This photo is the Russian squat... It is so cold that they all squat with both feet flat on the ground and believe that if your yahoos touch the ground that you will be forever infertile! (Is that even okay to say in a missionary blog?) Anyway... here is the last e-mail!

Hahaha that story is awesome because Bishop Wadley always knows how to play it cool. Kind of funny to think of him in a weird situation like that. I read the card he wrote to me the tuesday right after I got set apart, just a few days ago actually. He had some really good advice in there and it reminded me of all the good people who helped me out when I needed to get my rear end in gear for my mission.

I'm so glad to hear that Caleb enjoyed the Book of Mormon!! Haha everyone was wondering (of course) why I had an ITALIAN Book of Mormon. Good stuff. But I really hope that Caleb enjoys that. Maybe he'll even get through it before I get back! Also, BIG NEWS about the church: a few days ago, President Monson officially broke ground for the Rome, Italy temple! You probably already heard about that but I thought it was so cool and just wanted to let Caleb know about it. I looked at the pictures for what the planned temple is supposed to look like and it's going to be gorgeous. I love hearing about new temples. I love the idea that these ordinances are really being set up everywhere throughout the world so all of God's children can partake. It pumps me up (as Elder "West Point" Noren would say).

Well what else. The Russian's coming along! We had an investigator scenario lesson where the Sisters in our district taught our teacher, and at one point during the lesson they shared a part of the Restoration video. And it was in RUSSIAN. All our lessons are in Russian now. Man, Russians are so cool. The voice acting (dubbing) was the greatest thing ever. I kind of understood a lot of it, but it's really hard to follow when you're listening to a native. They speak extremely fast. So I had to get a lot from context, and put it together with my limited vocabulary. We've taught a few native Russians who volunteered at the TRC. A few weeks we taught a sister from... Moscow, I think? She spoke really fast and fluently (of course), but it was an amazing experience because we were able to converse back and forth, and address concerns. And more importantly, we were able to invite the Spirit, particularly when talking about the Book of Mormon. There's something about doing that in another language that gets me. I guess it's the idea that this message really is for everyone throughout the world.

Sam, thanks for all your advice. Seriously, I hope you don't feel like you're being overbearing when you write stuff like that because I really look for it in your emails. Stuff like that helps me out a lot, and more than anything it gets me stoked to go out into the world. I've got a lot to learn over the next 4ish weeks, but the closer I get, the more real it becomes! Haha, kind of like a MISSION was in the first place. I've found that you really go through the same thing again once you're in the MTC... And by "same thing," I mean waiting for your MISSION-mission. You boys will know what I'm talking about. But I'm sorry about your last companion!! That sounds miserable... 0/2 haha. But look at you! You're optimism is amazing and I'm positive that it will pay off! If you feel like you're not getting much out of all your hard work, just realize that if nothing else you're an amazing example of a perfect missionary for ALL you're little brothers! Which is ironic because I'm the oldest brother... Hahaha.

Mom, I just got back from the temple and I've just finished doing endowment work for the last of the names you gave me. Thank you so much for letting me do those for you. I really feel connected to those people now. I feel like they've had a huge impact on my own personal conversion here in the MTC. It's absolutely no coincidence the most of my reservations about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith were completely resolved by the end of the temple session today. It's hard to explain. But I feel like I had an extra witness of the Book of Mormon added to my testimony as I've put more effort into studying it, and as I prayed for help in the temple and did these family names. These people have interest in us...

CHARLES wrote me yesterday. I got a dear elder from him and I'm extremely glad about it. He's not living with anyone in our circle of friends, really, so I've been worried that he'd be hard to get back in touch with after my mission. I was going to write him today, so I'm really glad he wrote me yesterday. He said he's started reading the New Testament which is a huge deal. I've been writing to all my boys who aren't on missions right now. I want to keep in touch so that when we all get back from missions they'll feel comfortable in our circle of friends. I think that's soooo important. No one left behind.

Thank you also for sending me that newsletter! It was so fun to read about everyone. I can't wait to get out there

I love you all! Thank you so much for your letters! I hope you enjoyed the pictures and I'll be sending more home soon! Please feel free to send me pictures whenever you take any! (Although my email time is so limited and these computers are kind of slow so it might be best to send physical copies.) Agh! Time over! I will contine this message with my letter.