June 8, 1997 - Sunday

Today we went to Institute and then came home after we exchange stuff with Ст. Meeks - some watches he's taking home.  Then as we were cooking and saw this drunk guy staggering across the field, well he fell down and we went out to help him.  He was not very nice and tried to pick a fight by bumping me in the nuts with his umbrella [I don't know why, but that image is hilarious].  We left after he tried to intice [I think I meant "entice"] me closer so he could hit me or something.  So I said свего доброго [I even misspelled in Russian.  I meant всего доброго which is everything good.  It's a polite way to say good-bye.] and досвидания [a formal good-bye].  Well it must have woken him up a little because he walked off better than we first saw him.

 
[Mini Russian lesson - I just love how language, any language evolves.  Words change over time, and combine forming new words.  Take досвидания - it's a compound word like welcome - well come - so it's до & свидания.  до is "up to," or "until," and свидания is "meeting", or "date", but is linked to видить, meaning "to see", the с in front makes it perfective (I think) - perfective also means that it is in the future, so "will see."  So put it all together, and what do we get?...until we will see each other.  In fact in the hymn "God be with you till we meet again," it is Бог с табой доколе свидимся.  Now, why Russians look forward to the next time they see each other, while we English just wish for a peaceful parting?...well I don't know.  Peace and I'm out of here.]

June 1, 1997 - Sunday

Another week started.  Well we managed to plan this week, at least.  I'm so tired.  Church today was pretty cool.  In the meeting we had some pretty weird testimonies.  I guess it was pretty good.  Then we stayed after for Institute.  Жанна [Zhahna] does a really good job.  She's pretty cute.  She likes to add all these little очка's [ochkas] on the end of stuff.  Like спасибочка [it would be like saying thanx] and shortens all the stuff.  She's really outgoing and has a nice voice.  In Sunday School I was in a regular member class.  This guy named Владимр Кабанов [Vladimur Kabahnov], in was there and in Elders Quorum [I think that I was trying to say "was in there"].  He answered so many questions.  It was cool.  He's in our area plus Олег Гарбус - who used to serve here in Moscow.  Well брат Кабанов plays the piano like a pro. 

[Post journal chat - брат Кабанов playing piano is great because it was always hard to find someone to play the songs in Sacrement Meeting.  In the first branch that I served in, we would play a cd with the songs on it and sing along.  It was never loud enough.

Plus when we missionaries sang by ourselves our tempo was nice and fast and we always sang with gusto.  So from a cd in sacrement meeting that played a lot slower than I was used to...it wasn't the best singing I've ever heard.]

March 16, 1997 - Sunday

Today was church and we had institute after church.  night

[Post journal chat - Not much for today's post is there?  Evidently nothing really important happened.  So let's recap where I'm at on my mission.  I've been in Russia 4 months and a couple of days (6 months on the mission).  Ст. Woolverton is my 2nd companion in the field (4th overall).  I'm serving in my 2nd apartment, and I'm still serving in my 1st branch. 

Up until now I haven't been too active in the mission field - partly because of that my Russian hasn't progressed very far either.  Well that will soon change - within a week or so are the next transfers and I'm going to get a new companion, Ст. Dennis Gammon from Vineyard, UT.  It's pretty close to the Provo area (I think).

I don't like change either now or then, so I'm not really excited to start working hard.  Well - we'll see how it goes.]