Letter #30

What a wonderful week.  Where to begin...?  So many cool things happened this week, and they are all jumbled together.

I think I'll start with...Alla and Sergei!  We met Alla a couple weeks ago, she was the lady who was like crying and hugging us on the street because her son has a drinking problem.  We were planning on meeting with her Sunday afternoon for the first time, and all of a sudden she walks into church! So great! So we introduced her to everyone and she stayed for a bit of sacrament meeting, but then she had to go back to stay with her son because she's scared if she leaves him alone too long his cigarette will light their apartment on fire. It's so sad. He's like 30. Soooo after church, we go over to meet him and teach him together with his mom.  As soon as we get there, she tells us how when he's sober he wants to meet with us, and get his life back on track--he had woken up that morning and cleaned himself up and even shaved off some big beard he had apparently to meet us--but when she came to church for even just like 30 minutes he started drinking so he wasn't exactly all there.  We talked with them together for a little bit, and the desire to change was definitely there.  Alla is so incredible--she is a 7th day adventist (i think that's what it is in english?) and has so much faith--she is so willing to do whatever it takes to help her son.  It is a little overwhelming to deal with something like alcoholism, but our message is one of change, and the Atonement.  I know that it is true, and I know that it can help Sergei and Alla!  I am so grateful for the people I get to interact with every day, and for the chance I have to help people change for the better.  It definitely changes me for the better as well!

This week it felt like we had people placed in our path.  We were waiting at the marshrutka stop and this lady with huge curly hair and mary kate and ashley sunglasses was kind of looking at us.  I was about to hi to her and she beat me to it--she was like, "what are you selling?" looking at the Book of Mormon.  I told her we weren't selling anything, that we were here as missionaries, and she shook each of our hands (totally not normal here) and said she was happy to meet us.  We got on the same marshrutka as her and talked for awhile, and agreed to meet later this week! The crazy thing is that she's lived in Dubai and Moscow, and when I asked who she worked as she was like, "I'll tell you Wednesday. It is interesting."  Huh.  Kind of weird but whatever! So stay tuned next week to learn what Irina's "interesting" profession is!  

Another cool lady of the week is Ekaterina.  She sat by me on the marshrutka and as soon as I started talking to her she gave me some candy and asked me to write down her number! Wish it worked like that every time! Haha contacting on transport is possibly the best and worst thing.  It can be so good! And it can be soooo awkward. But then you just get off and never see them again.  Or you see them over and over again. Either way. 

We got to do some service this week for a lady named Ludmila F, at her mom's house. She takes care of her babushka mom, and when we were over Saturday night we asked how we could help and she was like, oh nothing, nothing, then we were like, maybe cleaning something? And she was like, yes! My mom's windows! So we did.  It was terrifying because there were allllllllll these bugs everywhere, and Ludmila was the most scared of all of us and she SCREAMS!  She was standing up on this little stool opening the window and ALLLL of them came out and she screamed like she was dying so we jumped back and she jumped off the stool and screamed right in Sister Lundberg's face.  My heart about died.  She's like 50 years old, and maaaybe 5 feet tall and she can really scream.  She was so grateful for the help, and we taught her mom a bit about prayer after, and the next day at church Ludmila was just jumping around and still hadn't gotten over how happy she was she didn't have to clean those windows.  I wish that was all it took for everyone! I would clean windows allll day if everyone reacted the way Ludmila did!

Our investigators are kind of at a crossroads right now--we just haven't been able to meet with Irina, Angelina, Zoya or Yulia in so long! Like over a month for the first three.....so we don't even know what to do really.  We're still on good terms, they're just busy and so its kind of frustrating, but hey, what can you do?  We're just going to keep calling, keep trying, keep praying! 

Man there is more to write but I spent lots of time this week reading so my times about out! Plus I want to send a couple pictures! 

Reyna and Sanubyer who works at this kvass stand.

I wrote some letters this morning by the way, so hopefully some of you will be getting them...sometime! I have to buy stamps which will hopefully happen today haha.  

Here's some quotes, I told my mom today that quotes are like my snack food!  They are what keep me going all day long.  Plus Russia is suffering in the snack food department....its just like..crackers.  Really dry crackers.

"Well done is better than well said"  Benjamin Franklin

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second best time is now."  Chinese Proverb

Love you all so much! Thank you again for all you rockstars who are sending me letters, they are so appreciated and I wish I could reply more/faster! Hahahaha

Sister McGhie