May 21, 2012

05-21-12 I'm gonna be 20? Hey there everyone! Yesterday was a fun day when I realized that in exactly one month it's going to be my birthday! Woah snap! Becoming 20 and reaching my half-way mark on my mission is kind of a crazy thing. But hey, I guess I have to become an old guy at some point, I'll just have to try and enjoy the last month of my youth! Just the usual work going on this week. We had exchanges this week and the District leader and Zone leaders came to Ulianovsk for a couple of days, which was pretty dang fun! We were able to do lots of good work and I learned the word for snail. It's interesting to see how older and younger missionaries work. When you first start out in the mission, the only things you're able to say are pretty directly related to the Gospel and so that, essentially, is what your conversations all focus on. As you get older in the mission you learn the language even better and have attained more teaching practice and skill, which broadens what you can talk about when with people. What was cool was to see how these two types of missionaries work together, one learning the language and focusing ont eaching Gospel principles while the other is understanding everything and helping to direct the conversation so the younger ones can do their magic. The coolest thing to hear is a new missionary's testimony of the Gospel and see how much it influences people, regardless of language skills. Always something to learn from everyone. I had some real legit Russian food last night. Mom, Dad, you're going to have to google a drink called Kvas. To my knowledge, it is, simply said, a bread drink. It tastes a lot like bread, and is actually pretty tasty after the first couple of gulps! There's a Russian dish that I can't remember what it's called where you take essentially as simple egg salad (more veggies that eggs though) along with a few dollops of sour cream and pour in some Kvas in there. Elder Lewis didn't like it too much, I think, but it tasted pretty dang good with bread! In addition we were served pork and what me and Elder Lewis are pretty sure was dog (though, we're not entirely sure, it just had kind of a lamb taste to it, though not quite lamb). Clean it all up with a tasty Russian pear/apple juice and you got yourself a pretty simple Russian meal! Yum! I'll have to find out how to make kvas so ya'll can taste it! I'm honestly having some hard times figuring out what I want for my birthday. Mexican food stuffs for sure (that rice a roni mexican rice is the best!) and a letter would be cool, maybe some update pictures of the fam! I don't know; I haven't though too much about this. I was telling Elder Lewis on our way over here "dang, I forgot to think of birthday stuff again!". Overall, I'd say don't worry too much. I really just love hearing from you most of all :) This is a short e-mail this time cause I've got to shoot off another quick e-mail, but thank you so dang much! It was sweet to hear about that eclipse. Don't think it'll happen over here on my side of the world, else I would have picked up on it from somewhere. Dang cool :) I love you lots! Be good now, alright! Eat yer veggies with some bread drink! With love -- Elder Peterson