Interesting Fact - Umbrellas are a necessity here in St. Petersburg. I might have already mentioned, I honestly can't remember. But basically, they have umbrella dispensers.
This week's email might be a shorter one because I am going to send some pictures. The biggest news is that I am getting transferred! I finished my service as an Assistant, finally! After 7.5 months being here, I am going to train an Elder Barrett in a city called Pskov. I can't believe it has almost been a year since I last trained a missionary. I am really excited now, because now I know a lot more, in terms of missionary work, and I can actuallly understand this language now haha. I am really excited, and I really feel like I am being set free and I can be a real missionay now! No more office days! yay! I really can't wait. I have never been to Pskov, but it's a city about 5 hours south of St. Petersburg and it is right on the border with Estonia. It's an incredibly old city, like one of the oldest in Russia. I think it ranks up there with Kiev, Moscow, Hovgorod, and Nizhniy Hovgorod. I heard it's absolutely beautiful down there. The branch is really small there, but I am being sent down there to really help the branch out, and to really ignite the place. I can't wait! But I really am going to miss some of these people here in the city. A lot of members, companion, families, and Jacques. Jacques is doing awesome by the way. He has been passing the sacrament now and getting a calling. He is going to move to France really soon, but he is an awesome member who is as strong as a non-convert member. It's incredible.
Oh speaking of families, we stopped by the Shaikhulin family (the family whose 9 year old boy got baptized last month). We are continuing to teach him the lessons after baptism and everytime we stop by, the family opens up more and up. I really love that family, and they really enjoy us coming over. I have a few pictures of them. But Vania is just a stud of a kid, and their 14 year old daughter, Liza, plays the violin like a pro too. We had a little concert after one of our lessons with them, and my mind was blown away. That is a family I definitely will miss.
So this week, We got to go up to Vyborg (my first area) with President Clark. We thought we were tagging along to go on some exchanges with the Elders there (which we were anyway), but we had some extra plans that we didn't know about until about 30 minutes before we left that we needed to throw on some jeans and tshirts. We were going to the woods. Not just the woods, but it turned out that President Clark was going to speak in the Districts Girl's Camp. Ha! So we basically had to transport materials to the camp along side this lake near Vyborg, and then awkwardly walk away and hang out a distance away from the campsite due to the awkward topic of conversation concerning marriage and things of that sort. As a missionary, it wasn't the most comfortable of situations. But shortly after, we left with President to the city of Vyborg and there I went on an exchange there with an Elder Clarke and went tracting. We tracting into a man named Volodia who let us in and we ended up teaching him the Plan of Salvation and it was an awesome experience.
That was more or less our 4th of July, too. Happy Birthday America! I hope you all had a great holiday, and had a good BBQ. We made burgers, but we didn't have time to make them on the 4th of July. But yeah. America!
Picture time!
1. At the Hermitage Square
2. Next to the Hermitage, along the Neva, with Peter Paul Fortress behind me
3. Veselov Family! Viktor and Larisa are on the right.
4. Shaikhulin Family!!! Me, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Stankosky, Vania, Hadezhda, Alexiy, and Liza
5. Jacques!
6. Dinner with President Clark and his son Carson, who just got back from his mission in Zambabwe, after we slammed Super Kontik cookies. Was a success
I love you all! The church is true! I gotta get running as per usual!
Love,
Elder Tekulve
P.S. It's incredibly hot again. Do you remember last time I was saying this? Yup. It's summer again.
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