hi all

you might notice it's not monday. That's because we got our transfer calls... and both sister Palmer and I are staying here this cycle, but I need to make a quick trip to Kazakhstan to get a new visa, so we will spend p-day on a train. I can't complain, because I still get to write home, and train days are by far the most restful. I will see Orenburg turn into spring! Also rumor has it that this cycle is 7 weeks, but no authority figures have confirmed that, so we'll see.

We tracted until our legs were sore, that's a good feeling. Also the snow makes your legs sore a lot faster.

I broke ANOTHER watch. I don't know what I did. It just stopped. I tried to give up on watches, but a few weeks ago I got sick of always checking the phone or craning my neck to look at other peoples' watches, so I bought one. And it is dead. My curse has now claimed its sixth victim. Oh well, it was only 250 rubles. 

Two first-class train rides (if they buy regular ones they have to buy two tickets for each of us so they don't accidentally stick two sisters in with two random stranger men in a compartment and we have such rules. It seems recently first-class tickets have been less than double the price of regular) and splits and zone conference. That was this week.

I've been completely caught up in my journal for a while. I think I forget things as soon as I write them down in my journal. So: funny things happened, and poignant missionary experiences happened, and it's been great.

This is what it is like getting dressed for contacting in the morning: you put on your leggings and then your tights and then your other tights and then your socks and your document pouch and then you put on your shirt and then your other shirt. Then for good measure you add a dress (doesn't really matter which one, because no one will see it) and a sweater and your first scarf. Then you put on your coat and your other scarf. Hide your unbrushed hair under a hat, socks under your boots. Oh yeah, mittens. I remember sister Wilson (Hi sister Wilson! I still think of you as "Sister Wilson") wondering aloud if we were still going to contact before breakfast in the winter, and in fact we do. Can't wake up properly without it.

It's a good thing I'm not moving anywhere because there's no way I'd fit all the winter clothes I've accumulated back in my suitcases.

I don't think I've ever before my mission felt such a thirst as I do now for spiritual knowledge. That's the great thing about train rides, you can curl up with your quad for hours. To briefly quote pmg, the scripture show us what we need to do and become. It's pretty cool. Read them.

Okay love you all have great weeks!

Sister Nielsen

train mirror selfie featuring sock and my sleeping companion (under the sheets)