Happy Halloween!

Hey so this week I kinda updated you all on so far through personal emails, but we have just been doing the work and trying to stay healthy haha, but we did have Zone Conference last week, and that was pretty sweet, but other than that we have been visiting members/investigators, like the married couple that Elder Gill and I met with that was a referral from the Selmash Elders, and our newer investigator who we see on the street and talk to once or twice a day sometimes, usually during the work week, I can't write there names on here I guess, it's a new mission rule. We're also planning on having splits this week so it should be a good time, other than that there isn't much planned, but I'll for sure see what I can do about the flash drive next time I have a chance to look. Things are good though and we are excited for Halloween, and I hope you guys have a good one! I love you guys, until next week, stay safe!

-Elder Skene

Zone Conference This Week!

Hey! So this week there isn't much news other than we did have our investigator Olya come to church last week (not this week though she was out of town) and came to our activity where we ate borsch as a branch that Elder Jacobson and I made, (mostly Elder Jacobson though haha) and we had root beer floats that we made with some of the concentrate you sent me and watched a church film and she liked it a lot. Other than that we just tried to work a lot, Elder Jacobson is getting sick, but who knows it might go away, I was pretty sick for one day too this week again, but I seem to be on the downside of whatever I had. Zone conference is this week though so that should be fun to see everyone. I'll make sure I think again and make a list for the Christmas package, I'll be sure to email you guys personally too if I have any questions or ideas and about college. I'll let you guys for sure know, transfers aren't for a few more weeks, it's a six week cycle, and we find out almost at the very end, so I'll let you know for sure about transfers when I find out. Haha I know that's not a bunch of news on this email but oh well. Hey I was wondering maybe this will be possible or maybe not, let me know what you think, I might be able to back up all of my photos on a flash drive that I'll pick up here somewhere and then send it to you in the mail, it might be a better time though if I can just show you the photos with you in person when I come home, let me know what you think but regardless, if I get a chance to send more photos I see what I can do. Well that's about it for this week. Thanks for everything! I love you guys, stay safe, and have a great week!

-Elder Skene

Work Week

Hey! So this week there isn't a ton of news, we just tried to work a lot haha, we do have an investigator coming to church now though! Haha I guess it might not seem like something big, but here and for us it is, we are pretty excited to see how this moves forward. I was sick for a day or two this week, but we still worked a lot and now Elder Jacobson and I are gonna make some Borsch for a ward party tomorrow night, and we get to go see Sister Elenora Aleksevna, a way funny old babushka, (Russian word for grandma), we usually do once a week on Tuesday mornings to help her with things, I did this with Elder Gill too, it was always a good time. To answer the same question that all of you have, yeah I did get the package and everything was fine and untampered with as far as I could tell, it was awesome, I'm loving the watch and the card game and everything else, thanks so much! Other than that there isn't much to report on this week, my birthday was a good time, Elder Jacobson and I kicked it and made some good food and had as much fun as we can as missionaries haha. Well that's about it for this week, I'll be of course emailing you all personally, thanks for everything! I love you guys, stay safe and have a great week!

-Elder Skene

Thanks for the Birthday Wishes!

Hey! So thanks for all of the happy birthdays that I got from all you guys! It was awesome! Today we don't have any major plans or anything, we ate somewhere and are writing home and then we are working for a couple of hours, then we have studies, and that's about it, haha it's good though we will kick it back in the apartment, I mean there isn't a ton of options as a missionary for fun things to do, but it's good to know that I'm serving the Lord even if I can't do maybe the same birthday activities that I would participate in back home. I got my package last week, thanks for everything, it was sweet, the watch is awesome, I got it fitted at a store for like 5 bucks, and I loved everything else in there, thanks so much! The debate is pretty good news, I hope things continue to get better for Romney, and I heard that conference was pretty cool and that they even talked about our mission, and I heard about the 18 and 19 age changes, that's way interesting. 

Other than that we just worked a lot when we could this week and I had my all-day, well just about all-day visa trip to Donesk, Ukraine and then back to Rostov last Friday, I will try to send photos maybe on Wednesday if I can or the following week on Monday. This I suppose will also be a shorter email and I'll email you all personally, but that's all for this week, things are good and we are working hard, my new comp is awesome and my area is good stuff, have a great week and stay safe! Thanks for everything, I love you guys!

-Elder Skene

Transfers!

Hey everyone! So as I said I'll tell you what the transfer is gonna be, we found out on Friday night, I'll be staying in my area, but I'll be serving with Elder Jacobson, stud, he is just finishing being an AP, and we've always been good buddies since I met him, other than that not a ton of news this week, we had 7 lessons and met with some awesome members and had good times finishing up with Elder Gill and I, and today is our last day together, and I'm going to TGI for a birthday dinner haha, that is legitly probably the nicest restaurant here haha, well one of them, but I think they make the food better here for TGI than they do back home, I've been there once before, so today should be a good time. I haven't gotten the package yet but I'll check the office today and tomorrow due to transfers and we have to come in to the office to switch companions, Elder Gill will be going down to Krasnodar and serving with Elder Hansen, also a stud. So we'll see what happens next transfer, but I was blown away to be serving with Elder Jacobson, something I guess I really never considered even. We expect this week to be a good one and to get some work done for sure. I just wanna reafrirm to you guys how nice we have it back home though, really like haha it's hard to look at photos sometimes even, I have loved serving in Russia for like the 9 months I've been here, I have learned a lot of lessons and received so many blessings from the Lord and met so many cool people and had some great experiences, along with all the hard times, and for sure one of the lessons I guess I had to learn was how good I had it back home, how good all of us really have it, it's not like we are starving here or anything, but I guess it's just something that has to be experienced rather than just said, but for sure I want you guys to know that you have it so good at home, not just our home, just America in general. It'll be pretty unreal to come home in like year and a week, but when that day comes it should be good times for sure! I love you guys, stay safe, and have a great week!

-Elder Skene