St. Petersburg is awesome... I can't wait for it to become mine

 Mom and Family,
I'm here and I'm alive!!! Yay! Oh my gosh I'm so excited I can hardly sit
here and type. My flights were all smooth and I arrived Tuesday
afternoon. That first day the Clarks (our mission president and wife)
picked us up with some missionaries and immediatly we headed off to
street contact. Haha, pretty fun. Just as we made our way back to pres
and sister Clark's home we talked to people on the street and handed
out "invitations". I'm kinda scared of the Russian people from all
that I've heard about them, but they've been more kind than I
expected. Afterwards we had a delicious dinner at the Clark's. OH how
I love the Clark's! They are awesome. So warm and loving and real and
just good. I know they love me and really care about me. It was
wonderful to be in a home and just know that I would be taken care of.

Afterwards I slept with some sister missionaries who lived in the area
and I konked out! I fell asleep the night before we left at like 1,
woke up at 4 and then we flew and stayed awake until about the
afternoon of the next day (in Utah time.... is this making sense?). So
needless to say I was extremely tired. Yesterday I met my companion!
Her name is Sister Parker. She's from Utah and she's awesome. We had a
great day planned and I even got to teach a lesson with her last
night! Oh my gosh how I love teaching. It was with a newly baptized
member named Jana. It was so fun to plan with Sis. Parker. She told me
all about Jana and her needs and basically had me plan the whole
lesson. During the lesson I don't think she expected me to be able to
help much but I guess I really suprised her with how much I was
involved and participated. I asked a lot of questions and often bore
testimony. Oh it was so cool I'm finally a real missionary! I didn't
realized how great the new teaching program is at the MTC becasue Sis
Parker said she couldn't have been as involved in the lesson as I was
last night in her first time. So basically I was pretty lucky to be a
part of that program! Only one little Russian mess up in the lesson
last night. I went to say "when I write" but, the verb for to write
and to pee is the same, but differentiates depending on how you
conjugate it.... haha so of course I said, in my very first lesson,
WHEN I PEE hahhahahaa. Oh it was hilarious Jana was dying she thought
it was so funny. Welp, I'm not gonna mess that up again :)

St. petersburg is awesome. I havent seen much of it yet but I can't
wait for it to become mine. Our mission only has 50 missionaries, and
currently only 7 of them are sisters. Isn't that crazy??? So basically
I will get to know all the sisters very well. Also, basically all
areas of the mission are in the city it sounds like, except for one
location so I'll be in the city probably my whole mission. It has been
raining alot so those boots you sent me are PERFECT I'm so lucky to
have them. Its already a little bit chilly so soon I'm gonna be frozen
haha. Our mission president lives in the way nice apartment in the
same building with the mission office and church building. I'm suprised
at how nice all of it is. It's weird that a church is in an apartment
building, but its also weird that its still like a normal chapel and
church building,..... somehow they built it like that. I'm trying to
think of what I else I need to tell you.... so much to talk about!
I don't understand any Russian basically haha. I'm a little bummed my
trainer isn't Russian... a Russian would've helped with my Russian
a lot, but I really like Sister Parker and we're gonna get SO MUCH done
together :) I just get so excited thinking about it. Our area has greatpotential so of course we're gonna be busy!

Today we had to go back to the office to get some visa stuff done and
while we had to wait for a few hours us and some elders got to play
floor ball in the cultural hall thing. SO FUN. It kinda like hocky
witth sticks and a ball and stuff. Sister Parker was thrilled becasue
I guess she hasn't been able to play much sports the whole time she's
been out she's served a year now). Basically the mission president
before Pres. Clark was SUPER strict and had rules for everything.
random rules like elders arent allowed to share candy with sisters,
don't move the furniture in apartments, sisters can't play sports with
elders, and sisters had to have their hair shorter than shoulder
length! NUTS right? Im SOOOOO thankful to have the Clark's here. And
thank goodness they don't have a rule about cutting hair.... I would
def. cry. So basically Pres. Clark's rules are to follow the white
handbook. He's only been out here 2 months so he may add rules, but I
know if he does they would be good ones that I would want to follow.
It's about 4:30 here on thursday...... our preparation days are on
thursdays so this is about when you'll be getting my emails.
Everyone: yes, you who is reading this, I love you! Thank you for your
support and prayers, I need it! Write me :) aight? I know this church
is true and I cant wait to share it with everyone!!!!