First Letter From Bulgaria

Were to start.  Okay first I got here safe and sound.  The plane rides weren't to bad except I couldn't go to sleep on the big 7and1/2 hour one over the Alantic.  Sorry I couldn't get a call in at the airports my phone card wouldn't work and then the phones in Austria wouldn't let me call anybody even though they worked for everyone else.  Phones must hate me.  When we finally landed for the last time in Bulgairia we were picked up by the Mission President, his wife, and the two brand new AP's.  The took us to the cars (This means no costum problems though I did almost forget my passport on the plane.)  When we got out of the parking garage it was rainning so that basicly cut out going tracting for us.  We drove on down to the mission home and you were right brat Purv and brat Mattinson the Bulgairians do park and drive crazy.  We had to take a detour through Sofia's Mahala because of traffic.  The place was weird first of all there was a house with only 3 walls but 5 sattilite dishes.?  Well once we got out of the Mahala we made it to the mission home with was really nice.  Once inside they gave us some snacks, a survey, interviews and to us that didn't get a chance a call home.

After the interviews with Presideint Roth (He is pretty cool) we basiclly took a tour of the mission home and then was fed dinner by Baba Vikie (and yes brat Purv I did tell her you loved her very much.)  The dinner was some Mycaka(moosaka) (wich is kind of like shepereds pie) with yougurt on top (the bulgairian kind not american.)  We also had some Shapka Salat wich is a tomato cucumber salad with seranea on top.  Both of these dishes was delicious but my faviort was Sister Roth home made Rasberry Keyslow Mlyako(Rasberry Yogurt.)  That was amazingling delicious.  We then were shooed up stairs for bed after a picture with the Mission Pres and his wife and haveing them plus the AP's introduce them selves.

The next morning I woke up at 6:15 and was so proud of myself for being able to adjust like that.  We all got showered and dressed and then went down ate some myously which basicly granola and yogurt put to gether with some other personal prefrences.  After breakfast we went to the park were Bulgaria was dedicated and were given the chance to dedicate our own missions there.  That was a pretty cool experience.  We we got back we were assaigned our Trainers in a big meating.  My Trainer is Elder Spencer and we are both starting out brand new in Starza Gora.  Elder Spencer is really cool and really strong Pres. Roth made him do a pushup with me on him and he could do it.   He is a hard worker and very organized so he should be able to teach me alot plus he makes me talk and helps me in the best way learn the language. 

We had lunch then had to run to catch the bus to Starza Gora.  I have to admit I feel asleep on the bus but it is alright because I still had some jet lag.  Once in Starza Gora (which is very beautiful) we got a quick tour from an elder that was on our bus who had served there before.  After the tour we unpacked and went to sleep.  We woke up the next day and after all our studying went to the church to clean it up with the senior couple the Forceness's and an English couple named the Dunn's.  The church was a mess because it hadn't had water for two weeks and lets just say it looked like it would take two weeks to clean.  We cleaned from 10:30 till 2:00 because by that time the Dunn's and Froceness's were cleaned out.  They are both elderly.  After cleaning the Dunn's took us out to dinner to a pizza and salad place in the mall which was really good.  They gave us a low down on the Branch and we got to know them a bit.  After the Lunch we had apointment with a member who wouldn't make it to church this week because of work his name was Demeeter and he was really cool despite the fact I couldn't understand him.  This is getting a tad long so I am going to make some leaps and bonds.  We then caught a bus to Varna to see the baptism of one of my compainons investagators.  The baptism was really cool and the members amazing to.  The baptism was in the black sea and we got lucky because it was too cold so nobody was out.  After the Baptism (I do got pics)  all of the trainers there (there were three) made us three greenies try some boza (Me, Furtado, and sister Loss.)  It wasn't too bad but I would never actively go after it.  We then came back to Starza and went to bed.

Sunday was cool and no we don't get a broadcast in Starz's.  The Branch presiden't was gone so my companion had to conduct and also translate for all three meetings because the Forceness's and Dunn's don't speak/understand Bulagarian fluently though they are better at it than I am.  Don't were my MTC teachers I paid attention the entier time to the Bulgarian that was being spoken and even though my brain was dead at the end of three hours I pushed on through (Oh we only had ten show up 5 had missed their bus.)  After church the Dunn's invited us to dinner and we said yes.  The Dunn's have a very nice house and garden.  Basicly everything we ate was out of it.  During dinner they gave us a more detailed discription of the branch for our benefit and they got to know us.  I forgot we also took the sacrament to a member named papa John.  He was really cool and intresting.  He showed us of all the missionarys he had meet in 8-5 years we are not shure of his baptism date.  And guess what I saw Brat Wahlgrenn in his picture collection.  For the Benefit of others Brat Wahlgrenn was one of my MTC teachers.  Back to the Dunn's.  After dinner they gave us a bunch of produce from their garden and some eggs from there chickens and took us back to our apartment.  We then had weekly planning since we missed it on friday and then went to bed. 

Now it is Monday.  We cleaned our apartment because the previous missionarys left it a mess and are now writting home.  Now to answer questions.  First yes I am in the Kiev district for temple work but the temple is about 29 hours away by train.  So I don't think we will be going there anytime during the mission.  Second we should get confrence tapes hopefully in both English and Bulgarian sometime this week and then watch it next sunday.  Third a very nice missionary left his coat in our new apartment so lets just say I don't need one any more.  And finnaly How is it going and keep up the mailing.  My address is ul marin drimov 21 bulgaria, sofia.  This will send the mail to the mission home well give us our mail any time they are out here or we are in Sofia.  Forgot on thing.  Brat Mattinson I found a CD for you in our Apartment.  The title is Music For Horn.

Love,

Austin James Ewell