Barrett's email, Monday, August 20th, 2012

So I sent the request for the badger pin. I wasn't sure exactly what to say, especially in English. In Russian there just aren't that many different ways to say things. If you want to ask for something, you just ask for it. If you want to be respectful, you just use the respectful form of the word. But in English you have to worry about how to phrase it and which words to use to be more polite. It was pretty stressful. 

What a week. We did quite a few splits here in Moscow. On Monday and Tuesday we were with the Arbatsky Elders. One of them is British, so my companion was excited to work on his British accent. Then we just hopped around Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to different Moscow Elders. On Friday we were with Elder R, my second companion. Right now he is serving with a short-term missionary from Nizhny Novgorod. They are awesome. Elder R is going to train a new missionary next transfer. I'm going to have a grandson. Haha

Then we went down to Kaluga. Whata place. I think Kaluga is the smallest city in the mission right now. They have an average Branch attendance of 5. Nine if you count the missionaries. Crazy. 

Then it was just a 2 hour bus ride to Tula for church on sunday. We got into Tula with just enough time to get a taxi and fly over to the branch building. We made it with 2 minutes to spare. So with Tula we have now been to every city in the mission. Wow. And after 2 more splits we will have gone on splits with every companionship in the mission. Wow. What an adventure. I wish I could tell you all the stories and all the miracles right now, but it would take too long. Короче, this church is true и Бог еще есть Бог чудес (In short, this church is true and God is a God of miracles). And next transfer Elder T and I will still be together but we will be moving back into the area Elder C and I were in. I'm excited, especially to see Kiril again