Another week...

 FAMILY!!! hello!!!!!
it seems like everything is going well with you guys! i was glad to hear from.. well dad and grandma! haha its sad when you get so excited about emails and your mom doesnt even write you! haha its ok... next week right?
well.. dad first- it seems like a good week having gracie and gainer there.. tell katie i am sorry about the accident but she is in a great car right now! hah and the new bishopric? wow... that sounds like a good one though.. all three men are pretty great i would say! and about don... i wish that i could talk to zach and knock some sense into him.. he needs to realize that the mission isnt meant to be a walk in the park.. and if he thinks that every missionary who has served hasnt thought about going home is wrong... i can guarantee that EVERY missionary has wanted to go home and EVERY missionary has seriously thought about it... and we have to remember that its the lord who called us on a mission...i know that those times when i have had a hard time... i always think that the lord didnt send me on a mission to come home.. i have to realize that there are people here, for the next (now year)... who need me.. and heavenly father knows and knew that.. and he send me here, this specific place, this specific time.. for a reason.. and whenever i think about coming home, i realize how selfish it is because i would be missin out on those people who need me... anything.. thats my two cents about it.. i am truly sorry that he is coming home, but i can honestlty say i know EXACTLY what hes going through... i really do.. the misison is tough... especially in a different country and when you have given up so much, but in the end, we have to realize that when we give up this stuff for the lord, the lord will blessyou so much more... i dont know... tell him i am sorry and i wish him the best... and tell don i wil be praying for him... also dad, hows grandma west? tell her i love her and i think about her!! i hope she is doing well!!! dad i love you and i also know too that the lord is taking care of me.. he truly protects his missionaries and blesses their families! love you dad Grandma! thanks for the birthday invitation! i do wish i could be there but maybe for 80th birhtday? haha i will be there for that! and next year i will be there for your birthday too! it sounds like a good week for you! you siad you had the fifth sunday... we (sister and i) actually taught that lesson for the branch... haha it was great! and you asked about the branch and the people who live far away.. as for now, there is only one branch in tomsk so the people who live out of the city travel to church.. its pretty amazing to see their faith.. i know in some country people drive 4 hours to get to church... they really are great members! and it was great to hear about your service and the lady from sierra vista! the lord truly answers prayers i know... i am grateful you are doing that grandma you are a great example,.. also i am grateful grandpa is holding strong! i am so excited to see the change in him when i get home! thats truly a blessing and a tender mercy of the lord.. its helped me a lot out here in russia... anyway, you said something about a unique world? hahahahah grandma thats an understatement.. its crazy here.. i cant even explain it.. i will remember to take a ton of pictures so that i can show you guys.. oh! and you said about that boys call.. haha grandma i dont know how lucky i am... haha i think that south carolina will be a pretty crazy mission too.. and he will definetly have his trials.. i do feel lucky about my call but man.. its hard! hah sometimes i wish i was just in a temple! haha but then i think about my experiences and i wouldnt trade them for anything, i can really tell my children and grandchildren about this... its a great experience.i love you grandma!! tell grandma i love him too!

 oK!!! on with my week... ok first off.. its june 1st!!! haha can you believe that!!! its been officially 6 months since i have been out.. thats so crazy to me! honestly! well thursday we went to the lee family, i have told you about them before... but this time the little girl shena was graduating from her little class.. so i did her hair in a cute little updo! haha she has amazing hair it was so fun! i have pictures i will have to send you.. anyway this family leaves in about 2 weeks for the whole summer! i am sad cause i probably wont be in tomsk when they get back.. i guess i can only pray for them. they are such an ideal family! then on friday we have an investigator galina, and she too is leaving for the summer! she however, goes on a boat, and its like a floating store, and they travel to little villages up north, where people dont have stores and stuff and they sell to all the villages.. its pretty interesting,.. anyway we went and saw her on her boat! and she is actually the cook... and there are 18 people who work on the boat.. it was actually a cool experience, its like a floating store.. haha so we got to see the boat and stuff before she left.. she too is ready for baptism but theres something thats holding her back! ahh its so had!! then also on friday i talked to a doctor about my knee... he said i have probably just aggrivated it and the cortozone shot masked the pain... so now that thats worn off i can feel it.. so we are working on a few things to make it better.. i do need new shoes though.. haha doctors orders i swear! haha then on saturday we went to this village and theres a camp there thats for kids who have bad families or no familes at all.. and we just cleaned this time.. (its kinda like a girls camp) and the area is so pretty.. but we cleaned for them and we go back this saturday and help with the kids.. i am excited to go and see the kids.. it should be a really good opportunity to serve! then that night we have sports night, we play frisbee (well i dont cause i cant :(   and it started pouring rain! haha we have sweet pictures... other than that that weather got pretty hot yesterday.. it was actually 88 degrees! can you believe that! haha i am like sweating now! haha then on monday we taught the mongolians again.. haha its so great to teach them cause theres like 3 languages going on... anyway we have this girl gana.. and she is great we are just trying to really work with her! then yesterday.. this just kinda describes russian people.. we met with this lady from the branch.. and for the first 40 minutes... she sang.. just sang to us... hah we dont know why.. we just had to sit and listen.. it was pprrreeettttyyyy interesting.. man.. sometimes i really  just cant put my mind around the country i am in right now.. sometimes i feel like its normal.. and then random things like people singing for 40 mintues, or i pee in a barn.. or like i went shopping this morning, and i cant find turkey! like just to eat! haha its just crazy to me... i am grateful for this experience though.. i have grown and learned a ton.. and i know it can only get better from here... its been 3 full months in the country and i have like 1 week less than a year left.. thats just crazy to me... time really does fly! well... we are hoping this week is great too! we have a busy week of course.. just trying to be the missionaries the lord wants... as for me and everything else... the language is coming... slowly but yes... its coming... i just want it to be here now! hah but the lord likes to test people... and i really do love my mission...... even though it seems like i am half way across the world.. oh wait i am.. haha and even though its a COMPLETELY different world here, i am learning and growing a lot... life has take on a whole new meaning and this church, has taken on a whole new meaning... truly it has... i love this church and i love you guys!!!


 as for my friends.. i just sent some letter...
 tell kristin if she can send me one of her cds to send one! and tell ashton to send me her wedding pictures!! helloooo! haha i have to see them!!!!!!!!


LOVE YOU GUYS!! LOVE SISTER WEST!!!!