Transfers

Hey everyone,

So Irina already spilled the beans. I am going to Kaluga. Kaluga is a very small city. The branch averages about 12-15 people a week and will be very similar to Tula. My companion will be Elder Frehner. He has been in Russia for about 3 months now so he is still pretty new. Elder Cecil, my last companion will be serving in Tula as the Zone leader. Me and my companion will be the only elders in Kaluga so there will be plenty of work to do. It will be nice to be a little closer to Moscow but I will miss the night trains, they are always pretty fun. I will miss this city and the members here. Irina has been my best friend since about my second week here in Veronezh. She is 32 years old and is just a nice person. I really like her a lot. Yesterday we had our last meeting with Ludmilla before I left. Both of us shed some tears and she told me to tell you thanks, mom, for sending me here and raising me like you did. She told me she'll never forget me and that she will always hold a special spot in her heart for me. She is pretty awesome. She gave me and Elder Cecil both some neat souvenirs. I sent a package home yesterday to the boise house. It has two martroshki stacking dolls, some clothes and that hairy shawl that Ludmilla gave to mom for her birthday. I have no idea how long it will take to get there but I just hope everything gets there in good shape. The big doll I got for myself for when I have a house someday but I think you guys can just put it up somewhere in your house until that day. The smaller one is for you guys to keep forever. The awesome ussr jacket needs to be hung up or something so it will be in good shape when I get home. For some reason there was a red spot on the sleeve when I got it so if you notice that, see if you can clean it.

Anyway, this week I can say will be a week I will never forget, for a few reasons. It has been great though. We have been meeting with all the members I wanted to meet with before I left and almost all of them have fed me. Last night we had a meeting with a lady named Alla. She fed us chicken, mashed potatoes and this cucumber tomato salad. Right after that we went to a meeting with the ward mission leader, a young married guy who served a mission in California. He and his wife had prepared us dinner as well. They brought us out chicken, mashed potatoes, and amazingly enough, a cucumber tomato salad. It was pretty funny.

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty scared to leave. I still have a little bit of packing to do and then I will get on a train at 4:30. Tomorrow I will spend most of the day in Moscow helping other people who are getting transfered get from train stations and bus stations to the office with all their luggage. My new companion has a visa trip tomorrow so I will be just waiting around for him. I actually get to go to dinner with President. There is one sister missionary who is finishing her mission tomorrow and I get to go to her farewell dinner. That should be pretty cool.

I don't have a whole lot to write about this week. It's been one of the more challenging weeks I've ever had, and that I'll ever have I hope. I am excited to move and just start from scratch kind of. Transfers give you the chance to drop some bad habits and develop some good ones. I always have things I need to work on and I will be using this transfer as a chance to grow. You guys didn't say anything about my invite to Russia at the end of my misison, is that a no? Or are you still thinking about it. Let me know what you guys think

Sorry this is such a short letter but I've kind of got a lot on my mind right now. I'll write a better letter next week from good old Kaluga!! Thanks for everything. Love you guys.

Elder Geddes