Brother and Sister Cranney Welcome Blake

Dear Brother and Sister Wight,

It has been wonderful for us to meet your son and get to know him and feel of his great spirit. We are confident that he will make a significant contribution to the Lord's work in Russia.

Initially, your son will be serving with Elder Morgan. Your son will learn a great deal from him. They will be serving in the Sokolniki area inside of Moscow.

As I am sure you know, uplifting and encouraging letters from home are as important as food and shelter for a missionary. Sharing with him your faith, your spiritual experiences, and your love will bless and sustain him tremendously. For mailing letters, the Church pouch is the fastest and most reliable method. LDS bishops have instructions for using this system. To reach the USA, letters from Moscow generally take at least two weeks, but can require more time. Preparation day is now Wednesday. You can expect to receive an e-mail from him each week. Here is the address for any correspondence you would like to send in the pouch:

Russia Moscow Mission

PO Box 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

If you wish to send packages, address them to the following:

101000 Moskva

Glavpochtampt a/ai 257

RUSSIA

Packages generally require at least three weeks for delivery. USPS or DHL works best for mailing packages.

We send this letter to you with our pledge to do all that we can to help your son be safe, well and enthusiastic in this thrilling missionary adventure. Thank you for entrusting him to us for this important time of his life.

Cordially,

President and Sister Cranney


P.S. Every month our mission puts out a monthly newsletter called the Moscow Messenger. It usually includes our new missionaries, those we've had to say good-bye to, birthdays, excerpts from some of the missionaries' weekly e-mails, and other similar items.

Anyway, we thought that some of the parents might like to be receiving it as well. It might give you some more "insight" into what life is like for your son as you read it. If you'd like us to e-mail it to you each month, please just respond to this e-mail and we will see it gets to your home.

Christmas Day

News:

12-25-09
I'm pretty sure we don't usually get to email this often... hahaha, but its the Christmas season and such. so why not?

I just got off the phone with you probably not even an hour ago, but I have nothing else so do to...

I'm trying to remember all the information you wanted that I didn't have. But I'm drawing blanks, so remind me when you get this.

This pochta is super hot every time we come in here!

Tell me things you want pictures of, except for gov. buildings and the actual metro, these are neel-za (forbidden). But I think I can take pictures of the museum kind of parts in the metros.

I still don't know how mail works here, but I'll figure it out so I can find a way to get you my memory cards when they fill up I don't have many pictures now so it will probably be a long while. I need to figure out how to send actual letters too.

Well I don't have a whole much more to say than I have already said on the phone just a bit ago.

-Blake Wight

Call me on Christmas!!!

12-23-09

OK, so this is just a short note. I got my new companion elder Morgan from Colorado. He is awesome so far, I've had him a few hours. On Christmas EVE call us at 8:45pm YOUR TIME, it will be The number is 7---------9. You could probably use skype, my companion says its the cheapest, but I don't know.

Moscow is warm right now, only -8 Fahrenheit.

And I think I will be using this email for all my emails, unless it starts giving me grief. Go ahead and put this email on the group so I can get email from everybody, its no longer only family.

Anyways, I love you all!

-Blake Wight

Blake makes it to Russia!!!

Short little message:

I'm here! we went to red square, contacted, and ate. I get my companion tomorrow!

I talked to this guy on the metro, and when he replied I could barely even hear him, much less understand him. But he turned away from me after that, so i just took the hint.

Also later I contacted this other guy, and elder Varen (ap) kind of took over and talked and taught him. elder Varen told me later that he was really receptive, which is good. He explained that the bus was moving like a turtle and I recognized the word turtle, hahaha. pretty cool.

Well, I will talk to you on Christmas! I don't know the details, but it will work out.

I love you all!
-Blake Wight

Blake leaves Monday!!!

News

12-1-09

Blake sent us his travel itinerary today.

He has to report at the Travel office at 5:00 AM. His flight is on Delta Air Lines Flight 94 Dec 21st at 8:35 AM. He arrives at JFK at 3:10 and leaves there at 4:35 straight for Moscow!!! Delta Flight 30. He arrives in Moscow at 10:10AM on the 22nd.

(Family and friends should not plan to see him off at the airport or at the MTC.)

He is very excited. It bigger than Christmas to him. From what I understand, he will be able to call home for a few minutes in between flights.

Six Days!!!!

Dear Family
Sounds like the house is undergoing some major changes, which is pretty cool. So have you thrown away the old computer? I guess it doesn't really matter, just curious.

Yeah, the white handbook is very nice tool to have. We call it in our branch the book of blessings. by obedience to the white handbook we are blessed. Obedience is an opportunity to receive blessings, and show God our love and willingness to submit to his will.

So is the family going to do a Christmas time ski trip this year? What's the deal on that?

I sent my flight plans vie snail mail, which you should be receiving soon. The times on the flight plan are LOCAL. I would guess I would be calling you from JFK. And as for Christmas phone call, I don't know whether it would be on the 25th of Dec. or the 7th of January. Europeans celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January. I would guess it is up to the mission president. 3 calls in a week? I though just layover and Christmas, when else?

As for email in Russia, I don't know which one i will be using. BUT I'm pretty sure once in Russia, everyone will be able to email me, not just family like it is here.

About pictures, please only send a few that i either suggest or you want to send. you can expect to have that big thing of letters sent back soon, sorry. I have a weight limit, and a lot of them I took so you could see what goes on here, I don't really care to have them with me all the time. Which reminds me, I am going to send a package home of things that won't fit in the weight limit and I don't really need. there is some deal here where I can send any size package to somewhere in Provo and people pick it up for 5 bucks, or I pay, I forget. or I can just send it home? maybe grandma could pick it up? but I don't want to be a burden on her, I'm sure she is busy.

I did get my nose cauterised yesterday. just as terrible as the first time, hahaha. my nose dripped that nasty goo for awhile. It was weird to ride in a van and see people without name tags. I felt like i should be teaching everybody, but everyone was Mormon, hahaha.

It totally doesn't seem like the Christmas season here. its so weird, I hope that it turns out to be a pretty cool one. Elders have said that Christmas' on their missions are the most memorable. I hope they are right. Its like ten days away, but I've only been looking forward to my flight into Moscow I haven't really noticed how close it was.

Remember the brother in the branch presidency that I had the amazing interview with and that is going to be a mission president? Well he got moved to a different branch, and is the Branch President of branch 53 now. Pretty crazy.

I am so ready to out of the MTC. I weighed myself at gym the other day. 171. hahaha. tell that to Kearsley. I loved hearing about the team, please keep me posted. It sounds like a lot of the littler guys got bigger, I was surprised to see that the team's line-up was stronger in the mid-heavy range.

anyway, I have 6 days! woohoo!

помните кто ты!

remember who you are!

Love you all!

Swine flu, watches, and Reading

12-08-09

Snail mail letter...


Dear family

This week was uneventful, so I apologize if it is short.
We had our SYL (speak your language) meeting, where they talked about how we should only speak Russian.

Our lesson last Wednesday went really well I thought. I feel like I can kind of express what I really want to say during a lesson. Outside of lessons though, I know nothing.

Guess what? My watchbroke...me and timepieces. I don't know why. My watch was falling apart, it just finally busted.

I finished the Book of Mormon, the talks at General Conference (except relief society), and Our Heritage this week. I feel pretty good about that. I have started D&C and Jesus the Christ.

I'm over that cold I had, everyone seemed to have picked it up, but we are all healthy now. My roommate had swine flu, but we all got vaccinated, so it shouldn't be a problem anymore. The memory card was labeled I think? I've heard stories of people having slits in their mail and their cards gone. I will definitely try doing what dad suggested.


That's all for this week.

Fun Russian fact...I don't have one...it's hard.
Christmas wish list (*Some I need)
*Alarm clock (maybe shock proof?)
*Watch (anything will work. I've seen good looking watches for $12)
Ties
Sweater vest?
face mask deal so my face doesn't freeze off.
Scarf or two
Any other goodies
I might add some stuff in P.S.
a few pictures of Thunder

я люблю вас!
Blake Wight

100%

The whole carpet deal sounds pretty cool. I can't wait to see what my old room looks like. when mom asked for six, did she cry? I have been wondering, is it cheaper with me out of the house? how much milk do we go through now?

Casey is going to be a force to reckon with in high school. Too bad he had the diseased arm last year.

The card sent was in the little case thingy. I have heard stories about people with slits in their mail, and their memory cards gone.

I can't wait for the opportunity to give priesthood blessings, but in the white handbook it says that we can only give blessings when asked, so i don't know how many opportunities i will actually get.

I don't have a lot to say about this week, except it was a good week and that my russian lesson last wee went pretty well. I was surprised at how well we did.

I have been thinking about how hard my mission is going to be, but when i look back at all the hard things i have done in the past, they are the things i enjoy and remember the best. Looking at it this way makes me excited to get on my mission and keeps me from thinking about my doubts and short-fallings. I just know that when all is said and done, the hard things I have done, and will do, are the things that I will treasure most. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." I want to say at the end of my mission I had no regrets.

Anyways, that was on my mind a lot this week. Thought it was a good little thing to share with you.

I love you guys!

-Blake Wight

Pre Thanksgiving snail mail

11/24/09
Blake's snail mail home....

Dear family,

I'm just going to write to you all. If you want a letter just to you, you're going to have to put in some overtime and not write when mom makes you ;)

Uh...No card? I hope I just forgot it. I'll look. Bummer. Just know they were good. (In his last letter he sent his memory card and I didn't get it. I've look everywhere. UGHHHH)

I don't think the gingerbread house is going to work out, its tooo messy. I appreciate it though. I'll just keep the candy.

Casey, sorry to ruin your parade, but my mission boundaries no longer include Kazakhstan anymore. I hope that's not why you chose it. (It was, but oh well. If any of you are interested in visiting Kazakhstan Casey has made a cool travel brochure you can take a look at.)

Samantha, MTC is good, except the food. Campanion is good. And I have learned SO much Russian, but only enough to teach discussions.

Carissa, I'm glad your teeth are doing well, hahahah:) (She has been loosing some teeth, like 4).

I don't think the room is mine, I don't even remember taking that picture.

Dad, I loved the e-mial/Dear Elder, hopefully I'll have replied via e-mail by the time you get this.

I hear Elder Holland is coming on Thanksgiving with probably some other apostle!

Russian fun fact:
Every verb has perfective/imperfective form. So for every verb I have to learn 2 words, and there are 6 verbs for "to go"!

Anyways, love you all

я люблю вас!
Blake Wight

P.S. Dallin H Oaks spoke tonight, it was amazing!

P.P.S. I didn't end my e-mail because I looked and I had 12 seconds left. My bad.

Thanksgiving in the MTC

12-01-09

hahaha. Sounds like you had a Thanksgiving. I had a pretty good one myself, there was a morningside with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland! It was super good. That makes three apostles so far here at the MTC. I have found though, that just because they are apostles doesn't mean they will answer all the questions I have in mind. I have found that some of the best personal things for me, are not always from apostles, I do learn a lot, but sometimes more from others. I have learned that it doesn't really matter who it is, as long as you are listening to them, and the spirit, you have the opportunity to learn. I love receiving whisperings of the spirit. It is a huge testament to me of the power of the Holy Ghost. I might suggest the first general conference talk in the ensign, I am almost done reading the whole thing, and that has been so far, my favorite.

Its a bummer that Casey doesn't have eagle eye vision like myself (hahaha) but he is the one that has shot a deer... I might suggest to Casey that in addition to wrestling practice, he should run and do workouts like pull ups, push-ups, and workouts without weights. Some really good wrestlers here no of good wrestlers that weren't strong enough to finish moves, greater strength will really help his game i believe.

I don't know anything about my visa. I had it already before I came here. I don't know if it is good or not.

Exciting news! I got my Russian name tags yesterday! It is spelled (OO-AI-T) they don't have a W. so it was either a V sound, or an OO sound. It kinda of tricks them into saying the w sound, and it sounds pretty nifty. So I chose it that way.

I'm at 21 days. I leave the 22nd. Its pretty nuts, I have already started Spreak Your Language 100 % of the time. It is difficult. My roommate elder Waite is fine now, quarantine he said was not that bad. I am getting a cough but it is not that bad I don't think, I can't imagine it evolving into anything nasty.

I have looked high and low for the card. No bueno. I am almost positive I sent it.

I love you!

Blake Wight

p.s. please don't send anymore m&ms I have only eaten five pieces of the two bags you sent at Halloween. Pretty much anything else would be nice though.

p.p.s. I was gonna ask for you to send something but I forgot. It'll probably be in the snail mail I send.