“where hell meets earth.”

Old photo but I just found it--this is dividing line between Europe and Asia

Hello from Chelyabinsk,

You probably already know this but if you break down the word Chelyabinsk, it means “where hell meets earth.” And just as a mission report I started my mission in Center Perm for 3+ months, then went to Miass (technically in the Chelyabinsk zone but two hours away from the rest of the zone which is entirely in the city of Chelyabinsk) for six months, then to Revda (which like Miass is a little satellite city of Yekaterinburg but it was only 45 minutes away) for 7 and a half months. Now I’m in Center Chelyabinsk where I may finish my mission. (A lot of zone leaders finish here because it’s close to the end of your mission usually and that makes it so we have a lot of nice stuff because they leave it behind as pack to go home. Cha Ching!).
It’s SO great to be back with Elder Pulsipher. Every day so far has been way fun just because we’re old companions from the MTC. We were both so happy to hear the news, heck, the whole mission was happy to hear the news because everyone knows that we would want to be together. It was funny, President at zone leader council breakfast asked us if we were in the same MTC group and I said, “You bet, we were companions even, in fact the whole mission's talking about the fact that you put us together. It’s pretty ridiculous!” He kind of looked surprised and confused. Speaking of dumb things I’ve said and done around President: Right before the breakfast, I had gotten ready and decided that I didn’t want to put on my winter socks, one, because they were dirty and two, because I always have to wear them they look junky when you’re wearing a suit, and three, because this was at President's house which is the closest thing to America this side of Leningrad so that means he has nice soft carpet which my bare feet never get to enjoy. So the decision was made and I sort of felt weird walking around in bare feet, but decided that I was just second guessing my decision, and stuck to it. Then President came down and invited us all to eat and then said to me as I listened attentively with my big nasty Hobbit feet propped up on his white leather ottoman: “Elder Magleby, while we do walk around here without shoes on, we do usually were socks.” I managed to say “yeah….” like I had a response then just hung my head in shame as I, like the wedding guest found without proper clothing in the King’s son’s wedding feast Parable, was found speechless as I almost explained my list of reasoning for such instantly recognizably odd behavior.
Aside from my little and frequent blunders, zone council was great. It was quite pleasant to see so many good missionaries almost all of which I’ve served around and discuss how to help the mission and do God's Will better.

This is going to be a transfer to remember,

Love,

-Radioactive* Rob

*Chelyabinsk is one of the most, if not the most radioactive areas in former USSR. In fact they had some kind of melt down back in the day that was 10 times worse (some say 100) than Chernobyl, it was just more easy to be kept secret ‘cause it wasn’t a full out explosion. Chelyabinsk zone leaders get the special responsibility of Kishteem. A special little city a few hours away from Chely that has been determined by the church to be too radioactive for missionary to actually live there but once a transfer we’re allowed to make a trip out there for a few hours to visit a small church group that meets in someone’s home. Maybe I’ll bring back a postcard… and some more moles. You can never have too many moles right?