May 11, 1997 - Sunday

Малу и Пьер и Юри [Malout and Pierre and Yuri] got baptized.



Left to Right - Elder Gammon, Arman, Pierre, Malout, Marina (Pierre's wife), Me, Yuri, (?)



May 2, 1997 - Friday

Had a cool D with the Басовы (Basovwi).  Today is so awesome day [what?].  First yesterday Пьер (Pierre) had his interview with President Jarvis and everything will go forward for the 11th of May.  That is so awesome.  It was [a] pretty busy day for us yesterday.  We went signboarding in the park and I didn't like it as much.  Then we dropped off a degree of specifications by Брат Локшин [Brother Lokshin].  When we got home I called Ири Магалевский [Yuri Magalevski - I'm not too sure about the last name] because we had a book he wanted called Наше Наследия, Our Heritage.  Well he invited us over right then to give it to him.  Well we went over and talked to him until 10:30pm - then went to bed.

Well today I was on splits with Ст. Shwartz.  He's a pretty funny guy.  We went signboarding and then we had a huge lunch.  Tacos.  It was 2 hours though.  Then we went signboarding again down on the metro by Юго-запедная [Yugo-Zapednaya or South-West] and I talked to two really cool people.  One walked around after we talked and read the BOM [Book of Mormon].  Okay, then we left there and went to Алла's [Alla's].  It was so rad.  The Spirit was really strong and I thought I spoke really good.  It was because the Spirit was there so strong.  She opened with prayer and I could just immediately feel the Spirit.  We read the D's but she was really patient and she kept trying to feed us soup or to warm up our чай - which might have been real.  We committed her to baptism.  So we scheduled her to be baptized on the 9th of June.  Then we came home and I called Евгений [Yevgenii] for tomorrow.  Well it's late so we'll go to bed.

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.

March 1, 1997 - Saturday

A new month has dawn[ed].  At interviews with [Pres] Jarvis it went good.  He said that my last few letters sounded a little down about my problem.  He said not to worry about it.  That I was a great missionary and that I just needed to improve, not to be perfect.  He also added a little bit of psychology into the interview.  He said that if I got up every morning and exercise. I would have more energy overall and I would wake up and I would expend energy and be tireder [is that a word?] at night.

Then here's the psychological part.  He said to put my hands above my head, maybe do some hand touches while jogging.  Raising your hands above your head does something for you he said.  Raising your hands is the international symbol of a winner.

I also took the #7 lesson test and passed it [I do not even remotely remember any tests.  I assume that I had already taken the #1 - #6 tests, but no mention is made about them before this.  I wonder what it was]

Friday we went over to Перь's [Pierre's].  He was pretty sick and we asked him if we could give him a blessing.  So Ст. Woolverton sealed my anointing.  He blessed him health but also help with his many problems.  Then we left because the spirit told  Ст. W. that he [Pierre]  was too sick even to listen. 

well later