Here we are, at the beginning of a new week, and a new transfer!! It's crazy. I think I'm on like my.....8th now?? WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wait maybe not 8th. I don't even know! Haha. This transfer has been so great, in so many ways!! And good news! We finished off the transfer well--we finally got an investigator to sacrament meeting! Such a blessing. This week we really felt help as we pushed ourselves to do all that we could possibly do, in every phase of the work. I learned a lot this week about faith, and the chapter I would recommend is Moroni 7. :)
So, the week began with a zone training meeting. It was so fun--I got to team teach it, so I was able to be involved in the planning and carrying out the meeting. I was slightly stressed, but it went well, and I hope I was able to say and ask the things the other missionaries needed to hear. We talked a lot about the difference between acting out of faith and acting out of fear, some of the things that hold us back from acting in faith, and how we can conquer those fears we do have. The other missionaries in my zone are amazing! I love them all, and I wish that the ones in Sochi and Novorissisk were closer so we could see each other more often! We kind of mimicked the conference with Elder Bennett, in that we took an hour to go out and actually try it all out. We had some really cool experiences--Sister Southwick and I were together, and we were able to show a lady all around our church building. It was so fun! We are realizing that pushing ourselves to talk to absolutely everyone, and keep talking to them even if the conversation is kind of trailing off takes SO MUCH ENERGY but it is SO worth it.
We are already seeing huge miracles in our branch--there is a couple the elders are teaching who are so incredibly prepared--they were living in the mountains in Sochi and just felt like they needed to come here--so they have no work or anything, and they were just sitting on a bench wondering what they were supposed to be doing, and the elders came up to them and started teaching! Turns out the husband is like a scriptorian and learned Greek to read the Bible and stuff, so he is now absolutely obsessed with the Book of Mormon. They've been meeting with missionaries a week now, and they came to church for the first time and the wife in Relief Society starts talking about how Section 25 of D&C is her favorite!! It is so cool to see, and I am so grateful to be a part of all of the work here.
Things with our investigators are going well! We had a woman named Tamara come to church yesterday--we met her on the tram, and didn't actually have a chance to teach her anything, but she came and really liked it, and wants to keep meeting! Luba is out of the hospital, and she was able to sell her room and she told us she knows its because of prayer. She didn't come to church, but it was because she still wasn't feeling very well. We have a lot of cool potential investigators we are hopefully going to meet with this week--we had an issue this week (well and a lot of other weeks) of people cancelling on us last minute. It was hard. We're kind of getting used to it honestly..isn't that sad? Not like we don't expect them to meet--we're still kind of crushed every time. But we're realizing that we can only do so much, so if we are doing all that we can do, with all our "hearts, mights, minds and strength" the rest is up to them. And that can be either really comforting or sad, so I've decided its comforting.
Sister Kirkby is in charge of sending pictures this week, so hopefully it works!!!! Hope you all enjoyed them from last week. Oh and if you want to see Krasnodar, you should totally googlemap the street "Krasnaya". It's sooo pretty, we love street teaching there! Wellllll actually last night we met a lot of people there who weren't actually that nice, but usually we looove street teaching there.
We got to go see some members this week, which we loved. One family hasn't been to church in a while, and our visit with them went pretty well! It was their daughter's birthday, so we made her a card and took her some banana bread. She really liked it, even though she isn't religious and was pretty skeptical about everything we said. We also got to teach a family who is so fun--they know one of the families in Volzhsky, and so when we were talking about them, we thought of some things they could do to help the family in Volzhsky--just like sending them favorite conference talks and stuff! We also went out and saw Ludmila and her mom, who was married to Alexander. We went with the first counselors of the branch presidency and relief society presidency. At first it wasn't going so well, it was really hard. Then the first counselor in the relief society presidency was like, "do you like to sing?" which I thought was probably not the best idea, but to my surprise Ludmila was like, "yes" so we just started singing her favorite hymns together and she didn't want to stop! It was amazing to me how the mood changed so quickly, and how much she cheered up. By the time we left she was smiling, and she came to church on Sunday, with her 85 year old mom! And they had to walk so far. I am in awe at the strength of the members. Ludmila's mom, Lidia, is one of my heroes. She literally can barely stand, and she walked so so far. I asked her how she felt after church, and she said "Good. But like a drunk. I don't know if I can do this again." It breaks my heart. I know that her desire to be there is so strong, and I studied this morning about how we will be judged after this life not just on what we did, but on our desires.
We had so many cool experiences working with members this week. We street taught with the relief society president, visited less-actives with members, taught new convert lessons with members, and street taught with a bunch of other members. I can see such a difference. It is a great feeling to really be on the "same team" with them. I also was so grateful for the warm welcome Tamara received her first time at church--we walked in, and immediately the relief society president introduced herself, sat next to her, and helped her understand everything that was going on.
And I guess this isn't a secret anymore...that Sister Houseman is coming to KRASNODAR!!!! I can't believe I got so lucky?!!?? We have our Sister training this week up in Rostov, so all the new sisters and Sister Houseman will be there!!!!!!!! I am so EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today's quote is one from Nate. I like it because a lot of people think we are crazy when we try to talk to them on the tram, or on the street, or in general. Haha.
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
-Friederich Nietzche
So I guess the question is, can you hear the music? And the good news is, if you can't, its possible!
I feel like our job is to help people understand how much joy the gospel brings--we teach that even if they just have the desire to believe, that is enough for a start. And action helps faith to grow. Even if it's just looking at mormon.org, or opening up the Book of Mormon, or coming to church once--we learn in Mosiah 2:24 that when we are willing to act, he "immediately" will bless us! Okay and granted we don't always recognize the blessings right away, but I know that God is loving, and He truly does want to help us be happy.
Love, love, love,
Sister McGhie
PS: Funny experience. We are on a marshrutka and it is PACKED. I'm shoved up against the window and we realize it's time to get out. However, 8+ people are attempting to shove their way in. I'm like, "Sister Kirkby. Tell them we need to get out!" (Luckily we've been studying verbs of motion, which are kind of torture) so she makes it out but I am still totally stuck. Just when I thought I wasn't going to make it, these two girls on the curb just grab my arms and start pulling and pulling and they pull me right out!!! Haha I was so glad. It kind of hurt but we were all laughing so hard.
 |
| Sisters from their district - Reyna looks so TALL! |
 |
| The birthday shopping picture from last week |
 |
| Sister Kirkby and Sister McGhie looking happy and well. |
Sister Kirkby is in charge of sending pictures this week, so hopefully it works!!!! Hope you all enjoyed them from last week. Oh and if you want to see Krasnodar, you should totally googlemap the street "Krasnaya". It's sooo pretty, we love street teaching there! Wellllll actually last night we met a lot of people there who weren't actually that nice, but usually we looove street teaching there.
 |
| The lost look on their faces their first weeks trying to find their way around Krasnodar. |
 |
| Not sure... |
And I guess this isn't a secret anymore...that Sister Houseman is coming to KRASNODAR!!!! I can't believe I got so lucky?!!?? We have our Sister training this week up in Rostov, so all the new sisters and Sister Houseman will be there!!!!!!!! I am so EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today's quote is one from Nate. I like it because a lot of people think we are crazy when we try to talk to them on the tram, or on the street, or in general. Haha.
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
-Friederich Nietzche
So I guess the question is, can you hear the music? And the good news is, if you can't, its possible!
I feel like our job is to help people understand how much joy the gospel brings--we teach that even if they just have the desire to believe, that is enough for a start. And action helps faith to grow. Even if it's just looking at mormon.org, or opening up the Book of Mormon, or coming to church once--we learn in Mosiah 2:24 that when we are willing to act, he "immediately" will bless us! Okay and granted we don't always recognize the blessings right away, but I know that God is loving, and He truly does want to help us be happy.
Love, love, love,
Sister McGhie
PS: Funny experience. We are on a marshrutka and it is PACKED. I'm shoved up against the window and we realize it's time to get out. However, 8+ people are attempting to shove their way in. I'm like, "Sister Kirkby. Tell them we need to get out!" (Luckily we've been studying verbs of motion, which are kind of torture) so she makes it out but I am still totally stuck. Just when I thought I wasn't going to make it, these two girls on the curb just grab my arms and start pulling and pulling and they pull me right out!!! Haha I was so glad. It kind of hurt but we were all laughing so hard.
No comments:
Post a Comment