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Monday, July 25, 2011

Some Pictures




Out A Year

Well another week has gone by and I totally forgot about the 24th but I did get a nice suprised.  The Roths came up for sunday and took us out to dinner saturday night so you could say I had a eventfull day.  Anyways lets get started with the week.

Monday:
Oh how I love P-Days.  After shopping cleanning and studing we wrote home to you guys.  We then did some tasks and watched a movie.  We than got to work which was member hunting and surveying.  We found 1 membr family, but we think they lied to us and said they didn't live there.  We then continued surveying and I went on mini splits with Elder Karajov and it was fun working with a bulgarian.  That was the extent of the night.

Tuesday:
We did a lot of surveyinga nd member hunting.  We managed to get in contact with some of the oldest (by baptism date) members in Ruse which was cool.  We also met a bulgarian that I belevie went to Cambridge in Wales (Or some other big college that sounded like that.)  He is actually living in bulgaria and it was so cool to find a bulgrian (a young one at that) that after seeing the outside world sitll wants to stay in bulgaraia.  Anyway that is the hightlights from surveying and after surveying all day we had dinner and then a meeting with Miroslav.  The meeting went great and he should be coming to church now in the closest he can find to church clothes.  After the meeting we went home for bed.

Wednesday:
All Morning we surveyed and looked for members.  We also went to meet an investagator.  We met him half way to his house and set up a meeting on thursday to show him were the church is.  We then surveyed till lunch.  After lunch and appropriate studies we had English class.  Nothing really new there just fun as always.  After english it was time for dinner and bed.

Thursday:
We had personal study, companionship study, language study, and then District meeting at 11:00 am.  District meeting changed because the Ap's (Assistants to President) had come in to do specilized traning.  We also had two members there because we are trying to include members more in the work.  After District meeting we surveyed tot he edge of town (I wonder on Average how many miles a missionary walks every day) to find some members and invite them to church.  They weren't home but a friend said they would pass on the message.  We then surveyd back to the church for seminary.  We are still having it because we still need to learn about the prophets.  After seminary we went home for dinner and bed.

Friday:
We started off with specilized tranning on how to get better Refferals.  Then through out the day we met with a new investagator named Peter and also Mitko.  We also did all our studies, weekly planned, and surveyed a little bit.

Saturday:
First thing after morning studies we had english and then cleanned the building.  We then surveyed till dinner time because the Roths were taking us out as I said earlier.  Dinner was a lot of fun and we came home stuffed.

Sunday:
First thing in the morning was church with the Roths.  Church was great and I love it when Presidient and Sister Roth speak and teach.  After church we had lunch and then Elder Olmstead and I worked off last nights dinner by walking to on edge of Ruse then the other then back again.  We got back to the church around 7 for a meeting with Mitko and I sat down for just a second and next thing I know it is eight o'clock and Elder Olmstead is finishing a lesson with Mitko.  I don't know what happened and I didn't even try to fall a sleep oh well guess I was just exsausted.  We then had dinner and went to bed.

I love you all and thank you so much for the letters.

Love,
Elder Austin James Ewell

Monday, July 11, 2011

Hello Everybody

Well this week involved a whole lot of traveling.  So I will just start off.

Monday:
After writing you guys we caught a bus up to Kaliakra wich is this overhang in the north of bulgaria.  We tried to get to the bottom were the water was and I figured out a way but wasn't to comfortable with it being a missionarie and not knowing how well the others could rock climb.  I did climb a bulder and everybody thought I was going to kill my sefl but little did they know that it was childs play compared to what we do at arches.  Anyway after Kaliakra we went to this old monastary that was pretty cool.  The exciting thing that happened though was that my camara fell down a grate to a ledge about 4 feet down.  I thought I had lost it for good but a missionary with long legs managed to squeeze his leg down the grate and with the help of a stick and rest his furture children he managed to get it out.  What had happened is my hand cord had snaped while I was getting it out.  The camara is fine and nothing is broken luckily just a few dents that just make it more memorable.  We then went to the beach had a fire made flags of liberty and made some smores.  It was a lot of fun and it helped me relieve alot of my stress.

Tuesday:
Woke up early to catch an early train home to find out one doesn't leave till 9:15 am so we waited for it and then midway home the train broke down and we had to wait for two hours for a bus to come and get everybody.  We then sat on a bus for another two hours to get home.  So we finally got home around 6:00 pm, so we basicly had another P-Day YEAAAaaaaa..........   Yea lets just say it was a long day.  We did get a lesson in though with Stefi our investagator.  Here is a note about teaching simply.  Our investagator thought that after explaining the plan of salvation that we were all going to live in the sun if we got to the celestrial kingdom.  That was fun to clear up but no big problem.  After the lesson we surveyed for a bit and then went home to bed.

Wendsday:
After the morning studies we had district meeting and then went out surveying after lunch and language study until it was time for english.  English was fun like normal but nothing special happened.  After english the day was done

Thursday:
Spent all morning surveying our way up to a  reciveed that was at the edge of town.  He was really nice and lives in humble circumstances.  The lesson we planned didn't happen because he was too excited to have company to really listen.  So we invited him to come to church but aparently he is a very devote catholic and goes to mass every sunday so we told him to come by the church around one on sunday.  After that we surveyed home had lunch and language study.  Then we had a droped meeting and then seminary.  Seminary was fun because a member that has been working on a cruise ship for the past 8 months was there and lets just say it was eight months of scripture study because he knew his scriptures extremly well.  After seminary we talked a little and then went home to bed.

Friday:
We traveled into Varna again for a large group training meeting and then traveled back.  The LTM was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about Jesus Christ and how he is the father and the son.  After the LTM we grabbed our mail and went back home.  A bulgarian sat with us the whole train ride and talked with us.  It was fun for the first two hours and then my brain was fried and I couldn't take the bulgarain anymore especially since I could barely understand him since he had a big vocab.  We finally got into Ruse around 10:00 Pm and went strait to bed.

Saturday:
We had English after our morning studies and nothing new to report other than it being fun like normal.  After english we cleaned and a member helped me fix my scripture case.  After that we surveyed a bit and then had a dropped meeting by stefi so we went home to have dinner and language study

Sunday:
Church was a lot of fun we had a group of people from Varna who were going to the temple and the new faces helped liven up the place.  After church we waited for the guy from thursday (named Nickolia) but he nevered showed.  We then went back home for lunch and then we weekly planned and cleaned up our area book.  After all this it was 9:00 pm and we couldn't work anymore.  Anyway at least I can now us the area book effenciantly

love,
Elder Austin James Ewell

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Happy 4th of July

Hello every body and thank you so much for all the letters and support out here.  Luckly I haven't melted yet because we have been having a lot of rain lately and have I metioned I hate the rain when I have to work in it.  Anyway lets get on with the week.
Monday:
After writing you guys we picked up the stuff I was having tailored and droped one of my pairs of shoes off at a place to get new insoles for them.  After that we had lunch and then we watched a movie while I was making a scripture case for my bulgarian scriptures with some cardboard boxes, tape, and some liahona pictures.  I was really proud of the result and I will try to send a picture of it next week.  It also made me realize how much I love making new things and how I am going to love engineering.  After making the scripture bag it was time to get back to work.  We had a meeting drop through and then we just surveyed for the rest of the night.
Tuesday:
We headed off in the morning after our morning studies and surveyed for about two and half hours and then we had lunch and language study.  After that we surveyed again for two and a half hours (I wonder how much I walk in this mission.)  After surveying we had dinner and then had a meeting with Stefi but she never showed.  So we called her and she said she was coming but then we waited for another half an hour (I usally wait 15 minutes then call then if they pick up or not (and they say they are coming) I wait another half hour and then call again and if they aren't coming or don't pick up leave.)  I did the usual pattern and at the end of the 45 minute wait we called and she said she couldn't come anymore.  Well that was an hour waisted, at least I got some good reading in.  I am planning on reading all the standard works (for the non-members who read this: Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covents, Pearl of Great Price, Old testament, and New testament) in Bulgarian before the end of my mission.  I did the math and as long as I read an average of 7 pages a day I will make it but I am reading around 11 just to make shure.  That may not seem much but I am reading it aloud and it is in Bulgarian.  So after waiting for Stefi we went to a meeting with Miroslav.  The meeting was good but I am afraid he isn't understanding what we are teaching him.  After the meeting we came back home for planning and bed.
Wednesday:
After our studies we had district meeting and then lunch.  After lunch we had language study and then surveyed for an hour with little succes and then prepared for english because we had another meeting Stefi before english.  She didn't show up again.  It is hard to get her to meet with out Mitko her friend who is a member going to get her, she just doesn't know how to manage her time well.  Anyway english was fun as always and then after english I went to the other elders apartment for splits and had dinner there and then planned and went to bed.
Thursday:
Woke up to rain and splits with a bulgarian companion.  The companion was great cause I got some good help with my bulgarian but I HATE THE RAIN.  After going out and trying to meet with somebody who didn't show up we did some branch work and then had lunch and language study.  At the end of language study the rain had stopped and we had a lesson with a girl named Silvia.  The lesson was all over the place because she switched topics every two seconds and it was hard to keep control of the lesson.  Even Elder Karajov was confused a little and bulgarian is his native language.  To make matters worse Stefi showed up a hour and a half late with her dog to a lesson with the other elders.  The other elders weren't there they were in another lesson across town so I told her that and she just wandered around the church while her dog was barking up a storm outside and sneaking in every chance he got.  Sorry if I sound a little frustrating I am alright and it just sounds frustrating because it was but I love it her and Stefi is a great investagator just this week was an off week for everybody and the weather I guess.  After the lesson with Silvia which went way to long (a hour and a half)  we had seminary.  Stefi was gone by then so we couldn't invite her but seminary was still good and we learned a lot.  We then went our to eat because the office elders were in town to do the semi-annual Audit and so we went out to eat with them.  After dinner we then went back home to plan and go to bed.
Friday:
Woke up to rain again but we had weekly planning, so after weekly planning, morning studies, lunch, and language study the rain had stopped and we were able to work for a while.  Didn't have much success and after a couple of hours we had dinner and then went and had a meeting with Miroslav.  I love that guy and he is really nice I just wish we knew if he understands the importance of what we are teaching.  He does everything we ask of him but Elder Olmstead and I can't really feel that he understands the importance or is gaining a testimony.  Oh well as long as he is reading and coming to church (as well as praying) the testimony will come in time.  After the meeting we came back home to plan and go to bed.
Saturday:
Did my monthly weigh in and I am at 196.4 pounds.  I have officialy lost 41.7 pounds, that is roughly 4 pounds a month.  Anyway besides that we had english after our morning studies which was fun as always.  We then cleaned the building and some english students took us out to lunch.  After lunch we went surveying and I found a place that can fix my alarm clock.  The transformer had blown my first night in country and I have been trying to figure out how to fix it since then.  Well this guy said he could fix it for 20 lev.  Technially I had known of this place before because he had fixed my camra screen which had cracked as well but I just thought of my alarm clock so yea it is like I found it again.  Anyway it made me want to even more go into engineering because I want to be able to take something old like my alarm clock and with full confidence say "I can fix this."  Anyway on thursday morning the dead will start waking because my wake the dead alarm clock will be back in action louder and better than ever (until one of my companions chuck it out the window.)  Anyway after surveying all day we had language study and dinner then planned and went to bed.
Sunday:
I love sunday mornings.  With out the morning work out it is so nice to get up and just study and relax till 9 o clock when we have to be at church.  Church was good despite only 14 people being there.  Manly because every one of the members bore their testimonies and the missionaries only had to go up at the end because we had 20 minutes left and no one who hadn't shared there testimony.  After church Elder Olmstead and I went in-active member hunting with little succes but we did manage to find out that somebody had moved  and had to fill out a address locator.  Not what we were hoping for but it at least will make it so the missionaries and ward/branch in his new area can work with him.  So after doing this all day we came home and packed and ate dinner because we were heading into Varna in the morning.
Monday:
Woke up at 4:30 and got ready to catch a train to Varna at 6:00.  We came to Varna because President Roth, since it is the fourth of July, is giving us an all day P-day.  So we took a four hour train ride and now I am writting you.
Love,
Elder Austin James Ewell