Tuesday is Preparation Day

It's hard to believe that I have been here for one week (it feels like a month!) Today (Tuesday) is my P-day. I would have written an email but there was confusion about a registration password so I'll figure it out & write next week. If you could write this letter in an email & send it to the family and my blog that would be great. Thank you all so much for the letters - it's been a great support for me & I'm quickly becoming known as "the Loved one" in our district. I feel bad though because there are some elders that haven't gotten a letter yet.

The spirit here is amazing and I can tell how coming home will be an adjustment. My teachers are ("brot=brother) Wilson/Avryl. Our time is spent between our classroom-learning gospel/teaching concets & the language with our district=me and my companion (Sis. Keleman) & 5 sets of elders. I think about half of us are going to Rostov (me & elders), with the rest split between "Novazabeersk" & "Ycokaterinburg". My two other roommates are going to Rostov as well so it's going to be us three.

I went to the temple this morning and am already wishing for next Tuesday. It's such a wonderful feeling of peace & comfort in there. You can just feel strength & determination flowing back into you. On Sunday I bore my very short testimony in Russian. Now we can basically do a few conversational things, but mainly can bare testimony & pray in Russian. We're getting into verbs now (present, past, future). It can be easy to feel swamped or overwhelmed but you just have to keep a positive attitude, keep practicing & pray with faith for the gift of tongues which is real. I figure at least I can bare a simple testimony - bare minimum of what you need to invite others to Christ.

Tomorrow is our first TRC where we'll practice speaking conversational Russian for 15 min w/ "investigators in a park" & then actually sit down & teach the first lesson for 35 min. I'm excited & nervous but mostly excited. Tonight is the GA Fireside so we'll see who comes. :) I'll be sure to email next week. I love you & thank you for your prayers, and support. (Next follows about 31 words that Whitney wrote in Russian. Unfortunately I can't type it because my key board doesn't have all of the same symbols.) It looks very impressive though!

I love you all!
CECTPA Richards