Graduating from Greendom

Technically, there are three conditions that make you a greenie on a mission. If you are still with your trainer, if you are in the youngest group of missionaries in the mission, or if you are still in your greenie area, you are considered a greenie. So by that definition, I'm still considered a greenie, because I have the good fortune to remain in Mariupol. But, being a greenie goes so much deeper than that.

Being a greenie means you're vulnerable, helpless and a complete fish out of water. Being a greenie means you rely on other missionaries to translate for you, that you get butterflies when you have to purchase eggs at the local grocery store and you can't remember how to put the word "egg" into the genitive plural case. Being a greenie means you spend most of your time observing other people talk while you desperately struggle to follow the conversation. Being greenie means you flat out look awkward when you walk down the sidewalk. How do I know all this so thoroughly? After four months of being a greenie I'm quite familiar with the situation. But even I forgot how hilarious greenies were until this last Friday when Mariupol was graced with another new missionary.Elder Hurst is from Bloomington, Indiana. His father is a cartographer for the government (or so he claims) so they've moved around a lot. He's 23. He has a degree in British History and wants to become a college professor. His favorite movie is Rushmore and his favorite band is the Shins (another tender mercy for Sven – remind me to relate the story another time). He's still afraid to eat the food here so he fills up on bread and cheese. And he knows basically no understandable Russian.

Basically when the new guy shows up, the old guy steps up. It's been almost miraculous how much my Russian comprehension and conversation skills have improved in the last five days. It's been a complete adjustment of perspective for me. No longer am I the youngest missionary in Mariupol, and now I have someone else who turns to me when he's completely clueless over what some baboushka just rattled off to him about the cold weather. I've noticed an shift in the branch as well, suddenly everyone talks to me like I'm a veteran missionary who actually gets this language. It's been a blast just talking with people. Last night after youth night my head actually hurt from speaking so much Russian. At first I was afraid to leave my greenie area because then people would expect more out of me, but now I realize that I'm up to it.