I am sorry everyone. I try everyweek to put pictures on these emails, but these computers are retarded. First off, it's Ubunto, whatever that is, and second off, it's all in Russian, so I don't understand what it means when these boxes pop up. I am not sure when I can upload pictures, to be honest. This is the only time I can, and it never seems to work.
Well... Let's see. Interesting Fact #4: Well they have scented/flavored toilet paper here. We currently have apple. And it's nice.
( Russian apple scented toilet paper Googled)
This week was a very interesting one. I forgot to mention last week that we were going to St. Pete this last weekend. You know why? Elder Russell M. Nelson came and spoke to us all. That was cool. That was way cool. We had a missionary conference with just us and him. He is an amazing guy. I actually do have a picture of it, and I will forward it to you right after this. But needless to say, that this is my 3rd Apostle I have heard spoke to us in the past 2 months. I am very spiritually fed to say the least, but there is still room for a whole lot more. Oh yeah, I shook his hand too. So on saturday we spoke to us, as well as the district adults here in the St. Petersburg mission. We met with a few of Elder Hunt's old investigators who he baptised. All awesome people. On friday, we had to take a bus to St. Pete, and it's a 2 hour, 100 degree F, or 37.8 C,(haha metric units... or something), miserable bus ride. I have never sweated so much in my life. Yeah, big surprise. Of all places.. Russia? We go to the Institute building in downtown St. Petersburg, which is RIGHT IN FRONT of the Fontanke River. You know what was filmed on that same street?? 007 Goldeneye. Yup. The part where James Bond bursts out of a building with a tank, knocking soldiers into the river as they scream the classic "Wilhelm Scream". Good times.
(Fontanka River Googled)
Going to the city was a big shock to me. I am so used to the quiet small town life in Vybourg, that I forgot what a busy city is like... And St. Petersburg is a big... busy.. city... It was crazy. On Sunday, Elder Nelson spoke to the whole district of St. Petersburg and explained what we need to do to form a stake here in St. Pete. A stake just got formed in Moscow, which is the first in Russia. Now it's time for St. Petersburg. I feel like we are getting really close, but there is still so much work to do. Elder Nelsen explained that we need to be "to the Rescue" (as Thomas S. Monson so simply describes) and reactivate those who have become less-active or inactive here in St. Pete. I am going to do just that, and some.
(Group photo with Russell M. Nelson)
This week was Chili week. We made a great batch of chili this week, added with Cornbread, Chili Dogs, and Navajo Tacos. It was amazing. Cooking is not too bad afterall. Well it never was. Cooking is great.
I think the most notable thing that happened this week was our service day, in terms of an incident that really just touched me. Well to start, it was kind of comical. We start our service at the Vybourg Castle (google search some images of it. It's way awesome!) and we get there, and there really wasn't much to do. So they gave us kitchen knives to weed to the cobblestone pavement.. I have never done that one before, that's for sure. Well after, we were about 15 later than scheduled, but we normally walk this palsy girl in a wheelchair named Yanna. She normally calls us a day before to tell us to walk her the next day. She didn't call us, and we tried calling her a few times and her phone was out of service. So we stood outside debating what to do. I felt really strongly to just go and see if she is there to walk her. Granted, we were both starving, and Chili dogs sounded amazing at the time. But we decided to go up there and see if she was there and to see if she was alright. She was there so we got her ready to go walk with us. Her mother is a worthless person, mind you. But we carried her in her wheelchair downstairs and we get outside. She immediately just starts crying because her mother is just a careless person to her. She needed that walk on Tuesday. She needed that little escape from home. We walked her around and did some shopping for her and it really just made her day, which then made our day. I completely forgot I was starving afterwards, but it really felt good to help her out. It's true, when you are in service with your fellow man, your are in service with your God.
Then yesterday, we had a few meetings with investigators. But during one of them, (which were at the branch building here) Igor, the one who just got baptized, came by. He hasn't been to church since because he moved to Svetagorsk, a city an hour away from here to work. He came by, so I went on splits with a member here and I taught him about the Priesthood while Elder Hunt taught a lesson with the investigator. THe Priesthood lesson went really well and we committed him to receive the priesthood. Igor really understands everything and he seems way excited about everything. I didn't even mention temples but he wants to go through in a year from now. He understands family history and seems to really want to participate. Elder Hunt's lesson, on the other hand, didn't go too well. The guy was just confused on who we are. But other than that, this week was fantastic.
I hope everything is going well with you guys. I pray about all of you all the time! I love you all.
Love,
Elder Tekulve
P.s.: it's now cold and stormy. Weather here is more bipolar than Provo, which I didn't think was possible.
P.s.s.: Russian is a hard language.
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