Letter #63 - Week of laughing and crying

Привет всем! (Hello everyone!)

So, first things first, pretty big changes--I am so grateful for my family and parents and their examples. I know the Lord's plan is perfect, even if our understanding is not.  So as disappointing as things can be, we can always, 100%, trust that it is for our good.

New apartment

New apartment

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven.  But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."
--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

There is always a bright side.  Always!  I guess the trick is probably just finding it, and not letting the dark side overshadow it.  Light always conquers darkness.

Sis McGhie in Sochi

We got to teach a huge variety of people this week!  We have been finding investigators in a lot of different ways.  We have found some through contacting, through part-member families, and through past investigators.  Things are going really, really well!  There is so much to do.  Luckily the sisters came down for splits this week and helped us out, it was awesome!  Here are some of the highlights of this week...

Sis McGhie is in Sochi

Sasha--we started teaching Sasha, our 9-year-old investigator.  She is the CUTEST. She just wants to do what is right!  She is like a doll!!  Her mom, Zhanna, is the nicest lady ever!  We love them! Bad news: they love to feed birds in the park, and the birds land all over them....they want us to come do it with them!! I think I would pee my pants!

Liliya and Nana--Big shoutout to Nana, because we have an investigator named Nana!  Except she says it like Nah Nah.  They are about our age, and Liliya lives next door to a less-active family!  Perfect, right??
Sveta--Sveta already knew about the church, and when we met her on the street she didn't seem thaaat interested, then when we called she wasn't really that happy about meeting, so we were wondering if she was really coming, but she did!

On splits in Sochi with Sis. Kirkby

One of the more awkward lessons, just because she was reallly, REALLY quiet.  But it went well, all because of the member we had helping us.  Sveta is really sick and sad.  Tatyana, the member, is a concert pianist, so she was just like, "I want to sing for you!" and stuff...anyways, we all sang one of Tatyana's favorite hymns called "Morning Prayer".  I have never heard it in my life.  I was kind of thinking, "what on earth..?" but Sveta really liked it! Tatyana saved the lesson.

There are other people I want to tell about but there is no time! Ahhh.  Okay.

Face masks...Sisters Kirkby, McGhie, Wheeler and Houseman

We have gotten to meet with a few really cool members.  The branch needs YOUTH! And a lot of moms or parents are active, and willing to help us work with their inactive kids.  There is so much to do!

I just want to say again how much I love my family!  We took some flowers to the wife of a member, and she wouldn't come meet us because she is super protiv (opposed to the church).  The husband, a man in maybe his late 50's, with 3 inactive children, just said, in broken English, "my dream..is for my wife..to be with me in the church."  Our hearts broke.  He talked about how he tries to do family night, but he is alone.  One of his daughters is less-active, and will sometimes come, and we are starting off with her.

Sochi sister missionaries with Krasnodar
Sister missionaries, who came down to do splits.

I am so grateful to my companion for everything she does!!!!!!!!!!  She is a huge example to me.  All the people around me are.  On splits we had something hilarious happen.  Sister Kirkby and I were walking down the road, and this old man offers his arm and goes, "predlagayu", or "i'm inviting you".  I just looked at him, and pointed to the elders, because they were right behind us. He talked to them for a minute, but then decided he wanted to talk to us, and he started booking it!! I could just hear these steps behind us and I was wondering how someone so old was running so quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He chased us. We literally had to run!! Haha.  Probably not the last time honestly.  We've been getting some..interesting..reactions lately.  I think I am getting a little tougher than I used to be, because times where I would have cried, I can just smile and move on.  Haha.  It helps that I can always laugh with Sister Houseman.  We have too many funny times to tell, and its to the point where they probably wouldn' t be very funny to anyone but us by now!!!!!!!! Hahahahaha.

"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
-Abraham Lincoln

Sis Houseman and Sis McGhie in
beautiful, slightly cold Sochi

"Не переживай.  Бог никогда не слеп к твоим слезам, никогда не глух к твоим молитвам, никогда не безразличен к твоей боли.  Он видит, он слышит и он избавит."  (Do not worry.  God is never blind to your tears, never deaf to your prayers, never indifferent to your pain.  He sees, He hears, and He will deliver.)

“It will be very interesting one day to follow the pattern of our life as it is spread out like a beautiful tapestry. As long as we live here we see only the reverse side of the weaving, and very often the pattern, with its threads running wildly, doesn't seem to make sense. Some day, however, we shall understand.  In looking back over the years we can discover how a red thread goes through the pattern of our life: the Will of God.”
― Maria von Trapp

Sochi is as beautiful as ever (except its freezing now?!?!?)!!!!!!!!!!! Life is better than ever before.  And I am so grateful to all of you!

So, last p-day we decided to make people treats.  This is what turned out.  They looked like mud-puddles with oats.  We had no ingredients for baking!  We ate them all ourselves.  Which was lucky, because we ran waaaay out of food by the end of the week!! 

Shoutout to Jennilyn! Your letter meant so much to me! Thank you!
Love,
Sister McGhie