Racoon

Do you guys remember this Poetry Corner? It was a classic featuring Ammon's racoon, Jep did something funny (can't remember) and I did the Estonian Dog. Do you guys remember that one, where I barked out (or should I say I breathed in) "Ya, ya ya ya, ya." The Estonians were so upset. I'd have to say our Poetry Corners became stranger and stranger as the months went by.

Staying Alive!

Here was my Halloween get up for this year. Nothing compared to the monstrosity that Pats and Parks put together on the mission. I'll have to dig that one up and post it soon.

Love, True Love

Not much to say about this photo--it really explains itself. I did want to point out my favorite part about the photo--the exposed wires sticking out of the walls that none of us probably ever even noticed because it was so ordinary over there. Ahh....my parents are going to really enjoy the Ukraine.

A Lonely Hall

E. Hall - truly one of a kind.

"How do I love thee ... let me count the ways,"

1.) He would buy bags of chocolate covered toffee candies and proceed to throw them wildly around his apartment. So that when you sat or leaned or looked just about anywhere you were greeted with a sweet surprise. "I just love finding these little guys" was his explanation.

2.) His coloring book. That is what his scriptures were affectionately called. Why. Probably because he indiscriminately colored various lines of the scriptures because "BYU girls will go crazy for me when they see how spiritual I am." Once when I was looking in his scripture I came across a single verse w/ like 24 different colors in it. Each line was a different color. And as you might know, a single thought would span several lines, but that didn't stop E. Hall from coloring each one a distinctly different color.

3.) The way he would let people smash their faces into his looking into his eyes exclaiming "What's going on in there!?!?"

4.) Nothing was ever serious with him ... nothing.

5.) He had as one E. said a black man's ------ (manhood shall we say).

6.) The guy played the accordion flamboyantly ... and loved every minute of it.

7.) He was district leader for a very short period of time (I think his only calling ... other than that of Elder). He opened EVERY meeting with Hymn #154. He would always explain that this was his favorite hymn and how he especially liked how it began with 8 measures of rest. He would emphasize how important it was that we sing it as it is presented in the hymn book, which meant he wanted us to wait the full eight measures before anyone sang. We would, with great feeling and emotion, beat out the 8 measures for us and then bring us in to sing the remaining scant 3 lines of the song.

E. Hall - I miss you terribly.

Tracting

Well, now it’s time for [drum roll] Elder Pattee’s Top 9! YAAAAA!
Today’s topic: The Top 9 stupidest things people say at the door while tracting:

#9: “I can’t open the door—my husband has the keys”
#8: Them: “I’ve already read the Book of Mormon”
Us: “Really, in what language?”
Them: “In Estonian.”
Us: “It hasn’t been translated into Estonian yet.”
#7: “I can’t talk to you because you molest children”
#6: “I’m Naked”
#5: [No response, although we can hear them moving around]
#4: Us: “Hello, we’re church missionaries.”
Them: “No!”
Us: “No really, we are.”
#3: Us: “Hello, we’re church missionaries [in Russian]…”
Them: “I’m sorry, I only speak Russian.”
#2: Us: “…and we’re here to speak to you about Jesus Christ.”
Them: “No thanks, we’re Christians.”
And the #1 stupidest thing people say while tracting in Estonia is: “Nobody’s home!”

Privyet!

Alright fellas! Now we get a chance to have our own blog, a big ol' blog of nonsence. Our wives have their gig, we have ours. Only ours is ours, if you know what I mean. Start uploading your pictures, your journal entries, your recipes, your poems, your stats and charts, your videos of shark attacks, or of heli rides. This could be fun.