I Can Do Hard Things | I Am Ready

This week has been pretty interesting for me---Not in a good way. It's been a hard week that has tried my patience. As you know, we got a bunch of new missionaries in last week and they've been great! Also, a new group of native missionaries from Ukraine and Russia arrived. Elder Drasso and I had to give a presentation to them on "Planning" we did as much of it as we could in Russian (which wasn't very much) they told us that we sound very good and that we should be speaking Russian perfectly within a few months in the field. The natives didn't happen to mention to us at the beginning of our presentation that they ALL spoke English.  They made us sweat it out... but it was good, I love speaking Russian. We have 100% Speak Your Language (SYL) days throughout the week which rocks!

Danny and I had the chance to sit together and watch a movie after a devotional. He leaves in a week and I'll be all alone here. A lot of friends have already come and a I've still have 3 weeks.

Last Tuesday night, I was getting ready to go do our room checks and make sure everything's alright when I got a knock on my door. It was one of my new Elders. He was standing in my door way with his companion and his suitcases all packed. I asked what was going on and he told me that he had made arrangements and that his parents were on their way to pick him up he was done being a missionary. It broke my heart---I walked him up to the front of the MTC called our Branch President who had no idea what was going on. I waited until his parents arrived. I think that watching that Elder drive off around the corner with his family at 11 oclock at night, was the worst feeling I've had on my mission thus far. I don't think I slept more than an hour that night. I'm sorry mom, But there is no way, that I'm coming home for the next 2 years. Just letting you know, if I have to come home early, it will be in a box! LOL.

This week with the language wasn't the easiest either, I've been working so hard and it feels like the words don't stay with me. We've learned some complex grammar principles that just totally blow my mind and I have no idea how to implement them while I speak. However, I have been speaking alot more Russian which is DA-BOMB. Elder Mueller (Danny) while we watched the movie on Sunday, shared some of the first lesson in each of our languages well we shared the First Vision. It was pretty sweet. ... It sounds a lot more mean in Russian--not gonna lie.

We had a great discussion this Saturday on the Atonement. Not only what we always think, of when we say the Atonement, which is the redeeming power of the atonement. (Which is super amazing in and of itself). I mean, how great is it that we can be cleansed from our sins through the sacrafice of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am eternally greatful for him. We also talked about the enabling power of the Atonement. I found a quote in my Preach My Gospel from my mission prep class that fell out while we were talking about it. It was from Elder Bednar he said, "... through the enabling power of the atonement we can accomplish things that seem impossible." or something like that... I know that with the help of my Savior, I can do things that I could not on my own. I can do hard things through the power of the atonement and I am so greatful for it.

Thank you for my ring mom and dad! Ha I got it right after I sent your email last week---you totally called it mom, it fits perfect!  It can't come off my finger without the finger coming off as well. As for stuff that I need before I take off, I won't need a lot maybe a few more sweaters and couple of short sleeve white shirts size. Other than that, I am ready. My camera cord was in my camera box in my room but I'm sure that it's all Meganized by now LOL. It's a sony thats all I know about it lol. Mom don't worry about my passport. they've got it here and I've seen it a few times when I had to go (yes for the 3rd time) RETAKE Visa pictures.  Plus I'll be getting a 2nd passport when I get to Russia.

Time is up! Know that I love you all and miss you like crazy!

LIVESTRONG,
Elder Eborn

Plan Your Dive, Then Dive Your Plan

Thanks mom for the blog update it's good to know that there is stuff going on outside. Also, thank you for the ring! It hasn't got here yet (thanks to Presidents Day) but I won't get a chance to thank you for it until next week,  if I don't do it now. They are trying to redo the my lds mail service. So we'll see how that goes. I was told that when I get in the field I will  have more email time once a week because I only get mail once every six weeks unless I am actually in Novosibirsk.

Our branch presidency got reconfigured last week and we now have Bro. Mickelsen in our branch. He is a former Novosibirsk Mission President, served prior to President Trejo. He's pretty sweet, he's told us some great stories about our mission. He also slid a cool pen into my lapel pocket the other day that says SIBERIAN BATALLION on it. I'm so excited to be going there! Only a month left!

This week has been good, very productive. I've learned alot--- not just about the Russian language but about the gospel.

We got our new troops in this week, 26 new missionaries in our zone  and we will be getting another 13 tomorrow. Elder Drasso and I gave a training presentation to the new Elders the first night they were here. It's weird to think I am in charge of that kind of thing. We taught them about the importance of planning, and how important obedience is here at the MTC. While we were teaching, the new missionaries were being interviewed by members of the branch presidency. There were so many of them that we had to stall for time for them to finish. I felt bad that the lesson got drug out a bit, to accomadate for the branch presidency to finish their interviews but all in all it was very good.

I've sat in on a few of the planning sessions every night with the new districts and they actually listened and are using what we taught them---it was a cool feeling. It actually shows in their study time too. Planning is so important. I got to use one of my favorite quotes from diving, "plan your dive, then dive your plan." your day really does go so much better here when you've planned out what youre going to study and then you follow it. We get to do it again this Thursday but we only have to teach 13 new missionaries. The challenge this time will be doing it in Russian! Needless to say, I'm terrified.

This week's been great in my scripture reading as well I read about Ammon coming home from his 14 year(see mom it could be worse I could be gone for an additional 12 years!) mission and boasting in how great the Lord is. It's something I've become very well acquainted with here trying to learn this crazy language. With out the Lord I couldn't accomplish anything. I'm so greatful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me, and recognizes my efforts then makes up for my short comings. We've also been learning how to teach The Plan of Salvation in Russian this week, which we get to teach tommorrow. It's so cool!  Ha I love teaching in Russian it brings the spirit in so powerfully! The Plan itself, is amazing. I hope I can do it justice in teaching it. Our father in Heaven and Savior really did know what they were doing when they put this whole shin-dig together. I'm so greatful for the knowledge I have that I can be together with my family, and those that I love forever. All we need to do is follow the example of our Savior.

I love you all and hope all is well at home keep the letters coming! It's great to hear from you all after a long day. Some times the only thing that keeps me going.... is a letter from home :).

I love you all! keep me in your prayers, as you will be in mine.

LIVESTRONG,
Elder Eborn

The Motherland is Calling--And She Only Speaks Russian

Hope all is well at home, things here are great. More of my friends from home get here every week it's great! Minus the fact that most of them are in and out of this place within a month, and I've just broken through the half way point. It's all good though, I'm coming to love the MTC it really is an amazing place, we call it the "School of Prophets" we had a speaker a few weeks ago who told us how the only other time we will get to have the title as "Elder" is if we are called to be a general authority (which will probably never happen to me ha). It really made me realise the importance of my calling. I love being a missionary! Wearing this name tag is exactly what I want to be doing! There is nothing I'd rather be doing.

Class has been fun, it takes a lot out of you trying to learn this crazy language. But I guess, the Motherland is calling and she only speaks Russian. I love this language, as hard as it is to learn. The members of my district and I speak as much Russian as we possibly can which is super fun. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, any opportunity we can, we are speaking it. It's a cool feeling knowing that you're speaking a different language and that people can actually understand you.

We have teaching appointments once a week and we have to teach 100% Russian. It's awesome. I also go once a week and call people across the country to talk to them about the gospel. It's an amazing experience, it really gets you out of your comfort zone. But I love it I get to testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of man-kind and that Joseph Smith really did restore His Gospel to the earth. The message that we missionaries carry really is important work.

Elder Drasso and I have had to prepare for a presentation for the new missionaries this week which has been stressing me out. We have to teach them about planning, personal & companion study, and how to conduct a companionship inventory. This Wednesday, Elder Drasso's twin brother comes into the MTC and his sister receives her mission call. So his whole family is up here for the week... because of the situation with his sister and such, the Mission President made arrangments for his family to attend our temple session and for his sister to go in for her endowments. It was really exciting for Elder Drasso. It made me miss you quite a bit though. I hope all is going well at home.

Being here really takes you out of the world--it's crazy. We didn't find out until yesterday that there was a huge earthquake in Haiti, or that the Saints and the Colts were in the Superbowl. I guess it's good though, we really do come a lot closer to our father in heaven when we put off the natural man and become a instrument in the hands of the Lord.

We had a mission conference Sunday where President Smith spoke to us about having faith. It wasn't the normal Sunday School talk on faith though. It was more that we need to have faith enough to leave everything behind and dedicate ourselves to the Lord. We can't look back and wish we were where we were before, we need to keep our thoughts on the future and have faith that what is coming is much better. I know that what he said was true, I loved my life before my mission, I had a lot of fun and great experiences and I miss all of that, and my friends and family. But I know that this is where I need to be, and that what lays ahead will be better.

This mission marathon is just getting past the first 5k. So I'd better keep running! I love you all and I miss you terribly. I hope all is well at home...let me know how things are going. Like I've said almost every week, I love hearing from you.

As mom said in her last dear elder......

"LIVESTRONG,
Elder Eborn"

I am trying to Livestrong...

Love,
Elder Eborn

PS. I got your letters ...Mom, I'll let you know when I get my travel plans and we can coordinate. I need some pictures of our family.  Don't worry about the ring just get it here when you can :) Way to start exercising MOM!. ....Send Gramm my love, hope her surgery goes well. Please give my brown brother a big kiss from me, I love you all.

Take Time to Think & Ponder

Hello all

It's me,  Elder Eborn, back for another half hour of email for the week.

This week has been pretty good I'm just working my tail off. I'm glad you got the pictures and sent it back so quick...thankyou. I am going to do some video for the next round! Oh and thank you SO much for the package! You have no idea how much that was needed. I really was in the need of some normal person food--those Dorito's were gone within the first 5 minutes I opened them--no joke. I also enjoyed the letter from my puppy I miss "brown dog".

So here's my week:
10 hours of sitting in class trying to learn as much russian as I can. We're learning a ton about the grammar and how to make words and sentences make sence it's pretty cool. My sentences are actual sentences not just jumbles of words thrown together with a hope that they make sense to someone. We've been speaking as much in Russian as we can which is pretty cool. I have been thinking in Russian which is trippy. I saw dan-the-ma while I was doing laundry and he started talking to me and I had to think and translate what he was saying into my Russian thinking brain, it took me like 3 minutes to tell him a few sentences in English it's pretty cool if you ask me! I've also been dreaming in russian which is cool too. Other than, when I wake up expecting to be in Russia and am super disappointed that I'm still in the MTC.

Elder Drasso "broke" his nose playing basketball this week.   It didn't look broke but we still went to the clinic to get it checked out . We got to leave the MTC and go to a real hospital to get x-rays. That was exciting!  I got to see real people that first names weren't Elder or Sister. We also had a member of our district Elder Hoffman get surgery on his knee. He had to get his ACL fixed before he can leave the country.
We've all been pulling as a district to help him and his companion. It's been fun helping.

With Elder Drasso and I being the Zone Leaders now we have alot of stuff we have to do on top of the regular. We've been busy holding meetings, and all sorts of stuff. The older districts all left yesterday and today, which meant we had to be up at 4:30 a.m. to see them off and check them out of their rooms it was a rough couple mornings. But it's been cool I got a sweet "Hugh Hephner" robe out of it haha.

We also have to go to a meeting with all the other Zone Leaders in our building and listen to them whine about stuff, ha it's pretty funny.

So here's my funny story for the week-- I was leaning up against the wall with foot up behind me reading my Book of Mormon when someone came and started to talk to me. I stopped reading and started snapping my fingers. One of the native russian sisters came up to me and in russian asked, " how much?" I was super confused. She then told me in English how in Russia if you aren't wearing a ring and snap your fingers like that you're a prostitute! So how much? I was so embarrassed LOL, oh well it was funny.

These last few mornings after getting up with the older Elders I try to get back to bed but most of the time I can't fall back asleep. It's a good time for me to just sit and think. A lot of my time here at the MTC,  is directed and full of stuff to do. It's amazing what happens when you just take a few moments and think. I love it! I call it my pondering time. I think of things that have happend throughout the day and love how the spirit can influence me during that quiet time of reflective thinking. I am going to make sure I do that a lot more! Even if it's before I go to bed at nights.

Well fam,  I love you all! Hope alls going well, I  miss you like crazy! I hope you'll keep me in your prayers as you are always in mine!

I love being wearing this badge!
LOVE, ELDER EBORN

P.S. Mom now the ring is no longer a want but a NEED I can't be thought of as a prostitute!