We went to district meeting and I didn't get any mail. It's the first week I've never gotten mail. I was pretty pissed and I had a really bad mood. Which was really bad because we had a D with Лариса [Larissa]. So I was sitting on the metro and fuming when after praying for God to "take these bad feelings from my heart." After I prayed I was sitting a couple of seats to my left. This old couple were sitting across from me and they smiled at the baby. Well seeing this weathered old Russian man's face brighten up really touched me and I couldn't be mad or depressed anymore. It's weird how the Lord answers prayers.
Then while at the D with Лариса, which went really well, I really felt the Spirit and she did too. It was cool. She committed again to pray for answers about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I explain[ed] why it was important for her to know. Then she'd know for sure about what we're talking is true. I think I got her to see a little about how it would help her.
 |
| Sister Vera Yagadkina, Nadia Yagadkina, Sveta Borisova & Sasha - evidently the two girls not too happy with me taking a picture. |
Then we came home and sweated in the apartment while eating dinner. Man it is so humid lately. So hot. Getting to the point of where I started about things always working out. Last night we got told that there would be this New Era thing. A reporter was coming - we were supposed to set up a FHE. Well Elder Reagan said to meet the reporters or Ст. Gammon & them in the metro at a little before 7. The Family Home Evening was to be at 7 over at Ягодкина's [Yagadkina's] house. Well I worry a lot about it - we were suppose to plan a game and Саша [Sasha] planned a spiritual thought. So we worried and waited in the metro until about 7:10 and then just decided to go to the place. So the whole ride to the Ягодкина's I was fuming - dang Gammon etc. because I was afraid the night would flop. Well we got there at 7:30 - a half an hour late - expecting to have to tell them that the reported hadn't showed. We even had a game planned and we brought drinks. So we showed up and 'lo and behold' the reporter and Сты. Gammon & Ludwig are already there with the reporter.
It turned out all cool and the kids - Саша [Sasha], Света [Sveta], & Надя [Nadia - hahaha kids - Sveta might have been 16, but Nadia was 19, and Sasha was 18 or 19 as well. A note about Sveta's name - Svet is light, and if I translated it into English I would call her Lucy??? Lucent - glowing with light, Lucid - shining or glowing, Lucifer (not the best example) - son of the morning etc. So...the the kids] gave some really good answers to his questions. It was really cool. Then after the reporter and the future A.P.s [Assistants to the Presidents - future because we had learned that the mission was going to split on July 1st, and Сты. Gammon & Ludwig were going to be the new president's assistants when he got here.] left we drank the pop and ate this cake Сестра Ягодкина [Sister Yagadkina] made for us. It was pretty good. Then we went to the Red Square and hung out with [Ст.] Woolverton and ate at McDonald's and came home late.
[Post-Journal Chat - OK folks do you like how use the brackets[ ] right after the Russian word and give what it sounds like or translates to and sometiems it goes a little long, or would you rather that I did a footnote kind of thing? or monkeys?]
6/10/12
June 10, 1997 - Tuesday
Yesterday we had a D with Олег [Oleg]. He wasn't very interested in the D it seemed and he kept reading the Bible. We'd ask him a question and he'd not be paying attention. At the end he wanted to come over to our house some time. We just told him we didn't know our apartment # and that we didn't know our dome # [дом - apartment building] and he said he'll call sometime and we can tell him then. I don't think so. The feeling I got was that he was casing the joint. Asking what time we are usually home - does anyone stay with us etc.
6/9/12
June 1997 - The Conversion Chronicle & McDonalds
Well I thought that I would add in the June 1997 edition of the Conversion Chronicle - that is the mission newspaper that comes out monthly. Unfortunately I don't have every single one - that would be awesome!!
So I thought that I would show you one. Usually different people are chosen to write (I too will have my chance later), missionaries that have been out maybe a year, or more - so they will just be hitting their stride in both the language, and in the skills as missionaries.
Plus and here is the best part. Any child of God can expect revelation pertaining to his or her sphere of influence...as missionaries we could expect revelation for ourselves, and for those Russians that we taught. If we were discrict or zone leaders, or assistants to the presidents, then our sphere of repsonsibility increased, as well as the amount or degree of revelation to help those in our sphere. As well as when we were called upon to talk in conference or write in the mission newspaper.
Thus these talks are the missionaries' form of the Ensign, or a General Conference talk. I know that when I prepared my article, I prayed and pondered on what the Lord would want me to say, and then went to work!! Even rereading now, while not a missionary any longer, I feel the spirit.
There are also a few actual bits of news - who was getting baptized, who was leaving and arriving the mission, and sometimes articles like Dr. Huish's in this one on how to avoid summer sicknesses.
Sometimes in my letters home, I would do a pictorial tour of my mission. Here is one picture that I started such a letter with...yes I am actually in this picture - you can see the back & left side of my head. I'm almost in the foreground - in a white shirt, with green lettering, and I have a black strap going over my left shoulder. Here's what I wrote on the back of the picture...
Dear Mom & Dad,
Here's you're start of the guide to Moscow. McDonald's - mmhm. Such good food. And like you can see, there are so many people there. It is always like that.
Unfortunately at this time I couldn't find other pictures in this pictorial tour-letter, so this will have to do. But all through my mission I went and ate at McDonald's. It is weird, and you may not believe me, but McDonald's chicken nuggets tasted better in russia - and the biggest reason was the sweet & sour dipping sauce. That is because the franchises in Russia come from Canada, not America and they have different sauces. I am not lying - but they are better than at home! and I'm out!
6/8/12
June 8, 1997 - Sunday
Today we went to Institute and then came home after we exchange stuff with Ст. Meeks - some watches he's taking home. Then as we were cooking and saw this drunk guy staggering across the field, well he fell down and we went out to help him. He was not very nice and tried to pick a fight by bumping me in the nuts with his umbrella [I don't know why, but that image is hilarious]. We left after he tried to intice [I think I meant "entice"] me closer so he could hit me or something. So I said свего доброго [I even misspelled in Russian. I meant всего доброго which is everything good. It's a polite way to say good-bye.] and досвидания [a formal good-bye]. Well it must have woken him up a little because he walked off better than we first saw him.
[Mini Russian lesson - I just love how language, any language evolves. Words change over time, and combine forming new words. Take досвидания - it's a compound word like welcome - well come - so it's до & свидания. до is "up to," or "until," and свидания is "meeting", or "date", but is linked to видить, meaning "to see", the с in front makes it perfective (I think) - perfective also means that it is in the future, so "will see." So put it all together, and what do we get?...until we will see each other. In fact in the hymn "God be with you till we meet again," it is Бог с табой доколе свидимся. Now, why Russians look forward to the next time they see each other, while we English just wish for a peaceful parting?...well I don't know. Peace and I'm out of here.]
[Mini Russian lesson - I just love how language, any language evolves. Words change over time, and combine forming new words. Take досвидания - it's a compound word like welcome - well come - so it's до & свидания. до is "up to," or "until," and свидания is "meeting", or "date", but is linked to видить, meaning "to see", the с in front makes it perfective (I think) - perfective also means that it is in the future, so "will see." So put it all together, and what do we get?...until we will see each other. In fact in the hymn "God be with you till we meet again," it is Бог с табой доколе свидимся. Now, why Russians look forward to the next time they see each other, while we English just wish for a peaceful parting?...well I don't know. Peace and I'm out of here.]
6/6/12
June 6, 1997 - Friday
Today went pretty good. We had a picnic at Коломенская парк [Kolomenskaya park]. It was pretty. It was pretty much a missionary party. But oh well, we had 3 members and hopefully it strengthened them.
Then as we walked back to the metro these two attractive women stopped Дима [Dima] (a member) and I because we were speaking English. They want to come to our English class. I was wrighting [yes - that is how I spelled it. Of course I meant "writing," but as skill in one language increases, a lessening occurs in another...so writing] down where and stuff and one girl was standing really close to me on a curb and pressing her tits against my shoulder. It was pretty unerving [yeah mispelled that as well]. As we walked past they said "mmhm" twice and then said "excuse me" when we were really past them, but I stopped and they talked with us for awhile. They were dangerously attractive. Well I'll see.
Then we also met this stud named Дима [same name, different guy] who speaks English and might be our investigator. He lives on Орехово and is a stud.
Then as we walked back to the metro these two attractive women stopped Дима [Dima] (a member) and I because we were speaking English. They want to come to our English class. I was wrighting [yes - that is how I spelled it. Of course I meant "writing," but as skill in one language increases, a lessening occurs in another...so writing] down where and stuff and one girl was standing really close to me on a curb and pressing her tits against my shoulder. It was pretty unerving [yeah mispelled that as well]. As we walked past they said "mmhm" twice and then said "excuse me" when we were really past them, but I stopped and they talked with us for awhile. They were dangerously attractive. Well I'll see.
Then we also met this stud named Дима [same name, different guy] who speaks English and might be our investigator. He lives on Орехово and is a stud.
6/1/12
June 1, 1997 - Sunday
Another week started. Well we managed to plan this week, at least. I'm so tired. Church today was pretty cool. In the meeting we had some pretty weird testimonies. I guess it was pretty good. Then we stayed after for Institute. Жанна [Zhahna] does a really good job. She's pretty cute. She likes to add all these little очка's [ochkas] on the end of stuff. Like спасибочка [it would be like saying thanx] and shortens all the stuff. She's really outgoing and has a nice voice. In Sunday School I was in a regular member class. This guy named Владимр Кабанов [Vladimur Kabahnov], in was there and in Elders Quorum [I think that I was trying to say "was in there"]. He answered so many questions. It was cool. He's in our area plus Олег Гарбус - who used to serve here in Moscow. Well брат Кабанов plays the piano like a pro.
[Post journal chat - брат Кабанов playing piano is great because it was always hard to find someone to play the songs in Sacrement Meeting. In the first branch that I served in, we would play a cd with the songs on it and sing along. It was never loud enough.
Plus when we missionaries sang by ourselves our tempo was nice and fast and we always sang with gusto. So from a cd in sacrement meeting that played a lot slower than I was used to...it wasn't the best singing I've ever heard.]
[Post journal chat - брат Кабанов playing piano is great because it was always hard to find someone to play the songs in Sacrement Meeting. In the first branch that I served in, we would play a cd with the songs on it and sing along. It was never loud enough.
Plus when we missionaries sang by ourselves our tempo was nice and fast and we always sang with gusto. So from a cd in sacrement meeting that played a lot slower than I was used to...it wasn't the best singing I've ever heard.]
5/31/12
May 31, 1997 - Saturday
Well another day here and gone. Today we had a picnic at Царицино [Tsaritsinо - 400 year old area where Katherine the Great started building a palace - now a park with some cool ruins.] Ира ["блестящая," Гроза - Ira "blestyashaya" Grozah, or Ira "Shiny" Storm] Надия [Ягадкина - Nadia Yagadkina - Nadia is short for Nadyezhda, Hope and her last name is Berry], Саша [Sasha - one of the nicknames for Aleksander], - (повые члены Церкви) [a new member of the Church - but I totally screwed it up, because I was only talking about Sasha, but I used the plural, and I also used an English n, which is a p in Russian, so what I actually said was "new members" or Povie members], Зинейдя [Zenaida is what it should sound like, but again I misspelled and wrote Zenadya - which is almost right ;)], plus Сты. Kearl and Keller.
Then an investigator of Wright's - Генады [Genadi], also two brothers Миша [Misha - nickname for Michael] & Серёз [Seryoz - nickname for Sergei] and then this kid named Саша [Sasha] was there. Maybe we can get him to take the Ds. That be really good to get a new family. Man my feet stink. I'm a freak. I beat Ст. Shwartz in chess. It made me feel better. But I'll probably lose tomorrow.
Well night, it's 11:00 [pm].
Then an investigator of Wright's - Генады [Genadi], also two brothers Миша [Misha - nickname for Michael] & Серёз [Seryoz - nickname for Sergei] and then this kid named Саша [Sasha] was there. Maybe we can get him to take the Ds. That be really good to get a new family. Man my feet stink. I'm a freak. I beat Ст. Shwartz in chess. It made me feel better. But I'll probably lose tomorrow.
Well night, it's 11:00 [pm].
5/30/12
May 30, 1997 - Friday
I've just gotten my butt kicked rather soundly by Ст. Shwartz 3 times [in chess]. I just haven't found out how to get him yet. When we first played, I thought he sucked, but I guess I do.
oh yeah, I had interviews also.
oh yeah, I had interviews also.
5/29/12
May 29, 1997 - Thursday
Today we went to a little rehearsal for a skit we are going to do at зеленград [Zelenongrad] on the 28th of June. Then we went and ate at the Hungry Duck. It was pretty good and it was only about 22,000 rubles or 4 - 5 bucks. Now we are writing letters because...
5/24/12
May 24, 1997 - Saturday
Okay, I've been sleeping in this week. I need to work on getting up on time. Yesterday we went over to Парк Културы [Park Koolturi - Culture Park Metro]. We helped Сергей Савелёв [Sergei Savelyov], the priesthood pres. in our branch, who also works at the service center, move some heavy stuff out of Pres. Wright's new apartment. They need to do some heavy work on that place before pres. moves in. It would be bad to come home from President Jarvis's apartment and come see that average Russian apartment. Then we made supper and it was already 8 by the time we got back.
Well I gotta get ready to go to the picnic. Hopefully our mini activny member will come. [No clue on who or what I meant] Well bye.
Later 12:25 pm. We just had a D - sort of - with Алекзандр's [Alexander's] wife. She, Нина [Nina], talked our ear off. She really understands people. She's a good teacher, I can tell.
We came home on the metro. At Орехово [Aryekhova Metro] Ст. Shwartz's girlfriend got on with her mom. Her name is Соня [Sonya]. She lives directly underneath us, only down two floors. She always says hi to Ст. Shwartz and she says she's 14. It's hard to tell. Anyway she got on without seeing us and I told Ст. Shwartz his girlfriend was on the metro. He looked and then about-faced and looked away. I stayed facing her and she looked at me once, then looked at Ст. Shwartz, well the back of his head, and gasped - then said something to her mom and then turned bright red. She said Shwartz and he turned around and waved and she said hi. I was just laughing my but off. I was so dang funny. She's cute - as Ст. Woolverton said "It's a dang good thing she isn't like 18 or 19."
Today I made corn chowder. It was good. I got to talk to Emmanuela for 1/2 hr at Измайловскый Парк [Izmailovsky Park] for the picnic. night.
Well I gotta get ready to go to the picnic. Hopefully our mini activny member will come. [No clue on who or what I meant] Well bye.
Later 12:25 pm. We just had a D - sort of - with Алекзандр's [Alexander's] wife. She, Нина [Nina], talked our ear off. She really understands people. She's a good teacher, I can tell.
We came home on the metro. At Орехово [Aryekhova Metro] Ст. Shwartz's girlfriend got on with her mom. Her name is Соня [Sonya]. She lives directly underneath us, only down two floors. She always says hi to Ст. Shwartz and she says she's 14. It's hard to tell. Anyway she got on without seeing us and I told Ст. Shwartz his girlfriend was on the metro. He looked and then about-faced and looked away. I stayed facing her and she looked at me once, then looked at Ст. Shwartz, well the back of his head, and gasped - then said something to her mom and then turned bright red. She said Shwartz and he turned around and waved and she said hi. I was just laughing my but off. I was so dang funny. She's cute - as Ст. Woolverton said "It's a dang good thing she isn't like 18 or 19."
Today I made corn chowder. It was good. I got to talk to Emmanuela for 1/2 hr at Измайловскый Парк [Izmailovsky Park] for the picnic. night.
5/22/12
May 22, 1997 - Thursday
Well today we [Ст. Shwartz & I] did practically nothing today [from the Department of Redundancy Department]. It rained so much. Last night I had a visit from the Runs. It was about 11:30 pm before I could get to sleep. It lasted for such a long time. So this morning I stayed in bed until about 8:30 am. I was so freaking tired. I think it is from the runs & a little sickness.
I also had my problem in the shower today. It had been 4 days - a pretty good amount of time lately. I wanted to go a really long time. Like up until next interviews with President Jarvis. It will be our last with him, I think. He's a cool guy. I've always come away from interviews with a better feeling about myself. But I want to show him that I am getting better and that I can be trusted and am a hard worker. So I guess that means that I had better be a good, hard worker. So far this week we've been slackers. We had better do a lot of work in the next two days or it'll be a total waste and then I'd feel like crap.
Tonight we stopped by a less active member and dropped off some stuff for her. We also shopped earlier. As we were walking along we got stopped by a lady in a shack and she wanted to know if we taught English. But she didn't listen to us enough, or we just couldn't get our point across because she didn't understand us.
After English [class] today Сты. Ганху [Gangkhu] & Wright came over to our house and we had casserole and it took forever to make and eat. 1-4 pm they were over here. Right now I have freaking hurtful farts. The kind that really hurt because I'm constipated or something. Right now I'm listening to my Alternative Best #2 because I've never listened to it before. I have all these cds that I have to get used to.
I also had my problem in the shower today. It had been 4 days - a pretty good amount of time lately. I wanted to go a really long time. Like up until next interviews with President Jarvis. It will be our last with him, I think. He's a cool guy. I've always come away from interviews with a better feeling about myself. But I want to show him that I am getting better and that I can be trusted and am a hard worker. So I guess that means that I had better be a good, hard worker. So far this week we've been slackers. We had better do a lot of work in the next two days or it'll be a total waste and then I'd feel like crap.
Tonight we stopped by a less active member and dropped off some stuff for her. We also shopped earlier. As we were walking along we got stopped by a lady in a shack and she wanted to know if we taught English. But she didn't listen to us enough, or we just couldn't get our point across because she didn't understand us.
After English [class] today Сты. Ганху [Gangkhu] & Wright came over to our house and we had casserole and it took forever to make and eat. 1-4 pm they were over here. Right now I have freaking hurtful farts. The kind that really hurt because I'm constipated or something. Right now I'm listening to my Alternative Best #2 because I've never listened to it before. I have all these cds that I have to get used to.
8/24/11
May 20, 1997 - Tuesday
Today was interesting. We had district meeting which was a lot of bashing against Pres. Jarvis and his new rule about not going above the ring line at all, even on P-Days. It'll be hard to live that rule. Then we came home and ate peanut butter sandwiches. Well we went and picked up some milk and peanut butter at Stockman's [which incidentally right on the ring line].
Then I slept for an hour and we went to a беседа [discussion] with Евгенния [Yevgenniya]. We got a Russian lesson and then we went over D&C 89 before leaving at 9:00[pm]. It was a great responsibility to teach and testify and make - mistakes. At one point I went off on some thing and I stopped at the end of a sentence and asked Ст. Schwartz "where was I going with that." Then I just testified to her about something. Well it's time to get a snack and hit the sack. bye.
[Post-journal chat - Peanut butter is pretty expensive compared to in America - that's why we had to go to Stockman's to buy it. Stockman's is a pretty big grocery store. Well when I say pretty big, I mean big for Russia. Most of their stores are Circle K size places. Stockman's was two or three Circle Ks put together. It stocked several American, or European items that you can't get anywhere else. They have milk from Finland & it comes in 3.5%, 1.5% & .5% in stead of 2%, 1% & Fat Free like here in the US. The 3.5% makes corn chowder sooooooo goooood. Very creamy.]
Then I slept for an hour and we went to a беседа [discussion] with Евгенния [Yevgenniya]. We got a Russian lesson and then we went over D&C 89 before leaving at 9:00[pm]. It was a great responsibility to teach and testify and make - mistakes. At one point I went off on some thing and I stopped at the end of a sentence and asked Ст. Schwartz "where was I going with that." Then I just testified to her about something. Well it's time to get a snack and hit the sack. bye.
[Post-journal chat - Peanut butter is pretty expensive compared to in America - that's why we had to go to Stockman's to buy it. Stockman's is a pretty big grocery store. Well when I say pretty big, I mean big for Russia. Most of their stores are Circle K size places. Stockman's was two or three Circle Ks put together. It stocked several American, or European items that you can't get anywhere else. They have milk from Finland & it comes in 3.5%, 1.5% & .5% in stead of 2%, 1% & Fat Free like here in the US. The 3.5% makes corn chowder sooooooo goooood. Very creamy.]
May 19, 1997 - Monday
Well we went over to a slightly inactive family. Actually she is the lady who cleans our clothes [Сестра Ягадкина - Sister Yagadkina (which translates to berry)]. Well I'm back from English Class. We gave a 1st D in English after English Class. It was to these two people, Александр и [Alexander ?] Some lady. Well we gave them Book of Mormons and I told them that I would write down some words in English & Russian, like faith love etc. It was really cool.
In the D she said I didn't know the Book of Mormon was true. It was cool because I remember a story about two missionaries tracting and they talked with a guy on the door, well he said the same thing. You can't tell me or know that Joseph Smith was a prophet - he slammed the door and they left. Well the greenie thought about it and said they didn't answer the guy. They went back and the greenie bore his testimony to that man which ended in a baptism. Well that story flashed through my mind and I testified to her. That I did know that the Book of Mormon was true - through the Holy Ghost. It felt really good. Well it's time for bed. Nighty night.
In the D she said I didn't know the Book of Mormon was true. It was cool because I remember a story about two missionaries tracting and they talked with a guy on the door, well he said the same thing. You can't tell me or know that Joseph Smith was a prophet - he slammed the door and they left. Well the greenie thought about it and said they didn't answer the guy. They went back and the greenie bore his testimony to that man which ended in a baptism. Well that story flashed through my mind and I testified to her. That I did know that the Book of Mormon was true - through the Holy Ghost. It felt really good. Well it's time for bed. Nighty night.
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