Practically Arrested!

Hey! I'll get to the title in just a second because I'm sure your wondering what I mean haha. But before I do Ill just wrap up everything else that happened this week which is honestly the standard stuff except we surpassed our goals in lesson on the street, which is awesome, and that's about it haha, but things are still running smooth though, and I'm so glad to hear that you guys are doing good after those health concerns. I'm attaching a photo of us with the branch here in Novo, another of everyone in our zone at last zone conference, and 2 more of a hike we went on this week with a member and some investigators, we climbed the highest mountain in and surrounding Novo, its not too high though but it was a wild climb because there's no trail haha. Here in Russia everyone just goes up the mountain anywhere they see appropriate haha, but it was a good time though and we had an awesome view and we got to see a trench line dug by the Nazi's when they invaded Novo in WW2 and some other cool stuff.

So by practically arrested this is what I mean. The assistants the the president came down to Novo for splits this week, and they were bringing down some supplies for our branch here in a box with them on the train, and they accidentally left the box in the train wagon, so Elder Jacobson and I went to go get it back and after being tossed around from person to person at the train station to try to pin down the packages location, we finally got referred to our local friendly Russian police officer who referred us to a building where we where interrogated for like an hour because they thought the box was a bomb, so they made us list everything that was in the box, which was just sacrament cups and water filters, and then fill out some affidavit type of thing, all while being interrogated in a room by the Russian police with the classic one light bulb above us a room with a sheet of glass you can't see through, it was wild, all with a warning on the wall with a picture of prison bars with the phrase, "You Can't Hide" written in Russian on it. It was truly a trip haha, but all in all we got out fine with no lasting problems and got our box back with everything in the end, but I guess it's in interesting story to tell! Well I gotta go, stay safe, until next week! I love you!

-Elder Skene

I feel like a Missionary in Mexico!

Hello everyone! So about the title of this weeks email, when I say I feel like a missionary in Mexico, it's because the yesterday we had 2 or 3 people just walk up to us on the street that weren't crazy or drunk and seriously wanted to know about the church and wanted invitations! It's way rare in Russia for something like that to happen, and the stereotype among missionaries is that it happens in Mexico and Spanish missions all the time, apparently it's actually true though from at least what I've seen stat wise and from talking to people who served there. I guess when I get home I'll be able to relate at least one experience now to Elder Pathakis haha. This week we also played some Basketball for family night with Brad and his friend Nick, Nick also works for chevron and is from America, it was awesome, I haven't played though in like 5 months though and I was already a bad player to begin with so you can imagine how that went haha. But none the less it was still a competitive game though, because well to say in an alluding way, basketball didn't start in Russia.

I'm attaching the mission photo, a photo of yesterday when President Nechiporov visited our branch to say goodbye, and a photo of my new Elder Travis nametag. Other than all that though this week wasn't super eventfull other than we met some cool people though some investigators and members, and we just had a standard week contacting wise, I haven't sent my package yet but I'll be doing that soon, I have the box and nearly everything ready though, and I'm making sure there are no mistakes by having one of the members here help me and double check everything, I don't wanna get ripped off, as you can imagine, the public opinion of America and Americans in general usually isn't that warm, and if that's with the people, imagine what the government is usually like. This week the AP's are coming down for splits and later in the week we are going on a hike up in the mountains with some members and investigators, so that should be fun. We also took a branch photo yesterday, I'll send it when I get it from the branch president here. Well that's about it for this week, I love you guys, stay safe! Send my love to everyone at home for me!

-Elder Skene

NO TRANSFER

Hey! So I will stay another transfer here in Novo, 4 transfers, I'll almost see every season, I'm not sure how I feel about it yet but to be honest I really wanted to get a transfer and experience something new in the mission, but that's not gonna happen for at least 5 more weeks. Anyways, we went to Krasnodar, then to Rostov, and then back down to Krasnodar this week for Elder Belnap's Visa trip, the entire mission was down in Rostov, except for 2 missionaries who were at the police station in Taganrog near Rostov because they got attacked a month or so ago, but we took a huge mission picture! Huge as in all 30 of us Elders were in it haha. Well other than that there isn't much to report, other than I'll be giving brad my clothing when he leaves this week, I'll give him your phone numbers so he can get a hold of you. Just set the clothing in my room and lock it up, it's some of my favorite DI classic shirts, hopefully they can remain intact and unused while I'm still here. I'm attaching a picture of a bucket of fresh cherries that Andrei and Artyom picked for us from their trees at home. They taste great! Russians are pretty good about growing there own food here. I'm also attaching some photos of the trips back and forth that we had this week. There's one with Elder Roberts and I, and one with Elder Sprouse and I, they are 2 of my favorite Elders in this mission, they are both serving in Sochi together, Elder Srpouse is the one with blonde hair and Elder Roberts is the one with brown hair. I'll attach another one of a huge Provoslavnic (Russian Orthodox) temple we visited while we were in Rostov. But that's about all for this week, the new President comes this transfer, so we'll see how that goes, he sounds pretty cool though, another Elder in our mission was set apart by him I guess? Anyways, I love you guys, stay safe, and may the Force be with you!

Elder Skene

 

Maybe a Transfer!

Hey! I can't say for sure whether or not I received a transfer yet, because I don't know for sure yet, because there might be some last minute changes apparantly, but as of now I'm staying here! CRAZY! Being with the same companion and in the same area for 3 or 4 transfers is nearly unheard of, and in an area like Novorossiysk where you never see anyone, that's insane, I was honestly kind of hoping that I would have been transferred, because I really wanted to go see and experience new areas and people, I'm so grateful for the people I've met and some of the experiences I've been able to have here though! I found out that apparently my transfer was dead set on me going to Rostov with a zone leader! Haha that was my dream, when you have a mission of about 30 Elders everyone knows everyone and I love that kid up there, but that's not gonna happen I guess. Oh well, I just gotta do as Gandalf says, "Do the best I can with the time that's been given to me." If I stay here there are some cool perks I guess though, I'll get to see Brad's family, well some of them, and work with some of the people here more, and see the south in spring time.

Other than that there wasn't much new this week, other than the standard encounters with the drunk and insane, but we actually managed to have a smoothly scheduled week though, which isn't too common haha. We are having a harder time with our investigators though, but we're still working with them, it's frustrating to see the potential that everyone has and how much work they can do, and then they just don't use it, it's tough to watch, especially as a missionary. But it reminds me of how God must see us when we make a mistake or don't do what we should or don't use our potential sometimes, his mercy and love is truly infinite and incomprehensible to us, we're just so blessed to be able to experience it though and be forgiven and given second chances.

We travel up to Krasnodar today for Elder Belnap's visa trip. So we'll see how that goes, it should be a fun time, because after we get to Krasnodar we travel with almost everyone in our zone up to Rostov. I'll tell you how that goes. Well everything is pretty smooth and normal here and we have more water now haha, but our bathroom keeps flooding! Haha Novo is a good time! Well that's about it for this week, I love you guys and I miss you, stay safe! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

-Elder Skene

Transfers this week! Well as in I find out!

Hello everyone! So as far as the title goes, what I mean is the transfer call is this Friday, it's when the AP's call us and let us know our transfers after messing around with us a little bit haha, but like I said I'm anticipating leaving but who knows for sure, I really don't know any specifics about my transfer though, so we'll just have to see what happens. Well everything here is still relatively the same here but things improved in the branch here for sure last week, more people are coming, I was thankfully able to translate talks, and interview, and the branch presidents explanation of one of his paintings that they want to buy, and we did three orders haha, all for the senior couple (the Davis's) who visited from Krasnodar, it was way cool, I'm so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be able to learn and use and understand the little Russian that I have been able to haha, the gift of tongues is real!

Funny story this week, we had sports night at the branch, as in people come and and play Frisbee or ping pong or something, anyways we had 5 people show up, and the second we left the branch they all for some reason went they're own way once we walked out of the branch building without even saying anything haha and we had 1 come with us, so we just played Frisbee with the 1 member, it was a good time. I don't think I have really any photos this week, but I'll just send a random one I guess if I can, but I will send one of my new cool Russian shoes, we don't have a lot of time though. But that's about it for this week, we'll see what happens this week, things are getting interesting with transfer guesses from everyone, but we'll just see what we end up doing, but I'll let you all know of course! Well stay safe, I love you guys all so much! Until next week!

-Elder Skene

Happy Mother's Day! (kind of!)

Hey Everyone! I can't express how awesome it was to be able to talk to you guys yesterday, and how much I loved every second of it, we were so blessed to be able to use skype like that and chat about everything and to be able to see you guys and my room and the house again. Well I don't have much more to report besides what we already talked about, other than that I'm sending some photos of a concert that I went to last week before our call that I forgot to tell you about, it was pretty sweet. It was a concert of Andrey's son Artyom, our investigators, it had a lot of Russian cultural songs and other stuff, it was the 60th anniversary concert of the music school that Artyom goes to, which in Russia is a big deal, music education here is big. He did a great job and the concert was awesome, well by now the photos are attached and all that, so I'll keep this brief. I love you guys all so much, thanks for everything, really, I can't put into words how cool it was to see you guys and how much I am grateful that you have done and continue to do so much for me, I love you all and miss you so much! Well until next week!

-Elder Skene

Happy Victory Day!

Hello everyone! Happy Victory Day here in Russia, this is our P-Day, that's why I didn't write on Monday, I apologize for no forewarning, they told us the night before. Anyways, well Victory Day is pretty cool, people are out on the streets EVERYWHERE, so many people! I'll be sure to take photos of all the stuff I can! Victory Day of course is celebrating the end of World War 2, but honestly, in Russia, it's just a celebration of Russia's military power, and full of the propaganda of how the US, Britain, and France didn't do anything in the War except for walk into Berlin after Russia did all the work, I mean they're right about France, but Russia has a huge pride when it comes to the Armed Forces.

We went to Anapa this week, so I'm sending some photos of that if I can attach anything, the computers here have issues today, as always, I don't even know if you'll  get this email. We went to the Branch Presidents art show, it was way cool, his name is Damir Krivenko, I think I've told you that before though. We have a little less water than last week and still have to deal with that, but yeah I on the bright side it toughens us up, like you said. We also have the usual, crazy people and skin heads trying to mess with us, but nothing happened so it's all good. I can't really write any more because I'm spending money to try to fix this problem with this comp so I can at least send this, so no personal emails this week probably, we don't have time now because of this, sorry. Well I'll call you guys on mothers day sometime between 3pm and 8pm my time here in Novo, either on Skype or on the phone, so look for both. I love you guys, until next week! 

-Elder Skene