October 2, 1996 - Saturday

Today has been awesome.  Ct Parks and I finally sat down and talked about some of the problems we were having.  I feel awesome.  Then I finished writing more notes and I gave them to Sister Heaton so that she could write them.  Brother Feldman, a sub, will write them in his handwriting to confuse everyone.  I hope that Ct Parks doesn't catch on because he was waiting for me to finish [the interview].

[Post journal chat - just mentioning the sub triggered a memory and I wasn't sure that I had put it down in here.  One time we were out doing a lesson on the stairs.  Calling on the phone was mentioned and B Wolsey was demonstrating a how a phone call would go & one of us missionaries was practicing with him.  Another teacher was passing and said that wasn't right.  As the pair started again to do a phone call - the other teacher imitated a crackling phone line - and then in an old babushka's voice, in Russian, he started to try to break into the conversation..."Natalya - is that you...who is on here..get off the line" and we all started laughing.

It was a funny anecdote, but I didn't really understand it fully until I was in my 2nd apartment.  Much of what we learned in the MTC didn't make sense out in the field.  But some did...our line was crossed with someone else's, probably our neighbors, and only one of us could be on it at a time.  Sometimes the phone calls went exactly like it had in the MTC.  It only happened once in a while, but by the time my 6 months was up it got a little tiring.  Once we really needed to call and we had to make annoying noises until they hung up and we could use the phone.

October 27, 1996 - Sunday

Today we are having a weird change.  One of the companionships is changing - they are going to split up.  Ст. Beckstrand is now companions with Ст. Kindred, and Ст. Parks and I are now companions.  [Ст. Pope went into a threesome with another companionship, but I don't remember who.]

Here's the thought for the day...

"Perhaps we stray from the path which leads to peace and find it necessary to pause, to ponder, and to reflect on the teachings of the Prince of Peace and determine to incorporate them in our thoughts and actions and to live a higher law, walk a more elevated road, and be a better disciple of Christ."  - Thomas S. Monson [Ensign » 1994 » May »The Path to Peace - 3rd Paragraph]

September 28, 1996 - Saturday

I need to write in my journal all the time, not every other day.  Well today I felt in a bad mood still, but after lunch I was fine.  I had a meeting with Брат [Brother] Sycamore and told him I was having a little trouble with Elder Parks correcting me all the time and he said that he would say something to the class.  So my problems are solved [ha, ha, ha - all my problems are all solved - ha, ha, ha - except for the rest of my life]