Hey,
I noticed when I was rereading last week's emails that I didn't answer one of the questions correctly. You mentioned how the new missionaries come in a week later, and that's true, the transfer is this week on Wednesday, but the new missionaries won't come until next week on Wednesday. Everyone is going to go to their assignments and the trainers just have special arrangements for the week. So that doesn't effect the transfers for the rest of us. I mentioned about something that might effect our transfers is how the MTC is probably going to shorten the length of everyone's stay at the MTC in order to deal with more missionaries. And if that does happen then it could change the pattern of when missionaries come in, and that would change all of our transfers and release dates, so we'll see about that.
Commenting on Grandpa McCoy's email. I noticed in Russia that people are much less likely to give tips and they are not expected, but only given if you are actually impressed by the service. So either you did a really good job, or that lady comes from an area of Russia with people much politer than where I have been.
What part of Lenin Square does the camera show, what's the angle? That's in my old area so I used to be there a lot, now we don't go there as much.
I feel like I got a package of candy and note cards a while ago, but not within the last month or two. But it's ok, even if they come late, they'll get here. Yeah, any time we or the zone leaders go to cities we take all their mail and packages with us. Or if anyone else is travelling through the city for any reason like visa trip or transfers or anything they take all the stuff, so you never have to wait more than a couple weeks.
Really I haven't kept in touch or written anyone who are on missions. I kind of feel bad about it, but it is what it is. I have sent some letters back and forth with Jordan Dudley since the beginning until now. He should be going home pretty soon.
This week was pretty good. We spent all day Tuesday in Barnaul and parts of Monday and Wednesday traveling. I think the Elders down there had a really good time with us, especially because they are the only companionship of elders down there right now. Elder Terry and I had a great day together. We taught one guy who looks like Jack Sparrow, but with a clean hair cut. He was in the slammer for a while but cleaned up his act, he had attended the baptism they had in Barny a few days earlier and he said he really felt the Spirit, so we set a baptismal date with him, and he is looking really good. He has a family and he is really humble, so it's the perfect situation.
Wednesday was the last day of English for this cycle and we got another investigator, Vanya, from it. In fact, he was probably the main highlight of the week. We taught him on Friday and on Sunday. He is my favorite investigator because he does all of his reading assignments and he has really good, intelligent and logical questions, so you know he is really sincere and wants to know. He couldn't come to church on Sunday but we taught him in the evening a half hour before the little Youth and Young Adult fireside started. Artom and Misha both came to the lesson and Misha did a really good job testifying about his "re"conversion and that was really cool. Then afterward Vanya went to the fireside with them. So it was really the perfect situation. But it was just so scary dumping him off like that and just hoping that the members would be nice to him and talk to him and make him feel comfortable. I've noticed that I have a much more complete perspective like that now, having seen those situations from the point of view of the missionary, to help make me a friendlier member.
We got our drug addict investigator to come to church again, but it's been tough with him, and that may be about all we can do for now.
Today we are going to make the Webbs dinner. It will be really fun, because they have fed me for over a year this will be really fun to have them over at our place and feed them. We are going to make borscht and plov and dessert blini and fruit salad. It should be really epic. Hopefully they will mention it on their blog, but we'll see.
Ok, I think that's all I got this week. I'm taking off Wednesday for Krasno so I should be there next Monday.
Elder Topham
