It's safe to assume that I have landed safely in St. Petersburg, and I am doing well in the Motherland right now. Wow. This place is so different!! I can't believe it. Everything you can possibly think of, they do differently. It's awesome. I really enjoy it here, and I am really excited to see what else St. Petersburg has in store.
So on Wednesday, after my long flight to London, we had another 2 hour layover in the London airport. It was kind of a mess when we landed becaue Elder Clark was really really thirsty and I guess in Europe, drinking fountains do not exist. It was so bizarre just being in the airport where everyone has a British accent. They all were nice people.
Back up. So in the Chicago airport, we were waiting to board our plane and we met a Scottish couple that were going to go on the same plane. They were Dave and Carol, and we started talking to them. They were very very interesting people. Dave was a professional electric bagpipe player in this rock band and he was just finishing up his tour around the U.S. performing in all sorts of venues. He was a really friendly guy. His wife was a little bit silent, but she was a very kind person as well. I had a difficult time deciphering their thick accents, but obviously I did kind of well considering I knew he was a bagpipe player (or maybe that was just what I was thinking then. I mean come on. He was Scottish) At any rate, we brought up the Gospel, the obvious routine of a missionary, and got talking. He seemed to know a LOT about the Church already and about Brigham Young and the History of Salt Lake City. He seemed to be very interested in that stuff. He told us he really liked the missionaries. He related us to the pioneers in the sense that we were marching on with Faith. He really impressed me on his spiritual understanding of things. Anywho, I whipped out an English Book of Mormon that I bought right before I left to give to someone on my layovers. I had written my testimony in it as well so that it was double bonus points. Yup. So yes, I gave it to them and they were both very eager to read the book. I told them that when they get back home that should contact the missionaries in Scotland to teach them, and they agreed. It was way awesome. Quite the experience.
After we landed in London, we came across him and I asked if he had any questions about the Book of Mormon. He told me he had read a little bit from the Book of Mormon and he made a very interesting point. He said how it was interesting that it says that Lehi came from Jerasulam because there is a lot of similar architecture in South America and the Middle East, in reference to the pyramids. I was so excited. I continued to encourage him to read it and we went our seperate ways to our different flights. They were some awesome people. I hope all goes well with them.
Now to the nitty gritty. Yup. I am in Russia right now. I have no idea what anyone is saying. It's so bizarre. Occasionally I will hear a word or two, but for the most part it's undecipherable for me right now. It will come, i know it will. Well yes, I landed, and picked up my bags in the airport that smelt like a Vegas Casino (but this was better, obviously) and met the Mission President and his assistants at the airport. Guess who his assistant was? None other than Elder Punderson, the cousin of the Seymours. He is a way cool dude. We got our bags and got picked up by our driver. Ok, I don't think I have ever seen drivers quite like Russians. Passing people dangerously is a commonality here. It's really quite funny, in my opinion. But, I often feared for my life. So after, we go to the mission home of President Podvodov and his wife Sister Podvodova. I was told that their apartment will be the nicest I see in St. Petersburg. It was quite nice. Sister Podvodova made us some dinner and it was... .DELICIOUS! I had plof which is this Armenian rice dish, this chicken stuff and a few other Russian eats. It was really really good. Not going to lie. Hey Ryan? Remember that one time I gave up being your slave for 24 hours because I wouldn't eat a jar of mayonaisse? Guess what Russians love here? Yup. Mayonaisse. They almost worship the stuff and they put it on everything. The chicken stuff we had, which I don't remember what it was called, had mayo and cheese on it, but it was actually way way good. Yes. I have already consumed Borsh. I ate it last night actually, and it was pretty dang good too.
So after, dinner on Wednesday, Elder Punderson took me out to contact at Nyevski Prospect which is the busiest street in St. Petersburg, and perhaps their most famous as well. I had to take the metro down to Nyevski. Oh my holy craps. So you buy a Metro token and you take this escalator that goes WAAAY down underground. There are millions and millions of people on these metros. Well, on this giant long escalator, it's a rule that you have to go on the right side, and if you are in a hurry you can walk down on the left side. Well, we ran down, and it was way fun running past all these Russians, whom of which don't really smile too much. So we get on the metro, which is packed and stinking hot inside. One of the many talents that the Russians have in St. Petersburg is insane balance on their metros. They constantly go in varying intervals of stop and really fast. It's quite a difficult task to keep your balance in these beastly machines. By the way, the metro trains themselves are pretty beat, BUT their metro stations are so fancy. All the walls are in marble and there are stained glass windows with beautiful artwork all over. It's way way interesting.
We get to Nyevski Prospect and there were just sooooo many people in the streets. We end up contacting a few and handing out pass along cards. I talked to a few, but I know my Russian was terrible because a few of them were way confused. Or often times they would just shaft with the hand and walk away, or just say no thanks. At any rate, it was way exciting. So we get to a bridge that goes over the Nyeva River. I look down and there she is.. The Spas. The Church of The Lord over Spilt Blood. Thats that really really gorgeous Russian Orthodox church right along the river, which was my desktop background for a long time. So naturally, I get a picture in front of it. Unfortunately, I don't have a USB cord with me so I can't upload it, but I will next week.
Oh yeah. The sun doesn't set until maybe 11ish pm here. It's really really crazy how bright it is here in St. Petersburg. So i got my first transfer and now I am in the city of Viborg, which is 2 hours north of St. Petersburg. They have a very solid branch here in Russia. One of the most active with 70+ people coming everyweek. I think Viborg was the city in this part of the world where a church meeting house was actually built. I hear it's pretty nice too. I got in last night to Viborg after 3 hours of a bus ride where the driver looked literally like Zangeif. Mustache and all. Naturally, i fell asleep. The Jet lag is intense, but I will get over it sooner or later. I am companions with Elder Hunt right now who is from South Jordan, Utah. He is a really cool guy. This is his last transfer and then he comes home after 6 weeks here. He has been in Viborg for about 5 transfers now, so he knows this place pretty well. I am sooo stoked to see more of this place. There are many districts around in our mission. Unfortunately and Fortunately, no one goes to Frans Josef Land. That place is far too cold. The weather here right now is actually really nice. It doesn't start getting cold until the fall, but it doesn't start getting really really cold until Novemberish. So right now, mom, I am fine :)
I hope all is well with you! I love you all. By the way, I found out that dearelder works on my mission for free. Just make sure you select St. Petersburg Russia Mission, and not Provo MTC. Email me though, because that is still faster! I feel like i have so much more to tell you, but there is so much going on that I don't remember.
I am sooo excited here. They place is awesome!!!
With lots' o love,
Elder Tekulve
This is Drew with the Mission President and his wife. President and Sister Podvodov.
Drew is taller than all of them by a foot!
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