Hey, it was great to hear from you! As always! First things first, please pass on my love to Aunt Kristin. That's got to be a big blow to their family. Tell them I love them, and I'll be praying for her, ok? I'm really glad to hear that recovery is going well so far. Maybe if it hasn't already been suggested then a priesthood blessing from Dad and Grandpa would be a good idea? Especially before surgery. Oh I hope everything goes really well! I got a little knot in my stomach when I read the second email about Sam contacting home, too. I'm assuming that it has to do with Kristin's accident, right? Wow, lots of big news came this week. It seems like everyone and their dog has left on missions. And my generation is starting to slowly come back from theirs. It all flies by!! Wow, I don't really know what to write about.
Also, just got a call the one of the branch buildings in our zone got vandalized! Kind of crazy. Some graffiti and a little bit of fire, but nothing serious! Okay, so as far as my week goes, I went to Kyiv again. It was awesome because they didn't think we'd be able to go to the temple again, but they were able to get the flights needed and I got to go!! It was amazing. It was awesome to go through in Russian again. Kyiv is a golden city. People there are so nice, and the church is really really strong. Elder Maksymov has told me all about it. It's about an hour away from the airport and so the mission hired a driver to come pick us up. We were able to talk to him a little bit about our church, and he was an incredibly nice man, too. Real smiley. One of the Elders in our group got permission to see his brother there, who has been in the Kyiv mission for about a year and a half. That's kind of like Caleb and Seth. They went to lunch across the street from the temple and got to do some contacting together. I can't even imagine what it would be like to do missionary work with a broseph. That's one of my dreams. Maybe if one of the three get called to a Russian speaking mission, I'll go pick them up for the last week of their mission and then do some work with 'em. I'll start saving now!! By then there will be a couple more stakes in Russia and maybe a temple or two under construction. Goose bumps. I'm glad that you got to go see Chelsee talk. She probably did an awesome job! Tell her hi for me, I haven't written in a little while. I'd be happy to send a letter off if I can get her MTC address. I'm scared that if I write today then she won't get it before she goes to the MTC in a couple weeks. She's going to do so awesome! And she's being sent to a really awesome mission. I'll bet she runs into Maksymov's parents there. Depends on where she serves, but they go to the stake center that's right there on temple grounds. I got some really amazing pictures of the temple this time because it's overcast and it's fall. I wish I would've thought to bring my camera. Maybe next week I can send some.
Biggest news from me this week. Next week Elder Maksymov has his visa trip to Kazakhstan so we're going to ride up on a train so Samara together and I'll work one day up there while he's gone. Also, next week is transfers. Again. I feel like I've been with Elder Maksymov for a week or two and now it's already transfers again. Anyways, we'll see what happens. I'll be happy to stay here because there's so much fun stuff going on in Saratov. In about 2 weeks (a little less) I'll have been serving in the same area for 6 months straight. Kind of crazy, especially because it definitely doesn't feel like I've been here that long. But I came and it still wasn't summer. And now it's freezing. Snow's gonna come soon. I feels it in my bones.
This has been a crazy writing session with lots of interruptions, so I'm sorry it's not a good email. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I love you and pray for you every single day. Thank you for all you do, especially mom and dad. I feel so much support and love coming from home, and not every missionary gets that, so I feel really lucky. Thanks for everything you sacrifice to make Sam and I happy! REALLY happy, I mean, in the eternal sense. It means a lot. Really really really really a lot. Sam, thanks for your example. Mitch, you've got really beautiful eyes. Thanks for reading these too, even though they're kind of boring. LOVE YOU.
MOM, WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT MY GUTS???
ALEX
P.S. THANK YOU for putting together a package. I'm excited for christmas and it's not even halloween yet! I'm going to put together a Christmas package for the family sometime soon, too.... any requests? Maybe a stray cat or dog? or a pidgeon? There are lots of those. Haha!
P.P.S. I hope you got the love your guts joke hahaha. I thought it was pretty funny at least.
