This week was pretty crazy. Tuesday we took off from Krasno to Novo. I was in Novo Wednesday and Thursday. Then on Friday morning I took off for Finland and returned Saturday morning. Then that night we had a train back to Krasno and got in Sunday morning.

While we were in Novo on Wednesday President had a meeting with all the trainers. Then after that ended Elder Jones and I went with Elder Smith and Yatsiuk to help them move a member. That was pretty chaotic as usual for Russian moves. She lived on the 9^th floor. There was a little elevator but it only went to the 8^thfloor. Plus, she had 4 dressers and a piano. But probably the worst part was outside was about -30 C and we had to keep going in and out freezing then sweating then freezing then sweating. Ok but other than all that everything went really well and was all pretty fun. We got the whole thing done, loading and unloading in a couple hours.

Thursday was interesting because I was on the other end of the trainers and new missionary orientation thing. But it was really cool. I got to meet Elder Jurkovenas finally. He's sweet. It turns out that his English is actually really good. He understands everything and speaks almost like an American. His Russian is pretty good too. He understands really well. He speaks with a good flow and accent. His vocab is limited and his grammar is probably what needs to work on the most. But he is much better than a new American missionary coming in. He's a big guy. I've only got like two inches on him and he has a little weight on me. But he doesn't play basketball, even through it's huge there (Elder Jurkovenas is from Latvia) and everyone told him all growing up that he should play.

After we did the orientation and the Assistants took us out to lunch, I took the new missionaries shopping in Novo. Everyone got some coats, a few got boots and hats and stuff, we also got some Bibles. We did a little work that night with Elders Smith and Yatsiuk.

The Visa trip was pretty tough. Just going through 4 airports, 4 securities and having lay overs in each one. Thankfully by the last flight I was so tired that I just fell asleep before the plane took off and didn't even notice that it took off. It was nice to get to see everyone from the MTC and catch up on things. Talk to them about the release date decision and everything.

Yesterday was Elder J and I's first day together in our own area. We went to church, then visited our babooshka. We set up a lesson that night with our Uzbek family. Only the dad and son were home, everyone else was working. Elder J was pumped, he had the pregame butterflies a little before the lesson. I think he was a little disappointed that everything didn't go perfectly. I remember that is exactly how I felt my first couple days on the mission. But he had fun and liked it.

The next couple days should be really fun. We will spend a little bit of time at the Noels both days. And they will probably feed us really well.

I got Grandma's package that she sent. Tell her a big thank you from me. She sent us a little tree. I set it up in the kitchen with the ornaments on it. It brightens up the apartment with a little more Christmas spirit.

Everything that dad said about the Skype is correct. I don't know what the time difference is. But I'll be calling from here at 11AM and I'll use the name that you gave me. Last week we did that boiling water thing too. It's really cool. About half of it vaporizes immediately. The other half turns into snow immediately.

OK, that's all. Talk to you soon.

Elder Topham

 

Here is a picture of Elder Rubow and I with the Vetzels on our last day together. They are an awesome family that lives close to us. 

Me with their older son.

 Then Elder and I at the mission home together.

Then Elder J and I at our apartment by our Christmas tree.

 

Zone Conference Cake

Hey, I just emailed you what I got from President. (Drew forwarded us an email regarding a change in his release date.) He told us each personally about it at zone conference. He explained it all well here so I thought I would just forward it. Let me know what you think about that. Now, let me know what you think, if there would be anything for me to do for that month, or just in general what your thoughts are about the dates.

Also, I sent out some pouch mail at zone conference so let me know when you get it. Also I sent one to Rob's family but I used our address. Because I don't know if I have their new one.

Also at zone conference, I got my Christmas package. I cheated though, because when I unpacked it back in Krasno I unwrapped the one that felt like wool socks because I figured I could use those right away. Well done on the packing. Nothing broke. Elder Rubow and I have been enjoying the toffee. Still tastes like home.

Zone conference was epic. President owned it with a really deep presentation about the symbolism of the manger, swaddling clothes and the three gifts. Especially in the way that they relate to the temple, the atonement, and our personal spiritual development. He has an amazing ability to do something that is so scholarly that it is mind blowing and interesting, with all the while being very spiritual and applicable. Sister Gibbons, the Zone leaders, assistants and all the musical numbers nailed it too. I had a wonderful time because it was totally stress free and I just got to sit in the back and enjoy it.

I met the most recent group of missionaries from the MTC. They said that they knew Elder Jurkavenas and that he actually speaks English decently and Russian better than all of them, so we will see this week when I meet him.

Then, what might have been the cherry on this zone conference cake was during lunch when Elder Huntsman came up to talk to me. He told me that the guy we found contacting that night when we were on exchanges up in Omsk about 2 months ago got baptized last Saturday. I was really glad to hear that, and I made me feel good to see a direct result like that.

Then on Thursday I was on exchanges with Elder Johnson. It's the first time my whole mission that I've had a chance to work with him and it was awesome. I don't know if you remember but he is the one I was friends with at BYU that I would always play basketball with in the fall. We had a tough day, but a good time none the less. We rotated 45 minute contacting sessions with 30 minute defrosting sessions where we would put our feet on the heater and drink tea while we called old contacts.

We did a service project this Friday and Saturday. We put up wall paper in a couple rooms at a homeless shelter. Sorry I've been bad at pictures but the sisters and the Noels took some. It was kind of crazy and Russians are very honest and always tell you what they think you are doing wrong. Everyone would come in and say what we were doing wrong, but then they would all argue with each other because none of them agreed on the right way to do it. Anyway it all got up and looks good and I know how to hang up wall paper now.

Sister Brown put on a concert Saturday night. She is an amazing singer and did several songs, some while playing the guitar and some while playing the piano. The missionaries all sang one number together too.

Yesterday I gave a talk in church. I think it went alright. I talked about the concrete things we can do to share the gospel and told some experiences and emphasized how the Holy Ghost always helps us.

Everything is going well with our investigator family. Our teaching appointment before zone conference was interesting. We didn't get to teach much because the wife was cooking for us, and people were in and out the whole time. She fed us plov, which was awesome. And apparently the real Uzbekistani way to eat it is just out of one big common dish. Also, that it is usually done with just your hands. But she gave us all spoons because we were there. It was a cool experience and really good. Then yesterday night, the mom wasn't there because she got a new job working all evenings (which will make it tougher for us) but we had a really good lesson with the father and the youngest son.

Next week will also be crazy. Tuesday night I'm heading to Novo with Elder Jones and all the sisters. Then we have a trainers meeting with Pres there on Wednesday. It's cool all 3 new missionaries are coming to Krasno. The 1 elder and 2 new sisters. Sisters Karachova and Brown are the other trainers. Then Thursday we will meet our new companions and do the orientation with them and everything. But Friday morning I leave for Visa trip. The area presidency came out with a rule that you are not allowed to leave the airport on visa trip, so we fly to Moscow then Finland, then right back to Moscow then Novo. It will be about 24 hours straight of going through airports and flying. Saturday night we take off back to Krasno and my first day with Elder J in Krasno will be on Sunday.

Well, It is extremely cold. I think Jack Frost just covered wagoned Siberia and won't lift up the blanket. The days in Novo were I think the coldest I have ever experienced.

Yeah, you can always feel the difference even between -30 and -40. Everything feels the same, but you notice that it takes less time to get frozen on various parts of your body. But don't worry mom, I'm staying warm enough. I don't really use the hand or foot warmer things because it's just too cold. I feel like those would be optimal if you are outside for a long time and it is pretty cold. But we are outside for a half hour at a time or so.

Yeah, the Book of Mormon is still in hand, it's fine I just wear my leather/fur mittens and carry it and it's all good.

There is snow everywhere, but more in Novo.

So they don't clean off the sidewalks so it is just a layer of what I call "permafrost" just layers of snow that have been beaten down by people walking on it so it's just a hard snowy/ice path. We usually walk no more than half hour to appointments. If it would take longer than that we will get on a bus.

Being back to Novo was pretty cool. It was nice to know where I was going. Plus I got to see Misha at the branch while I was there.

Ok that's all. Would that be ok if I called at 11 am Krasno time on Christmas day? I think that's what I'm planning on. I took the last shift because I'm calling the west coast.

Well talk to you and see you next week!

Elder Topham

This is a picture of Drew that Elder Rubow sent to his family, captioned, "Elder Topham says study the scriptures!"

 

The Area is Going Well

Hey everybody, this week has been pretty good. It seemed to go by really fast.

Carson had a good question about how we keep our legs warm when its so cold. There is really not much you can do but wear thermals. So I just wear a pair of thermals under my pants. I think the legs just don't get as cold as the body for whatever reason. I only have a problem with my feet getting cold. And when I wear thermals it helps my feet stay a little warmer too. There were a couple of weeks last winter when I wore two pairs of thermals at a time. I will probably have to do that this week.

Our apartment doesn't have an oven, but it's no big deal we do all stove cooking anyway.

We found the apartment for the new companionship, and signed on it so that's all done. I'm very glad that its all done too, because that was a really stressful process. We went out with a Realtor to look at a couple places and we picked the best one. Then the next day we came with our "visa registrar" (that's the member of the church in each city that handles the registering of each missionary and the apartment signings), Olga and we worked out the contract with them. That was super long and intense, but Olga got it all worked out. I'm still not used to the way business is done in Russia, just long sessions of yelling and saying rude things to each other but then in the end it gets settled. The new place is nice. So whoever goes there will be lucky.

There is only one new elder coming in this transfer, and a few the next couple transfers, so I think the influx will come in later. Probably from those who are receiving their calls around now.

This week we found some new investigators and they all had a similar theme to them -- all through our efforts to find and teach the inactive members. I'll tell you about each one.

The first is an inactive member that we have been trying to help. His mom lives with him and she is legit. She worked in a factory that built Soviet rockets here in Krasno. Anyway, she has been participating in the lessons and if we can get him to come back we are confident that she will come with them.

Then we found a new inactive guy this week who let us when we checked his address. We came back a few days later and during one of our lessons his friend showed up. So the guy invited him in to come meet "his American friends". So it was a really sweet comfortable setting to get to know him and begin teaching him. And he ended up being really interested. And even if the inactive member wasn't the best doctrinal or testimonial support for the lesson, he made all the difference just showing his friend that he was comfortable with us and trusts us, and that its not weird to come to church and stuff like that.

Then the coolest one happened Saturday night. We had a really awesome busy day, but we couldn't get any lessons scheduled for the evening, so it was looking like it would be a tough evening. But we went to the first inactive guy on our list and they let us up. And without saying much to us at the door let us in. Then after a few seconds of talking and introducing ourselves. it became pretty clear that they were not members. So I don't know why they let us in because on the intercom Elder Rubow specifically asked for that guy. Maybe the people living there didn't understand, or maybe they were just prepared somehow and felt like they should open the door. Anyway, we find out that the apartment was sold recently and they are renting from the new owner. The family living there is an Uzbekistanian family with a mom and dad, and 4 kids. Three of which live at home still. The dad is Muslim and the mom is Christian. They are the nicest and happiest family that I have seen in Russia besides members of the church. We spent a good while getting to know each other and taught a little about prophets and families and they invited us back for tonight, so hopefully that will go well. We are really excited about it.

The area is going well and it's cool because we are usually pretty busy and don't usually spend too much time just tracting or contacting. We have a handful of consistent investigators, less actives, and there are a good amount of active members that we visit every now and then. Also I did both exchanges this week so I spent a day with Elder Kelly, and Elder Jones.

Well, that's about all I can think of. We will be in Novo Wednesday for Zone conference and Thursday to do exchanges with the Zone leaders.

Still nothing solid for Christmas, but it will for sure involve the Noels feeding us :)

I'm planning on skyping with you our Christmas morning and your Christmas eve night if that's still cool?

-Elder Topham

A Good Time Serving

Hey I got those videos that you sent last week to work. Whose gun is that and what is it? I was not expecting the videos to be of Mom and Dani so that was really cool too.

Dani, keep up the good work. I don't know your calculus friend. That's awesome that you are having so much debate success although I am a little worried when I get back that you will own me if I ever try to argue with you. But I hope my height advantage will still give me the volleyball edge even if I'm rusty.

Oh yeah and Mom, that Reese's desert bar mix was awesome. It was just sitting in my bag and I hadn't whipped it out because we don't have an oven then I glanced at it and it said, "delicious no bake recipe!" So it was really easy to make and really good. You might have to send that for my birthday too.

Well, I feel like the week has gone by pretty quickly. Elder Rubow and I are still having a good time serving together. We had some nice investigator success this week. I'll give the rundown.

A is probably the only pure, no effort, free, member referral investigator I've ever had and it's sweet. A less active member just called us up and told us that he wants to bring a friend to meet with us. And he set up the time and they both showed up at the branch for a lesson. So we were able to teach him twice this week with his friend.

Then we found the most convenient investigator ever. V, who we contacted close to the branch, lives in the building right next to the branch, so he should have no excuse not to come to church and it's really easy to get to his place whenever we need to.

Then S, an English investigator from before, is back on board, but he is going to Novo for a month for work. So I've got him hooked up with Elder Davis down there for the month.

Then the most exciting one is S and Z. They came to the branch when the member who is in charge of maintenance was here and he gave us their info and invited them to church. They showed up. And this member has been really nice to them and helping them out with some of their problems. He's 60 and she's 50 so it's quite the interesting couple. They are extremely nice and accepting. They love to chat and get off topic easily but they said they want us to come over every day and we set baptismal dates with them on our first lesson. So that will be very fun to work with them.

Other than that it's just been the regular struggles, like getting first lessons to work out with seemingly golden contacts, who just don't show or answer their phones or anything. We've been working with a realtor to search for an apartment for a new companionship of elders.

I think the rest of the transfer will go by really fast, probably even the rest of the month. Because next week we go to Novo for exchanges and Zone conference. The week after that is visa trip and the transfer. Then the week after that is Christmas, so there is a lot of stuff to look forward to.

Well love you all, have a good one.

Elder Topham