Invite Them to Learn More

Hey Everyone,

 

It's been another good week,  and I'm definitely feeling more and more excited to leave the MTC and get to Russia each day.  Our travels plans come tomorrow I think, so that will be pretty crazy when we get those.  Another cool thing that happened is yesterday we got our new name tags with our names spelled in Russian characters. Just having those made it seem a lot more real too.

 

The gym finally reopened this week, so gym time has been much better.  Good news, I had an official weigh in and I think I'm up 3 pounds up to 201 so that's good.  And I've dunked several times now, so that's not as cool anymore.

 

Hey Sam: I don't know if you've been working on it or forgot but if you could get Bronston's address for me from Facebook, just like message him for it explaining what's up, I would really appreciate that.

 

I guess this week something significant that I've learned is the importance of members in teaching.  From watching the district movies it is obvious how much having a member at the lessons and making the referral helps.  During TRC this week there weren't enough Russian volunteers, so we split up in 3s and someone was a "member" and it was so much easier to teach.  And from what I've been hearing from our teachers, you have almost no success ever going door to door, but pretty much all of their baptisms are friends of members, who invited them to learn more.  So everybody who reads this, make sure that if you've had someone in mind who you want to share the gospel with do it now, even if they aren't interested, if you explain that you are inviting them because of the joy it brings to your life, there is no way they can be offended or anything, they will at least appreciate the thought, and I know it will really help the missionaries there out.

 

Dad: what do the ward missionaries in our ward do exactly?

 

Another cool thing that I've heard from our teachers is that ties in Russian are super cheap.  There are places where you can pick them up for only a couple dollars, so it seems like on average each missionary has come home with like 40 more ties than they went with or something like that.  I'm definitely going to do that too, because as my wise uncles told me, it really is the only variation in the wardrobe and if you are wearing a tie you really like it can make all the difference.

 

But I'm going to want to buy them there because I think I'm really going to be pushing the weight limit on my way to Novo.  Apparently the church will only pay for one 50 pound bag and one 37 pound bag + the carry on, and I've gotten so many Russian books here.  So I need to decide what to leave behind.  I'm not going to be able to bring all of the pictures that you sent me, so would you like me to send those back or toss them? Also, all the mail I've received  - do you think its worth sending back and saving, or just chucking?  Also, my Dansko shoes have kind of been bothering me.  I don't know if it's the style, or that they might be a little too small, I actually think its a combination of both, but it puts a lot of pressure on my big toe when I walk. I'm going to decide in the next week if I want to hang onto them, or send them home and get another pair in Russia, it would help solve my weight problem a little.

 

This week I finished the Book of Mormon, that I started on the first day of the MTC.  It was really awesome.  I've also read Our Heritage and Our Search for Happiness, too.  So now I'm working on reading the BOM in Russian and I want to get to the New Testament and Jesus the Christ soon.  I won't be able to finish those before I leave, but I will soon.

 

This week we have been speaking all Russian everyday, except for the last hour of each day.  It's really hard and there is a lot of charades and grunting involved. But it helps to practice.  I think next week will probably just be all Russian the whole week. 

 

So, Dad mentioned that Eric Leavell knew an Elder Carr from Malibu.  I've been able to talk to Elder Carr a lot because he is my friend Elder Johnson's companion so we sit together at meals often.  He's really funny.  He's going to have a harder time with the Russian weather than I am, I think.

 

I still get to see Elder McClellan a bunch, I don't see Elder Geist much.  I had the same meal time as Elder Witbeck, so I saw him every day, but he just left early this week.  We came in on the same day, so that means I'm getting close.

 

Matthew: Good luck in your golf tournament this week bud!  Just try your best and keep working hard and make sure to have fun.  I know you'll do awesome.  That's really cool that you shot a 92, that's way better than I've ever done, so I'll have to practice a lot when I get home so I can beat you.

 

President Gibbons said they got delayed a little longer, so they are probably flying in a few days after us, so we will probably be greated by the interim mission president.

 

Well not much exciting news until I actually get to Russia, but I'm just doing really well and really enjoying my time here.  Thanks for sending me those missionary profiles.  Cai's sounded just like him, I know he loves that extra crispy chicken.  Love you all. 

 

-Elder Topham

A Couple Cool Things Happened

Hey everyone! Its just been another pretty normal week in the MTC, but I guess a couple cool things happened.

 

First Elder Fausett and I got to go to Babylon! It was awesome. He had some teeth that were bothering him, so we got to go to a dentist in Provo.  It was so awesome, we got to ride in a van, and see all kinds of cool things about the world.  Everyone we saw at the dentist's office wanted to talk to us and be really nice to us because we are missionaries, so that was really cool.  So in reality it was a pretty boring trip, but compared to what we have in here it was awesome.

 

Also very importantly, especially for Danica, is that I scored a goal in soccer on Monday, it was definitely the nonspiritual highlight of my MTC experience.  It's really hard to score when there are like 40 people on each team so I was really excited and I did a huge knee slide to celebrate.  It was a pretty lucky goal, I was just hanging out in front of the goal and someone kicked in an awesome cross, it was kind of awkwardly bouncing and I just poked it in past the goalie, but I'll take it.

 

I got a package from Grandma McCoy, thank you so much Grandma, I love you!

 

I also got a letter from Wid (Elder Topham's 4 year old cousin) that had some of the best, most specific questions I have received thus far. I really like those, because then I know exactly what to write back about.  In my letter back to him I described all of the intricacies of the MTC garbage and recycling system, so that was actually really fun.

 

Elder McClellan got here this week so that has been really fun.  It's really cool because he lives basically directly above me, so we can see each other sometimes during the last hour of the day.  He's doing really well.  His comp. is British.  Also there are only 4 Slovak speakers so he has a really small class, compared to our 12 jammed into a little room.

 

This week for our district goal we picked 3 days when we were only allowed to speak Russian for the entire days.  It was really hard.  We don't know enough to communicate everything yet, so that made it especially tough.  I imagine that we are probably going to increase the number of days for the next week.

 

The pictures that you sent from the vacation are awesome.  It looks like you all had so much fun, I don't know about dad's scruff though.

 

We see President and Sister Gibbons around a lot here. It was both of their birthdays this week so Sister Sanford, already dutifully fulfilling her sister missionary role, made a really cutsie card with a picture of all the Novo Missionaries on it and had us all sign it.  So we set up a special time to meet them and give them that card.  It was fun, I really like them.

 

It's very monotonous around here, but we've all managed to make it fun in our own little ways to stay sane.  There are a bunch of little things that we find to be really fun that I don't think an outsider will truly understand but I will try to explain them anyway.  I already talked about our 4th of July fist pump celebration.  We have those occasionally on special occasions like holidays, or when missionaries are leaving, or someones inherited calendar had an illegible scribble on that certain day, we felt it was worth celebrating.  Also, in each of the rooms are these places that missionaries have dubbed "narnia holes" they are really fun.  It looks like there used to be an outlet in the wall there or something, but now its just covered with a metal plate, but the screws are really loose so its easy just to swing it open by hand.  Whenever new missionaries come we are always really excited to inform them about and help them check their Narnia holes because you never know what kind of surprises that previous missionaries left for you in there.  Anything from candy, notes, toys, all kinds of stuff.  We are already preparing things to fill our Narnia holes with for the next group of Elders. 

 

We have a full P-day each week.  At least one that lasts until dinner.  We have TRC right after dinner so that stinks.  That's when you teach the volunteers.  It makes it kinda hard to relax on the P-day because you want to study for it.  But only a little, not too hard to relax.  When the temple was open we would always be really rushed to finish all of our letters on time, with laundry and everything, but with no temple we have plenty of time.  I usually have time to workout hard on P-day with my ultra TNT fitness cables and to study some things.  I've been getting a lot stronger and bigger. I'm gonna weigh myself when they open up the gym, but I am very optimistic.  People who have seen me before the MTC with my shirt off like Tanner and Kyle have noticed a difference, so that's good.

 

Anyway love you all

 

-Elder Topham

Awesome

Hey Everyone!

I'm doing awesome.  First I'll let you know what happened for the 4th of July here.  Thank you very much for the package, Mom.  Elder Fausett also got some decorations in a package so we were able to decorate our classroom which was awesome.  On Saturday night they had a special devotional.  It was a pretty random yet very fun program that included patriotic songs, a speaker, bagpipes and "Praise to the Man."  Not exactly sure where the bagpipes fit into Fourth of July, but praise to the man is awesome with bagpipes, so I'm not complaining.  Then, they let us go outside and watch the fireworks which was really awesome.  We were able to get a really good view from behind our building and we were allowed to stay out passed 10:30 until the fireworks were over which was really awesome.  I'm glad I had that Fourth of July celebration wand that you sent me, because all of my friends knew I had it and were able to find me amid all of the chaos after the devotional.  Sunday night was awesome too.  Dallin H. Oak's daughter, who is like the best violinist in the country or something like that, performed and it was so awesome!

Then on the 4th we had a real celebration where our whole district got together in one of the rooms. And had a minute long celebration that included much fist pumping and shouts of "America" and "USA" and such. It's kind of hard to describe but it was awesome.

I can't remember, did you decide that if I send my memory card you would be able to read it?

Mom: how often should my suits and slacks be dry cleaned?  I should have enough money saved up on my card to get it all done once before I leave if you think that would be good.

Sad story, the gym is closed starting today because they are refinishing the floor... That means I'm stuck outside again for about a week.  That really stinks because the basketball here has been really fun. 

Hey Sam: can you see if you can get Bronston's address through Facebook and dear elder it to me. Thank you.

Everything here has just been pretty awesome.  There's really not much going on new here.  I feel like once I actually get to Russia I'll actually have cool stuff that I can write in my emails that will be interesting.  Elder Fausett and I have our first fake baptism on Saturday haha.  Its for Artyom (Brother Barnes) - I don't really know how to spell that in English letters.  And Katya's (Sister Doty) is a week from Saturday.  Those lessons are always really fun and good practice, but for some reason I think it's much easier than it will be in the real world.  Although like I said, they do shake it up sometimes.  For example, Katya walked out on Elder Davis and Smith's lesson when they told her that our church was the only true one and her baptism wasn't valid, so that was pretty crazy haha. Our lessons usually go pretty smoothly, unless they have weird questions that we don't understand. Like when Artyom asked us about something in 2nd Nephi that I didn't even know how to answer in English.  Those are fun lessons, but I feel like it will be really stressful in the real world when it's not fake and it actually matters if I make a big mistake and don't teach well.  I guess that's why we have senior companions.  

Other than that, please ask me some questions so I know what to write about.

It's cool having the new Russian Elders here and getting to know them a little bit.  They are all great, but they crowd the gym :(

Love you all,

Elder Topham

I'm trying to point where Elder Walker and Harrison are pointing (Novosibirsk)...not St. Petersburg, where Elder Faucett is going.

I could be the poster boy for missionary work.

It's really hard to get the whole district to stay still for, like, 12 cameras.  This is the best I have so far.

Elder Mantell and me.

It's okay, you know I have a forehead, you don't have to see it in the picture.  I like the Elders posing in the background.

That's where I'm going to live for 2 years.

My mission is on both sides of the map!

Of Fighter Pilots, Mission Presidents, and Apostles

Hey everyone!

 

Your Idaho vacation sounded awesome! I wish I could have gone!  Good job shooting, Danica.

 

Last Friday was that special devotional.  Elder Bednar spoke, with his perfectly parted hair.  There were 6 other apostles there too, but they didn't speak.  Then we got to meet our new mission presidents after the meeting.  Our new mission president is really cool.  His name is president Gibbons and he was a judge in Salt Lake, I think.  He is one of those really eccentric and crazy people, in a good way if you know what I mean.  Like the kind of person who sets ridiculous goals, but then is fully committed to them and always achieves them.  He served his mission in Germany, and apparently he had multiple dreams and promptings about how he was going to serve a mission in Russia, so when he got back, he took a couple years of Russian classes.  Then I guess he didn't study Russian for a while, but he taught some law classes in Ukraine and even though he taught in English he spent a bunch of time there.  The reason I say he is crazy is I guess a few years ago he decided he needed to get in shape so he lost like over 75 pounds and just started doing marathons out of nowhere. And he has read the book of Mormon through like 7 times or something like that.  I don't know if those numbers are right, but that illustrates my point a little bit.  So because of all of his dreams and stuff, he was actually really surprised that he got called to Arkansas and not Russia.  But then it got changed like 2 weeks ago or something like that.  He's here in the MTC with us and leaves about a week before we do I think.  He's working really hard on Russian because he wants to do all of the member interviews in Russian by himself starting on day 1 he said, and I don't doubt him. 

 

He talked about how the church invests a lot of resources in Russian missionaries, especially with all of our visa trips, and we are like the fighter pilots of the military, how they would only send missionaries with high potential to Russia so he gave us a little bit of confidence and also talked about how we had to work hard to make it worth it.

 

Most importantly, I found Elder Braiser.  One day I was playing soccer on his team and he was wearing a centennial shirt so I introduced myself to him.  I'm glad the gym is open now.  Soccer was kinda fun, but there are so many people, you barely touch the ball at all.  Every game is Russians vs. Italians, and there is only one field.  I almost scored once, but I was just wide.  On a good note, I've dunked a few times in basketball games now, but they were easy ones and I'm still working on doing it on somebody now.

 

I, along with my whole district, joined the MTC choir for the Friday devotional because we all wanted to leave class early in order to make sure we got a seat in the gym for the devotional.  It was actually kind of cool to sing in the choir.

 

I talk to sister Sanford a little, but I don't really like talking to Sister Missionaries, its really awkward, so usually I just try to avoid it altogether.

 

That's cool that you found Elder Hoggan's blog, he was really nice.  See if you can find Elder Bennett's (try spelling it differently).  He is really funny, so he might write some good stuff on his.

 

Russian is going really well.  Last Sunday night I watched the Testaments in Russian.  It was pretty sweet.  I could understand what was going on because I could pick out the words and I've seen it before, but other than that I couldn't really understand it.  Our district is now supposed to speak in Russian 5 days a week, when we are wearing a tie, except for when we are in class holding a special item that allows us to speak English.  It's really hard, and it isn't upheld all the time, but I like it and it's really good practice.  I'm blessing the sacrament on Sunday in Russian, so I'm pretty excited about that.  I've mostly just been trying to memorize vocab.  It's really hard because the words all sound so similar and nothing like English words.  Russian grammar is really hard, but I love it.  To me its like math.  There are rules and charts and formulas that you need to follow, way more than in English, but there are fewer crazy exceptions like in English, so the grammar comes pretty easy to me. Also, I have a pretty good grasp of English grammar which really helps when you are doing Russian grammar. 

 

Our teachers have been shaking things up when we have been doing the pretend investigator thing.  They will come to lessons with weird questions or problems, or they didn't keep our commitments or something like that.  And one time he even brought his "cousin" (another teacher) to the lesson and surprised us so we had to teach a whole different lesson.  But I actually really like those, they are challenging and fun. 

 

I'm excited the newbs are coming today, so I get to meet all of them and I get to teach a lesson to all of them about how to do companionship inventory, haha a super exciting subject. 

 

The temple is closing for a few weeks so I don't know what I'm going to be doing with my P-day mornings.  They might tell us, if not I'll have more time to study which will be awesome.  The temple this morning was awesome, after the session Elder Fausett and I volunteered in the laundry room and we got to use these crazy folding machines that were really awesome.  It was really fun just to be able to do something different that is productive and helpful. 

 

Anyway, I'm doing great and am really loving it here.  I love all of the time I have to study the scriptures and the language and I wish I had more. Hope everyone is doing well!

 

- Elder Topham

Changes

Hey Everyone!

 

I'm doing great, I'm having an awesome time here and I feel like I'm still learning a lot every day.  Thanks for the food Mom, its very nice to have some snacks for after dinner, and I have plenty now, so thank you.

 

It's a pretty crazy week here for a couple of reasons.  First, the older group of Russian Elders left on Monday and Tuesday, so it was really weird to see them leave already, it was also pretty sad to see them go.  Also, all of the new mission presidents are coming in today, I think.  There is a special devotional Friday night and it's supposed to be really good, and everyone is really excited about it because usually a bunch of apostles come this week, so that should be really cool.  The down side to all this is that they closed the gym all week! I guess they do trainings and stuff for the new MPs in there, but its terrible because it means no basketball.  That means that I have to play soccer during gym time, so that really stinks.  I tried the volleyball here but the quality of the games is frustrating so I can't do that.  The soccer is actually pretty fun.  I had to play last Saturday because Elder Mantell got the first vision, and I've been playing this whole week because the gym has been closed.  The only problem is that there are too many people, so there is never any space on the field.  Also, they have a no-header rule, so when the ball is up in the air, Elders do ridiculous things to try to hit the ball with their shoulders, which I bet is much more dangerous than letting us use our heads... Anyway it's still pretty fun.

 

Oh yeah, I guess it's also pretty crazy this week because they changed all of the leadership.  So I was assigned as district leader last Sunday.  MTC district leader doesn't really do much.  I just check the mail now and run the District Meetings on Sunday, the District devotional review on Tuesday and the planning meeting on Friday as well as interview all of the senior companions. 

 

So we should meet our new mission president on Friday after the special devotional.  Sister Sanford told me that they recently switched the new MP because of visa issues or something like that, and we now have whoever was supposed to be the mission president in Arkansas or something like that, but he has been in Russia teaching law the last few years. I don't know where she got that from or if I heard her correctly or anything, but I'm just passing along what I heard, I should let you know next week. 

 

The new Russian Elders should be coming in a week from today.  So they do come in every six weeks, but we only stay here for 11, so we have a week by ourselves, if that makes sense.  I'm excited for Carter to come and have another close friend here.  A cool part about the older Elders leaving is that we could upgrade our desks by taking them from their class rooms.  Their desks have more writing space and a basket underneath them and the chair is much more comfortable than our older ones.  It may not seem like a big deal, but it really is.  Things like this make all the difference in the MTC, especially because we spend more time in our desk than we do in our bed -  haha.

 

I have the first vision down.  It's slow and shaky at the end, but I have it.  Elder Fausett is really good at it, so he is going to do it at our lesson tonight at TRC.  He is better than me at memorizing, and I am able to grasp the language concepts a little quicker, so we make a very good team when it comes to studying and teaching. 

 

Can someone please copy and paste the results of the NBA draft and dear Elder them to me, I would very much appreciate that.

 

Bridger had some wonderful questions about the MTC so I would like to answer them now

1. There is some grass at the MTC between some of the buildings, but they are also doing a lot of construction on the walkways and overhanging structures, so its not very pretty around the class rooms right now.  But there is a huge grass field across the street that we get to go to every day where we can play soccer and frisbee and things like that.

2. There are flowers at the MTC, mostly in front of the cafeteria building and they are very pretty

3. They have pancakes for breakfast about once a week and they are very good.  But my favorite breakfast here are the breakfast burritos.

 

I hope you all are having a great time in Idaho! It sounds really fun and I definitely wish that I could have gone.

 

I love all of the time I have to study here.  I've been able to read so much of the book of Mormon and other scriptures, I've also been working on reading it in Russian, but is extremely hard and a very slow process, but I'm getting better.  I'm also getting better at making up sentences in my head with the words that I have memorized, but its very tough because of all the grammar rules in Russian that we do not have in English, but its going well and I actually really enjoy it. 

 

That's about it for this week. I'm having a great time and my testimony is really growing. Love you all.

 

-Elder Topham

Primary, Prayers, and Pictures

Hey Guys!

 

I'm doing great, I hope everyone is doing well.  That's so cool that school is out, although it doesn't sound very fun for Danica with all that work that she has to do.  Matthew: I hope you are having fun and playing hard at basketball camp.  To answer a few questions:

 

I think my resistance bands are working, I only do them for about 30 minutes in the morning, and with bands like that I don't think you can really build bulk, but I've been getting stronger and looking more toned, but I still haven't gained any weight here despite how much I eat.  I do love the feeling for the rest of the day after I've worked out.  I don't wake up early, I just get ready quicker than the time allotted, and we have a little free time before breakfast so its enough.  Nobody else really brought any equipment, but the pull up bar is nice, and we are creative with some other things.  They give us a little missionary health packet with a lame little resistance band in it that does nothing, I'm glad I brought that set.

 

I'm getting all of your mail so the address seems to be working, but on the paperwork I got on the first day it said August first is my estimated departure date, so I don't really think it matters whether you put 0801 or 0802.

 

The food here is still awesome, and I'm still loving it.  This time, they had chicken cordon bleu for Sunday lunch so that was a pleasant surprise.  I'm doing really well on food.  To Mom and Danica: I have plenty of mints, thank you and I also have plenty of candy. I'm doing really well on food so I don't need anything, but if you did happen to send something, those fruit leather bars are awesome and maybe some more beef jerky, but please don't go overboard because I have plenty of food.   I heard the weight limit for baggage to Russia got lowered so I may have to lose some stuff, we'll see.

 

We have to teach 4 lessons a week in Russian.  3 are to our teachers who pretend to be someone they taught on their mission. and every Wednesday night we have TRC which is basically a practice session of everything we learned throughout the week.  Former Russian missionaries come in and pretend to be investigators, and we have a task like: get to know them, ask about their family, and work, and school. then we have to teach them a lesson.  Most of the missionaries dread it because it can be a little embarrassing to look stupid and not know how to say a lot of things or what the heck they are saying, but I look forward to it because its a challenge and I can gauge how much I've learned throughout the week.  It's very difficult to answer their questions about the lessons because they usually aren't what you planned to talk about, but I still enjoy it.

 

I'm glad you found some help with the lawn dad, hopefully it will be looking better than in was when I left. I still haven't me Elder Braiser but I'll keep my eye out for him.

 

Most of the elders in my district like to play soccer during gym, but we have a few ballers.  Elder Mantell who is from London has been nagging me since we've been here to go out and play "futbol" with them, but I keep telling him no.  Anyway, I finally made a deal with him that if he memorizes the first vision in Russian by today I'll play for 2 days and if he gets it by tomorrow I'll play that day, because he's pretty close.  I'm pretty close too, I'll have it by TRC next week where that is part of our task.

 

So sad story, I got a note in the mailbox that said, "Dear Elder Topham: a fast food item was delivered to you and because of MTC regulations was thrown away... blah blah blah... we thank you for your understanding."  And it was attached to a letter from Laurel who had tried to send me 5 Guys which I would have loved! Because that's my favorite. So I was pretty bummed that I didn't get the food, but it was a very nice thought.

 

I got some awesome drawings in the mail this week from Bridger and Ryan, and I've also got some from Matthew and some letters from my other cousins.  Yesterday at devotional the primary general president was the speaker, and I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed when I was expecting an apostle's name and picture on the projector and it came up with Sister Wixom.  But I'm also not going to lie, that was my absolute favorite talk.  She had a sweet tone, but it wasn't the over exaggerated primary president tone I was expecting.  She talked about so many simple things from primary, and I remembered the strong spirit that I used to feel in primary. It was awesome.  She ended by reminding us that all of the primary children all over the world are singing songs about us and praying for us.  I hadn't really thought about that. That, combined with the pictures and mail I've received from my siblings and cousins made me very emotional, and inspired me to work even harder, and it felt great. 

 

The older group of Russian elders leave very soon, maybe early next week, it's crazy that they are already leaving.  Time has gone by very fast here, I feel like I have only just barely arrived and it has already been a month. On the other hand I feel like I've been great friends with the Elders in my district for years.  The older Elders have been extremely nice and always very willing to help us practice and they are really cool.  I can't wait to be able to do that when the next group of Russian Elders arrive.

 

A bunch of my friends have been coming in and it's been great to see them.  (Funfact: I'm sitting next to Elder Allen right now in the computer lab as I am typing this) I'm excited for Tanner to come pretty soon. 

 

I don't know if you all found out, but they just created the first stake in Russia, it's in Moscow.  I hear that all of the Russian members are very excited and that there will probably be a temple there pretty soon, so that's awesome! I'm really excited to go, and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can before I get there so I can be effective.

 

-Elder Topham

Never Say Never

Hey Guys!

 

I've been doing great out here!  Thanks for the letters and the packages that you guys have sent me.  Monday was an awesome mail day.  FYI we don't get any dear elders on Saturday and obviously not on Sunday, so anything that is sent after noon on Friday comes on Monday.  Monday was so awesome because I got a bunch of dear elders that had built up over the weekend.  I also got a letter from Jordan.  It was really funny because he put all these hearts and stuff all over the envelope, so the whole district was freaking out when it came in the mail. They were like, "Topham! You told us you didn't have a girl," and stuff like that.  But I saw the Texas return address and knew it was from Elder Dudley.  It was funny, the first line was, "I hope your district liked this envelope," haha and they did.  I also got 2 packages! Thanks for the food and the pants mom, and thank you Ericksons for the Apple pie, my district loved it!

 

The food here is actually really good.  You pretty much have three choices for each meal.  Basically two different entrees (sometimes spaghetti) or a burger.  They also make really awesome salads so I always get one of those for lunch and dinner.  I'm not bored of the food yet, but it is really good to have some snacks back at the room because dinner is pretty early, and especially on the 2 days when we have gym right after dinner I get hungry at night.  But now I have a good supply of food, so thank you for that. 

 

The language has been alright. We had our first 100% Russian lesson yesterday and it was pretty rough.  I was trying to teach about the apostasy and the message was very hard to get across, but I think I did alright.  I've been here long enough where I can kind of project how much I will know by the time I leave, and I'm beginning to see that I won't know very much at all.  I mean, Im learning a ton every day, but I'll have so much more to learn once I get to the field.  The Rossetta stone definitely helped.  I've passed it as far as grammar and sentence complexity, but I know a lot more random vocabulary...like. Nobody else here knows how to say "the brown horse ran fast"  because they don't teach stuff like that at the MTC.  So I have a little wider knowledge base to work off of.

 

A little more about my companion Elder Fausett. He is going to St. Petersburg actually, which I think would be an awesome mission. He told me he has a blog too.  Look for it Elderfausett.blogspot.com I think.  We are getting along well.  We are nothing alike, but I think that actually helps in our teaching situations sometimes, when I have no idea how to relate to what the investigator is saying, sometimes he does.

 

I've been loving the basketball here. My goal is to get a dunk before I leave here.  The games are only half court so there aren't any breakaways, so if you try to dunk its always very contested, so you have to earn it. I missed one the other day and it was almost really sick, but I'll get it.  Elder Walker and I started working out for half an hour in the mornings this week with my resistance bands, and there is a pull up bar right outside of our door.  I've haven't put on any weight yet! Even though I've been eating a ton. But I have been getting more toned from the workouts, so hopefully I'll get a little bulk.

 

Matthew, I miss you too bud.  Good job beating Dad in golf the other day, you would have definitely beaten me too!  I love you bud.

 

Dani, great job getting straight A's, I hope that plaque looks really nice on the wall! I'm so excited you are thinking about running for president. I know whatever position you decide to run for you will do great!   Hey Dani I have a special job for you. I need you to send me the lyrics of Never Say Never by the Beibs.  Its my favorite song to sing in the shower and it gets everyone pumped up, but I only know two lines, so that would really help me out if you could do that.

 

I hope you guys had fun at father-sons, I wish I could have gone!  There are a few native Russian missionaries. They are in the other Russian zone/branch, so I don't see them as much as some others, but we talk to them every once in a while and practice what we learned like bearing our testimony to them and stuff. 

 

It gets a little discouraging here sometimes when you think you aren't progressing very well, but there are many scriptures that tell us that we can do it if we keep pushing forward and keep trying.  Like when Nephi says, "I will go I will do..."  so its nice to read those pick me up scriptures or to remember the words of the oh-so-wise Justin Beiber when he said, "I will never say never, I will fight for forever..."  Haha we love to sing that one. 

I hope everyone back at home is doing well! I love you guys.  Thanks for sending the pictures Mom, I love them, I'll hopefully be able to send a few more sometime soon. 

 

Love

Elder Topham