January 7, 2011 - Friday

So there are a couple of things I wanted to talk about. 

First - I forgot to explain the Black Hole Year thing from a couple of posts ago.  It means the year where you are entirely in the country.  It has a sort of bad connotation.  My trainer, Elder Barnes, was at the end of his mission, and a little frustrated with Russia.  He was also sick of the smoggy, unhealthy air, and some of the peeps that he hung around with, were as well. 

So one of the mission traditions was to count out your Black Hole year.  I even had a little calendar that I got from a bank and it had '96 - '98 on there.  I marked off each week as it went by and celebrated the end of the Black Hole Year when it was over.  So for me, in '97 I would be in Russia the whole year.  '96 I was only there for a month and a half, and in '98 I was only in Russia for the first 9 and half months. 

Even though I was down about Russia sometimes I guess after a few months I wasn't all that negative.  Recently one of my mission companions told me that he enjoyed being my companion because I really liked Russia, and wanted to be there and it showed.  That made me feel good.

Second - I also forgot to relate a super funny event that happened in the MTC lunchroom one day.  All the time, at least once a week someone would drop one of the glass cups.  You would hear it across the big cafeteria...tink...tink...tink...pshshshsh as it bounced a couple of times and then shattered on the floor.  We'd all look over at whoever had dropped the cup and laugh at him/her a little.  It wasn't a really big deal (because it happened so often) but it had to be embarrassing for that person. 

So we are eating one day and most of my district was already sitting at the table.  And then we hear it...tink...tink...tink...and...nothing.  We all look up and there is Elder Kindred and he is slightly bent over and...he has the cup in his hand!  He has actually caught it after 3 whole bounces.  He straightens up and holds both his hands up like he's just scored a touchdown.  The cafeteria goes wild.  Everyone clapped and laughed.  It was something pretty small, but it was cool.

night

January 2, 1997 - Thursday

BLACK HOLE YEAR BEGINS

Welcome to the Black Hole Year Ст. Herrick.  New Years was better than Christmas.  We went over to Ст. Larsen & Woolverton's and watched movies till about 6[am], went home & slept in our own beds.  Got up at 12, ate some granola and went to bed again until 3[pm].

Then I went on splits with Ст. Regan who was on splits with Johnson.  [Johnson] & Barnes went to Покровский [Pokrovsky] Приход [Prehod - Branch] for something, to the Шмоков's [Shmokov's].  Regan and I went to Сты. King & Jurvelein's for movies - we watched 'Stargate.' While there Сты. Ault and Hughes came over and I went over to Hughes', who is Johnson's real comp, to spend the night.  [And thus the circle is complete]

Today we are waiting for Barnes & Johnson to call so we can get back together.  They aren't answering the phone.  Сты. Moyle & Ashton called each once asking where they were.  I told them 'Barnes' apartment' - they said they called but they weren't there.  So I have no idea where my comp. is or where we will meet back up.  So in the meantime I am writing letters.  I resisted my problem.  I don't want to at all anymore this year.  That is my one New Years goal.  Good night