Barrett - MTC Week 7

He added some Russian, I have included translations. He really is using his email to share with all of you. Thanks for all of the support.

Lynne

Well, another incredible week! The new Russian-speaking missionaries arrived. They're everywhere!! 35 new Elders, 3 Sisters for our zone, and almost 50 for the other zone! Gym is packed. haha. They started immediately on the new pilot program, preparing for the full curriculum change in August, which means that they're teachers are teaching them all по-русский (in Russian) right from the start. They're moving fast! It's great. Seeing all of them, it feels like we're riding the front of wave that's about to hit Russia!

Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke to us last night!! Oh, it was great! He and his wife spoke about obedience and hard work. He even quoted "Fiddler on the Roof", which I bet he just watched because he's going to Moscow next week to organize the first stake in Russia!!!!! Can you believe it? He didn't mention it in his talk, but he did speak about our responsibility to not only share the gospel, but also to help build up and establish the kingdom. He was talking to us! Directly to the four of us (my roommates) who are headed to Moscow. Unbelievable.

It sounds like Placerville ward is getting some changes of its own! That is so exciting! Удачи! (Good Luck!) How is everything in Placerville? Поздравляю (Congratulations) to the Strayers for the маленький ребёнок (small child) on its way! If it's a boy, I can tell you that I have been quite pleased with the name "Barrett". haha

Oh, and to Steven: Happy Birthday!!!! Happy reading, my friend.

Thank you to every one who has sent me mail! And pictures!! And Cindy, I got your package - Thank you so much!! I call it my small plates. haha. Thank you.

Well, have a great week, everyone. I love you all! Я вас люблю! До свидания! Увидемся! (I love you! Goodbye! See ya!) 30 seconds! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Love

Старейшина (Elder) Hamp

Note - No pictures :(

My computer will not let me get any photos downloaded. I have backed up all files and trying to troubleshoot but it might be the end of the road for the computer.

Barrett - Week 6 - The half way mark

What a week! So I've passed half way! It's hard to calculate the exact halfway point, but I know it's past. Crazy!
So let me first thank all those who have been sending me mail. It is greatly appreciated. The package was fantastic!! Thank you so much to everyone! And the gloves! Wow! I can hear Mike pitching to me all the features these gloves have. Haha! They're incredible! Thank you so much! I especially like the thumb squeegy. Oh, and Micheal (Christensen)! I don't have your address!! I sent a letter a few weeks ago, but it got returned! Aaahh!
So let's see, highlights from this week... Last thursday was Banana Day. Yep, that's right, Banana Day. What is Banana Day, you might ask. Well, it's really quite simple: I ATE NOTHING BUT BANANAS, ALL DAY!!! Hahaha! It was incredible, in a 'what in the world was I thinking' sort of way. It was all Elder Bishop's idea.
Devotional Review: Elder Richard G. Hinckley, as in President Gordon B. Hinckley's son, spoke to us last night, and it was amazing! He reminded me so much of President Hinckley. It was very cool. He and his wife, Jane, spoke about work. He was very comfortable up there, speaking in front of 2000+ missionaries. He even opened it up for some Q+A at the end. It was very cool. And the coolest part was that I got to sit next to Elder Schoenfeld for his last devotional in the MTC. He is already gone by now. Left on a jetplane at 5:00am. How exciting! I cannont believe it. He can't believe it! We talked a bit about how strange it is to not be going home after the MTC. He's in Iowa! How crazy is that?! After the devotional, and after we were all done with everything, he came down to my room (he lives upstairs) to say good bye. He's going to be such a great missionary! On sunday we watched "the Legacy" (after the sunday night devotional they always show a church movie), and we spent most of the time talking about our languages, but whenever it showed Nauvoo in the movie, he would say 'I'm going there!' He's funny. and he still whistles all the time. Haha! I gave him a list of useful russian phrases, like: Доброе Утро and Добрая Утка. Haha
Well, it is time to go! 30 minutes is no time at all when you're typing. Less than a minute to go. I love you all! Have a great week! Talk to you soon

Love
Elder Hamp

Promotion!

Today I took the day off to visit with friends and catch up on things that I have been putting off for way too long...for example, I have a credit with PG&E of about $400 but never got around to calling to find out why. Well, today I did and I over paid my bill for several months so I should be able to get through the summer without having to pay much...that is good news.

This afternoon my boss called me to let me know I got my new job! It is a promotion. I am now the manager of the Organizational Change Management f(OCM) oF the ACES Project. I have been the Training Manager over the project for almost two years. The project manager retired a couple of months ago and my boss, who was the OCM manager, took the project manager spot. Now, after the application and interview process, I took her job. I enjoy Change Management and Strategic Planning so I am excited for the opportunity. OCM covers training, communication and organizational transition. There is still so much to do but I am hopeful that it will fall in to place before too long and I will be able to take my month off :)

Barrett - Week 5 - Pictures!

Here is his letter, pictures follow:

Holy Cow! What a week! I hope you had a great Mothers Day! Ours was Crazy!

All the older districts are gone. So there were 6 disctricts in our zone. 3 were already here, and 3 arrived april 6. And now there are only the 3 districts, until next week when the nooblets arrive. I guess we're getting twice as many as just left! Where are they all going to fit?! I don't know, but it's going to be great. I can't wait. We've been talking 100% по-рускии (in Russian) at breakfast and lunch, and we're planning to up the dosage by next wednesday.

So with all the oldies leaving, all the organization changed. All those who were senior companions are now junior and viceversa (I am now senior companion). We got new District leaders and Zone leaders. It's all very exciting. And the most exciting thing about them leaving is def

initely "the Free Box". All the Elders leaving that needed to get rid of stuff so there suitcases would be the right weight, dump everything in the Free box. It is a glorious system. I am now the proud owner of that book of all the church visual aids (every one is pretty jealous of that one), a German bible (less are jealous of that one), a german PMG, a bunch of language learning stuff (including the advanced russian grammar book that they didn't give us at the beginning), and enough envelopes and dryer sheets to choke a horse... a whole team of horses. It's great

So, Devotional report: Elder Neil L. Anderson spoke to us last night. It was very exciting and most unexpected. I thought

it was going to be Elder Schoenfeld's (Brandon) last fireside, so Elder Black and I found him and sat with him. But it turns out he's not leaving until Wednesday of next week, so he'll see one more. We'll sit with him at that one too! Brandon is doing very well. He's learned how to pronounce "Elder" in Russian, and one of the prelude songs was "love one another" which I sang in Russian and he sang in Spanish. It was very cool

THE FIRST STAKE IN RUSSIA!!! Can you believe it?! We found out the official day (June 5) on Mothers Day, the same day you did I think. So cool! The older districts are getting there jus

t in time! I can't believe it. I cannot wait to be there. When we get there the stake will only be 2 weeks old! When Sis. Sorenson said, in her blog, "But today is the Lord's Victory Day" - Holy cow! It gave me chills. Epic! Oh - and at the fireside, we sang "Army of Helaman" but they changed the words from "...we will be..." to "We are now the Lord's missionaries" I just about cried. It is getting more real, with each day that magically disappears (that's what they do). The more we learn about Russia and it's culture, the more I know that I was meant to go there! Like a hammer is meant to hit nails and a shovel is meant to dig - I was made for Russia!

Well, the timer is flashing - gotta go quick, I love all of you! thank you to all who have written. I really do appreciate the letters - and insipirational thoughts. have a great week

Love

Elder Hamp

Translated 'The District" - newest boy band
Barrett wrote a few weeks ago about setting a meeting with the four of them at The Map. Elder Schoenfeld to Iowa; Elder Mackey to Honduras; Elder Smith to New York; and Elder Hamp to Russia
Barrett's District: Left to Right - Jones, Wooley, Campbell, Black, Francom, Hamp, Holmes, and Bishop (one day he might be Bishop Bishop...ha ha)
Brandon playing Connect 4 with Elder Holmes at the Provo temple grounds...perfect!
The Russian Squat Party

Best of California Award

The ACES Project - Automated Compliance Enterprise System won one of 18 Best of California Awards given to projects throughout California from the Center for Digital Government http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/survey/2581 . I am glad to be apart of such a successful project (I am the Training Manager) It was cool, but my very favorite award went to the Crystal Cove EduGator, CA Department of Parks and Recreation. Attention Teachers - this is cool. It is an all terain vehicle equiped with wireless equipment including an underwater camera, that allows a classroom anywhere in the country (though it was designed for CA classrooms) to have an interactive, narrated field experience with a park ranger at the Crystal Grove tidepools.

Four Weeks! Can you believe it?

So I have a friend at work who said that she didn't understand what Barrett was talking about...enter Mormon culture. Didn't even think about it. I will try to define some of our life for her. Probably not here but when I forward emails.

I have inserted translations and yes, I will fill him in on Osama Bin Laden and his reference to Seth's letter is because I forwarded Seth's first email from Honduras that was forwarded to me but apparently he had received it from others.

Здравствуйте!!! (Hello!!!)

Holy Cow! 4 weeks!?!? I don't believe it. The saying is "the days feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days" in the MTC - It's true! I think it's because every day is planned out, so every monday is the same, every tuesday is the same, etc. so all the mondays become one monday. So it feels like I've only been here a week! Well, maybe a week and a half with the schedule change. Haha

So how was everyone's week? Mine was fantastic! Russian studies are going great! It is just so lucky that I got called on a mission to go to the coolest place on earth and speak the coolest language on earth!

We had another devotional last night (we have one every tuesday). No Apostles this time, but it was great. Elder Ellis of the 70 spoke on faith and he told some of the coolest stories! You should look up Elder Nelson's talk where he tells the story of that heart surgery - wow! that's epic. "Why Doubt?" That was the catch phrase Старейшина Francom came up with to sum up the talk. After Tuesday night devotionals, the district gets together and has a testimony meeting. Wow! We almost learned more there than in the talk. These Elders are the best.

I got Seth's letter!! Oh my goodness! that is so intense! I can't believe he's actually there! The "quick facts" are my favorite. Haha! and "mountain goat ness ness" He's my hero

Did Osama Bin Laden get shot? You can never be too careful with the rumors in here. But if so - WHAT!?!? that's crazy!

Mom, the all-russian letter was a great idea! I understand so much of it!!!! How cool is that! Send more all russian letters. what an unexpected learning tool.

Well, time is running out! so got to wrap up. Церковь истинна! Бог жив! Иисус Христос - наш спаситель! Я вас люблю! (Church is true! God is alive! Jesus Christ - our savior! I love you!

До встречи

(Prior to the meeting) - I am guessing this is not what he meant here :)

Старейшина Hamp