Letter #6 from Russia

Hey Family!
I love writing you guys! It is such a release!! Mom, I almost laughed out loud at your story about your phone going off during Janice Perry's talk! haha! I definitely understand that! I didn't have an embarrassing moment, but it happens all the time where the spirit prompts me to do something, but because I'm the new companion, I'm too afraid to say it and then it turns out that we should have done it. It's happened like, three times already. I need to have less pride and worry more about what the Lord wants me to do rather than what I think other people want me to do.
I'm sorry about not sending the emails to Dad or Rachel! I mean to, but I'm always in a rush and totally forget!
So this week, I took a train to Samara on monday and stayed there until friday. My companion had to leave the country to get his Visa renewed. He got to go to Kiev and go to the temple. I probably won't be able to go until next year. Temple trips are usually only in the summer. But at least I get to go at all. Before the temple was built, I would have not been able to. While he was there, I was on splits with the Zone leaders or other Greenies. It was really fun! We had pancakes every meal... haha!
After my companion came back though, we got in another argument. But this time, I couldn't take it anymore. I blew up at him after trying my hardest not to. I think it's the only time I've actaully gotten into a big argument with someone that wasn't my sibling. But we were able to work a lot of things out. things have been better since then, but I'm still praying everyday to get transferred. I know the Lord is having me learn a lesson, but I really hope that I've learned it and I get a new one... I just really want a companion that I feel comfortable around. We are just soo incredibly different. Our thought processes simply do not match up and it is so difficult to understand each other.
Russia is great though. I love the people. I love the members! I love the mission president! I love seeing Sarah Palin looking out from her backyard! I love it all!
To answer your questions: I have all my winter stuff other than boots. Luckily, it hasn't snowed yet, and I'm hoping to get a good pair of boots today. I don't know if we can chew gum. I've never been a gum chewer, so it's not an issue for me. I'd imagine not though. Yes, everything is refrigerated! I was so grateful for that!! All of the dairy products are really good over here! I really have ZERO complaints about the food!
Russian fun fact of the week: Hmmm... well the wild dogs aren't so wild here. in fact, they're really sweet and calm. I love seeing the wild dogs running around in their little gangs! It's adorable! You can usually pet them, although I don't just to be safe. The cats are great here to. They are so adorable. They just have so many diseases navyerna that I try to avoid petting them to much.
Our investigators here are great, but it is so difficult for them to actually progress enough to get baptized! They like meeting with us, but when you set a baptismal date, it always falls through. I wish I could do more, but without any skills in the language it's sort of difficult. As effective as sitting there radiating with the spirit is, it hasn't gotten my investigators to baptism just quite yet. I think being able to speak with them would help...
I love you all! And I'm grateful for your prayers! I can feel them strengthening me and I know that God is helping me everyday. Satan is pushing at me more and more, but I know that I have more than him in the end and that as I am backed up to the wall of my faith, it will stand. I didn't spend my life building it up for it to fall down here on my mission.

I love you all!

Elder Swartz!