there are only three things the elders are ever on time for

privet,

what are they? breakfast, lunch, and dinner. i'd say just kidding. but it's ridiculously true. haahahah. heart them. cerdtsa.

anyways. hi friends and family! today marks four weeks since i got here? whaaat? how is that possible? but at the same time, the more we watch other people go in and out, it's very possible.

the older district of russian speakers leaves this coming monday and tuesday which means we'll be the older ones! seriously?? and the new russians come on doug's birthday, the 29th. i can't believe it. but can. we've been here forever. i want to just be there!

this week i have found myself more and more grateful every day that cectpa coulson is my companion. there are thousands of reasons really. i think my favorite was when we were talking during planning last saturday and i used the phrase theory of mind in the middle of what i said and she didn't even blink. brownie points for a psych graduate companion. last week after our weekly planning and comp inventory, we had a district meeting of sorts to talk about goals, etc. it was an interesting meeting, but i love the insights we've been gaining because of it. we truly see how important love is in everything we do. it's all about love. and people are ALWAYS  more important than anything else we ever do. everything we learn is secondary to caring about individuals. that said, with the exception of after district devotional reviews on tuesday nights, we've been feeling a slight lack of unity in parts of our district. and the thing that's hard about it is that we recognize the problem, but there's nothing we can do about it. as thomas s. monson said, 'never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.' i didn't have a chance to read grandpa beckham's missionary email until after this meeting, and the scripture at the end of it really struck me. "wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." (d&c 81:5).  i love that c.coulson and i understand how important it is for us to help build up and love our elders. i love that during our devotional review last night as each of them stood at the front of our little room and bore testimony and shared thoughts, it was to our corner that they turned. last night the devotional was given by david evans, of the seventy. who is also the executive director of the missionary department of the church. and i think my favorite part of his message about rescuing people, was about the importance of that invitation coming from someone that loves them, that they know loves them. we've been seeing firsthand the power and the opening and blossoming that has come in each of these elders as they recognize our love for them and our desire for them to succeed. it's beautiful.

also, the elders just make me happy. the other night after planning, we were chatting with ct. ostler and ct. bingham, and let me just tell you, they are a hoot and a half. it kills me. and ct. bingham is so granola-ish and chill. but enormously sweeet too. it cracks me up. and as we said good night after chatting, he said, "thanks for a beautiful evening and your beautiful spirits." it was probably the most precious thing in the world. anyway i love them. haahaha. they're just so precious. and ct.harrison is probably going straight to heaven. probably. he could be the first person in history to ever kill someone with kindness. and though we're still working on the chivalry of the other elders in our district without saying it to their face bluntly, ct.harrison and ct.gelwix are stellar. love it. hurrah for donetskers!

sunday was a rough day for the mtc cafeteria. sundays always are, but sunday was a new low. haaa. but also, on sunday during the temple walk it hit me for almost the first time since being here that our elders really are 19. most the time i think i look at them as i see them becoming, but every so often when the full on intensity of their 19-year-old little boy nature of them comes out? i can't decide how i feel about it. good thing i love them so much. haahaha. they cray cray.

i don't have much to say this week i feel like. it's kind of lame. all we do every day is study, teach, learn, laugh. all day, every day. it's exciting though to finally feel like i'm starting to see how someday russian will just come out in all its crazy words and grammar without having to think about it. i'm absolutely not there yet, but it's exciting to slightly understand and see that happening. also, ct.ostler keeps calling me a walking dictionary. not cool. haahahaha. mostly cause i'm not. good ole russian.

welp. shoutout time! roslyn, we get dear elders every day in the mtc monday through friday. in the field however, it's a different story. also, i think of you all the time when c.holmes does or says things that remind me of you. heart it. // melissa wertz, you are adorable. loved your letter that i had to skim fast. but LOVED the pictures tooo! so so happy for you. :) keep me posted! // lauren rose avondet. this is not funny. send me a letter, or at least send me a dear elder with your address so i can write to you. // lauren celeste, did you judge me? don't worry. that's all in the past. also, can you dear elder me that paragraph of revelation of sorts that i came to in writing to you? that's probably dumb. judge me all you want. and keep it on the dl. // happy two year anniversary to doug and sherry yesterday! love you both like crazy. // happy one year anniversary last week laurs and will! how do i  know so many people with anniversaries?

c.pace's brother just started working here so c. pace got to see him during lunch yesterday and today. it was weird to me. i feel like we've created our own family of sorts here and i forgot what it was like to have brothers in a real world sense. anyway. it made me miss my brudders a little bit. and at the same time grateful. i don't know that i'd want to see anyone right now. i prefer the bubble. by the same token, i had a few 'wow. 18 months is a really long time.' moments, this week. so that was cool. but as maya naparnitsa says, it will all pass by like a dream in the night.

anyway. i have to run. but we have noticed that the nicer buildings, nicer classrooms, nicer computers, nicer everything are given to the english and spanish speakers. we decided we'd feel discriminated against as people being here so long if we thought too hard about it. good thing we don't. preparation for eastern europe, i guess. haaahah. sorry my letter is kind of lame this week.

lots of love, cectpa emily janette.

ps. steve, how did you have pneumonia here? i would have wanted to cry every day living like that with this life.