February 11, 2013
*10 minutes later* "And that is why, dear sisters, I will not
help you get a microwave for your new apartment" -slight pause-
"Zhenya...you make me giggle. I'm glad you're our registrator!"
Hey there everyone :)
Wow. I don't think I've ever in my whole mission been on the phone
so much as I have this past week. Let me tell you, it's pretty crazy. A fun
example of this is while we were walking back home from Church (Elder
Warkentin, Elder Wing -the senior couple- and I) I got a call from the Zone
Leaders that led me to need to call the sisters that led me to send out a
couple of texts that in the end allowed me to finally call back the Zone
Leaders all in a course of about 8 minutes or so. Elder Warkentin was unphased
by it all but Elder Wing said "oh my gosh Elder Peterson! You're on the
phone all the time! How do you do it?" I was suprised because to me that
didn't seem like a whole lot of communication anymore - just kind of the new
norm. Helping Sisters move into a new area that neither I nor they know along
with the billion and 6 persmission questions and pass alongs that I needed to
call up make me make real good friends with our cellphone. I was pretty
stressed out at the beginning of the week, but I've gotten used to it now and I
really love being a district leader! You get to talk with everyone so much and
get to know people and help people out! Talk about a blast, right?
Which reminds me, we have the coolest sisters serving here in
Balakova now! Sisters Kistler and Crane came in on Wednesday and they're the
coolest. If you remember (I may have mentioned this last week) but when I was
on my visa trip me and Sister Kistler team taught a lady on a plane, so we were
already friends. Sister Crane just barely got here from the MTC but she so dang
lucky because she studied Russian for 2 years before she came out! Wild, right?
As she helped out at an activity and bore her testimony at Church he Russian
was just as good as Sister Kistler, who also has pretty dang good Russian
especailly since she cam out just 5 months ago. I'm impressed with their work
effort and they're super fun to work with. Woo hoo!
As for the members here in Balakova. Gosh, I've got nothing but good
to say about them. They're some of teh strongest bunch I've ever met and
they're all super nice and smily! This Sunday was also pretty unique too in
it's turnout. Generally in mid-winter we have a relatively low number of people
that come to Church because it's cold and people are sick and other such thinsg
that happen in the winter. Well, for the past couple of months we've had 20 or
so coming to Church and then boom! This Sunday we had 32! Yeah! There were lots
of less active members that came and even one that brought a friend with her to
Church along with 2 of our investigators that are gonna get baptized! At least,
we hope they will! The welcome into the branch was really warm and it's a
really big privelage to work with them.
That reminds me. We were working with a member. As I was showing him the photos of
ya'll (i.e. my family) he and his wife said that you, Dad, look just like an
actor named Clukvin (Kluckvin? Phonetically it's Kl-oo-kvin the "oo"
said like in "moon"). Anyways, apparently whoever this actor is he's
a good looking guy, so way to go Dad!
Can I just say how much I love kids. Especially Russian kids.
They're hilarious! We went over to a part-member family to bless little 3 year
old and she was running all over the house and she loved showing me the
pictures of her comrades, the fox, the little hedgehog, the turtle the fiesty
teddy bear and other forest friends along with building a watchtower from
legos! I don't know why, but my love for kids has really grown a ton on my
mission. they're just the coolest! I can't wait to play with my nieces and
nephews and see if they're even cooler that the Russian tykes! I bet they are!
:)
Well, that should wrap it up for this little e-mail. By the way, I
think this is the one town where I feel pretty comfortable telling people that
I'm from Los Alamos. More Russians than I thought actually do know about Los
Alamos and sometimes it makes the conversation awkward when they say "wow,
your town invented the bomb...don't you feel terrible?" But here in
Balakova they really appreciate Los Alamos I think and like to talk about it
and how cool it is to have a nuclear facility around. It's been fun!
Hope you all have a great week! I know I will! Happy valentines day!
Eat some delcious candy for me!
I love you! :)
--
EP
(man, in intial thing might not work for me since now you may think
this letter is from Eric. At least for now I'll probably have to stick to me
usual
--
Elder Peterson) :)
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