Hello my loved ones!
I am in the office right now, and I am glad that I have a chance today to read your emails and to email you before I head off to some city somewhere for a week. Everyone sounds great, and I hope that the weather warms up for you there. The weather in Almaty is very warm right now and very sunny. But here in Moscow it is a little chiller, and kinda cloudy, but still nice.
So like i said in the early email, get a hold of Sister Moore and tell her the calling phone card information, because right now i have no idea what number you need to call. And then she will just pass on the information to me.
So I am a little sad and nervous about being here in Russia for this week. I mean, i love russia and it is great to be back. But Ipara is getting ready for her baptism on the 13th, and I won't be there to help finalize things and make sure she is calm and things are good to go. I left her in good hands, with Sister Gorkavenko and sister Dick and Sister Cianflone, but still, I really would like to be there. But its ok. Life goes on.
So I guess you have heard about the whole Osama bin laden thing, right? well, since almaty is an area with a lot of muslims, we have a few rules just to make sure we take good precautions. They don't want people knowing we are americans. and so on public transportation and buses and things we are not allowed to wear our name tags. and we should not talk in english on the streets like we were used to doing when we would invite people to our english program. But, yea, just a few little rules. No biggies.
So Sunday there were a few earthquakes in almaty. Now don't freak out. All it well. Me and my mini missionary were sitting in our apt. sunday morning at about 830 and we were studying before church. and then all the sudden the apt started to shake, and then it shook again a little harder. It was kinda crazy. I just thought to myself, oops, what do I do if it starts shaking again, and harder? Where to run? Where to hide?! but it was all good. And then in testimony meeting on sunday at church all people talked about was the earthquake that happened and how scary it was and how we all need to be prepared. And then that night, we were planning for our next day. And we get calls and information for ward members that all over the news they are saying there will be a huge earthquake, size 9, right in the heart of almaty. Sister Gorkavenko's mini missionary was already getting packed up and ready to run out the door. And members were already outside, sleeping in cars or staying the nights in the streets. Honestly, I didn't believe it. I thought," come on, you can't predict that an earthquake will be tonight, and that it will be a size 9, and that it will happen at exactly 1015." I thought it was all a little ridiculous and that people were just being way over reactive. So i didn't do anything. And then i decided to call the elders and see what they had heard. They said that yea, they had heard the same things, and that just to be safe they were getting together little bags and praying, ready to run out the door if anything happened. I thought come on, this is silly!!! I usually freak out about things, and so i decided to be chill about this one and play it cool, while everyone else was getting worried. Then the moore's called, and some of the elders were a little nervous, and so they decided that we would all get bags together of a few important things, and then meet at the branch building as missionaries. So we met there, talked about procedures and what we would do if an earthquake were to happen, and then we all went back home. We all said a pray together and were calm. And, in the end of all of it, there was no giant size 9 earthquake at exactly 1015. People said that there was an earthquake early in the morning at 230 and another at like 9 in the morning, but we did not feel a thing. I don't know why. I decided in the end that at least we were prepared if anything were to happen, even though i thought the whole thing was just silly.
So yea, this past week my companion has been in moscow getting a new visa too, and so I was with Sister Gorkavenko for a few days, and then I was with a mini missionary. It was good. We got more no shows then I wanted, but I think it was a good experience for my young little mini missionary. I think she had fun and enjoyed sharing her testimony. So yea, this past week we have just been working on trying to get Ipara ready for her baptism. And I pray everything goes well this next week when I will be in Tula I think. It will be fun to see a new city, and to meet some new sister missionaries here. I don't know anyone in our mission anymore. They are all new, and I have been down in Almaty where we see no one. When I was sitting in the plane this morning, I looked out the window and thought to myself, "wow, i cannot believe that it has already been six months since I have been to russia." crazy how time flies. And last night i cried myself to sleep, thinking about going on the plane. Because it made me think" wow, what will it be like when I really have to leave, for good." and it was scary to think about, and hard to explain. It is just a weird feeling. And I am doing my best to enjoy every minute, and not think about how sad it will be when I need to say goodbye to the families I have met here on the mission. anyways, lets get off that subject.
Well i love you all! Thank you for your support and encouraging words every week. Keep up the good work and have a wonderful week! and happy mother's day mom and grandma's!!! I love you all so much!!!! seriously!!! I don't think I have said that enough before. I love you! Until Sunday when we talk! and then our email again next week!
Loves, hugs, and kisses!!
Sister Brown
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