All is well,
The culture shock is starting to wear off. Things are starting to make sense again. It no longer feels like I'm just following somebody through a sea of randomly organized buildings that never look the same.
I realized this week that it really was just about as much culture shock as you could possibly get. To go from the MTC to Russia is ridiculous. At the MTC, every single person is modestly dressed, well groomed, smiling and happy. Everywhere you go is clean. There is not a cigarette or beer bottle in sight. In fact there isn't a can of caffine to be found. There is no sleeze. There is no cussing. No nothing. It is literally a eutopia of righteousness.
Russia on the other hand, is so locked in the clutches of the devil. There is sleeze everywhere. They sell pornography at every corner. Their billboards have girls dressed in bikini's. Even for random products, like concrete. And the real girls? I thought that alot of girls back home dressed poorly. I've seen girls wearing fishnet shirts. And when I say girls, that is all age ranges. Even older women.
Beer is so cheap. It's cheaper than a bottle of water. I saw beer being sold for 50 cents a bottle the other day. It was absolutely ridiculous.
And everyone smokes. Literally everyone. Probably because it's so cheap. Another Elder was telling me the other day that he saw cigarettes being sold for about a quarter a pack once. The people here smoke so much that manufacturers had to start adding flavors to their cigarettes to keep customers from getting bored with the same old smoke. Yes, cigarettes now come in many fun flavors such as strawberry, cherry, and grape!
And they when they are done with their beer and their cigarettes, they just through the stubs and the bottles on the ground. Bottles of beer and cigarette butts are all over the place. You can't walk more than a section of sidewalk without seeing a dozen. Its crazy really.
Russia on the other hand, is so locked in the clutches of the devil. There is sleeze everywhere. They sell pornography at every corner. Their billboards have girls dressed in bikini's. Even for random products, like concrete. And the real girls? I thought that alot of girls back home dressed poorly. I've seen girls wearing fishnet shirts. And when I say girls, that is all age ranges. Even older women.
Beer is so cheap. It's cheaper than a bottle of water. I saw beer being sold for 50 cents a bottle the other day. It was absolutely ridiculous.
And everyone smokes. Literally everyone. Probably because it's so cheap. Another Elder was telling me the other day that he saw cigarettes being sold for about a quarter a pack once. The people here smoke so much that manufacturers had to start adding flavors to their cigarettes to keep customers from getting bored with the same old smoke. Yes, cigarettes now come in many fun flavors such as strawberry, cherry, and grape!
And they when they are done with their beer and their cigarettes, they just through the stubs and the bottles on the ground. Bottles of beer and cigarette butts are all over the place. You can't walk more than a section of sidewalk without seeing a dozen. Its crazy really.
The people here are really interesting also. Most of the members of the Church are really kind, and normal. And not drunk. But most the rest of Russia is usually a bit tipsy. We were walking the other day and a lady walked up to me and started saying "tui-ahngel, tui-ahngel" and other gibberish. Which translates to "you look like an angel". And she went on to talk about how blue my eyes were. And she said a prayer over me. It was just all very odd. Alot of the people we stop on the streets are a bit drunk too. You can always tell by the smell.
Culture here is a bit different also. There have been a number of times when we've been teaching a lesson in public, just to have some random person walk up and interupt us. It happened the other day at a dinner. We were talking with an older gentleman, and a youngman who was sitting in the next booth over turned around and stuck his head into our conversation. And after a while started asking intruding questions. Our investigator got up to find a better seat, and with his seat being empty, the youngman decided to take his place. He sat down right in front of us and started asking questions about Adam and Eve and the creation. The shocking part was that this young man actually turned into a contact. We got his phone number and everything.
Also talked with a lady the other day who was just totally blunt. For example I tried to explain something during our lesson that I'd never explained in Russian. I stumbled over my words a bit. And she said "if God is on your side, you should pray for the gift of tongues." I was a bit shocked. The lesson went well though. We talked with her for over an hour and a half. Sadly we won't be meeting with her anymore. She only wants to meet with the native Russian Sisters that are in our area.
Another intersting experience this week while walking between areas. We thought that it would only take about 15 minutes to get from one city to another, but it ended up being a 50 minute walk. Along the side of a high way, with just about nobody to talk to. But, then randomly, we came around a corner and there was a lady selling drinks. We almost walked past her, but stopped. She was so interested in the gospel. Took a Book or Mormon, and promised to come to church. It was shocking. When we walked away, I looked over my shoulder. She was already reading.
Love Elder Wilson
Culture here is a bit different also. There have been a number of times when we've been teaching a lesson in public, just to have some random person walk up and interupt us. It happened the other day at a dinner. We were talking with an older gentleman, and a youngman who was sitting in the next booth over turned around and stuck his head into our conversation. And after a while started asking intruding questions. Our investigator got up to find a better seat, and with his seat being empty, the youngman decided to take his place. He sat down right in front of us and started asking questions about Adam and Eve and the creation. The shocking part was that this young man actually turned into a contact. We got his phone number and everything.
Also talked with a lady the other day who was just totally blunt. For example I tried to explain something during our lesson that I'd never explained in Russian. I stumbled over my words a bit. And she said "if God is on your side, you should pray for the gift of tongues." I was a bit shocked. The lesson went well though. We talked with her for over an hour and a half. Sadly we won't be meeting with her anymore. She only wants to meet with the native Russian Sisters that are in our area.
Another intersting experience this week while walking between areas. We thought that it would only take about 15 minutes to get from one city to another, but it ended up being a 50 minute walk. Along the side of a high way, with just about nobody to talk to. But, then randomly, we came around a corner and there was a lady selling drinks. We almost walked past her, but stopped. She was so interested in the gospel. Took a Book or Mormon, and promised to come to church. It was shocking. When we walked away, I looked over my shoulder. She was already reading.
Love Elder Wilson
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