This Week's Email...

Hello... I'd like to order a pizza please. Oh wait, this is an email...

Well, it sounds like you got the right Elder Bervan. Ha ha. He definitely has a big SMILE and is a happy guy!  He is already one of my favorite companions. Really good missionary, good with people, really fun and happy and doesn't take crap from people, etc. which is good! He speaks PERFECT Russian, I swear. Dadgummit, how did he get so good?  He's only a couple transfers older than I am too.  Don't worry Mom, we laugh alot! You ask me that every email.... We laugh and we are happy and having fun! Don't worry about me. :) Really. That's really cool that you talked to Sister LeBaron. I didn't know her very well, and that is probably why she thought that I was a quiet kid because we never really had a chance to talk to each other. From what I know about her though she is pretty nice and friendly though! Last transfer was my first transfer with sisters in my district, so I don't really know any of the sisters in the mission very well.

That picture of Cody was awesome! I didn't know that his companion is African American and when I saw him, I immediately thought about the wonderful Ghana Africans that we taught here and got jealous of Cody. I know it's not quite the same, but that's what I thought of. Good people. I know that Cody is having fun teaching with his companion.

That is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE what happened to Kelsey's mom! Tell her that she is in my prayers. How often do you talk with Kels? Truly, tell her from me that I know that everything will be okay.

This last week was a busy week, and an eventful week with a split with the Zone Leaders, meetings with President, and I got sick... I will explain in a minute. We had to go to St. Petersburg on Monday and it was super busy there with alot of people so we pretty much were at the office or traveling all day... I did get KB's card for Christmas while I was there though! Tell Kiddo thanks from me! We had a split, and I was in Petergof with Elder Beck from California. He is a really cool kid! I think I've told you about him already? He is quite a funny kid and good missionary. We had a meeting with a couple of older ladies who are investigating the church and we watched the movie about the Restoration with them. We shared our testimonies and read in the Book of Mormon with them. They are really nice, sweet little ladies but they don't really understand what we are trying to teach them. They really believe in God though and they are such wonderful people. Good lesson in general and I enjoyed it.

I got sick on Saturday with a migraine... first one in about a year. I jinxed myself last week when I was telling you that I had not got sick for a while. It quickly when away by the end of the day so I was up and doing missionary work on Sunday, but on Saturday we couldn't really do much. I think I will be fine, but please pray for me that they don't come back like they used to. I think I might have got sick from some anti-worm pills that they have us take every now and then, just incase our filters don't get everything out of the water. I've heard a few other missionaries had some side-effects too.

Tell Karl hi for me, and thanks for putting up with me, BP and Cody before we all went on missions! Also tell Cody P. and Heidi congratultions on the baby for me! BP is going to be an uncle again. That is crazy awesome!

I looked for a birthday card for dad, but I couldn't find one that I liked for him. I will be sending some letters soon. That makes me sad that you and Cole never got those two letters that I sent. I did sent them before I sent Lee's card, so I blame the mail systems. Haha.

Next week we will be in Peter for Zone Conference, so P-day will be on Friday next week,  just so you know and don't worry.

It's starting to get colder here after a period of a little bit warmer weather. Everyone says about now is when it is going to start getting really cold. I think these thermals I got will do the trick though. Thanks again for sending them.

Yesterday, Elder Bervan and I had a really cool meeting with Sergei. We planned on talking about the Plan of Salvation, but he just wanted to talk about baptism. He said he is still waiting for an answer if this church is true, but he wanted to know what he should do if (when, I say) he finds his answer, what he needs to do. We talked about how baptism is a promise with God, what it symbolizes, and what we get after baptism through the gift of the Holy Ghost. I KNOW someday that Sergei will find the answer that this is true. He is a good guy!

Don't worry about me at all. I'm happy and well. I promise. I love you and miss you all and know that Jesus is the Christ who died for our sins and through Him and Him only can we return to our Heavenly Father and enjoy the blessings of Exaltation.  

Keep Smiling! Peace be with you! Be of Good Cheer!
Love
Blake.