May 19, 1997 - Monday

Well we went over to a slightly inactive family.  Actually she is the lady who cleans our clothes [Сестра Ягадкина - Sister Yagadkina (which translates to berry)].  Well I'm back from English Class.  We gave a 1st D in English after English Class.  It was to these two people, Александр и [Alexander ?]  Some lady.  Well we gave them Book of Mormons and I told them that I would write down some words in English & Russian, like faith love etc.  It was really cool. 

In the D she said I didn't know the Book of Mormon was true.  It was cool because I remember a story about two missionaries tracting and they talked with a guy on the door, well he said the same thing.  You can't tell me or know that Joseph Smith was a prophet - he slammed the door and they left.  Well the greenie thought about it and said they didn't answer the guy.  They went back and the greenie bore his testimony to that man which ended in a baptism.  Well that story flashed through my mind and I testified to her.  That I did know that the Book of Mormon was true - through the Holy Ghost.  It felt really good.  Well it's time for bed.  Nighty night.

December 12, 1996 - Thursday

Okay what's up G?  Today I slept in until like 11:00am and we didn't get out of the apartment until about 2:30pm or so.  Tomorrow I promise myself that I will get up by 6:30alm.  I promise.  I also will be good. 

We had a D with a Korean girl who spoke English.  I went off on something about Joseph Smith and it went bad, but the D was pretty good.  She was really apprehensive about the whole thing.  I'm tired of not feeling the Spirit [like in the MTC].  Night.

Oh yeah we went to another Hockey Game on the 10th and then the 11th, Wednesday, we played GatorBall.  I am so tired and sore.  Then we went out to eat at Santa Fe.  Good food but expensive.  Ст. Kirkwood was going to Воронеж (Voronezh) that night and so it was kind of a good-bye party.  Night.

[Post Journal Chat - Again for Culture Night we went to a Hockey Game.  ЦСКА [Tsey Ess Kah] played Братислава (Словакия) [Bratislava (Slovakia).  I really don't remember who won, but it was very fun to watch.]

December 6, 1996 - Friday

Tonight we went and had a D with Svetlana and it was great.  I hardly understood a word but I really feel comfortable with her and her son Дима (Dima) - I think?  Anyway it was really cool.  We went there to give a 1st D, but her husband wasn't home so we asked her if she had questions about what she read or about anything.  She brought out some Book about world religions and asked a question about what it said in there.  It said that Mormons believe that they can become gods.  Which we do.  So Ст. Barnes answered it like a pro.  We can become like God - not above God but like him.  A god. 

Before the D we went and ate at McDonalds with a big group of Elders.  It was kind of a good-bye between and Ст. Nadaulf and Ст. Barnes.  Ст. Nadaulf is going to Воронеж (Voronezh) [which I would find out at the end of my mission was the promised land in the Russian Moscow South Mission - I loved it].  [Ст. Nadaulf] will probably not be back before Ст. Barnes leaves for home.  Also Ст. Kirkwood is going down to Воронеж next week at transfers. 

Wow.  I've almost been here a month.  Elder Dent is leaving this next week.  After the D [with Sveta & Dima] I'm excited to serve a mission.  I feel invincible, I know I'm not.  I know with God I am invincible - without God I am a pile of dirt walking around.  Plus I understood a little of what everyone was saying. 

[Svetlana's] little boy is so cute.  It's weird though.  I have the feeling that most Russians yell at their children.  Wow - what a difference between what I see in my sister's home, Katrina, and also what I want in my home, the same as in Katrina's, which is namely this - happiness no yelling - love - patience etc., and what I see already in Russian's homes.  But hey - I shouldn't judge because I've not been raised in a Russian home so I don't know how I would act if I was. 

Quote of the month from around Thanksgiving.  We were talking about car wrecks and how God helps keep us safe.  Ст. Woolverton - "Only the Lord can save you from a freaking diesel."  With that I close tonight.

November 11, 1996 - Monday

I've been pretty bad at SYLing the last couple of days.  The rules are very lax.  It's after 10:30pm and I'm still up.  But I'm loving it.  I'm sure that I will be a little nervous right before I leave but not right now.  I'm loving it.  I went around tonight and got a bunch of people on a tape recorder [which by the way - I have no idea if I've ever listened to it after my mission]. 

Well I gave a talk yesterday [last Sunday in the MTC ] - I had better record it in my journal.  I got up and did a little dance [in front of the podium].  It was my feet shuffle.  Then I related it to the Restoration.  The dance looks hard, but to me it is so simple.  Everything that J.S. revealed was simple...

1. God - all about him - not some big floating nebulous thing.
2. Jesus Christ - His role in the Plan our Father gave us.  Then my favorite
3. Prophets - The dance looks hard but it is easy.  Then I showed them step by step how to do the dance. 
4. Nobody was there to show the people how to dance.  Joseph [Smith] was called as a prophet.  That is one of the most important things that can be said of him.  One of the most important truths - that he revealed was that He Himself [God] led the Church - the true church.  There were now dance instructors back on the earth.  Then next came the most important tool.
5. The Book of Mormon.  It taught people how to dance more directly and easier than the Bible did. 
6. And Moroni's promise - first read, then ponder, then pray and by the power of the Holy Ghost - all things would be made known.

Did this sound familiar?  It was the first discussion.  That is what the restoration is all about.  What we go out to teach is the simple dance moves of the Gospel.  Then I just bore my testimony of what I had taught.  I don't know if they felt the Spirit - but I did.  I felt calm after I had got going and the thought of doing the dance as an example came to me as I sat on the stand.  The Holy Ghost gave me inspiration.  I love to talk - it just makes me feel loved when I get inspiration and I love to relate things to the Gospel.  love/night