From Russia With Love...

a.k.a. Letters from Sis. Lynes in Russia

Letter #5: From the MTC (Missionary Training Center)

Subject: #5
Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 05:00:22 +0600
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Hi, Everybody!
Greetings from the SMTC! I thought I would get a start on this week's letter. The biggest news this week is that we will get to go to the Winter Quarters' Temple Dedication broadcast tomorrow! I'm really excited to get to do that. I saw it being built last summer when I was out at Mike's. Other than that, same old, same old. We are still studying hard on the Russian. We went to the temple this morning, and now my companion is out with some friends. I didn't want to go. I have some other things that I want to get done, like writing this letter. Our Gospel Study class is really great! Bro. Woolley is so knowledgeable about the scriptures. The other day he told us that Bro. Bruce McConkie's secret to being a scriptorian was that every year at Christmas he bought himself a present--a new set of scriptures. Then he would take about 15 minutes a day and transfer all the markings from his old set into the new set. He didn't read all his markings, just transferred them. He did that every year. There is something about going back through and marking again that brings back the feelings you had when you first marked them. Bro. Woolley also said to read the chapter headings sequentially starting with Genesis and going through the Pearl of Great Price. That gives you a good overview of the scriptures, and you will know more than if you read all the scriptures through 40 times (which you don't have time to do). It doesn't take long; he says about 3.5 hours if you do it straight through. I don't have that kind of time all at once right now, but in about a week, reading in spare moments, I have finished the Old Testament, New Testament, and am starting Alma today. I want to challenge each one of you to try it and let me know what you think. It really is a little thing to do, but is supposed to bring big dividends. He also said to mark each kind of footnote with a different color. It is especially helpful with the footnotes marked IE (Idiom Explanation). When you get that done, you will be able to understant Isaiah, and Revelation too. The information about the footnotes actually comes from Russell M. Nelson. Footnote marking is one of his secrets to knowing so much. So as soon as I get through with reading the chapter headings, I plan to start marking the footnotes and transferring my old markings to my new set of scriptures. All this on top of studying Russian. I am really excited to be going to Russia! I am due to leave here on 14 May. That isn't very long to finish learning everything I need to know. I know when I get to Russia, I'll feel like I don't know anything, but I am getting the basics now. I know the Lord will help me get it all together. People who have served there keep telling us that the Russians will just LOVE us. Most of the grandmothers there are not like us. Most of them have had very hard lives and are old and crotchety. (No comments allowed as to my crotchety-ness!) I just got a call from Janna. She and Kip are coming to see me this afternoon! I look forward to seeing her again! That's about all for now. I love all of you very much! You are in my prayers every day. Pray for me. I need all the help I can get!

Love,
Mom, Grandma, Greatma