week 32 a few days earlier

Dear loved ones,

Yeah, P-Day has been changed to Mondays now. So I don't have too much to say from the last email, to be honest. Except! With Interesting Fact #32, because I am sure you all interested in The Motherland. Well to be honest, these interesting facts and differences are becoming harder and harder to find. It's either I am getting really used to being here, which is a reasonable reason, or that this place is not terribly different. I guess that's the fact of this week. It's not too much different from every where else! There's people, there are homes. People live, and people go. 

Well a few notable things I guess. Well we met with our friend, Vadim, who is this inactive we have been working with. I probably have mentioned him on an email past, but for the most part, he is awesome. He was baptized 5 years ago, and is inactive now. So naturally, we are working with him to become reactivated. He speaks fluent English, and he is one of the nicest, funniest guys I have met here. He has come to church once and participated a lot. He didn't make it to the next Sunday because his cellphone (or his alarm clock) was off. Well we met with him with a Senior Couple set of missionaries at our institute building. We were going to talk about his missionary work duty as a member, but the meeting took a very awesome turn for the better. We didn't even touch on that topic or what we planned to talk about. It was just a nice melting pot of great spiritual thoughts, but it all ended and culminated and talking about the Temple. I asked him that as we work with him and help to become re-activated (he knows he needs to come back), that he would have the Temple in mind as a goal for him to enter into. He agreed, and now it's just the step of returning with him. We are here every step in this process with him.

This last Sunday, he was unable to make to church today, because he had to pick up his mom from the hospital, which is a very solid excuse. You can't argue with that one. No way. But we called him again last night to see how everything was doing. He said that she is doing well and that she has been very patient with the whole thing. Apparently there was something wrong with her veins in her leg and she had to get it amputated, so he is being an awesome son and helping her out with that. He is 28, but he sometimes feels like he is my age. Or I feel like his. I am not sure which. But I have kind of come to realize that that is what I have to give to these people I meet. My investigators, the members, or the inactives here. That's what I know how to know well, I suppose. Just being a friend. Vadim really appreciates it, and I am just glad that I am here to help him and work with him, and most importantly be his friend. 

I think in the last email I talked about an investigator we just received named Sergey. Yeah. He is a CHAMP. We met with him last thursday evening and talked about the Plan of Salvation. He understands it. He has been reading, and has prayed. We are meeting with him tonight too. What made it especially great was that he went to Institute without us, with a person he met that night, and had a great time there too. We are going to meet with him tonight and then hand him off to the Family Home Evening going tonight. He is one of the friendliest, coolest kids I have met here. 

Well, since I don't have much to talk about this week, I have time to upload pictures that almost 3 months old! Hip hip hurrah! I barely have any here in the city because I am so busy all the time. I do plan on going site seeing one P-Day, but my companion isn't much of a go-do-er kind of guy, so when he can he likes to relax. Relaxing is nice and all, but I am in St. Petersburg! There is much to see! Well anywho, he is a great kid. It's been fun training him.

Picture Timezzz!

Well in the hit of excitement, I realized that the cord doesn't fit.... So sorry to keep your hopes like that. To quote Miles Wray at the end of Albert, "Whoops".

Well I love you all, This is a little shorty. A lil Phatty rather.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

a week of rain ?

Interesting Fact # 31: Candy in Russia is a LOT sweeter. It's some of the best candy I have ever eaten. Well. I never was a fan of candy as it was, but now I love it. Apparently there is a law that there has to a certain percentage of cocoa content in chocolate, hence the excellent candy. But seriously though. Candy in Russia is so amazing. Take a Kit Kat bar, multiply it by 5.1412 and you got a Russian Kit Kat bar. Oh, and Milky Ways are more like 3 Muskateers here. Fact!

So this week was an interesting one. Since last thursday, we had meetings fall through left and right. It was a kind of annoying at times, but we have experienced so many miracles this week. So, in the long run, it was not a bad week after all. Well, aside from the double whammies we got over and over again, we found an investigator in our area books last week and hasn't been contacted in over a year because of his phone number or something. He had a baptismal date set up because it fell through because of his non-existant attendance to church. But we call him up, and he wanted to meet immediately. Of course, we can do that! So we met up with him on Saturday after he got off work and we got to know him a little bit. His name is Andre, and he works at the post office. Very humble man and speaks really slowly which is PERFECT! haha. I can understand him so well, it just feels so grand. Anyway, well we talk to him and he still has a testimony of what the missionaries taught him and in that time he had read the Book of Mormon, and wants to be baptized, and more than anything, receive the Holy Ghost. So we gave him the commitment to be baptized on the 22nd of October and he gladly accepted. We told him though, that in order for him to be baptized, he has to come to church with us. He seemed very excited about it. So were we.

So with our lessons and meetings that had fallen through, we had a lot of time to contact on the streets. So we planned out to the T, where we are going to go contacting, how many potential investigators we are going to talk to (those who we can receive any form of contact with [i.e : address, phone numbers, etc...]), and home many Books of Mormon we were going to give out. That was on Monday, and today is Thursday, we got about 7 new potentials, 4 of which were on Monday. On average, we get about 5 or 6 in a transfer period (6 weeks). So that was way exciting. It actually made it a lot of fun and worthwhile. 

One person we came in contact with is this 19 year old kid named Sergey, who we took a nice little adventure with him through the Grocery Store. We were talking to him, and he asked us to walk with him to the grocery store. We followed and talked. We talked for about an hour on the street and it was a very interesting conversation. He opened up to us his beliefs, and he has a very difficult time believing something he cannot see. We told him we can help him. He was incredulous because he said "I've tried", but he had never met with the missionaries. We met with him the next evening and brought him to Institute. He has a lot of interesting questions that only the Plan of Salvation could answer, so I told him what I knew. He wants to believe. He wants to know and find truth. I knew as soon as I saw him that he was one of those people that Heavenly Father has prepared for us to talk to. We are going to meet with him again tonight. 

Things are still the same old same old here, but also changing like crazy. You got both ends of the spectrum. Oh, and time. It flies. It's scary too. If you really want to know where I am in relation to the city, if you go on Google Maps, and zoom in on St. Petersburg, I am in that big island in the very very middle of the city. I actually haven't seen what it looks like on the map, but it's exciting nonetheless. 

Well, the church is true. This is the Church of Jesus Christ restored on Earth. I have received so many blessings as I have studied His Gospel, and as I have been meeting with our investigators, it's such a blessing to know that the Plan of Salvation, the Atonement, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ really answer those questions. The proof of it all, the proof of the Restored Church really is the Book of Mormon. It is tangible evidence that holds everything together. It can answer the questions of the soul. And i know that to be true. I love you all.

Но, сейчас я пишу по-русски, чтобы моя мама могла видить. я вас люблю!!

С любовью,

Старейшина Текольви!

Week 30 - An Awesome Sunday

To start, Interesting Fact #30: Human Advertising. I have noticed, at least in busy parts of the city near the metros, human advertising is quite literal. They wear big billboards and hand out menus and things. Mostly they walk around with the billboard around there torso and back. Well I guess it's not as bad as sign-flippers, or hot-dog costumes that the desperate-for-money-so-that-they-can-buy-an-ipod teenager wears for money. I prefer the billboards I suppose.

This last week was pretty cool. This last Sunday was amazing, as the title of this email so cleverly describes. It was fantastic. We have been getting our investigator, George, or Гиоргий in Russian, coming to church for the past few weeks. This last week, we were waiting for him at the metro stop nearest the church, and some other mans comes up and talks to us. He is a friend of George, named Vladimir, and he was invited to come with us. George then came along as well, and we all went to church together. And theeen, another investigator named Vladimir Desboev also came with his wife (his family are all members), and theeeen our new convert, Yegor, invited his mom to come to church and she absolutely loved it. We are going to be teaching her soon when she comes back from her Dacha, I think. And theeeeeen, we had an inactive he have been working with come to church with us as well. His name is Vadim Zakhorov and he speaks amazing English. Insomuch that he has an accent when he speaks Russian now. We are going to be going to Subway with him today, actually. Really awesome guy. Way cool.

Well to continue, we meet with Vladimir Desboev and his family Sunday night with our Branch Mission Leader, Maxim Petrov, and we discussed why baptism is necessary. The thing is with Brother Desboev is that he has known the church for about 8 or so years, knows everything to be true, knows every bit of doctrine, and he has a testimony of everything. But he just fears that after he gets baptized, and he sins or something, he feels like he is doomed. He have explained the Atonement and Repentance with him as well and he understands it, but at any rate, we had this amazing discussion about baptism. He didn't quite commit to be baptized right then, but he said he will think about it, talk to his family about it, and pray with them to know that it's right for him. We are just praying that he will understand that baptism is right for him. He is sooo close!

On Monday, I get a call from my district leader that a less active lady needed a blessing for health and that he wasn't able to do it for whatever reason. So we go out and give her a blessing. It was the first blessing I have ever done in Russian. Let me tell you... It was so nerve-racking. I didn't have any kind of blessing written out to consecrate the oil or anything, so I had write it out before hand for my companion could say it. Let's just say that I remember when I was in his position. I had do a few of those my first week. But at any rate, it was a great experience. I kind of just relaxed and started saying some stuff that really helped her out in her blessing. Her name is Lyubov, which means Love in Russian.

Well that was strange. The power went out here at this internet cafe for a while. We just went shopping for groceries and foodstuffs and came back to finish these emails.

So anywho, yeah. Great week. We got a hold of a former investigator here in our area who stopped being taught because missionaries couldnt get a hold of him anymore. Well we got a hold of him after a year and a half. It was really random but nice. He had a baptismal date set up last year, but it didn't work out because he didn't ever go to church. Well we are going to definitely work with him to get him coming. His name is Andre and he sounds like a very nice gentleman on the phone. We will be meeting with him tonight actually. We also have a few other teaching appointments set up with inactives and investigators here. Missionary Work... It's pretty fun. Really, it is.

This Church is true, and the work that I am doing is helping to build God's Kingdom on Earth. There will be a Stake of Zion here in St. Petersburg, and I will be here when it does. I just have to keep working at it, and I will so gladly do so. So far being out here, it has really strengthened my testimony that this is the fullness of the Gospel, and that by it, it can help and bless people, more than anything else in the Earth.

This last transfer ended yesterday. Fastest 6 weeks of my life. A few of the older missionaries went home already, and we got some new missionaries in. We have 2 Elder Clarks now, and a President and Sister Clark. Clarkville. Or should I say, Smalleville? Clark Kents!

Anywho, I love you all. You are my greatest support that I have out here. You are in my prayers constantly. It feels like the end of these emails are like the ending of the Epistles of John or Paul or something. Blessed are thee, my brethren! Or something like that. Well, I really do love you and pray for you all everyday.

Love,
Elder Tekulve

Lot o' sun, and a lot' rain

Interesting Fact #28 - Well let's see. I am starting to run out of interesting facts. It worries me. Well here is one observation I made: Trying to find canned soup is impossible. They don't sell them here in Russia, which is too bad. You can do so much with a can of Cream of Chicken. Well I guess that's where making stuff from scratch comes in.

Hello family! 

So school started/is about to start, huh? Well I am not sure if that's totally applicable. Well I guess. Sarah teaches. Ryan still is in school, same with Josh. I guess Katie and I are the ones that matters not whether school is starting. Did that sentence make sense? I am not sure myself. Well weeks are flying by really fast. It's really scary. We have a few missionariesr going home in a week, one of which I am gonna miss. I never served with him, but he was an awesome missionary. His name is Elder Schrader. Great guy. He is just one of those guys where you can just talk to for hours if you wanted to. Next transfer (6 weeks from now), we will be having 6 or 7 missionaries go home as well, which means 6 or 7 new missionaries. I keep on telling my greeny (missionary term for those you train) that he will be a trainer after I am done training him next transfer. He doubts it. I doubted too, and now look where I am. So yeah. It will happen. This whole mission is become brand new. All of the older missionaries are leaving, and there is a lot of them.

Well this last week we finally finished the How To Quit Smoking program with our investigator Anatoli. It's supposed to take one meeting to finish. It's only 15 steps we had to explain, and that's it. But with him, we could only get through about 3 at a time so that he can retain and understand each step. So we fiiiinally finished it. Thank the heavens. I just pray it will work for him. He has allergies to grapefruits which is a big part of the program. Kind of put a dent in it, but we found alternatives to help him out. 

We met with one of our favorite inactives, Vladimir Denisov, last thursday. He has been inactive for about 10 years since he married his wife, who isn't a member. Since this last sunday was fast sunday, we talked about fasting with him and invited him to fast. I called to check up on him and he was fasting all day Satuday and Sunday. We wanted him to fast so that he can find a way back to church and that he could find a way to let his wife let him go to church as well. She isn't the biggest fan, unfortunately. But we are working with them. But I hope and pray that that fast provided him with strength and faith to return. We then met with Boris Shestapal who is also an inactive. He said he would come to church this Sunday but when I called him he said he couldn't, so I asked if we could meet. We met up with him and it was a very spiritual lesson about scriptures and personal revalation. He didn't understand how we can receive correct personal revalation. He thought mistakes could me made, and I basically told him that the missionaries that prayed and came in contact with him and taught him made no mistake in knowing their personal revalation on where to go and what to say. That really humbled him and he came to church the next day. It was just really cool to see. I did not plan on saying that to him, it just kind of came out. 

We also met with a new investigator later Saturday night. We came in contact with him a week or so ago. His name is Michael and he is from Nigeria. He speaks English, which was perfect for us. But he was really excited for us to teach him. We get there and he teach the Message of the Restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon. He just picks it up and looks at it, and says, "Yup. This is true. It testifies more of Christ. This is true." It really just stunned me to see some one to know already. It was sooo awesome. It just really goes to show how important it is having the Holy Ghost with you when you teach. Without it, you are nothing. You may be able to speak Russian perfectly or be an amazing orator or public speaker, but without the Holy Ghost, no one will be converted. Their hearts will not be touched. 

That's it really for this week. The exciting things at least. Oh. I bought a cool hat? No. It's not a shapka, though I do plan on buying one of those. Those are those big Russian Fur hats. But it's like this hat that looks like its from the 20s or something. I like it. THat's all that matters. Oh yeah. My companion is also a really good cook. Moreso a really good baker. He made homemade calzones. They were absolutely amazing. One of my favorites meals so far.

Oh. And about that title. Yeah it got really sunny here for a few days, but it started to pour again. Like today, for instance. It's pretty wet. 

I love you all and you are all in my prayers every night. I pray for your safety and wellbeing and that Heavenly Father will bless each and every one of you. Dear reader, whether it be family, friend, or some random person that came across this blog that I have not yet seen before, I love you and so does our Father in Heaven. Always remember that.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

Week 28 - And the Friscolating Day of Knowledge. PART III

Interesting Fact #28: When a month has a day where it's the 31st in Russia, they have some sort of protest gathering kind of thing... deal. Yeah, it's like the 31st part of their constitution says they have the right to do that, so they do it. And the missionaries can't be anywhere near. For instance, last night (the 31st), there was some sort of demonstration right off of Nyevski Prospekt, which is the main street in St. Petersburg where we get off at a lot to get to the Institute Building. But because of Stradegy 31 (as it is called) we had to take a metro transfer unto another line and get off at another stop. A minor inconvenience. 

Week's are really started to blend together and are starting to go by faster than I can  think. Honestly. That could have felt like the fastest Lake Powell trip I never went to. That's not saying much now is it, because this is the only time in the past 9 or 10 years where I haven't been. But nonetheless, it felt like you were at Lake Powell for a very short period of time. Maybe it was fast to you as well. Well by the looks of it, it still sounded like a blast. I mean, come on. Musical Fire Dances in the cliffs with bugles and pans? Klasno. (As they say in Russian)

Well the language is coming. Just not having anyone to rely on has made me really push myself. I honestly have to do 90 percent of the talking, 100 percent of the phone calls, 85 percent of the teaching or so. I think just that balance right there has helped me more than I could otherwise. I suppose that is the blessing of progressive training program change? Who knows. Well the transfer has 2 weeks left of it. The training program is now 2 transfers long (3 months), so I am going to be with Elder Pace one more transfer here in Center. Like Vyborg, I absolutely love it here. Once the 2nd Transfer starts though, I am gonna get Pace doing some of them phonecalls here. It will kickstart his language skills ten fold. 

Anywho, like I said. I love it here. I think I am bound to love anywhere I go. I will find ways to love it. Right now, I love it, because of the people that we met with. We have an investigator, George, who have asked to be baptized twice, but hasn't accepted... yet. BUT, he loves to meet with us and has come to church twice. He is the fellow we talked to in the street the first week or so here. He hadn't seen the missionaries in about 7 years or so,  and we are the first contact since. He wants to bring his stepson to the meetings and to teach with us too. Really geniune, awesome guy.

We have also been meeting with our new convert, Yegor. He is 18 and was baptized almost 2 months ago. One of the COOLEST kids in this whole mission. So great. We have to teach him the lessons after baptism still, so we have been working with him with that. But he is just so down-to-earth and so outgoing. He had never heard about brownies before, so I found a more international start and bought some for him to eat. He is a HUGE fan. The stuff I bought was almost like the Corner Bakery brownies I used to get with Ryan and Tyler Olpin. Next time though, I am going to make him homemade brownies.

We met with a lot of less actives this last week. One of which is named Vadeem. He is a young guy, English teacher (so he speaks really really really really really good english. Again, another miracle of this transfer). We met with him yesterday, actually, and he invited him to come back to church and he is set on going. He had a lot of questions about prayer but we explained it to him in a very nice, caring, and simple manner. We had a member there from America. He had served here like 7 or so years ago in the St. Petersburg mission, and is back here working and teaching English as well. Anywho he helped us out a LOT. 

Speaking of Americans. We were going to the Hermitage to serve and ran into a huge group from Utah. Well. They saw us and were really happy to see "the elders". They were all in Russia to teach English under this program. They are supposed to teach in Moscow, but for some reason they came to St. Pete for a little vacation until things were ready and set up in Moscow. Well at anyrate, I invited them to come to church with us and to go to FHE. So our congregation was very large this last week. Twas marvelous.

So today is the Day of Knowledge here in Russia, at least that's what the signs said. Today is the first day of school so I saw a lot of kids dressed in suits and school uniforms. I guess we will fit in for once here in The Motherland. 

Well that's all for now. I hope this email was as exciting as the title was. I know what you're thinking... Where's part 1 or 2?......

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

And on that note, I would like to say simply that this Church is true. This is the true church of Jesus Christ. The Atonement is so applicable to everyone, everywhere. Even here. I have seen so many miracles and so many blessings just being here so far, and I want you to know that. I love you all. 

Love,

Elder Tekulve

With a Whole Bunch o' Borsh

Interesting Fact # 27 - Clothes in general in Russia are really expensive. I looked for a winter coat last week, and it took a long time to find a decently priced coat. I kept on running into 20,000+ ruble coats. There was this one leather coat that was 40,000 rubles. I think it's 28 rubles to a dollar, so you can do the math.

I had my first zone conference in the field! Aren't those interesting. Actually they are. They fed us subway, and Sister Clark (President Clark's wife) made us cookies, always an amazing treat. But we are changing the way we do things a little bit here in St. Petersburg. We are focusing a lot on working with less actives and investigators at the same time. We have been working with a few inactives, one of which loves to meet with us. His name is Vladimir Denisov. Such a nice guy. We have come over about once a week, and he really wants us to help his friend quit drinking. Gladly! We are developing a really solid friendship with Vladimir, and every time we have invited him to come to church with us. He also is very appreciative and thankful for our invitation and knows we will not stop doing so, but that doesn't dent our relationship with him. 

This last week, we meet with our new investigator George, or Gyorgy in Russian. He speaks English as well, so it's definitely really helpful. We met with him yesterday and we asked him to be baptized. He will think and pray about it, he said. He came to church with us this last Sunday. The problem is that he has Multiple Sclurosis? I don't know how to spell that, but anywho, it's really difficult for him to go around. He is on a cane and stuff, but we walked with him from the Metro station to the branch, which is maybe a mile away? I don't know for sure. But he was exhausted at church. But the cool thing is that he wants to come again and bring his friend who is been interested in religions. Again, I say, Gladly!

We made a big batch of Borsh this week. I made somewhat differently because we didnt have oil. It was Elder Pace's first experience of Borsh, and I felt like it was a bit underwhelming. I have made better before. No but really though. Russian food. Absolutely amazing. I guess it was that blessing from President Francis that the food I eat will taste sweet. I am obsessed with Russian foods. My motto that I have so far in the field is from 1 Corinthians 10:27: "...whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake." Yup. So far, it's been great.

The city is still beautiful. I sometimes forget that I am in such an old city. I will be walking to the Hermitage, yeah the Hermitage which an old Victorain HUGE Winter Palace building, and I will pass all these cathedrals and think nothing of it. But then I realize, "Oh my goodness. This city is beautiful." It's quite a busy city too. In fact, it's really busy. Walking down the sidewalk is ridiculous, weaving in and out of people. It's the worst when you are in a hurry to a meeting or appointment and there so many people.

We have been asking everyone we see for referrals to see if they know anyone that would be interested in our message. I know it will work and be successful soon, but right it's not the right time. Doesn't mean we won't stop asking. Even people in the street, we ask them too. There was this one time where I was talking to this lady and who claimed that I am only here to add more wives to my already endless collections wives. I obviously told her that I am here to preach the gospel but she would not believe me. I found the incident rather hilarious, to be honest. I asked for her a referral and she kind of just walked away. We've seen her a few times with the same ridiculous accusations. 

Well things are going well here. I am learning and figuring out the area better. I know that you don't take Bus 9 to get the Metro, but if you want to get to the other end of the Island, you got to get off before Universtat Prospekt or the next stop will be a mile or two away. Also, don't run inside the metro trying to risk getting on before the doors close when your companion is a bit slower than you. The doors closed on us while I was inside and he was outside. Needless to say, he wasn't too happy. I went straight back to the last station where he was at, but now I know just not to risk it. Again, I thought it was hilarious. 

I hope Lake Powell is just as amazing as I remember it as. I got those pictures from Mom and there were a few of just Lake Powell and it twas marvelous. They provide great stories for investigators or members. Yeah. This is Lake Powell. The Lake of Dreams. 

I Love you all, and I am so thankful for everyone's support.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

P.S.: I guess it's been 6 months already. That was fast. Way too fast...

Andrew Alexander Tekulve

Stratsvoyetyey Family! (Hello!)

Interesting Fact #26 - Shopping Carts in Russia. Now you wouldn't think they were different, but they are. To be honest, I like American ones. Have you ever noticed that shopping carts, let's say Vons, (Or should I say BASHA'S!? Remember that place? They had terrible bread) the shopping carts there have two sets of wheels that turn, whereas the back ones are fixed. It's very easy to meaunevuer (butchered that word). In Russia, all four wheels on the carts turn so it's really difficult to control your shopping cart. There will be times you are pushing your cart straight, but yet it speeds its way onto the right. Maybe I'm just not made to grocery shop.

Things are starting to get cold here in St. Petersburg. I think it has rained every day this week. Now don't panic, Mom. I am buying my winter clothes today. There was aboslutely no need to buy them in the months previous because I have never been so hot in my life. But now... Yeah, I definitely will need them. It's interesting how fast the weather changes and how soon. It's the middle of August, for goodness' sake. Well, you are all probably in a nice 99 degree weather with a beautiful lake and gorgeous red cliffs. So 110 feet higher eh? That's pretty intense. Good luck finding beaches! ah-ha! No but seriously though, Lake Powell is gorgeous and I pray that you will be safe and have a whole lot of fun.

St. Petersburg is such a gorgeous city. I forget how pretty it really is. Well, it's man-made beauty and it's not terribly natural like Lake Powell is, but then again, Lake Powell was made by the geniuses of men, so therefore it is natural. Anywho, St. Petersburg is gorgeous. But I am starting to get used to it. I will be walking and see this towering Russian Orthodox temples and cathedrals and think it's completely normal. I haven't had time to take photographs of them. But you that famous church that was my desktop backgrounkd on my laptop for so long? That's in my area. I see it a lot, and it's massive, and gorgeous.

This week we got two new investigators, one of which we find on the street. The other was found previously by other missionaries and we just now met with him. The one we found was on Monday as we were walking down Fontanka, right off the Neva river. He is this older looking man with a cane and starting talking to him. He had met with the missionaries a long time ago, but then he said the missionaries kind of disappeared and he hasn't seen them since until now. So we exchanged numbers and he gave us his address and we met with him yesterday in his apartment. You remember in Doctor Zhivago when their apartment gets commonalized where every and there dogs now live there? Yeah his apartment (as he was explained) was a common apartment back in the Soviet area. 7 families would live in this apartment and share a kitchen and bathroom. I have absolutely no idea how it could be possible, but it was. He had just one small room to his own, but it was apparently where he has lived his whole life. His name is George too, and he is a really nice and humble guy. We taught him the Restoration and the Spirit was just so strong. It was really neat to see. It''s also kind of crazy how far I have come with the language. It catches me off guard. Oh yeah, I talk in my sleep in Russian now. My companion hates it. It wakes him up. I think that by being in charge and having no one to rely on has really forced me to make some advances with this language. It's not too bad.

That's pretty much all the exciting news really about this week. The weeks are flying by and it's really freaking me out. Last P-day felt like yesterday. Nope. It was a week ago. Well you are all probably on the Lake right now. The Lake of Dreams, as I like to say. Well I would just like to tell this much. So far as I have been out here I have already seen so many blessings from the Lord in my work and with all of you. The day I left to the MTC, we lossed the keys. We found a perfect solution right after we prayed and it got me to where I needed to be. There was the question about that cellphone that I once had. Then Dad got this blazing awesome Thunderbird 5003dx.21 phone from work. Katie graduated and has so many job offers and working hard, it seems. Ryan got work at one of the coolest little joints in Orange County and rocking it at Lazer Tag AND had some awesome classes at Santa Cruz and ACED them. Sarah got a job for the summer successfully and is still working hard with teaching. Dad has been blessed with the ability to work in another state by living in the home he loves (even if it seems ridiculous hard). Mom finished her crazy-insane real estate offer and has more on the way and with new potentially successfully business ideas. Grandma and Grandpa have been blessed with health and safety, and they will continue to be blessed. I have seen the Lord's Hand in my work everyday, and as well as in your lives. I really love you all. You are my biggest support, each and every one of you.

And for those of you who are reading my blog that is so awesomely kept by my sister, whom I love, I know you have also been blessed, but I just don't know the details. Well. Family first. Sorry pals.

I love you and I pray for your safety and happiness everyday.
Love,
Elder Tekulve