Trains and Planes

Well I'm finally back in Engels. Spent the week traveling from Saratov to Samara to Kiev, then the same cities on the way back. Pretty interesting week, a little tiring.

Funny story that maybe just i think is funny.

So often times while talking to people on the street we get rejected by people rather emphatically saying 'I'm Russian Orthodox!" I'm not sure why they think they need to say that in such a prideful way. we know their Russian orthodox... that's why we're inviting them. I thought it was just that they think we're some American church and they've got that patriotism.

Well this week we started talking to a girl that was passing out fliers for a cosmetic store. We were talking to her for a little bit, and all the while she was passing out fliers. She went to go give one lady a flier for the magneet store, and she stopped and said in a way that we missionaries know all-to-well "I go to Ruble Boom!" made me and my companion laugh.

we also had an old grandma pass us the other day waving a 'fig' around in the air talking like only crazy old bobooshki can. (a fig is kinda like the middle finger, but not as offensive. Parents will often give their children the fig when the keep whining for something. it's similar to the sign language letter 'T') So.... we went to Kiev. It was a pretty good trip. Theres one guy (passport control) in the Samara airport that likes to give us a hard time. "I just hope you know that what you're doing here is illegal..."

well... if it's illegal.... why don't you do anything about it?.. "i can't".... that's because its not illegal.

The temple was really good. Learned some interesting stuff. We spent most of the day there, but they didn't have very many sessions of anything... so we just spent a lot of time sitting in the temple. We also got to participate in a fire drill. Probably the first and last time I'll ever have the opportunity to do a fire drill in the temple.

It was kinda interesting, and helped me to really understand just how sacred the work we do in the temple is. like, did you know that if there's a fire, they take the time to gather up all the cards with information about ancestors? I probably wouldn't think to do that in a fire... must be important! I also go to do some work for some family members of a member in Novo-k. So that was a neat experience.

We also got to go to a baptism up in Samara while we where there. One branch up there has a lot of foreign members and investigators due to a university. It was pretty cool to see one African baptize another in Rasia... Russians are typically not very accepting of black people.

But the gospel knows no bounds.

well.... I love you!

hope all is going well

love,

Elder Ellis

 P.S.

Russia is zombie proof because all the buildings are made from thick concrete. usually the first floor windows are all barred. I would feel pretty safe in my apartment if a zombie outbreak were to occur.

we had some pretty good storms this last week. had me thinking tornado! i was happy to enjoy it feeling safe in my zombie proof apartment 8 stories up with a good view of the skyline. No tornado.

just some wind damage-tree limbs, fences, a few ripped up roofs....