I Am Living in Tomsk

Hey family :)

Sorry it's been a while since you heard from me but things are going well here.

 I got in to the country just fine and then went into Moscow with a lady who helped me get my second passport set up. I was so tired you have no idea, I didn't sleep the entire plane ride from New York to Moscow I had a giant knot in my stomach the entire way I was SO worried about everything.

When I finally landed and got through customs then met our ride I just fell asleep in the van for more than half the ride so I didn't get to see much of Moscow. It's all good though--the traffic was horrid. You know the scenes in the Bourne movies where he's driving around Moscow its all super busy? Yeah well, that definetly couldn't have happened. The drivers were crazy though and if it is hummanly possible to do it in a car, they will.

We got taken back to the airport and waited there for our flight to Novosibirsk. I was a dead man walking around the airport. the made me open up my bag in security because there was some unknown bottle in it but when we opend it there was nothing there, a little strange, I got yelled at in Russian I had NO clue what was going on.

We landed in Novosibirsk around 5:30 here time which is like 4:30 in the afternoon for you. We walked out with our bags and there was no one to meet us at first, but a bunch of crazy cab drivers they just kept telling us that we needed to get a cab we walked a little further down where we met the AP's and President running to meet us. It was so good to finally be here.

We spent the first 2 days at Presidents apartment (aka the mission home) where we had some instruction and got to sleep ALOT it was great.  We went and met Elder and Sister Simmons (this is funny) the first thing they said to me, was "oh so your Elder Eborn who's mom is always on our blog!" I  got a good laugh out of that, and told them to send to you that I'd made it alright.

I got my assignment for my area and was on a bus with in a few hours. I'm living in Tomsk right now---it's so cool, its about 5 hours North of Novosibirsk---its a total college town.

We have one branch with about 50 members and we are one of the only cities in the city with an actual building which we use for teaching English, church, game night, and we try to teach quite a few lessons in it.

Things have been fun here, minus the fact that I have no idea whats going on half the time. As so greatly put in The Best Two Years. "This is not the language they taught me in the MTC!" Everyone speaks so fast and I realised that things I 'd been saying was wrong, Oh well, I've got 2 years and I'll figure it out.

My comp Elder Lambson, is awesome, he's a great missionary and also a great trainer. He's from SLC and this is actually his last Transfer. After he leaves... It will be a little scary for me--I will get a new companion and it'll be someone from a different city.. and I dont know anything (ha).

We've had quite a few lessons this week that has been fun.  I've been able to help here and there but I'm still aways away from being fluent. (LIKE LIGHTYEARS) but really its fun we've been contacting quite a bit and got a few people who are interested in our message.

The ole' Book of Mormon is money out here! In the states, you mention it and people thing your some wacko with 10 9-yearold brides... but here, when you tell them what its all about, and how Christ came to the Americas---they love it and are interested. We've also been meeting with quite a few less active members trying to get them back to church.

One thing I am not use to, is this whole country smells like smoke.  I won't get to hear from you all for until next week but I hope this email finds you well and you all know that I'm alive and well here in good Ol Tomsk :)

Please keep me in your prayers---you are always in mine.

I love you all!
Livestrong,
Elder Eborn

 P.S. Anyone can email me on this address so let people know. I just can only send 2 emails a week one to the President and one to you all so if theres ever more than one section on an email just look to where it needs to be forwarded and please do so.