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.

January 31, 1997 - Friday

Today went pretty good.  We had a Zone Conference this morning [A district is several companionships, and a zone is several districts].  It was on how to have more effective discussions.  At first we were taken aside (all those in there 1 - 3 months in the country), and we had a little meeting on our parts in the discussion and how to effectively study for discussions. 

Then I went on a split with Hughes - we went to the office and I picked up money and then went to the post office to mail my letters.  Then we came home to my apartment.  We met Woolverton & Johnson who changed and we all ate spaghetti and then they left to go to a soccer game.  We [Ст. Hughes & I] were supposed to study - well we both fell asleep and then picked up a pop, and a dan cake [?  no idea what I was talking about] to watch some movie.  I didn't catch what it is called though.  Because Ст. Jurvelein called right as it was starting and I had to go answer the phone as the movie started. 

Now Ст.Woolverton is back and we are watching a different movie called "Ironclads."  Just before they got back Ст. Paige called.  He's a cool guy.  I like him and will miss him & Barnes & Johnson pretty soon.  Barnes goes home on the 12th, and Paige goes home 3 weeks later and Johnson goes out to Nizhny at transfers on the 12th also.  It's a pity.  well 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