7 December 2015
Hey, Elder Riggs says turtle, and hello back.
We are in Ussirisk right now to deliver some of the Christmas campaign cards. I have now gone to and seen 3 of the church buildings in my mission. Vlad, Artem, and now Ussirisk.
It's been pretty funny all the things that I dont have time to tell you about. Bottom line is, I'm apparently hilarious, and all the old ladies love talking to me. They all think I'm super funny, and tell me about like grandkids or nieces or something that I should marry. Almost every old lady that I talk to mentions marrying a Russian girl at some point. Apparently if you are on the bus, you always let a woman or child sit first, and you only look toward the front if you are about to get off, I didn't do that and some old lady got up and yelled at me. It was pretty funny. You are just supposed to sit off to the side, and let people pass behind you.
Elder Riggs is pretty cool. He asked me to help teach him German so I do that during dinner. My first area is Churkin and it's been a lot of fun, and I am just now getting a feel for how to get around, and where everything is. Oh the reason he said turtle is because we went and saw the oldest craved turtle in the world located right here in Ussirisk. It was way fun. There was no fence around it, so I totally hopped on and got a picture. (Elder Vincent is a HUGE turtle fan.) We had to do it fast though, because we thought we saw some like security person and we didn't want to get yelled at.
It's been a lot of fun here, and I have been to 1/3 of our church buildings. We have been talking to loads of people, and I have been in companionships with 5 other Elders than just Elder Riggs. It turns out, that his sense of humor and mine are very similar, and I know that we have to potential to do a lot of good here. I've been to quite a few places.
Ummm funny stories, President Perkinson bought every Elder Burger King (I would have thought that was more nice than funny, but I guess you had to be there), I accidently gave the bus driver 50 kopeks thinking it was 50 rubles....he was super confused and so was Elder Riggs, and I looked so smug like I just did something incredible. Elder Riggs just whispered to me that 50 kopeks is like 50 cents....I was like oh no! So then I gave him a 100p note to break and apologized, but he was cool and in a good mood, so he let me go while laughing. We ran into that same bus driver, and Elder Riggs gave him 50kopeks and asked if he remembered us and he almost died laughing. There were these two girls that Elder Burningham and I were talking to and we were inviting them to English practice because they were talking to us in English and knew we were American. Then one of them turned to the other and said "hes hot" about Elder Burningham in Russian, because they didnt know we could understand them. I thought that was super funny.
Elder Kliebengat was the one who was talking to us during mission conference, and he brought up some pretty funny and true points. He was very matter of fact, but it was good, and what I needed to hear. Things like build up walls of defense well in advance of an enemy attack. I'm having fun and don't worry I'm eating fruits and veggies...they are way good here. That's about all I have time for. Love you and say hi to everyone for me.
Love,
Elder Vincent
No pictures yet again. Maybe next week.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Russia - Week 1
30 November 2015
So it's my first week here in Russia, and it's been a lot to take in. I was paired with Elder Riggs as my trainer. He has been in the field longer than any other missionary in Vlad, so he is relied upon a lot by the President. President Perkinson actually told me that he didn't know why we needed to be paired up together, but for whatever reason it was what the Lord wanted. He told me that Elder Riggs basically organized a lot for this upcoming mission conference. He said that my first week would be a pretty weird because Elder Riggs would be needed for a lot of administrative things.
My second day here with Elder Riggs, and he was needed to do some sort of task for several hours, so President Perkinson looked at me and at the other "greenie" (wish I knew who he was talking about!) who was paired with someone else he needed and said, "alright, good you two go out street contacting." We were out there for like 2 hours not knowing where we were, and how to speak to these people, or what to say. We had a few good conversations, and learned some Russian society rules haha. It's been pretty fun.
His (Elder Riggs') Russian is excellent, and he knows the area well. We are serving in Churkin (outside of Vladivostok),
which is historically a hard place to proselyte. He actually had just opened the area with his last "greenie" who has been here for one transfer, then, right when he was starting to get a feel for things, he was switched out with me, and Elder Riggs basically had to start all over again. It's been pretty crazy, and church was a lot to take in, but all in all it has been a good week. That's about all the time that I have for this week, and next week is going to be weird too, because Elder Riggs will be going to Korea...yup....this is a strange way to train someone, but I was assigned by God to have it done this way, so I know that there is a reason why, and that I will be blessed because of this experience. I love you all and will write again a week from now.
Love,
Elder Vincent
No pictures this week. Hopefully next week!
So it's my first week here in Russia, and it's been a lot to take in. I was paired with Elder Riggs as my trainer. He has been in the field longer than any other missionary in Vlad, so he is relied upon a lot by the President. President Perkinson actually told me that he didn't know why we needed to be paired up together, but for whatever reason it was what the Lord wanted. He told me that Elder Riggs basically organized a lot for this upcoming mission conference. He said that my first week would be a pretty weird because Elder Riggs would be needed for a lot of administrative things.
My second day here with Elder Riggs, and he was needed to do some sort of task for several hours, so President Perkinson looked at me and at the other "greenie" (wish I knew who he was talking about!) who was paired with someone else he needed and said, "alright, good you two go out street contacting." We were out there for like 2 hours not knowing where we were, and how to speak to these people, or what to say. We had a few good conversations, and learned some Russian society rules haha. It's been pretty fun.
His (Elder Riggs') Russian is excellent, and he knows the area well. We are serving in Churkin (outside of Vladivostok),
which is historically a hard place to proselyte. He actually had just opened the area with his last "greenie" who has been here for one transfer, then, right when he was starting to get a feel for things, he was switched out with me, and Elder Riggs basically had to start all over again. It's been pretty crazy, and church was a lot to take in, but all in all it has been a good week. That's about all the time that I have for this week, and next week is going to be weird too, because Elder Riggs will be going to Korea...yup....this is a strange way to train someone, but I was assigned by God to have it done this way, so I know that there is a reason why, and that I will be blessed because of this experience. I love you all and will write again a week from now.
Love,
Elder Vincent
No pictures this week. Hopefully next week!
TOUCHDOWN!
The "Thanksgiving 8" arrive in Vladivostok. President and Sister Perkinson were there to greet them and help them get ready to Preach the Gospel in the Russia Vladivostok Mission!
We thought the MTC above the desk was pretty funny so we took our picture there!
We love you all and thank you for preparing your son to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to bring to pass many miracles here in Russia.
President and Sister Perkinson
Vladivostok Russia
President and Sister Perkinson on the right.
Elder and Sister Anderson on the left.
"Thanksgiving 8" in between.
In Vladivostok
The Golden Horn Bridge in Vladivostok
Dinner in the Mission Home
We thought the MTC above the desk was pretty funny so we took our picture there!
We love you all and thank you for preparing your son to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to bring to pass many miracles here in Russia.
President and Sister Perkinson
Vladivostok Russia
Traveling to Russia - FINALLY!
Elder Vincent has been itching to get to Russia for a few weeks now, and now he is on his way!
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| From Cectra Gish - Final Four of her District leaving the MTC |
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| One last picture together! |
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| All their bags are packed! |
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| READY TO GO! |
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| SuperMan Pose before they take on Russia! Love the paisley ties! |
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| Elder Turner and Elder Vincent |
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| Think they are ready? |
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| The "Thanksgiving 8" at LAX before leaving for Seoul. |
Thank you Turner Family for sharing this with us!
FlashBack To May 2015
I just recently found a bunch of pictures that Emily took of Sam in our back yard before he turned in his mission pictures. Thought I would share them as part of his mission blog.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
The District Singing Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
18 November 2015
Thank you to Cectra Gish, one of the MTC teachers for Elder Vincent's District for sharing this!
Thank you to Cectra Gish, one of the MTC teachers for Elder Vincent's District for sharing this!
Time to Leave the Nest!
18 November 2015
Hey so this week was a pretty exciting one. We got our flight plans on Friday and we are all super excited to get to Russia. We go through LA to Seoul then to Vladivostok. We are all looking forward to finally making it to Russia, but its bittersweet, because we are all going to miss each others company. It's all good though, we set up a group email so we will be able to keep in touch. We heard from Elder Kim B Clark yesterday. He was the president of BYUI while I was a student there, so it was pretty fun to hear him speak again. He told a story to us that I had heard before, but I didn't remember who told it to me, and I didn't remember all the details, so it was good to hear it again. We have gone through all of the MTC curriculum for the Russian language, so all that is left to do now is just to get out there and start teaching. Kim B Clark told stories about the gift of tongues, and how at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter the words that we say, but the feelings that we put behind our words. We watched an Elder Bednar talk, and he said a lot of the same things that I heard last night. We took district pictures with our teachers, and that was pretty fun. We have had a really fun time here at the MTC, but I think its about time to leave the nest and finally get out there and start teaching. I will remember these days for the rest of my life, and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to be here as long as I was so that I could best learn how to be a missionary. The next time you hear from me, I'll be in Russia, preaching the gospel.
Elder Vincent
They leave Monday the 23rd of November and arrive in Vladivostok the afternoon of Wednesday 25th of November.
Hey so this week was a pretty exciting one. We got our flight plans on Friday and we are all super excited to get to Russia. We go through LA to Seoul then to Vladivostok. We are all looking forward to finally making it to Russia, but its bittersweet, because we are all going to miss each others company. It's all good though, we set up a group email so we will be able to keep in touch. We heard from Elder Kim B Clark yesterday. He was the president of BYUI while I was a student there, so it was pretty fun to hear him speak again. He told a story to us that I had heard before, but I didn't remember who told it to me, and I didn't remember all the details, so it was good to hear it again. We have gone through all of the MTC curriculum for the Russian language, so all that is left to do now is just to get out there and start teaching. Kim B Clark told stories about the gift of tongues, and how at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter the words that we say, but the feelings that we put behind our words. We watched an Elder Bednar talk, and he said a lot of the same things that I heard last night. We took district pictures with our teachers, and that was pretty fun. We have had a really fun time here at the MTC, but I think its about time to leave the nest and finally get out there and start teaching. I will remember these days for the rest of my life, and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to be here as long as I was so that I could best learn how to be a missionary. The next time you hear from me, I'll be in Russia, preaching the gospel.
Elder Vincent
They leave Monday the 23rd of November and arrive in Vladivostok the afternoon of Wednesday 25th of November.
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| Staryeshena Vincent, Cectra Gish Staryeshena Turner |
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| The District with Brat Oxbarrow and Cectra Gish |
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| The District goofing off with Brat Oxbarrow & Cectra Gish |
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| The District and the many faces of Brat Oxbarrow |