December 20, 1996 - Friday

Went to another Hockey Game last night.  Elder King and I were out walking around and these two girls started talking with us and asked us to go outside with them.  They were pretty good looking.  I didn't catch what they were saying until after we left.  But it was funny.  I'm still having my problem.  night.

[Post Journal Chat - So the great thing about this Hockey Game was that it was between Canada & Russia.  It was also celebrating 50 years of Russian hockey.  We went down as far as we could get before the game started and yelled things to the Canucks warming up.  Elder Sefcik is from Canada, but his mom is from Utah - so he has dual-citizenship.  There was a couple of other Canadians in the mission over the years, but none were as cool as Sefcik.  His name actually comes from somewhere slavik.  It was Sevchic, and so that's how they spelled it on his namebadge.  Unlike me - where they wouldn't put in two rs in Herrick, Xeppuk.]

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 9, 1996 - Monday

Tonight we had FHE or Семый вечер [Syemy Vecher - Family Night - by the way I misspelled Семеный - Semyeny].  It was pretty cool.  We met at Тёрви Стан [I couldn't read my handwriting and so I don't exactly know what metro station that I was talking about] and went over to Паведьский Дом and ate a little then played a game where you say a name and a person standing in the circle tries to hit that person (who's name was called) on the head before they call out someone else's.  Then it goes from person to person.  It was pretty fun.  [We used a long newspaper rolled up in a cone]. 

It was Ст. Stevenson's last one in the branch.  Ст. Barnes and Larsen don't like him.  Most people don't , but I do.  Oh well - night.

December 8, 1996 - Sunday

It's after Church - we came back to the apartment with Ст. Larsen and Woolverton and we had pizza.  It was good.  Now we are sitting around talking about skiing.  I am so trunky.  I want to be one of the ones going home to girls, skiing and etc.  Oh well I'm not - so why whine about it.

December 7, 1996 - Saturday

Well I called mom and dad tonight and talked to them for about 33 minutes.  Total two calls cost me $25.  Oh well.  It's a living they make.  That makes no sense.  My companion was sick today and we spent the whole day in the apartment.  I spent the whole day writing letters that I can send home.  I talked to my mom and dad about stuff they can send with the Dent's.  Well it's been a sitting around yet tiring day so I'll go to bed.  Night.

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.

December 2, 1996 - Monday

Yesterday was Elder Barnes' birthday.  After church we went out to eat at "American Bar & Grill."  I had the Spirit up until then.  Yesterday was Sunday by the way.  I had my problem as well.  I hate myself, but I'll do better.

[Post Journal Chat - Junior companions have to follow where their Seniors lead.  I wasn't really happy about going to the restaurant on Sunday, but I did eat when we were there.  It was the first American food I'd had in 2 weeks, and it was GOOD.  I can still remember what I ate.  It was a Mushroom Swiss Burger with a Dr. Pepper.  One irritating thing about Russian restaurants.  They do NOT give you free refills.  Not even one.  It was a good thing that I had plenty of extra money still.]

November 30, 1996 - Saturday

Let me tell you one weird thing about Russia...Kit Kats are made by Nestle'.  Is that weird or what?  Yesterday my companion was sick, so we went to English [Class] at 8am and got back at like 11-12.

We went to sleep , because we hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and then we didn't do anything all day.  Elder Josh King called up to ask me if I knew that Gilbert had been mugged and I had already known that.  So then I got directions to a Russian Department store where I could buy some good boots.  They are going to cost $90, but I haven't used any of the money that I brang from home.

I just finished reading a chapter out of the Книга Мормона [BOM].  It took me quite a while, I'll tell you.  I need to get an extension cord so I can listen to my CD player.  I have no batteries left.  Oh well.  [Russian power outlets run at 220v, and America uses 110v so just plugging it in would fry the electronics without a converter/extension cord.].

November 29, 1996 - Friday

[Pre Journal Chat - Okay folks I've been a little slow lately because I've had to think about something.  As I went to do this post there it was a full page in my journal, but unless I talk about some personal things, there was only two sentences I could post.

So...I'm going to share more than I've been comfortable sharing before.  Leading up to my mission I'd had some problems getting worthy and ready to serve.  I'm not going to come right out and say exactly what, but I'm sure you can guess.  I'm just going to say that I had a problem.  I call it "plausible deniability."

So back to the mission.  Like I said earlier, my trainer/1st companion was trunky - That meant that he wasn't a very hard worker.  Here I was straight from the MTC raring to charge out into the field and baptize everybody, and we didn't really do any work.  I studied a lot! 

That brought on homesickness, my problem, feelings of low or no self-worth and what I now recognize as depression.

WARNING - it is a very dark time in my mission.  Read at your own risk.]

Well its the day after Turkey day.  [Talked about my problem a bit]  I am such a punk.  I hate myself.  I hate it here.  Only because of [my problem.  Later] I'll be fine.  I hate feeling like this.  I feel dirty, scum of the earth, like I should kill myself.  I know though, that [killing myself] would be worse.  Then I would eternally feel like *&(*#.  I hate myself.  I can't imagine my children or wife looking back on this.  I really hate myself.  I wish I could change. 

I read in the book "Jesus the Christ" (some of I already told you about [earlier].  Well I am going to fast maybe tomorrow, but definately Sunday.  Oh I feel like crap.  I still need to finish writing my parents.  Oh I hate myself.  I suck.

[Later]  I feel beter now.  I prayed and cried, and cried some more.  It helps.  Now I'm going to listen to a tape from home. 

November 26, 1996 - Tuesday

Last night we went to FHE. It was fun. It was a district [meaning Moscow wide] thing so there was a lot of people there. We ate and I don’t [think that] my turkey was quite done. I hope I don’t get some sickness from it or a tape worm or something. Then they all shared (or three of them shared) thoughts about Thanksgiving. Then we came home. Elder Dent was there and I told him my mom was going to call and ask his mom if she could send some stuff over. He said great.

[Remember that for a region that doesn't yet have stakes - the word district has two meanings.  For Mission organization it refers to an area that several companionships are in, or just the group of missionaries themselves.  Most districts that I were in had between 6 and 10 missionaries.  Districts in Church organization can be replaced with Stake, just like Branches replaced Wards.] 

[After talking about a problem I was having]
In “Jesus the Christ” it talks about how some devils only come out through fasting and prayer and it is logical that some sins only come out through fasting and prayer. Besides fasting is one of the only ways I will feel good about myself.

9:33pm Today we didn’t have a district meeting because Elder Pabst – a German Elder – got lost on the way there.

[Post Journal Chat – In Russian a lot of the different countries sound almost the same as in English.

Japan – Yapon,
Germany – Germaniya,
Russia – Rossiya.

And most of the language names go along with what the country is – just ending in …ski.
English – Angliskii,
Yaponskii,
Ruskii….but Germany is not Germanskii. It is Nemyetskii – a Nyemets is a mute/deaf person. Evidently German speaking foreigners were one of the first nationalities that Russians got to know and couldn’t understand them. That’s like saying that Mexicans speak foreignese or deaffish.
Sorry – but I find that hilarious.]

November 23, 1996 - Saturday

Well last night we went to a hockey game [for Culture Night].  It was pretty cool.  Then we went over to some house and a rich guy named (?) I can't remember, but he bought about 8 pizzas and we all ate it.  Then we performed skits.  It was fun.  There is a picnic today but we slept in and we are gong to miss it.  We didn't get in until about 12:30 am. 

Well I haven't had to give a talk yet in church, but I better be prepared for Sunday.  I'll write to you after we go tracting and stuff.

November 21, 1996 - Thursday

This week has gone strange. Actually my whole stay in Russia has been strange. Right now 'm heating some stew up for supper. Ummm Umm. I made it and it is pretty good. I went and saw Red Square yesterday and part of the Kremlin from a distance. [that's me to the right there - although this picture is from a later date] Okay done with supper. Mmm Mmm good.

Last night around 6 a group of elders in town more got robbed and in a fight. 3 Russians stopped two elders as they were walking into their [apartment] building. They hit one guy and gave him a black eye. They took wallet, money & watch.  When they were searching their bags two more elders (who live in the same apartment as a 4-some) came in the building.  The three guys attacked and the elders beat the snot out of them and got the money back. 

So two of the elders will sleep over at our flat tonight.  It's almost 10:30 now.  It seems like 9:30 rolls around and I get really tired.  We moved everything around in the rooms today.  Now I basically have a room to myself.  Man - everyone around here is major trunky (it means that they are sitting on their trunks, packed and ready to go.  We didn't really get anything done today.  We went and helped the other elders move out, cleaned etc.  Then we came home and ate, went to institute and caught the end of English class.  Nobody was there really.  4 girls.  And nobody came to institute so we came home and cleaned everything.  Two of the foursome that got robbed are moving in with us for about a week so they can get another apartment up and running.

I am so tired so I am going to go to sleep.  First Ст.  Moyle was telling me tons of stuff and asking me all these questions about girls back home.  It was pretty funny.  Well night!

November 16, 1996 - Saturday

Well  Ст. Joe Dent called this morning [the Dents are family friends and I've know him for...ever maybe - they used to be in our ward as well] and we talked for a couple of minutes.  His parents are coming the 13th of December.  They are going to go to a couple of plays and out to an old monetary with a bunch of priests. 

In mom & dad's tape that they just sent me - they talked about maybe in a couple of years they can come and see a lot of Moscow like Elder Dent's folks are and go and visit Mexico City also.  That would be cool.  I could take my parents around Moscow and stuff.  That would be really awesome.  Well it's time almost to go to orientation [with the mission pres].  I'll see you later.  Bye

11-15-96? 11-15-96? 11-15-96? - Friday

I'm weird I know it.  Well another day.  I have a big headache but hopefully it will go away.  I'll write you later and tell you what I did today.

It's 9:51pm.  Today we didn't do much.  But it was really exciting.  We went and bought some blankets etc.  Then came home and ate.  I was so tired that I fell asleep because we were going signboarding and that fell through, so my companion said I could take a nap.

I woke up at a quarter to 6 and we went tracking [it's actually called tracting (going door to door with a tract or pamphlet) - but it's my first exposure to it - so understandable that I would misspell it.]  We went way over onto another metro line and took a long bus.  We went to the top floor of a building and started tracking.  Elder Barnes did the first few doors and then I did the 3rd door. 

They [the inhabitants of the apartment] came to the door speaking English and so when they opened I spoke in English.  We talked to them for a minute and one of the guys, there were two guys in the apartment, kept asking if we had ever been robbed.  They invited us in and we talked about the Book of Mormon, and then we talked for a little bit.  The one guy kept asking us if we had ever been robbed.  He said it about 5 or 6 times, and finally Elder Barnes asked what he was getting at.  He pulled a gun underneath his pillow and demanded Elder Barnes' watch ["I'm getting at this" he said as he pulled the gun out.] 

Elder Barnes said it was time to go and walked to the door [to the room we were in] and out before one of the guys closed the door [right as I was trying to get through it - I was stuck in there with him].  He opened the door and went out but locked the front [door].  He didn't bring the gun with him though.  Then Elder Barnes ran back in the room and one guy that had pulled out the gun went in and closed the door. 

Then Elder Barnes came back out of the room WITH THE GUN [waving it around and telling them to get back].  In the meantime I had the other guy unlock the door.  I grabbed both our shoes and we ran down the stairs and went down the stairs [??] and we put our shoes back on.  [Elder Barnes could just stick his feet in his shoes like nothing...wiggle a bit and boom he had them on.  I had to unlace them and re-tie. I was still retying when]  Elder Barnes said something like "that makes me mad" and he went back up the stairs. 

I said "Whoa, whoa" and followed him up.  He like rang the door and said "Open the fetching door [you fetchers]"  and they did and then.....

They all started LAUGHING and I got that it was a joke.  So we laughed and talked for a while.

Just now Elder Barnes said that people think America is so much better.  They will move there.  Actually I put that to the question and he said you'd be surprised.  This is not even as good as America -  I said "I don't think America is so much better" and he said that "when you get my age on a mission you'll feel differently".  It was funny.

[Post journal chat - the really ironic thing about this hazing was the fact that several things about the hazing should have tipped me off.  Ст. Eric Larsen & Ст. Marcus Woolverton (who had pulled the gun) had thought it was going to be later and weren't expecting us.  So that's why they were speaking English.  As we walked in there was the picture of Christ appearing in the skies on the far side of the apartment.  Both missionaries were wearing shorts and so as we sat on beds opposite each other I thought that I saw garments underneath their shorts.  They must have noticed me looking though, because they immediately asked me another question and pulled their shorts down. 

Ст. Larsen was the one by the front door that opened it for me when Ст. Barnes was in the room.  He was trying not to laugh and he said that he wished that he could have taken a picture of my face when Ст. Barnes came out with the gun.  He said my eyes were so huge. 

Two days later at church on Sunday it was hard for me to trust those two, especially Ст. Woolverton.  He actually was next companion two months later.  Ст. Woolverton is really a nice guy and I had a lot of fun with him during our companionship.]

November 14, 1996 - Thursday

It's 12:43 at night.  I've just completed my first day in Russia - plus I've been awake for 34 hours.  Okay what do I think of Russia?  I feel a love for the people but I can't express myself yet so I can't help the people & show them how I love them.  I went on quite a long taxi ride - a long metro ride and I met my first Russian members.  They're not in my branch but I will probably see them again.

When we first got here at 2:15 - which was 24hrs & 15 minutes from when we woke up [in the MTC to get ready].  We went into the last half of a mission conference with L. Tom Perry.  It was cool.  I got to go up and shake his hand [at the end of the conference], because he had already shaken everybody else's hand.  I met my companion, Elder Barnes.  He's cool & just about to go home.  So I'm going to bed because I've not had much sleep.  night

[Post journal chat - I'd like to share our trip through the airport.  Us four Elders got off the plane and followed the rest of the crowd down a hall and into the customs area.  We were standing in one of the lines when we noticed a gal holding a sign that read "Herrick, Parks +2"  Now my first thought was "This lady is from the Mission Home?"

 Let me tell you why.  Here I was straight from the MTC - 2 months of NO TV, NO newspapers, NO nothing...and here there was this pretty (OK she was HOT) girl and her skirt was the shortest that I have ever seen in my life up to that point.  The test in our school was if you put your arms down to your side the skirt had to go past your fingers.  Her skirt was almost covered by her jacket - it probably didn't even reach past her wrists. 

Okay - so we moved up closer and said that we were Herrick & Parks etc. - it was pretty cool because the lady took us up to the front of the line.  For a minute Parks thought that he had lost his passport, but he found it and we all got stamped and then we bypassed customs with our bags and Boom - we were done and putting our stuff in the van that the mission driver had parked right outside the front doors.]

November 12, 1996 - Tuesday

Well I'm packing right now.  So I'll see you in a little while.  The only thing that I am worried about is getting my stuff in the bags.  Wow.  Well bye for now.

[Post journal chat - when I packed for the MTC I used a vacuum to suck the air out of stuff so that everything would fit.  Then when I opened some of the stuff in the MTC - it didn't fit in the suitcases anymore.  Later on my mission it seemed to fit less and less because I also picked up more stuff.]

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

November 09, 1996 - Saturday

Well nobody has confronted me or anything so I guess I'm safe.  Well today went pretty well.  We really didn't do anything very much in the morning class, and the afternoon class ws pretty funny.  Брат Sycamore taught us how to teach English conversation classes.  It was really fun because we all read stuff in different accents.  Сестра Jensen does a really good New Jersey accent and a good British one.  Well I'm going to bed now. 

I feel very prepared to leave this place.  We had a LGM [Large Group Meeting] for all the "soon to leave" [missionaries].  [A] Brother Gibbs taught, and I felt the Spirit telling me to get out there and convert, activate and retain.  It was cool.  Well - I Love You Man, night.

November 8, 1996 - Friday

[Pre-Journal Chat - Ok folks I was half tempted to skip the first part of this.  It's great to share the experiences that a mission brings - but it really pains me to have to re-read/re-live these particular entries.  That's one of the reasons I'm behind a couple of days.]

Well last night was the last for a while that I will see Sister Heaton.  That is a good thing.  The next time I see her will be after my mission. She said she'd drop off our letters at the post office, but they weren't there this morning.  So maybe she had to mail them because it was closed.  Oh well.  I wish her the best.  She had a huge paper due this morning that she was working on last night.  I hope she gets it done.

You know they talk about locking your heart.  I wonder how you do that.  Брат Wolsey met his wife over there in Moscow.  That is where she lived.  He was Branch President over her branch and she was Young Women's Secretary.  So he saw how hard working and stuff she was.  But nothing happened between them until after his mission.  Even until after he was released, did they talk about anything besides his mission etc.  Well night.

Okay it's after the last class.  It was awesome.  We taught investigators improp [?? - on] ты [tee - see mini Russian lesson below].  The Spirit was definitely there I was so comfortable.  Ст. Beckstrand & Ст. Kindred found out I wrote the notes.  Maybe Сестра Jensen too.  Well night

[mini Russian lesson - ы is a hard letter to pronounce.  вы sounds like a short v sound with wee after - vwee.  ты is a softer sound, with no w sound in it.  ты is informal or singular, while вы is formal or plural.  Someone your age or younger you can speak with on ты.  When we pray in Russian we talk to Heavenly Father - we talk in ты, just like we pray in English using thee, thou, thine etc. like Spanish - tu.  вы is a little like y'all - if you are speaking to a group of people,  or if the person is older than you, or someone that you need to be formal with, like a Dr. or a teacher etc.]

November 7, 1996 - Thursday

I'm feeling better today.  Of course I haven't had my night class yet.  I'm beginning to think it's because I like Sister Heaton.  I'm a dork I know.  Oh well.  I'll be gone in a couple more weeks and then I won't see anyone for a while.

November 6, 1996 - Wednesday

Well I took a shower last night and I had a really good sleep.  I wasn't sore or anything this morning.  Today is my last Wednesday at the MTC.  Elder Kindred said it's pretty sad huh? (when I said that outloud).  And I said what he said its pretty sad that we don't feel sad leaving the MTC.  I want to be in Russia right now.  I'll write later.

It's after we had a chance to teach the discussions again.  I feel like crap so much.  I feel like I have just procrastinated.  I just feel so terribles [yeah - no idea where I was going with that spelling].  I wish I knew why.  Jesus was perfect.  Why can't I be.  I hate myself.  This is what I wrote right after we finished teaching..."I've never really been tested.  I've felt so much more bad feelings deep inside as I started working hard.  I'm falling hard." 

Here is a quote that Sister Jensen relayed..."What kind of Church would this be if all missionaries were like me?"  You can probably guess how I felt.

[Post Journal Chat - Looking back I still can't understand how I could feel such contrasting feelings within 24 hours.  Tuesdays were always terrific because of the General Authorities' talks and here it is Wednesday and these feelings pop up.  I think that it comes from comparing myself to others.  I compare their best - with my worst.  For some reason that doesn't bring happiness???] 

November 5, 1996 - Tuesday

Well I ended up praying for about 18 minutes or so.  I'm not saying I'm cool or anything but I just felt horrible that I had to until I felt better.  Its still feel weird. [Nice grammar structure huh?]    Well I'm doing great tonight.  Its always awesome to listen to the Lord's servants.  love Walter.

November 4, 1996 - Monday

Tonight again I feel weird.  Whatever it is [that] the Lord wants me to know - I have no idea what it is.  I have the feeling that I am not learning it.  I feel really bad right now.  I've had diarhea the past couple of days.  I feel like fasting forever.  It's the only way I really feel the Spirit.   I know it is not a good thing but I feel like doing it.  Please dear Heavenly Father help me.  I love you so much.  Thank you.

November 3, 1996 - Sunday

Hi - it was just Sunday.  It's always better on Sunday.  I need to pray and thank the Lord for the knowledge I have gained tonight.  Good night.

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.