Merry Christmas!

Hey Fantastic-Four (/Five?)

Sacrament meeting was great yesterday. We had President Galonov come down (The District President of Yekaterinburg) with a nice young family consisting of Oleg the man who plays the
piano often and his nice wife and their little girl. They brought a very nice spirit to our little branch, (not to mention the nice lack of stress they bring because I get to turn the whole meeting over to them) all the members loved having them come. It seriously almost brings me to tears to see a young Russian family sealed in the temple, active and keeping the commandments. I’ve seen very little of that on my mission, (just the nature of my areas) and it was really miraculous to get a reminder that it’s possible and happens, and how amazing they are when they do. It made us realize how much the branch needs a strong family. During last planning session when we prayed for what we could best do for the branch we felt that a family in Pervouralsk would be the best thing to keep the branch strong. Pervouralsk is slowly getting lesser active. It’s always been the weaker of the two areas but with no missionaries constantly there and the meeting place moving out of there, my biggest concern is making sure that side of the branch is ready and strong enough for the changes coming. I think the delays on the meeting place may be God’s intervention for the fact that Pervourlask is not ready to go to Revda yet. All the same, the meeting place should be in Revda and we will work our hardest to get the branch ready for the switch when ever it comes.
I was just thinking about that walking out of the building after Sunday meetings and tithing settlement. And I felt that we would have to do more finding in Pervouralsk, but I also felt that it just can’t work out because due to the distance from Revda, we have just enough time to meet with a few members and then have to come back to get home on the last bus out of the city. And then I felt that the answer was not planning more contacting time, but contacting the people God would put in our paths. Right then a nice looking young man was walking by, I felt, "we need to contact men like him." So while we were in a hurrying to a meeting mindset I decided to stop this man and he stopped and listened, and I felt really sincere as I talked to him because we really knew how the branch needed him and he was interested enough to give us his number and we have very high hopes for him and this branch. It might be just a simple contact story but it was a confirmation to me that God is in control of our situations and we need to be ready to act righteously in those situations.
Winter is back on track at an average of 10 below Celsius and dropping. Christmas is this week, we get to have it at president's house as a combined zone conference with Chilyabensk. It should be way fun.
Please take a picture right now of Andy’s mission winter boots and send it to me or post it on something so I can see if they are worth sending. My boots hurt my skeleton and organs because I fall over a lot when I wear them. I’ve only taken two dives this season though so I’ve got higher hopes for the future of my structural integrity. Just as a suggestion to packages that may be sent. I would love a chocolate orange and orange or/and raspberry sticks. Could you also include my call letter in the next package, or just send it as a letter. I’d like to have that soon. Peanut butter cups and taco seasoning are always in fashion.

Love,

Elder Frostslip

I thought we were already on minimum power

Hey Crazy-Cool family,

The wedding sounded wonderful. I’m so pleased. Please post more photos for me, I love photos. Please also send photos in the next package so I can put them in my album that I show people; family photos and all sorts. That’s so nice that everything worked out so well. I remember when I was praying for it I was requesting something like “please bless the wedding so that everything will go ok..” Then I re-thought about how stressed everyone sounded about it and said, “please bless it so that it will be perfect.” So I was very happy to hear reports of its perfection.
We’re still as busy as ever with our two areas and just found out that the mission will still be getting smaller ‘cause 6 missionaries are going home this transfer, with of course, no one replacing them. So that means three areas are closing. I thought we were already on minimum power, I don’t know how they’ll choose which areas to close. There was a time when this mission had over 250 missionaries, soon it will have 50. That’s insane. Our zones are getting smaller and smaller, or rather, the zones are staying the same size and our missionary force is getting smaller and smaller. It’s nice to know that they’ll never close Revda because it’s already down to its minimum of one companionship in its branch.
We had a lot of member meeting last week and no investigators. It’s a shame because we have just lost contact with Alexander our great investigator ever since I left for Kazakhstan. He just doesn’t answer his phone. Strange and sad. We seriously almost don’t even have time for investigator work with us having to be in charge of Revda and Pervouralsk members in a missionary sense, and not to mention a Branch President sense. We have to plan really well to use our time. As taxing as it is, it’s much better than when the problem is the opposite; when you have too much open time and have to ineffectively tract or contact all day. They’re both extremely draining in their own ways.
Church was nice yesterday. I was able to assign a talk to one of our best members Nastya last week. She took the assignment almost too casually so I thought she might not show. And before the meeting her behavior was explained as she was reading the talk out of the Liahona I assigned her to speak on and complaining that it wasn’t understandable and she didn’t know how to speak on it. And I, slightly exasperated said, “Do you mean to say you haven’t even read it yet?” worried Sacrament Meeting was ruined. She just shrugged and kept reading. Then, ironically I sat down and prepared MY talk for Sacrament Meeting and all went well. I have an excuse though, I’m a full-time missionary, come on! Elder Taylor also spoke; he was the only one who had prepared his part in advance apparently. He did a great job and the difference was apparent between his first talk his first transfer and this one. Malajets Own.
We had a great priesthood conference in Yekat. All the branch leadership from around the whole mission came and it was so fun to see the old leadership of Perm that I haven’t seen in about a year. The general authority was unable to make it due to weather so we did a video conference which kind of made it fun and reminded me of episodes of Arrested Development. It was really funny to me when the general authority asked us if we had done what he had requested we do in preparation for this meeting and come with a plan for missionary work in our branches. I hadn’t because due to problems in communications I only found about the meeting 12 hours earlier. But the rest of the priesthood all kind of looked around and mumbled in response that they hadn’t. And it was funny because the General Authority didn’t really care and we just moved on to doing it right then. It just made me realize how this sort of thing happens a lot among priesthood leadership, where they all understand an assignment, but all know themselves that they are really busy with other things and know that when one of them assigns them something that’s not absolutely necessary that the assigner will understand when it’s not done. Kind of like how me, Andy, and any of my friends on missions never write each other because we understand each other's busy situations and know that it will all be ok when we get home. That might not have come off clearly but I found it to be a funny realization.
In other news I found out the answer to the riddle of the crazy Nazi general in “It’s a beautiful life” When he asks Roberto what animal makes the sound in his riddle, that’s the sound Russian toads make: “Whkey Whkey”! And Dad, I still remember that Danish pigs say “Nuff Nuff." In Russia they say “hlew hlew.”

Funny ol’ world in’ it.

Love,
Elder Makelby

Berkeley got home one year ago, today

And she got married 2 days ago

From Elder Honorary Maid of Honor

Hey busy family,

I remember last time we were really busy right before my farewell a nice man named Kevin showed up and weed-whacked our backyard. I’ll never forget that.
I learned yesterday that Russians call their spouses “Sputniks” as a term of affection. Well, a man is Sputnik; a woman is the feminine form “Sputnitza”. Isn’t that cute? Sputnik in Russian is just the word for satellite, not the official name of the famous one launched in the 60’s starting the cold war and inspiring such movies as October Sky and the Talented Mr. Ripley.
I thought the work would calm down a little since the big combination of areas but we’ve been so busy for so long I see now it will probably stay this way. Yesterday was a poorer turn out for Sacrament Meeting. It was pretty crummy, gloomy, cold weather so I guess that was a good enough excuse for some member to miss. We still have to travel to the other city every Sunday and the Revda members are getting tired of it, and it doesn’t help that almost no one in that city (Pervoralsk) is active. So they all have to travel over there and all the ones who don’t have to travel don’t even come. Some of the members are saying if they have to keep traveling to Church they’ll just got to Yekat so there will actually be many people in the meeting. I’m both impressed and concerned by these sentiments. They actually want a good experience out of church, any weaker of testimony and they would just not come and do the classic less-active line of “I’ll come when so and so comes”. We really need the meeting place moved here soon. I feel dumb for telling them it would be here in time for New Year's. The highlight of Testimony meeting, (which is a tough one when only five members are there and two made it clear they wouldn’t be bearing their testimonies) was when my main mooning man Dima got up and hobbled over to the podium and bore a sincere real testimony. He’s not all there and has said some strange things at the pulpit before but he took the stand and got after everyone for being gloomy and told us we need to be optimists and explained how God always answered his prayers, and the best part is that he closed “in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen” He, due to his brain injuries always forgets to say that and just says “amen” when he’s done talking, in prayers and testimonies so we have to remind him before he starts his prayers and half the time he still forgets but at the end of this surprisingly spiritual testimony he closed it up right. He was beaming, and so was I.
So it turns out transfers last week were not a joke. There were absolutely no changes mission wide. Pretty crazy. It’s in large part due to the fact that half the mission was in Kazakhstan for almost the entire transfer, so poor Elder Taylor is still in his greenie area, still with his trainer. And the Evergreenie marches on. I’m really excited for winter starting and this splendid Christmas season and we’re shooting for a Christmas miracle for the Branch.
In other news, last night right before planning I was flicking pens around the room, boasting of my skill, speed and accuracy, as is my custom and Elder Taylor glanced around the room to find the most ridiculous target imaginable and suggested I hit it without hitting anything else, in jest mind you. It was a small globe/pencil sharpener (the size of a golf ball) resting on a stack of Muslim prayer hat’s purchased in K-Town (Kazakhstan) resting on top of a real (communist) globe resting on top of a shelf across the room. So about 12 feet away and 10 up, as we have high ceilings. Without taking aim I just flicked the one in my hand as he was talking and it missed of course. Then I thought out the situation and decided to risk it and took precise aim. Disaster struck as the cap flew off in release, but each piece hit above and below the mini globe respectively. Now the big moment, adjusting so the lid would not be a problem, aim was took, and in slow motion the pen spun its way over making contact with only the small sphere and nothing else knocking it off orbit behind the shelf. Elder Taylor was hyperventilating for two minutes before he could get a word out.
I wish for more than the best on your big day Sister. I unfortunately will be unable to make it, as I’ve got a ward Christmas party to get to. Priorities, ya know?

Love,

Elder Honorary Maid of Honor

“Are you serious?! We haven’t even been here 10 minutes! Come on!”

Hey From Ревда!

We’re back. I left a week and a half ago and he left a month ago and we came back together. It was more of a secret rescue mission really. Plus, I served a three-year mission in China while I was there.
It was very nice to get back into the motherland, and no joke, five minutes after getting off the plane we had a drunk confrontation waiting in line for passport control. He was a funny guy, and while he was talking to us in Russian, I was saying loudly in English, “Are you serious?! We haven’t even been here 10 minutes! Come on!” That was at the Moscow airport. Back in our home court in the Yekat airport we had to negotiate taxi prices to take us to the office. I used to avoid/hate this, but now I learned that you just can’t let anything slide and argue to the last kopeck. This time they wanted to squeeze and extra 100 rubles out of us, nothing unusual, but the reason was because of the financial crisis, which they reasoned was “because it’s your crisis affecting us, it’s not our fault, it’s your fault.” Yes, it’s our fault so we will pay you 100 rubles more. You better believe I gave him the fig. (The fig is a hand gesture that resembles a hand holding a nose just after it has been “gotten” from a child’s face. That’s why we don’t play that game in Russia. I believe the same gesture is the letter D in sign language.)
To give one the fig in missionary terms doesn’t necessarily imply the actual hand gesture, most often we say it to mean rejection or to psyche someone out. A common usage is to put your hand in your pocket when someone asks to borrow money and you pull out a fig instead. It’s not anywhere near the middle finger in case you were worried. Church members do it all the time. Interesting side note, I actually knew the fig before my mission. Alex taught me sophomore year, ‘cause his bother served in Russia. I’m gonna drop him the biggest fig-bomb the next time I see him.
I was really nice to get back though. Talking with my MTC buddies we all got excited to serve in our area’s and “lift where we stand” as President Uchdorf taught. I LOVE my MTC group and hope to stay in contact with them my whole life. We got the transfers email today, but nothing had changed in the entire mission, so I think it’s a joke because the subject line was a scripture reference to patience. So I guess we’ll have to wait. President assured me that I would be staying another and Griffy would be leaving so well see what happens. We have a mission goal of 100 baptisms before the end of the year and we have 56. I’m still committed to this goal. I don’t think I can say all will achieve their part of the goal but we in Revda will do our part to reach this goal. I love you, this area, this branch, this country and the Lord.

-Elder Magleby