So, what's up? Everything going well? That's good. Well, this week suddenly it got WAY cold, way fast! For most of the Winter it's been hovering right around freezing, but this last week it shot down to -13 degrees all of a sudden! I stopped looking at the thermometers after that, for fear that it would get lower. It's pretty hard to get out the door, motivation-wise, when you lose feeling in your face and knuckles after a few minutes outdoors! But those gloves you sent me have been wonderful, so I've been pretty good there. And the coat I have keeps heat so well that I'm actually able to walk around in just a short sleeve white shirt and that coat! I could be naked under that coat, if that didn't violate certain modesty codes. Anyways, the point is that it's the rest of my body that freezes, not what falls under the coat. Fun fun!
Funny moment this week. I walked into the Branch President's office for a meeting, and he had a new board hanging on the wall, listing all the youth quorums/groups. I stared at one called "Lavr" for a while, and then felt kind of stupid realizing that it was just "Laurels". Immediately after this revelation, the first councellor walks in, looks at the board and says "What the heck is a Lavr??". Even after explaining to him that it was YW from 16 to 18, he kept making fun of the word for a bit. Laaaaavrrrr. It's good to know that people are the same no matter where you go.
So, transfers are this Thursday. We found out that both Elder Solin and I are moving out. That's called whitewashing - when both members of the companionship move out. It was way unexpected, especially since Solin is native and has been able to fill in as branch secretary much better than any other non-native missionary ever could. Plus, it's just weird to have both leaving, since that means that the next companionship will have absolutely no idea what to do and where to go. So this has added a billion times more work for us this week, since we have to prepare everything so that the new companionship can smoothly transition into Lugansk life. It's a good thing I'm so good at writing up every little detail of what they need to know living here, seeing as I've been here for six months. No, see, that's a lie. I'm not very good at that. I'd rather tell them in person, but that's impossible. Anyways - Work!
Because we're whitewashing, we've set up a billion lessons with members and investigators before we head out. I discovered that it's actually really hard to say goodbye to these people. I've come to know some of them really well, and others I just plain love from serving them. That's not fair. Especially not fair since most of them won't really remember me after a few weeks. Oh, well. Life moves on.
Back to the whole cold thing, today we had the first real snowfall of the season. I mean, REAL snowfall, none of that little dusting of an inch or so. We have probably five inches and counting right now, and it doesn't look like the clouds are going to let up any time soon. But who knows. And when it's really cold, I found out that snow turns into something more like sand that snakes around in the wind along the streets. It looks so creepy! I decided that it's the dead souls of Ukraine wandering the streets. They probably couldn't sleep. It's so COLD.
At the same time, I'm very grateful that I'm not in the coldest areas of Eastern Europe. It gets way colder for way longer in other places. Like St. Petersburg. My companion won't let me forget that. Every time I say it's cold he gives me a big "Psh!" and tells me how this is Summer for him or something like that. Yet Antamanov, the Siberian, was always the first to complain about how cold it was getting. I've decided that it doesn't actually matter where you're from in things like getting adjusted to the weather. It's all about your perspective and your attitude. Anyways. Little thought there.
Well, it's Ukraine. It's January. Transfers are in three days. Excitement. But more importantly, it's Dad's birthday on Saturday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! Or as they say it here, С Днём Рождения!! Have a good one.
Anyways, I have to go. Love you all, and I'll talk to you next week after I've settled into my new area! Til then!
Love,
Elder Brandon Porter
No comments:
Post a Comment