Elder Alex Bennett's Mission Blog

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 Zdrastvuytse Semeya!
I hope everything is going well for all of you! I'd just like to first say how much I love you all and miss you, it has been a pretty emotional couple days for me as well. Right when you left, it was like I was trapped in a whirlwind of craziness! It was like we were all a bunch of cows getting registered! I didn't even have time to think! After getting my ID card, taking pictures, getting instructions, etc. the Elder that took my bags took me to my room and in a minutes time we were already out the door heading to class! I met my teacher and then we had to get a orientation on how to use the gym on the computers. It was there where I met my companion and the rest of the district. They are all very cool and funny. One of these times I'll have to explain all of them to you. Its crazy how much you learn in one day! I've learned more Russian in 5 days than I would at 3 years of high school (maybe a bit of an exaggeration) I'm very glad that I got acquainted to it before I came though, because some of the Elders were struggling with learning the alaphabet and some phrases for the first couple of days. But we're all for the most part caught up with each other. We already know greetings, testimonies, some grammar rules, and how to pray. Oh and your question about a meltdown. I havent' had one , but I've come pretty close a couple times...like the first night in a strange bed, and the temple today when you weren't there with me, and last night I was coming down with something and my back hurt and I was cold and I just wanted to be in my uuunnn(Ty's way of saying it) bed, but I'm feeling better today. I'm so happy that it's P-day! We got to go to the temple as I mentioned , and we get to do laundry and other things. The hardest part was the first couple of days when it's just meetings, meetings, and more meetings and you don't have any time at all, but the schedule is more concrete from now on. The Elders and Sisters here say that if you can make it to your first P-day, the rest will be better. The food here really does give you gas like Jared said, but it is good and there is always a large selection of food items to choose from. The candy has made me very popular :) Everyone in the district comes to get some everyday! You'd be proud, I have been going to bed at 10:30 and waking up between 6 and 6:15 and I ate my first cereal the other day. Let Justin Hutchinson know that I appreciated his letters the other day. Well I only have 4 minutes left I better hurry or this email will close and not save, we only have so much time to email. Alrighty, we'll talk to you next week, I love you all!!!!!