Riding in Elevators with Wolves

oh man. another lovely week in siberia!
but really! I apologize for the last letter. It probably sounded like
I was going crazy which is partially true but I love it! After the
first week of culture shock and feeling completely lost, I love it! I
still don't understand everything and neither does my companion but
every day gets better and better. The rain has stopped this week so
it's actually been pretty nice! I thought being in a huge city that I
wouldn't have to walk as much or like just walk on nice side walks but
I lied. I take the metro and then a bus and then hike up to these
peoples houses. It's crazy! Like literally hike. But it's grand I love
it! And I love the people!

The people here are great. Especially the members and investigators.
The people on the streets are interesting however. We say hello to
everyone who passes by pretty much and that's something people don't
do here in Russia. You just don't sit next to somebody on the metro
and I say hi! how are you? So pretty much everybody laughs or smiles
at you when you do it. Or they just ignore you cause they think you're
dumb. But if you can get them to talk to you after that it's usually
pretty great.

Also whenever I introduce myself and say I'm from Montana people have
no idea where it is. And if they do it's usually teenagers saying they
know Hannah Montana. Some people lie and say they've heard of it.
haha. It's okay. I just tell them not very many people live there but
it's beautiful!

You're probably wondering what the title of this email has to do with
anything. So let me tell you a story.....
Once upon a time I lived in siberia. On the very last floor of the
building. Up 10 stories. We have an elevator. But it is interesting.
It starts on the 2nd floor. And always smells different every day.
It's also pretty small. You can fit about 3 or 4 people in there,
uncomfortably....
Last week it didn't work. Or at least on monday. Which happens to be
Pday and the day we get all our groceries for the week. So that was
fun!
Another day there was a beer bottle and a puddle of beer there. That
was there for 3 days.
Another day we got in the elevator with this lady and her huge dog. At
least we thought. To me it looked like a giant huskie dog. But she
kept saying something like "oh don't worry. he's nice." and something
like He's not a dog. Sister Barlow said he looked like a wolf cause he
had a giant tail unlike her husky dog had. So do some research for me
people! Do people in russia have wolves as pets? Cause if so we
definitely rode the elevator with a wolf.

Another funny story. There is a recent convert who we meet with
every week. She likes to feed us grapes and chai and cookies. Which is
fine. But this week when we met with her there were 2 other members
from the branch with her. And we were late. So they started without
us. So when we got there they were just chilling around this tiny
little table and watched us eat. Who knows what it was, cause they had
already finished. Sister Barlow said Sister Olga said it was fish. It
was like this bread thing filled with fish and onions. You know two of
my favorite things! But I ate it. And i drank that chai. Which I'm not
a big fan of but I'm going to have to get used to it! Cause once it's
cold everyone will give it to us!

Once upon a time we went english contacting. We have english club at
the branch and it's very popular. We teach english and then invite
everyone to stay afterwards for a spiritual thought but only give them
like 20 seconds to get up and leave before we start our thought. It
starts in 2 weeks so we're contacting in the park. It's fun because
people love talking to americans and it's easier to get people open
that way. This saturday we did it later in the evening. Great because
lots of people are there. Not great because drunk people are there. I
had a bunch of teenage boys come up and talk to me cause pretty much
all kids can speak a little english cause they all learn it in school.
And they just kept looking at me. I asked them if they were interested
and they just kept laughing. Then I asked them if I could help them
and they asked me. In english. to come have a beer with them. Needless
to say I said dos vee danya to them! But we've got a lot of contacts
thru english and I'm really excited cause some of them seem really
interested and also kind of in the gospel!

Once upon a time we taught in the park. And Cher 'Do you
believe in love" was playing. I wanted to laugh. They play alot of
american music here. The next day we were chillin at the branch
waiting for our investigator (who didn't show up! nobody does!
arrrrgggg) and this car was jamming out to an usher cd. Sister Barlow
and I had to jam along too for just a little bit.

Also I think it's funny because I see posters advertising for Korn and
Garbage. Two american bands that I'm pretty sure are not popular in
america anymore. But good for them. Come to russia!

Also. Our toilet paper smells. Like peaches. Apparently all the
affordable toilet paper have flavors. It also feels like cardboard.
(sorry if that's too much)

Also Bruce Willis is endorsing tons of stuff in Russia. I don't know
why but he's like the face on every bill board for this one bank. It's
pretty hysterical.

Also. Russian names are all the same. It's not like America where you
want to be unique. Literally all of our investigators have the same
name. Or the shortened version of the same name. We have to
distinguish with code names. Like Lenna-Braid. Olga-pretty hands. Cute
Olga. Olga-Olga. Olga-daughter Olga. It's difficult. And on our
english clipboard literally everyone is Sasha or Dasha or Olga or
Sveta or Aleksay. It's grand.

Our branch is awesome. Remember how I said there were like 50 people.
I lied. I'm apparently bad at counting. There were 90 people at church
yesterday! We are very close to establishing a stake in Novosibirsk.
We just need a couple more full tithe payers and melchizedek
priesthood holders! Isn't that great!? It's also nice cause we have
people to come on our lessons with us and help be our interpreters. Or
do most of the talking for us. It's grand. Except for when Zoya shows
up and your investigator doesn't so she chills at the branch and makes
stinky fish soup because apparently her daughter is allergic so she
has to cook it there. And then we freak out that she's going to make
us eat it.

I loved fast and testimony meeting because I know church words! I knew
what people were saying! (well mostly....) I wish you could come spend
a day in the branch. Literally no one can sing on pitch here. It's
hilarious. So I'm singing and I feel like everyone can hear me because
everyone is like mumbling and singing deeper than me. But it's grand.
And I have to play the piano alot. But I'm not complaining! Also this
lady got called as the sunday school teacher for gospel principles and
she straight up read the chapter out of the book. I followed along.
Which was nice cause I could see the words and try to understand. But
it's okay. She's learning how to teach too! But then we had 20 min
left so of course the missionaries have to take charge. haha. But it's
grand. The members are so sweet. They compliment me on my russian and
they give me hugs and I just nod and smile. Fake it till you make it
right! This week is zone conference I'm stoked. We have a general
authority coming. And it's also District conference (aka stake
conference for places that aren't a stake.) It's going to be grand.

Sorry this is super long. I hope you are all doing well! I'm doing
great now and I love it!

Also we have a washer. Pretty much everyone in Russia does. But there
is no such thing as dryers here. So currently my laundry is hanging
from random places in our apartment and we have some drying racks. But
it's grand! Cause we have a washer!

Love you all! Hope school is fabulous! And happy labor day. There is
no such thing here. But it's like women's month. kind of like mothers
day but for a whole month! And for all women! Sweet eh!?

poka poka (that's like goodbye)

Sister Carling

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