May 13th 2013

Ahhhh it was so good to see and talk to you all!!!!!!!!!! Really, thanks so much for waiting up so long, I know that was a pain but it was worth it to me to that we all got to be on the same call and see all of your beautiful faces!! I wish I could transport you all here for a week to show you around. I try my best to give you an idea of what it's like to live here and be a missionary here but at the same time I never want to be that missionary that goes on and on about their mission and every one else gets bored listening to it. But I just want to tell you everything!! :) haha and I want to hear about everything that goes on with you guys too, even the details, especially the details.

It was also refreshing to see how everything's the same there and you're still my family, and you still love me and home doesn't feel so far away. Not as far away in distance and in time. Sister Clyde keeps telling me how she feels like she JUST told her family good-bye at Christmas and that it felt so far away for her to say: "see you on Mothers' Day!" and now it's here. So I know that Christmas is creeping around the corner and will be here before I realize it. It makes me want to even more cherish every moment here. I've been here long enough so that everything seems so normal. Seeing home helping me remember that Dang! I'm in Russia!!! and it's stinking cool. 

A lot of times I get really caught up if I'm doing enough and live in constant worry if I'm fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. I feel guilt when I'm not... like when I get to scared to talk to some or my Russian gets jumbled. That guilt builds up and I can't tell you how much I've thought about going home. But now, seeing home, as much as I love you all, I know I would rather be here. hahaa just puts everything into perspective... life goes on, wake up, be a missionary, I repent like crazy, love life, meet awesome people and all is well. 

Let's see.. I told you the highlights of this week basically. The week before was Easter and we went over to Ludmila's the inactive member who lives in that house I sent you a picture of. She is honestly an angel. Her husband died awhile ago and she lives with her daughter's family who are very nice when they're not drunk. Ummm she fed us kooleech, the Easter cake I sent a picture of too you and we brought her some tulips we bought from a babooshka on the street. It was a precious time. I actually took that picture of her house right afterwards. She's often alone because she's so bed-ridden, especially alone in the gospel because of her family, so she really cherishes our visits. As do I. People like her are the reason why there are missionaries in Russia--stalwart members of the House of Israel. After that we walked home as a huge cloud rolled in. We made it home in time to see a huge flash of lightening and then it poured down once we got inside. Another little note about domes (apartment buildings). They are super safe. There's a door to get in the stair well, then a door to get into the level door, then a door to our apartment. ALL Russian domes have at least three doors separating them from the outside world. Even the houses I've been in have two or three separate doors to get in. I think it's part of that soviet mentality. About a week ago we were knocking... in one stairwell no one would even open the door for us so we're leaving and a lady yells out the window at us. We started a conversation with her and she was very nice...has a son in Colorado and wanted to talk with us but she wouldn't let us into her apartment. So she comes outside to talk to us. It turns out she used to be an engineer for "the war" (I'm assuming the cold one). She claimed atheism and told us all about how it was in the old times. She gave us her skype and email. Regardless of her age and origins, she was very with it and so alive.
Again, I'm out of time. Love you! Again, Happy Mothers' Day!! Say hi to Grandma Gregory and Grandma and Grandpa Johnson again, maybe I can see them at Christmas?? :)