August 19, 2015

So we officially only have 12 more days left!!  Super exciting!  Very unprepared language wise, but at the same time I know the best way for me to learn is to get out there!  So about time!  Also, it's called a prepaid phone, I don't know more than that.  Just have Spencer google pre-paid phone and I think some info should come up.  They're pretty common they're just tiny little flip phones and you pay for everything before hand.  I know they exist because Elder's before us got some as well.  Hopefully you can find them, we're also going to get call cards too so we can call from the pay phones too.  Anyway, just to follow up on some other points in your emails, YES smart wool socks would be awesome if you could get them to me soon along with the other things.  Do you know when Brother Jeppson is planning on running up the winter gear to the mission home?  Just curious.  Also, there are only 3 people in our class room, and only 3 people in our bedroom which we've been super lucky about.  There have only been 3 people in both our classroom and bedroom for a month as of tomorrow.  So in a classroom that fits 10-12 there's only 3 and in a bedroom that fits 6 there's only 3 as well.  I have no idea how we got this lucky, but I'm not complaining.  Yeah the SYLing has gone really well, and that's why we are a week ahead of all the other districts, that and because we're just in the class with us 3, but I'm just going to say it's because of the SYLing ;).  I'm so glad you got to have a lot of fun at the NYC-Utah Reunion, I love Jared Covington, it's always fun to see him and his family.  That story about Rebecca cracks me up, and I don't know I'm 18 right now but I feel like I'm around the 50 year old stage so I don't know how accurate that it.  Maybe it's just because I'm on a mission right now so it messes up the construction of that.  I'm so glad Caroline and Ryan had a great trip, and I'm also REALLY disappointed that Caroline didn't realize it was Emma Watson, because that would have made 10 year old Spencer so happy to know his sister met Emma Watson haha.  Was it Emma Watson that was Spencer's big celebrity crush or someone else?  I can't remember oh well.  And yeah I'm not surprised that he's officially an inch taller than me, I just hope that he does play basketball.  He could be sooooo good if he wants to be.  But you know его выборь (his choice).  I'm glad he's doing IB too, it's for the best and if you end up moving again for his senior year, he'll be super grateful.  That's crazy that Katie Turpin is already home, soon Seth will be, and then McKay, it's kindof fun having a ward in Ogden with a lot of people going on missions because that's exciting to keep track of them.  Heck, I'm almost 1/12 into it which doesn't seem like much, but it has flown by.  Anyway, I typed all of this pretty fast, but I should get going on the week and how it's been :)!

Wednesday:  

So we had a pretty run of the mill day, we got to know the new district more after helping orientate them the night before which was a lot of fun.  They're are a couple of cocky elders in the district who think they speak Russian really well already and they were trying to correct us when one can't even say хорошо correctly yet.  We just laughed because all we could think was that within the nest couple of days their brains would be screaming for relief.  We were right haha, after that they've cooled off that attitude a bit.  And you know me, I'm not about the tude.  It's fun pretending like we're so old when literally no one who has been here has been here for more than a couple months.  

Thursday:

Friday was pretty hysterical, because we role play teaching each other lessons, and we had one with Elder Mehr as the investigator.  Anyway, we both said kak y bac dela at the same time and he said "Ya cprocit adin!"  Sorry I got tired of guessing where the Russian letters are.  But basically that means, "I to ask one!"  Our teacher just put his head on the desk and lost it, and we were all losing it too, it was fantastic.  It was probably a good 10 minutes before we could reign it in, and surprisingly after that we were able to focus up again.  But it was probably the hardest I've laughed here.

Friday:

Nothing much from Friday, we just had Sister Handley who is the BOMB (Kacey Sorenson you can feel free to tell her I say that because it's true).  Sorry I have a friend who's good friends with my teacher.  I just can't help it, I know everyone *Sassy emoji*.  Haha, other than that, we just had some really good studies of Russian grammatical concepts, and we've started doing a lot better at cases.  

Saturday:

We got to give a Sister who hadn't stopped coughing in like an hour a blessing.  I got to do that which was just a really cool experience.  Then we also participated in a blessing for an Elder who has been having some issues, I'll expand on that later though.  

Sunday:

Sunday was a lot of fun.  We get to conduct the priesthood meetings as well as help with the sacrament prayer, and read along because the Branch Presidency doesn't speak Russian.  It's was a really nice Sunday, with an awesome devotional in the evening.  It was the Nashville Tribute Band that performed, which are basically a bunch of Tennessee Mormons who have a band where they play like Mormon country music.  It was a lot of fun and just a really cool surprise.  I could tell Elder Sonderegger was about to die from not being able to just grab one of their guitars and start playing, but it was a lot of fun for him too, despite having to restrain himself from joining in.  I don't think I've ever told you, but he plays guitar, ukelele, drums, harmonica, and a couple other things.  It's pretty cool.  

Monday:

We finally got our Russian name tags!  Although we're not going to wear them often, it was just super exciting to get it.  It makes it feel so much more real to see "бэлнап" as opposed to "Belnap".  I'll take a picture and send it to you next week.  In class we also talked about making sure people understand the "WHY" behind commitments.  One thought that I really liked is that it's our knowledge of the why we should do something that allows us to exercise our free agency.  It was just a really good discussion and helped me understand the importance of explaining things with more clarity, because that's where it becomes our decision to do something, because now we understand the why behind it.  Anyway, just a thought that I liked.

Tuesday:  

The devotional was given by Larry J. Echo Hawk.  Yes Echo Hawk, я закочило (I'm finished, but we always use it as, I'm done).  It was a good devotional, at least the parts that I wasn't completely crashed for.  Apparently one of the elders had to keep me from sliding out of my chair, because we were on the front row of the bleachers, which isn't all the way up in the front, but about the middle of everyone, but there's a little bit of a fall.  So if I had fallen it would have been heard throughout the devotional with over 2000 people.  I got him some thank you ice cream from the vending machines later.  Also, apparently our BYU cards work, and I had about $10 left on mine, so I haven't used it all yet, but it just sorta made me laugh, and also made me a little sad that I won't be back at BYU this year.  But, at the same time I'm where I'm supposed to be.  Also, some Elders came up with a new game, we call it Smash Ball, and basically we just play it for 10 minutes before we get started on journals, it's like spike ball, but better.  I don't really know how to explain it, but it's been fun to just play that on a couple of the nights where I just need to relax.  Some people play it wayyyy to much though.  Anyway, sorry that was random.  

Anyway, sorry for this essay of an email, it only took me 40 minutes to write.  Oh also, the Elder we gave a blessing is going home today.  He didn't take care of some things before hand that he should have, and this is actually his 2nd time at the MTC already.  Although we're sad, he has a great attitude about it, and he's planning on coming the next possible time that he can.  He said he's so much happier leaving this time than last time, because I think he feels like he finally took care of everything.  He's shooting for coming back out next June.  We love him tons and he has been a fantastic example to us of using the Atonement in his life.  I know he'll be back out here in 10 months, ready to go.  Anyway, I love you all and I hope you enjoy my emails.  If you want to hear from me personally, well than write me personally #burn.  I have a couple funny pictures to send, but then I'm off!  

Love you!

Elder Christopher Belnap 

Sad to hear about David and Lizzy, she is a great girl.  He told me a little bit about what happened, and I understand, but I'm still also sad.  I really hope that things work out for her, and I'm just sad that she got along so well with the family and then things fell apart.  David's going to find the girl for him, and she's going to find the man for her and they're both going to be happy that things didn't work out for them.  Words of Wisdom from Elder Belnap.  Anyway, just wanted to say, I'll get a few call cards here, but if you can look into a prepaid phone one more time I would be very appreciative!  It would just make things a lot easier.  Also we don't have our flight plans right now, but we will soon!  I'll definitely let you know next week when we take off.  Also sorry about sending a package, I promised Nathan and Rebecca I would, I know that's the last thing you need while trying to unpack everything.  Also, the video of Nate made me crack up I love that.  Ok, anyway I really am off now!

LTIABABA

Elder Belnap

"Hey mom, look at me I can fly!"  Also, I look 300 pounds in this picture, but I can't say that I care #oops.  Also look at Elder Mehr's face haha.  He know's his life is about to end.