I'm at the Webb's right now using their iPad to email while Elder Hyde is on the computer. We went to our regular internet place but it was totally full with ten year old boys playing World of Warcraft and stuff so we called the Webb's and asked if we could come over a little early and use the internet at their place. The district is all coming over a little later to make Christmas cookies or something like that. So anyway, it's really nice of them.
So this week has been alright. The bad news is that we haven't really had much success in the regular usage of the word, but the good thing is that we've been pretty busy doing things besides just straight tracking and street contacting. But don't worry we still got our fair share of that in. We went to the concert of our investigator that took the picture for us. It was really sweet, he plays the marimba which is basically just a huge xylophone, but it was sweet. He played with four sticks and it was really cool, and only half an hour so that was awesome, hopefully we can get a good meeting with him in a little while.
Drunk guy from the office didn't show and the number he gave us was bad, unfortunately that's more of the usual than the exception. The guy from art club came to church, but then we haven't seen him since and he has never once answered his phone.
But we went and saw the inactive lady from art club. We had a decent meeting with her, but here's the awesome part. Dad will love this. She fed us holladiets (holodets). I have no idea how to spell it in English. Google it. It's basically meat gelatin. Actually the flavor was good and we had a little bread with it and actually when spread lightly on the bread it was good, but there was like no bread and she said you are just supposed to eat it plain anyway. It would just melt in your mouth in the grossest way possible, I can't even describe it. But it was awesome - when she told us that she had it I was really excited because I have been wanting to try it for a while now. It was gross, but don't worry I ate all that she put on my plate.
So New Years is really big here, bigger than Christmas. Because everyone celebrates it and just goes out on the streets and gets drunk from what it sounds like. But they also give gifts for New Years. And they call it the New Years tree instead of the Christmas tree. We are not allowed to leave our apartments after four in the afternoon on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. So those could get kind of long. Bad thing is that a lot of our contacts have been telling us that they are too busy now and that I should call them back after New Years, so we will see.
So Christmas sounds like it will be really good. We are spending the morning at the Webb's with the district, they are making us breakfast while we do calls. We have church from 11-2 then from three to seven all the missionaries in the city are going over to President's for dinner and I would imagine probably a spiritual program and maybe a fun thing too, we will see. But it sounds like there won't really be down time, and to Rob: there is no tracting rule, so that's really good. So I'm going to FaceTime around 7:00 here in the morning. I think that is 4 there in the afternoon, but I may be off. I should be able to call you, but if not I'll send a email or something if there's a problem.
Well, really not that much interesting to write about. I finally broke out the big coat last night. It was really nice. A little inconvenient for pockets but really warm.
Aleksei has been out of town for a month, but last time I called him he said he had been reading the Book of Mormon with his buddy up there and he is really interested in it. So Aleksei asked me if he could give it to him and I could get him another one. This guy is full of miracles, so eventually it will be his time.
Well Merry Christmas. I'm excited to talk to you soon. Love you.
Elder Topham
So this week has been alright. The bad news is that we haven't really had much success in the regular usage of the word, but the good thing is that we've been pretty busy doing things besides just straight tracking and street contacting. But don't worry we still got our fair share of that in. We went to the concert of our investigator that took the picture for us. It was really sweet, he plays the marimba which is basically just a huge xylophone, but it was sweet. He played with four sticks and it was really cool, and only half an hour so that was awesome, hopefully we can get a good meeting with him in a little while.
Drunk guy from the office didn't show and the number he gave us was bad, unfortunately that's more of the usual than the exception. The guy from art club came to church, but then we haven't seen him since and he has never once answered his phone.
But we went and saw the inactive lady from art club. We had a decent meeting with her, but here's the awesome part. Dad will love this. She fed us holladiets (holodets). I have no idea how to spell it in English. Google it. It's basically meat gelatin. Actually the flavor was good and we had a little bread with it and actually when spread lightly on the bread it was good, but there was like no bread and she said you are just supposed to eat it plain anyway. It would just melt in your mouth in the grossest way possible, I can't even describe it. But it was awesome - when she told us that she had it I was really excited because I have been wanting to try it for a while now. It was gross, but don't worry I ate all that she put on my plate.
So New Years is really big here, bigger than Christmas. Because everyone celebrates it and just goes out on the streets and gets drunk from what it sounds like. But they also give gifts for New Years. And they call it the New Years tree instead of the Christmas tree. We are not allowed to leave our apartments after four in the afternoon on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. So those could get kind of long. Bad thing is that a lot of our contacts have been telling us that they are too busy now and that I should call them back after New Years, so we will see.
So Christmas sounds like it will be really good. We are spending the morning at the Webb's with the district, they are making us breakfast while we do calls. We have church from 11-2 then from three to seven all the missionaries in the city are going over to President's for dinner and I would imagine probably a spiritual program and maybe a fun thing too, we will see. But it sounds like there won't really be down time, and to Rob: there is no tracting rule, so that's really good. So I'm going to FaceTime around 7:00 here in the morning. I think that is 4 there in the afternoon, but I may be off. I should be able to call you, but if not I'll send a email or something if there's a problem.
Well, really not that much interesting to write about. I finally broke out the big coat last night. It was really nice. A little inconvenient for pockets but really warm.
Aleksei has been out of town for a month, but last time I called him he said he had been reading the Book of Mormon with his buddy up there and he is really interested in it. So Aleksei asked me if he could give it to him and I could get him another one. This guy is full of miracles, so eventually it will be his time.
Well Merry Christmas. I'm excited to talk to you soon. Love you.
Elder Topham
