April 21, 1997 - Monday

Well Sunday has come and gone and I'm still here.  I had a dream last night that I was getting off my mission and Ст. Woolverton was still stuck here for 10 days or something.  Then I woke and felt "Crap I'm still here".  Also Gilbert wasn't to be found when I got home.  It was weird. 

Yesterday we left at 8:30am, walked up to Евгений's [Yevgeniy's] house and together - the whole family, stroller & kids to Калужская [Kaluzhskaya], where we caught a trolley bus to Конково [Konkovo] and walked to the помашения [Pomasheniya - meeting house].  Well we walked in the door and the lady at the front desk started yelling at him not to bring in the stroller.  Said something about not needing kids here in the building.  So he left and went back home. 

We talked with her for a while and just asked her why she didn't want the kids here - explained to her that our church believe[s] that families are the most important part of the plan.  So we ran back to Евгений, but he went home anyway.  He said he couldn't sit there in church and enjoy the meeting because he'd be thinking of that dumb (my word) lady.  Ст. Gammon said he felt like crying.  I felt like hitting her or something.  Nothing real violent but I felt pretty mad. 

We also had a meeting last night with Слава Балтовский [Slava Baltovski ].  He's a stud.  He's the branch mission coordinator.  We went over our investigators and then we had a letter, that Ст. Gammon wrote, for Слава to proofread.  Then we took the letter and a cake to Евгений & Марина [Marina].  They seemed really delighted to see us and they - Евгений gave us this little book about...a против Книга Мормона [Anti Book of Mormon] actually.  It has a lot of American books as it's bibliography, like "Have you witnessed to a Mormon lately?"

8:30pm - just went signboarding - it was so cool.  I got three phone numbers and I didn't have any fear to talk to anybody.  Then I just called Алла [Alla] and she talked my ear off.  I also called Людмила [Ludmila] and she did the same.  [Alla & Ludmilla must have been members in the ward].

April 16, 1997 - Wednesday

Well I am tired today.  It was P-Day and I felt like crap when I wrote home.  But oh well.  I probably dumped a little on my family, but I feel better.  We ate this olive-green pepper pasta mix and I feel sick now.

April 10, 1997 - Thursday

I'm on splits today with Ст. Маслов [Maslov].  He's a cool guy.  He's about 26, he's from Новособирск, Россия [Novosabirsk, Russia - ie Siberia]  Josh Jones served there.  I think he just went home.  When Ст. Маслов left for his mission [Josh] was an AP there. 

We went over to an investigator of theirs and read 2 Nephi 31 with him.  Then we went back to go over to Пьер.  Well we got over to Тульская [Tulskaya] and we saw Сты. Woolverton & Waterston [??  I don't remember who his companion was & I couldn't read my handwriting so...?].  So we waited & talked to them.  We ended going back to my apartment for my stuff & going to a D at 6pm until 9:30 we got home.  [The whole experience] was good though because I didn't have a переводчик [translator].  I had to to understand & you know what.  I did - mostly - Well night.

April 8, 1997 - Tuesday

One month from my birthday.  Wow huh?  A lot has happened this last month week.  We went street contacting a lot.  I had some more splits, with Elder Reagan and the APs.  This week I'll have some also.  I got KISSED at exactly 12pm, Noon on Thursday by some slightly drunk guy name Михаил [Meekhail - Michael].  We also met Евгений [Yevgenii], he's pretty cool.  We were supposed to have a D with them, but it didn't turn out right yet. (does that make sense?)  Anyways today we went over to a park near where Евгений lives and talked to his wife Марина [Marina] for a little bit.  We gave them a Лиахона [Liahona] for them to read.  It had the Proclamation to the world.  What an awesome word...proclamation.

I just called Ст. Woolverton and he said there was a lot of  a[n] e-mail in the office for me, but we went to the office yesterday and not today so I'll have to get it somehow.  Tonight I'm trying to get to bed by 10:30pm - so night dude! 

Oh by the way - I got some pretty good mail.  One from Vernae with a butt shot even.  night