Sunshine, sunshine Megi! This is a song, that a lady named Irina sang to me this week...its actually Sunshine Reggae I think? It's by the bee-gees maybe? We were walking with her, she's about 60 years old, and she goes, "Megi. I have a song about you!" And right as I'm about to ask her to sing it, she goes, "Ya CHAS spayu!" Or "I'm about to sing it~~~~" in this little singy voice! Haha then she starts singing, "Sunshine, sunshine Megi, don't cry, don't cry Megi". It was pretty hilarious. She was one of the very few people sadly who decided to come to our branch activity this week. After talent night we were super pumped for like 30+ again, but it rained and people were sick and at work..etc. Sooooo we had a smaller gathering haha. BUT the V family came! WOO! And after the activity Timosha, their 7 year old son goes, "I want to go to primary with Sister McGhie" SO cute, I'm obsessed! So I was like, wellllll come on Sunday then! And his mom was like, well I have a concert, but she looked pretty genuinely bummed about that, so I think we are really getting somewhere with them!
Earlier in the week we met with a lady named Nina for the first time--her daughter lives in America, and joined the church a long time ago, but she was never really interested and now she is! She's so nice. BUT she is a babushka so she can really talk. I had to use some of my most sneaky interupting tactfully techniques. I'm getting pretty good at that, so feel free to put me to the test when I get back. But only if you can do it in Russian haha! Sorry that was the lamest joke ever. I think I'm losing any sense of humor I had! Because seriously ALL my jokes are SO lame! Maann!!!!!
So everyone is so sick here. WAIT but not like SICK sick, just like colds. Basically all our investigators were sick this week, which made it prettttty hard to meet with them...which means we really didn't get to at all. Which is hard, but it's okay. A nine year old girl got baptized in Traktorney, so we got to go to that with Zoya! It was so great. Zoya is SO CUTE! On the way there, I gave her one of those listerine mint paper things and I thought I killed her. But then later when I offered her another as a joke kind of she took it! I will never forget the look on her face haha, those things are pretty strong. We talked with her and Sister Crane after the baptism and it went really well, they really connected and by the end Zoya was like hugging everyone and smiling a ton, instead of looking kind of uncomfortable adn out of place like she had in the past.
I just want to tell you all about one of the superstar members here. I might have written some of this already but that's okay. Her name is Katya, she was baptized about 5 years ago, when she was 18. Her parents were super against it, but eventually when they saw how much it meant to her they allowed her to join the church. But they are definitely less than supportive. She works, she studies, she has 5 or 6 callings, and some weeks she gives a talk, leads the music, teaches gospel principles and then relief society. She comes with us to lessons with investigators whenever we ask, and is always just smiley and fun and great. It is one of the biggest blessings to be able to be around people like Katya. We were talking about prayer once in a lesson, and she told us it was her dream to have family prayer, even just once. There are lots of things we take for granted sometimes, and people like Katya are such great examples to me of what is really important, and how much we have to be grateful for!
Okay Sister Holmes is going to love this, because she remembers this man. Waaay long ago we met a guy named Misha while contacting for English. He was like, "are you going to brainwash me..etc" and the first few times at English he was super awkward with anything to do with the church...wellllllll the elders and us have become pretty good friends with him, and he's coming to church and getting ready for baptism! It is so cool to see the change in his life--he's so much happier! It's also cool to see how prepared he was--for example, he had already been doing some family history on the church's website, and he decided when he was 16 he would never drink or smoke..etc. SO cool. He's great!
Yesterday at church I got to meet Lily's mom--I know you really don't know who Lily is haha, she's one of the girls at church--we've been meeting with her grandma almost weekly, trying to help her. So, I go over to meet her mom, and the first thing she says is, "are you married?" I was kind of thrown off and Lily her daughter was like, "mom. you can't go on a mission if you're married." Then her mom got really happy and told me as soon as she saw me she thought of her little brother who isn't married and went on to tell me how perfect he is..etc. I really didn't know what to say haha. Then she starts like scheduling me in basically to meet him while he's still in town and I was trying my best to explain to her that that really isn't what the point of going on a mission is and she was just rolling her eyes insisting we meet. Haha then she starts saying stuff like "beauty is a strange power" and telling me about in "her time" how she would be the reason boys came to church.....hahaha I was just really at a loss for words. She was pretty bummed I wouldn't come over to meet her brother but somehow I think he will survive. Haha soooo many interesting conversations every day. Sometimes I wish someone was filming life, so we could go back and watch the funny parts over and over again!
I am forever grateful for my rockstar companion--Sister Lundberg is really so so great! She is so dedicated, and so sincere. I learn a lot from her! She is definitely the one "training" me. Seriously.
 |
| Reyna and Sister Lundberg |
Plus, she makes dang good apple pancakes! We had quite the cooking adventures this week. Apple pancakes, homemade zucchini spaghetti sauce (Sage would have loved it haha not. Sister L doesn't like zucchini so she wouldn't eat it but it was delicioussss) we tried making those microwave chocolate cakes but they were gross, and we have been making the best oatmeal in the morning ever! Oh and I made some greek salad. I know this is probably really boring so I'll stop on the food.
I am doing pretty great! We laugh, we cry, we teach people. That is my life!
I feel like one huge lesson I learned this week is summed up pretty nicely in the quote my mom sent in her email--here it is.
"Be assured that there is a safe harbor. You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you. Your Heavenly Father—who knows when even a sparrow falls—knows of your heartache and suffering. He loves you and wants the best for you. Never doubt this. While He allows all of us to make choices that may not always be for our own or even others’ well-being, and while He does not always intervene in the course of events, He has promised the faithful peace even in their trials and tribulations.”
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Sometimes life really does feel like a storm! And just when you think you can't take any more problems, or issues, or sadness something else hits. But I know that we can have peace, and that the gospel is a message of that peace. I want so much to help others find that joy and that "harbor", and that, my dearies, is why I am here! I love every second. And every one of you!
Lots and lots of lubov
Sister Sunshine Megi
PS: I fell this week. It was SO embarrasing. I was waving hi to our neighbor as we were both coming up to the door of the podyezd and I just wiped out! And then I kind of had delayed reaction and yelled out, but it was after I was already on the ground. And it didn't even sound like me, so in my head I was like, "who's yelling?" and it was ME! Weird. I'll send a picture of my wound. It is nothing compared to what my pride looks like.
 |
| Sad, sad Sister McGhie |
 |
| Really embarrassed! |
No comments:
Post a Comment