Barrett's email, October 2nd

Note: Add additional pictures before printing

 

Lada number eight one five

The city of Elets at 1:30am. There was a mistake on our tickets, so we had to change them in Elets. It's a long story. I'll tell you some time

  A slightly fuzzy picture of our Arbatsky district

 

Visit to the building that will one day hopefully be the stake center in Moscow

A fuzzy picture of the new metro map. They just started putting them in the cars. That's crazy

 

The best sharma ad I've ever seen (sharma is the street meat you're not aloud to eat)

Holy cow!! It's tuesday already! You may be wondering why I didn't email yesterday. Let's just say I was on some important business, wink, nudge, say no more (see email 'pictures, operation 3073'). It's been quite a week. We went on splits out in Lipetsk friday and saturday. I love that little town. We did this crazy contacting activity down in the central rynok (like a flea market). We took a table down and a bunch of these huge signs and set it all up and people were coming from left and right trying to see what in the world was going on. We had a bunch of pamphlets and BoMs out on the table and they were going like hot cakes. It was awesome. We all talked to a ton of people, and frankly I'm surprised the police didn't show up and shut the whole thing down (we weren't sure if you needed a permit to set up there). Haha. It was great.
Then on the way home, the plan was to hop on the overnight train and get in an hour before church and everything would be fine. We can shower later. But when we got on the train we were settling down in our coupe (sp?) and then another couple came over with tickets for our exact seats. Well, it turned out our tickets were accidentally ordered for the wrong day! But we needed to get this train, so we had to run to the end of the train and talk to the big boss and practically beg to be let on the train. We were pitifull, but we had to get on that train. They let us on, literally at the last minute and shut us up in this random room and told us not to leave. A while later a lady came back and told us that in an hour the train would stop in the city of Elets at which time we needed to run off the train, get to the ticket window, get our tickets changed for the right train, and then run back on the train before it leaves. Intense! But when we got to Elets, the big boss lady came with us and sorted it all out. We ended up even getting a little money back somehow, so that was cool. The lady could have lost her job for letting us stowaway, so that was nice.
Then it was sunday, we made it to church, we didn't get to shower, but that was fine, we made it. And it was a great day. Was it church wide that the Bishops teach third hour, because we ended up attending 2 wards, and the bishop taught in each one. That's cool. They were really good lessons. The other elders in our ward had an investigator come late so we went to church with him in the Rechnoy ward. It was cool to be back. That's the ward I started my mission in. I love those people. Anton Ryazanov asked if you were coming again. I told him probably in the beginning of May and he reminded me that the beginning of may is the biggest week of holidays in Russia second only to New Years. So if you come on May 2, you need to stay all the way to Saturday May 11 because if you can be here for May 9 Victory Day that would be awesome. I'm serious. You won't want to miss this.
And while we're talking about it, I haven't had a chance to talk with President yet about the date exactly, but I think we can pretty safely plan on May 2 at this point. And I also haven't had a chance to talk with Elder B yet, but transfers are this week, so I will see him on Thursday. Concerning Noviy Arbat and Tverskaya, those would both be perfect. Almost too perfect. I can't decide which one would be more perfect. That's right in the center and not far from all the main places we will probably go. And concerning the bad review, don't worry about the entrance. And the hot water, Every year the hot water turns off for about 2 weeks in the summer, but you should be here before that happens. The poor person just got unlucky in when they came to Moscow.
Concerning Ana going to BYUI: Holy Cow that's awesome. And the liahona! that's awesome.
Oh, man, time is ticking away. It sounds like everyone is having a good week. I will definitely share a pull out sofa with Greg.
I love you, sorry for the late email. Have a great week. I hope you got all the pictures this time
Love
Elder Hamp