YO MOYO

Wow, we gots some long emails to look through here!! Just the way I like 'em! So, it's good to hear from you, as always! I got the package, THANK YOU MOM. I loved the pictures!! That may have been the favorite part of the package, next to the tie and the CD. YOU'RE ALL GROWED UP. I'm starting to realize how different we all are. I've been out for a considerable time now, I'm just realizing... Anyways, thank you Patrick. He picked out that tie as a joke, but it's actually a pretty spicy tie. I'm wearing it this very moment. And as usual, I've eaten almost all the goodies, already. Everything except the popcorn and cake. That was a good package!! I laughed when I heard the Gondoliers song on the MOTAB CD. That CD has got some really cool stuff on it and I've already been listening to it a lot. I won't lie, I've taken a liking to the good ole Mormon Choir. That was a good choice. I wouldn't mind getting more stuff like that. Maybe you could send Heavensong for christmas or something. I'm a nerd. But that's okay. The moral of the story is THANK YOU MOM AND FAMILY. I APPROVE! Also, it was dang fun reading through Sam's memories of dad. That brought back a huge rush of memories. I remember how dad cried while he was reading Where the Red Fern Grows and mom made fun of him. I also remember dad holding up Patrick at the top of the stairs and saying SIMBAAAA and me and sam acted like elephants and zebras. Anyways, I could go on forever. I said it last week but I'll say it again, happy father's day!

This week was a little fun. I was with Elder Brewer from Monday until Thursday morning while we were waiting for our companions to come down from Samara on a train. There's been a crazy sickness going literally all throughout the mission, and I caught it on Monday night. We were out contacting all night, and then I started losing my voice, and then by Tuesday I was all congested. But we worked anyway, then there was this big rainstorm that Elder Brewer got caught in while working way up in his area with nowhere to run to, so we got soaking wet. So on Wednesday, I was out all day long. I'm over it by now, though. That was really the first time I've been really sick on my mission. I've never had to stay in and sleep for an entire day to recover. It's pretty miserable. Staying inside=spirit death. Sam will attest to that. Seems like she's been having a bit of that going on. I'm glad to hear that you're back in it, though, Samalama. On Thursday Morning, all the new missionaries showed up in Saratov on a train with Elder Hollingshead. Now I'm serving with a kid from Centerville. Pretty dang fun. I'm learning a ton, too. He got called to be a trainer his second cycle, then assistant to the president his third cycle, which means he was assistant to the president for pretty much his entire mission until now. It's also his last cycle. Which means I will be killing my second companion. Mission death is a strange thing. It's fun, though, he's not trunky at all. We had a really unsuccessful week up until thursday because I got sick, but once my new companion got here we tore it up and turned it into one of the more successful weeks I've had recently. I'm really stoked for this cycle. We've got some really good things going on here in Volzhski. And in our Zone. It looks like Elder Hollingshead and I are gonna be baptizing a family before he heads out on August 1st. We went over to a member's house and he and his wife are working to introduce us to their friends. They're family friends, kind of like when we were back in West Jordan and always did stuff with the Knowles. It's really amazing because they've got a family of 5 kids, which is unheard of for Russia. Seriously that's crazy. People with 2 kids are considered a full family, just because all the apartments here are tiny, and it's really hard to support a family on the kind wages here, usually. We went over and talked to them for a few minutes, and they seem really awesome. I'm stoked to work with them.

Man, this is lookin like a pretty lame email, but I can't think of much to say. I'm loving life. There's not much new here. It's kind of flying by super-fast, to be honest. One more week and we'll be on a train back up to Samara for Zone Leader Council with President. WHERE DID JUNE GO? I'm starting to realize that we're in the midst of summer. Feels like it's just getting started. Soon we're going to be getting ready to get back into winter and then I'll be where I was last year (feels like 2 months ago I was back with Elder Barton being trained). This is really a lame email, I'm so sorry. But I already have to wrap up. I'm sorry I didn't give a good email this time! Things are good. I love Russia, and I love testifying to random people on the street about our Savior every day. That's a privilege that we shouldn't even be considered worthy to have. That's what I love, and I know I'm not always going to be able to do that. I love you! I miss you a lot. You're emails and letters and prayers do me good! You're also in my prayers. LOOOOOVVVEEEE

Alex.