I want to tell a about my first Sunday here in Saint Petersburg. It was awesome! Very much like everything else it has been eventful. I don't know what I am going to do if my whole stay here in Peters is going to be this eventful. I won't have time to write about everything.
Saturday night our ILP group were talking about when we wanted to do training the next day (Sunday) and we said that we wanted to do it later and so we said 12 because Marci (head teacher) said that we had a lot of training that we had to do. Then I walk my sister back to her babushka's apartment and then head to my host family's apartment. At the apartment I am ignored by the little boys because they are so entranced by this stupid internet game. It is on the equivalent of facebook and it is like the old school tanks game where you try and hurt the other players avatar. Well since I was being ignored I decided I would get on my computer and do some stuff, i.e. facebook, music, pictures, and blogging. Then Luba got on facebook and we were talking about how things were going. She asked me if I was going to church the next day. I said that I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know when or where church was going to be but I probably wasn't going to go. Then she said that tomorrow was going to be district conference and that Elder Nelson was going to come. I was really excited about that but then I found out that church and the trainings were to start at the same time, 12 noon. Then Luba said that Elder Nelson was going to be creating a stake here in St. Petes and that I really should come. So then I talked to Marci and told her what was going on. She said that I could go and that we could do trainings later. I got the necessary information like time, address and metro stop from Luba and then I was ready to go. This conversation happened after midnight and my computer lost the internet and so I decided that it was time to go to bed. But before I turned off my computer I was also able to tell Ty and she was excited also.
Sunday comes around and I wake up and have a wonderful breakfast of a sausage/ hotdog omelet prepared by Anya (host mom) and then I was on my way. I got to the ILP apartment at the right time and it didn't really look like anybody knew that I was going to church. Then I said that I was going to church and Ty went and got ready and everybody else continued on because They would have needed time to get ready for church. Time that we didn't actually have.
So Ty and I went to church. We rode the metro the 3 or 4 stops and then we got off and started walking to the address. We were looking for building number 16 and we found 16/1 which was a really big building and so I decided to chance it and so we just kept walking past. Immediately past the building we found building 10 on that street and so I knew that we had to walk off the main street and try and find the building in between the main streets. We walk on the side street and I see a smaller building and I couldn't see the name of the building so we stopped. I could see a man in the doorway and when I stopped he motioned for me to come to him, which isn't a common thing for people to do in Russia. So instead of taking out my camera and zooming in on the sign that said what the building was we walked up. Once we got closer I recognized the sign as one that says, Церковь Иисуса Христа Святых Прследних Дней "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint." So we found the church really quickly and that was good because we were about 25 minutes late. We went inside and put our jackets (Its kind of cold here in St Petes already. We walk around in pants and jackets) in the coat room and then went up to the third floor for the big room in the building.
When we walked in there was somebody speaking and so we quickly found an open seat. There were various members that were bearing their testimonies at the time. I think that they are past or future stake leaders. At first I didn't translate for Ty and then I asked if she wanted me to translate and she said no. But then I was thinking about it more and another speaking came up and Ty probably wasn't understanding anything. So then I started translating a little bit. The area president and his wife got up and spoke (in Russian which I was surprised at) and I started to translate then. It was a little bit hard because it was an American (I believe they are American) speaking Russian and I was translating back to English. It was choppy.
We sang a hymn and then it was Sister Nelson's turn to speak. She did a really good job and her translator did amazing. She didn't just translate but spoke as though a Russian would say things instead of just English structure and grammar with Russian words. Sister Nelson compared the creation of a stake with the birth of a new baby. Everybody loves both of them and how they are both such great blessings. She also talked about how they both need a lot of care and love to work out. Then it was Elder Nelson's turn to speak. He, like Sister Nelson, would say a sentence and then his translator would say it in Russian. His translator did a good job. He said what Elder Nelson said. Elder Nelson shared some really good, meaningful stories about the beginnings of the church in Russia. He talked about what qualifications needed to be met to be recognized by the Russian Federation as an acceptable religion. It was a difficult process but "with God all things are possible." Elder Nelson also named names of key people that have played important parts in the church's history in Russia. He also shared the names of mission president here in St Petes and those that have served from Russia including Sister Efimova that served as a mission president in my mission in 1995-98 (it was mid 90's for sure). Elder Nelson also talked about gratitude and quote from Doctrine and Covenants where it says paraphrasing, "Against none else is My wrath kindle than those who do not profess My hand in their work and unto those that do not give thanks unto Me." Elder Nelson remembers going to the Summer Gardens, here in St Petersburg which are the same gardens where Elder Francis Lyman gave the dedicatory prayer in 1903, after being recognized by the Russian Federation and giving a prayer or gratitude for allowing the church to be recognized in another country on the earth. I was really glad that I came and witness it.
Another cool part of going to the conference was that I saw some people that I haven't seen a fairly long time. The first one I actually saw midway through the meeting. He had walked out and I thought to myself that this guy looked familiar. Then when walked back to his seat he saw me and had eyes of recognition. He just stood there a minute and then cocked his head to the side. I mouth привет to him and he smiled and then went and sat down. After the meeting we found each other and reintroduced ourselves. It was Igor Pavlov. He was one of the native Russian missionaries from the MTC. He said that he was just here for the conference and actually lived in Moscow. But it was definitely unexpected to see him. Then while I was talking to Igor Elder Mizin walked by but I didn't say anything to him. Maybe next time. Then as we were about to walk down the stairs I ran into another former missionary. Though this time it was Elder Zaretcky (I don't exactly remember his name but it was something close to that) who was called on a mission in the Helsinki Temple for the majority of the time I was on my mission. It was awesome to run into him at the temple and now afterwards. Then of course I ran into Luba at the conference. She was in the choir and I was able to pick her out pretty quickly. I loved church so much! I was so glad that I went!
The rest of Sunday was spent at the ILP apartment. We did some trainings and then worked on lesson plans so that we would be ready the first day of classes which were the next day. I decided today what the factors behind if I am going to lose weight or not here in Russia. If I continue to eat breakfast and dinner at my host family's apartment then I will get fat because I eat a lot of food because it tastes good. The things is that I haven't been getting to their apartment til later at night. For example, I left on Sunday at 11am ish and then wasn't back until 10:30pm. In that time I had very little food, nothing you could call a meal. Also as I am writing this I had lunch around 1pm and it doesn't look like I am going to eat again until I go back to my host family's apartment at 9 or 10pm tonight. So maybe I won't get fat? We shall see.
Sunday was also good because Marci was able to Skype some of the previous ILP volunteers that had done elementary in the past because Marci only did primary in Thailand. We found the calls to be very helpful because they helped us not feel so stressed and fearing the unknown. It would be so much easier if somebody would explain what we were to do instead of having to read what we were to do. Because then we could ask questions or maybe an example to make things more clear. Also finding the needed supplies has been a hassle.
I luckily don't start teaching until Monday night so I will be able to observe everybody else Monday morning. Marci also asked me to be there so that I could translate if I didn't mind. I plan on going so that I can get a feel for the class and the students.
Saturday night our ILP group were talking about when we wanted to do training the next day (Sunday) and we said that we wanted to do it later and so we said 12 because Marci (head teacher) said that we had a lot of training that we had to do. Then I walk my sister back to her babushka's apartment and then head to my host family's apartment. At the apartment I am ignored by the little boys because they are so entranced by this stupid internet game. It is on the equivalent of facebook and it is like the old school tanks game where you try and hurt the other players avatar. Well since I was being ignored I decided I would get on my computer and do some stuff, i.e. facebook, music, pictures, and blogging. Then Luba got on facebook and we were talking about how things were going. She asked me if I was going to church the next day. I said that I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know when or where church was going to be but I probably wasn't going to go. Then she said that tomorrow was going to be district conference and that Elder Nelson was going to come. I was really excited about that but then I found out that church and the trainings were to start at the same time, 12 noon. Then Luba said that Elder Nelson was going to be creating a stake here in St. Petes and that I really should come. So then I talked to Marci and told her what was going on. She said that I could go and that we could do trainings later. I got the necessary information like time, address and metro stop from Luba and then I was ready to go. This conversation happened after midnight and my computer lost the internet and so I decided that it was time to go to bed. But before I turned off my computer I was also able to tell Ty and she was excited also.
Sunday comes around and I wake up and have a wonderful breakfast of a sausage/ hotdog omelet prepared by Anya (host mom) and then I was on my way. I got to the ILP apartment at the right time and it didn't really look like anybody knew that I was going to church. Then I said that I was going to church and Ty went and got ready and everybody else continued on because They would have needed time to get ready for church. Time that we didn't actually have.
So Ty and I went to church. We rode the metro the 3 or 4 stops and then we got off and started walking to the address. We were looking for building number 16 and we found 16/1 which was a really big building and so I decided to chance it and so we just kept walking past. Immediately past the building we found building 10 on that street and so I knew that we had to walk off the main street and try and find the building in between the main streets. We walk on the side street and I see a smaller building and I couldn't see the name of the building so we stopped. I could see a man in the doorway and when I stopped he motioned for me to come to him, which isn't a common thing for people to do in Russia. So instead of taking out my camera and zooming in on the sign that said what the building was we walked up. Once we got closer I recognized the sign as one that says, Церковь Иисуса Христа Святых Прследних Дней "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint." So we found the church really quickly and that was good because we were about 25 minutes late. We went inside and put our jackets (Its kind of cold here in St Petes already. We walk around in pants and jackets) in the coat room and then went up to the third floor for the big room in the building.
When we walked in there was somebody speaking and so we quickly found an open seat. There were various members that were bearing their testimonies at the time. I think that they are past or future stake leaders. At first I didn't translate for Ty and then I asked if she wanted me to translate and she said no. But then I was thinking about it more and another speaking came up and Ty probably wasn't understanding anything. So then I started translating a little bit. The area president and his wife got up and spoke (in Russian which I was surprised at) and I started to translate then. It was a little bit hard because it was an American (I believe they are American) speaking Russian and I was translating back to English. It was choppy.
We sang a hymn and then it was Sister Nelson's turn to speak. She did a really good job and her translator did amazing. She didn't just translate but spoke as though a Russian would say things instead of just English structure and grammar with Russian words. Sister Nelson compared the creation of a stake with the birth of a new baby. Everybody loves both of them and how they are both such great blessings. She also talked about how they both need a lot of care and love to work out. Then it was Elder Nelson's turn to speak. He, like Sister Nelson, would say a sentence and then his translator would say it in Russian. His translator did a good job. He said what Elder Nelson said. Elder Nelson shared some really good, meaningful stories about the beginnings of the church in Russia. He talked about what qualifications needed to be met to be recognized by the Russian Federation as an acceptable religion. It was a difficult process but "with God all things are possible." Elder Nelson also named names of key people that have played important parts in the church's history in Russia. He also shared the names of mission president here in St Petes and those that have served from Russia including Sister Efimova that served as a mission president in my mission in 1995-98 (it was mid 90's for sure). Elder Nelson also talked about gratitude and quote from Doctrine and Covenants where it says paraphrasing, "Against none else is My wrath kindle than those who do not profess My hand in their work and unto those that do not give thanks unto Me." Elder Nelson remembers going to the Summer Gardens, here in St Petersburg which are the same gardens where Elder Francis Lyman gave the dedicatory prayer in 1903, after being recognized by the Russian Federation and giving a prayer or gratitude for allowing the church to be recognized in another country on the earth. I was really glad that I came and witness it.
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| Luba! |
Sunday was also good because Marci was able to Skype some of the previous ILP volunteers that had done elementary in the past because Marci only did primary in Thailand. We found the calls to be very helpful because they helped us not feel so stressed and fearing the unknown. It would be so much easier if somebody would explain what we were to do instead of having to read what we were to do. Because then we could ask questions or maybe an example to make things more clear. Also finding the needed supplies has been a hassle.
I luckily don't start teaching until Monday night so I will be able to observe everybody else Monday morning. Marci also asked me to be there so that I could translate if I didn't mind. I plan on going so that I can get a feel for the class and the students.
Who is Ty? I'm glad you were able to go to church!
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