Today I was talking at work with Chris Storey, the Russian Training Coordinator (meaning the boss of all the Russian teachers) and he was telling me that he remembered talking to Kathy a few times. He said the following, which made me laugh hysterically:
Chris: "I only met your sister a few times and she seemed really strong. Her teachers adored her. But when I think about her, I remember one thing. The word I would use to describe her sense of style would be... uhh... florescent."
Lizzie: bursts into laughter
Chris: "No, I'm serious! She seemed to like bright colors... and she didn't dress anything like you."
Lizzie: more laughing
Chris: "Well, what I mean is... you dress... normal. No, not normal, but you dress really nice."
Lizzie: more laughing
Chris: "Oh, never mind."
Hilarious. Kathy is florescent.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
14th email: September 14th
a huge hello from cevastopol! I don't really know where to start...here it goes...
So we had a baptism on Saturday. Slavik. Haha...He commited on Monday night to be baptised on Saturday. He's the basically adopted son of a lady in our branch, Aleksandra. She served a mission in Kiev and he was in an orphanage were she served. She's helped him a lot throughout his life and has now brought him to the gospel. It was a very fast conversion, but his testimony is real. He's a humble guy and has never had a lot in his life, but the gift of the holy ghost is more precious than anything else we could ever receive. So we took a little boat over to a little beach and had our program right on the rocks. There were a few people around, but they were respectful. It was amazing...just a few members of the church standing in a circle on the beach as the sun was setting and singing "Dywa Moa" (be still my soul)...you can imagine. It was so so so touching to watch two twenty year old kids walk into the black sea dressed in white, and humbly and sincerely participate in this sacred ordinance...WOWWEE...I am the luckiest person in the universe to be able to take part in this!
And then we have Epa...oh epa epa epa...we have to push back her baptism one more week because she ddin't come to church yesterday. She is so busy. We a little worried about her, but we call her every day and share scriptures with her. We'll help her there...she knows she needs to be baptised.
And the elders are teaching a family right now that are close to baptism! I can't believe this...did you know that only one month ago, sevastopol was considered a dead area? All of Crimea was really slow in the the work...I know the Lord is guiding his children that are ready to accept the gospel to us...to the truth. Our ward is doing a month long fast so we can find people to teach...the Lord sees our faith and desire and is trusting us with these souls! This is so greatt!!
We are struggling with Enna. She just has no time for us. We trekked out there a couple days ago (2 marshrutkas...8 hriven in all...two hours) for our meeting with my burnt nasty cream-of-tarter-lacking snickerdoodles (she always feeds us and she has nothing...) and we sat on the corner for about 20 minutes and we saw her rushing in to the building. She had to cancel because she got some sort of call or something,.,she was so grateful for the cookies and that we came, but she is so busy. ughh...i know she's so close...but we've got to be meeting with her more often.
I had yet another humbling experience this week...I was reading Elder Scotts talk about how to teach and learn more effectively and he shared some precious things that he's learned from the spirit. One was that sometimes Satan doesn't bother tempting us with things he knows we won't pay attention too...like the big things...so he ever so slyly distracts us from our purpose of returning to our Father in Heaven and helping others get there. He'll use ANYTHING, even good things. It's our job to remember our purpose every day and focus and live it. As smart and stinky as he is, satan can't make us do anything. I love John 15 how it says that we need to purge some of our branches (prune) even if they are bearing fruit! It's all for our good, and if we need to chop off a branch, it's only because the Lord has something more amazing prepared for us...like maybe we chop off a plum branch for a sweet delicious vkoosna peach branch...we don't know, but the Lord knows. HE is the gardener, and if we simple have faith, he will mold us into the most beautiful and happy people we can be. I love in the book of mormon when it says that if we work hard on our testimony so it takes root, then our tree will grow into something beautiful that bears delicious fruit that we can pick throughout our lives. This is something we're trying to help memebers and investigators to understand...the immportance of your testimony. oh the scriptures are cool.
I AM SO EXCITED FOR WES! Tell Lori...I'll write them soon...Russian is the most beautiful language. It sounds scary and sharp and I promise I made fun of it so much before the mission, but it's actually quite soft and smooth...not everyone here is a mean huge shopka grumpy russian....i actually wish i met more. :) Speaking of Russian, it's coming coming coming... I'm listening like crazy right now, and it's tiring, but one thing my mission president told me was that every time I tune out and think out something else, I'm just moving my goal post farther and farther away. Every day is better, every day I make a fool of myself when I try to talk to people without cectpa kondratyeva as my crutch... it's a good way to find people though,.. make a fool out of yourself by slaughtering a word, and make them laugh, and usually THEY will ask who you are. Fun game.
Have I mentioned that cectpa K is engaged? Yup. To an elder that I was in the MTC with. He's like number 7 pianist in the WORLD... no joke. I guess theres some song that only 10 people can play without mistakes on earth and he's one of them...i heard it...his hands are straight from god. But so they'll both be on misisons for about 3 years, and then they'll get married...oh man...she has a ring and everything. What commitment! But she is the hardest working missionary...and she loves these people. She truly truly wants to help these people in their lives and could care less about how many lessons we teach. I'm so grateful for her. We struggle with communication and understanding eachother sometimes, we laugh every day...thats important.
Every day we either don't have gas, water, or lights. Or the sink blows up and the lights explode at the same time (yesterday) haha...i love ukraine.
I made cabin salsa and can i just say it was so vkoosna...with all fresh ingredients from the street...mmm...little taste from home...speaking of which, cec. kon. wants me to make mashed potatoes (she is so funny...she doesn't sugar coat ANYTHING...straight up tells me she wants something..."make me some mashed potatoes, okay?" haha...why not just get to the point?) like the good kinda in america...i was like alright i'll ask my pops...he's a master...so i need some sort of recipe...how hard could mashed potatoes be? you just mash them and add cheese and stuff?
We have zone conference tomorrow and I'm so excited! I get to see elder ku!
Of course it's still hot here...theres not as many naked people, but thats jsut because holiday is over and school has started...now theres just more poofy bows.
I spoke in church yesterday after Slavik's confirmation. I probably slaughtered it, but I just decided to not think and just talk...that always works out better for me.
Welp...happy as ever as always.. I'm SO happy to hear that things are going well at home and that Sadie is a little demon...i'm so proud of her. :) It's weird to hear that everyone is home and back together again...but to be honest, I'm glad I'm here! Whenever I forget that, I just have to glance and the passed out drunk in the middle of the road...or the disco ball outfits...or party marshrutkas...or the fact that I'm working with the Lord here...and then I remember that I'm right were I belong. thankyou for everything...you all mean everything to me out here. I don't know what I'd do without the support I receive from each one of you. Keep working hard...stay strong... be happy...God put so many hilarious things in this world to laugh at!
much love as always...cectpa jones
oh ps...remember when I was talking about things that we need to prune from our lives? haha, well i pruned my hairs...all gone!
NOTE FROM LIZZIE: We're unsure as to what she means when she says she "pruned [her] hairs" but I have a feeling she chopped off her long locks. I guess next week we'll find out. I'll bug her to email some pictures home!
So we had a baptism on Saturday. Slavik. Haha...He commited on Monday night to be baptised on Saturday. He's the basically adopted son of a lady in our branch, Aleksandra. She served a mission in Kiev and he was in an orphanage were she served. She's helped him a lot throughout his life and has now brought him to the gospel. It was a very fast conversion, but his testimony is real. He's a humble guy and has never had a lot in his life, but the gift of the holy ghost is more precious than anything else we could ever receive. So we took a little boat over to a little beach and had our program right on the rocks. There were a few people around, but they were respectful. It was amazing...just a few members of the church standing in a circle on the beach as the sun was setting and singing "Dywa Moa" (be still my soul)...you can imagine. It was so so so touching to watch two twenty year old kids walk into the black sea dressed in white, and humbly and sincerely participate in this sacred ordinance...WOWWEE...I am the luckiest person in the universe to be able to take part in this!
And then we have Epa...oh epa epa epa...we have to push back her baptism one more week because she ddin't come to church yesterday. She is so busy. We a little worried about her, but we call her every day and share scriptures with her. We'll help her there...she knows she needs to be baptised.
And the elders are teaching a family right now that are close to baptism! I can't believe this...did you know that only one month ago, sevastopol was considered a dead area? All of Crimea was really slow in the the work...I know the Lord is guiding his children that are ready to accept the gospel to us...to the truth. Our ward is doing a month long fast so we can find people to teach...the Lord sees our faith and desire and is trusting us with these souls! This is so greatt!!
We are struggling with Enna. She just has no time for us. We trekked out there a couple days ago (2 marshrutkas...8 hriven in all...two hours) for our meeting with my burnt nasty cream-of-tarter-lacking snickerdoodles (she always feeds us and she has nothing...) and we sat on the corner for about 20 minutes and we saw her rushing in to the building. She had to cancel because she got some sort of call or something,.,she was so grateful for the cookies and that we came, but she is so busy. ughh...i know she's so close...but we've got to be meeting with her more often.
I had yet another humbling experience this week...I was reading Elder Scotts talk about how to teach and learn more effectively and he shared some precious things that he's learned from the spirit. One was that sometimes Satan doesn't bother tempting us with things he knows we won't pay attention too...like the big things...so he ever so slyly distracts us from our purpose of returning to our Father in Heaven and helping others get there. He'll use ANYTHING, even good things. It's our job to remember our purpose every day and focus and live it. As smart and stinky as he is, satan can't make us do anything. I love John 15 how it says that we need to purge some of our branches (prune) even if they are bearing fruit! It's all for our good, and if we need to chop off a branch, it's only because the Lord has something more amazing prepared for us...like maybe we chop off a plum branch for a sweet delicious vkoosna peach branch...we don't know, but the Lord knows. HE is the gardener, and if we simple have faith, he will mold us into the most beautiful and happy people we can be. I love in the book of mormon when it says that if we work hard on our testimony so it takes root, then our tree will grow into something beautiful that bears delicious fruit that we can pick throughout our lives. This is something we're trying to help memebers and investigators to understand...the immportance of your testimony. oh the scriptures are cool.
I AM SO EXCITED FOR WES! Tell Lori...I'll write them soon...Russian is the most beautiful language. It sounds scary and sharp and I promise I made fun of it so much before the mission, but it's actually quite soft and smooth...not everyone here is a mean huge shopka grumpy russian....i actually wish i met more. :) Speaking of Russian, it's coming coming coming... I'm listening like crazy right now, and it's tiring, but one thing my mission president told me was that every time I tune out and think out something else, I'm just moving my goal post farther and farther away. Every day is better, every day I make a fool of myself when I try to talk to people without cectpa kondratyeva as my crutch... it's a good way to find people though,.. make a fool out of yourself by slaughtering a word, and make them laugh, and usually THEY will ask who you are. Fun game.
Have I mentioned that cectpa K is engaged? Yup. To an elder that I was in the MTC with. He's like number 7 pianist in the WORLD... no joke. I guess theres some song that only 10 people can play without mistakes on earth and he's one of them...i heard it...his hands are straight from god. But so they'll both be on misisons for about 3 years, and then they'll get married...oh man...she has a ring and everything. What commitment! But she is the hardest working missionary...and she loves these people. She truly truly wants to help these people in their lives and could care less about how many lessons we teach. I'm so grateful for her. We struggle with communication and understanding eachother sometimes, we laugh every day...thats important.
Every day we either don't have gas, water, or lights. Or the sink blows up and the lights explode at the same time (yesterday) haha...i love ukraine.
I made cabin salsa and can i just say it was so vkoosna...with all fresh ingredients from the street...mmm...little taste from home...speaking of which, cec. kon. wants me to make mashed potatoes (she is so funny...she doesn't sugar coat ANYTHING...straight up tells me she wants something..."make me some mashed potatoes, okay?" haha...why not just get to the point?) like the good kinda in america...i was like alright i'll ask my pops...he's a master...so i need some sort of recipe...how hard could mashed potatoes be? you just mash them and add cheese and stuff?
We have zone conference tomorrow and I'm so excited! I get to see elder ku!
Of course it's still hot here...theres not as many naked people, but thats jsut because holiday is over and school has started...now theres just more poofy bows.
I spoke in church yesterday after Slavik's confirmation. I probably slaughtered it, but I just decided to not think and just talk...that always works out better for me.
Welp...happy as ever as always.. I'm SO happy to hear that things are going well at home and that Sadie is a little demon...i'm so proud of her. :) It's weird to hear that everyone is home and back together again...but to be honest, I'm glad I'm here! Whenever I forget that, I just have to glance and the passed out drunk in the middle of the road...or the disco ball outfits...or party marshrutkas...or the fact that I'm working with the Lord here...and then I remember that I'm right were I belong. thankyou for everything...you all mean everything to me out here. I don't know what I'd do without the support I receive from each one of you. Keep working hard...stay strong... be happy...God put so many hilarious things in this world to laugh at!
much love as always...cectpa jones
oh ps...remember when I was talking about things that we need to prune from our lives? haha, well i pruned my hairs...all gone!
NOTE FROM LIZZIE: We're unsure as to what she means when she says she "pruned [her] hairs" but I have a feeling she chopped off her long locks. I guess next week we'll find out. I'll bug her to email some pictures home!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
13th email: Septembr 7th
UGH...i hate email! i just wrote a massive email and then as i was checking the address is deleted! I will try my best to rewrite, but i am emailed out! haha...life is just so great in cream.... yesterday we had a tough day of contacting...not only was it the last few hours of fast sunday, but we were tired, hot, and didn't receive a single contact. As we were bouncing along on the marshrutka home as the sun was setting, i thought to myself, "i really miss salt water." weird thought i know...i even thought to myself...wow, you're delirious. but today we went to xercoHec, a really beautiful old city with a massive temple in the middle. It's beautiful, but Ct. Stashitis said it well, "It's only holy by the people who go in it. Our temple is holy by who dwells in it." I felt weird going inside...we had to cover our heads and be really quiet. It was like walking into a cloud of inscence...anyways...so we walked over this hill and BOT! the sea! we climbed down on the rocks with the waves crashing against the sides...i just soaked and breathed in all the salty mist i could...god not only hears our prayers, but also our random thoughts about smells!
so EPA! (era) We set a baptism date for the fourth of October! We have a lot of work to do before then, but her desire is there. She knows and accepts that she'll have to change and reschedule a lot of things to be baptized (she works a lot) but she really is serious. We read and reread scriptures until she understand them. She's probably about 45-50 and is a wonderful, but serious, business woman type. We found her in a funny way...she and cec. kond both bumped their head on the marshrutka ceiling and were laughing about it...they got to talking and she said, "I have something that YOU need" she wouldn't tell us what, but she insisted on meeting with us...ok! Once she realized our purpose and that WE had something SHE needs, she really began progresssing (cec. kondratyeva and her last companion have been meeting with her about a month now.) OUr only concern is that she hasn't been to church yet...she works a lot and was in kyiv yesterday...our plan is to not push back the date, so we've got a lot of work to do! Enna (eena) is getting busy, but still reading and trying to pray. She understands now, that we're for real and don't jsut come to talk and for chai and cookies...she is such an amazing lady... I KNOW this gospel can help her and her family...we're slowly getting there. We got a few more investigators this week, which is fabulous, but we still need more people to teach. I know the lords elect are out there, they're just hiding... This is just the biggest game of hide and seek that I"ve ever played and We're "IT" ...we'll find them... because we're working the the Lord Jesus Christ on our side. OF COURSE the language is a struggle, OF COURSE the work is hard, but it's meant to be. The Lord needs to see that we're willing to work, sacrifice, and give all that we have, and he will bear us up! It's so exciting to be fully immersed in this every single day!
cectpa k. is SO great and patient with me... we help each other a lot with english and russian...shes a lot like me in a lot of ways...there always something to laugh about... we eat really weird foods at home. We put together all our leftovers and random veggies and call it "salad" or "soup", depending on the temperature we decide to eat it at. Yesterday we decided to make juice, so we had 4 huge pots boiling on the stove and added a little fruit there, some veggies there...sugar and spices...it was like making potion! (remember doing that when we were little? :) I love her so so much...she's a huge blessing in my life...shes 24...first names polina...i'll write more about her and her hilarious dad and family later....just know i'm so happy! I'm working hard... I'm growing more than I ever dreamed I would! Love you all! stay strong and work hard!
llove cectpa rell
ps...theres a huge chunk out of my debit card cause we ended up having to pay for rent on my card cause cec. k's didn't work...we got it all figured out!
pss and our power was out for a few days this week...haha...Nightime was like one big rave party
schastleeva...lyoubove!
so EPA! (era) We set a baptism date for the fourth of October! We have a lot of work to do before then, but her desire is there. She knows and accepts that she'll have to change and reschedule a lot of things to be baptized (she works a lot) but she really is serious. We read and reread scriptures until she understand them. She's probably about 45-50 and is a wonderful, but serious, business woman type. We found her in a funny way...she and cec. kond both bumped their head on the marshrutka ceiling and were laughing about it...they got to talking and she said, "I have something that YOU need" she wouldn't tell us what, but she insisted on meeting with us...ok! Once she realized our purpose and that WE had something SHE needs, she really began progresssing (cec. kondratyeva and her last companion have been meeting with her about a month now.) OUr only concern is that she hasn't been to church yet...she works a lot and was in kyiv yesterday...our plan is to not push back the date, so we've got a lot of work to do! Enna (eena) is getting busy, but still reading and trying to pray. She understands now, that we're for real and don't jsut come to talk and for chai and cookies...she is such an amazing lady... I KNOW this gospel can help her and her family...we're slowly getting there. We got a few more investigators this week, which is fabulous, but we still need more people to teach. I know the lords elect are out there, they're just hiding... This is just the biggest game of hide and seek that I"ve ever played and We're "IT" ...we'll find them... because we're working the the Lord Jesus Christ on our side. OF COURSE the language is a struggle, OF COURSE the work is hard, but it's meant to be. The Lord needs to see that we're willing to work, sacrifice, and give all that we have, and he will bear us up! It's so exciting to be fully immersed in this every single day!
cectpa k. is SO great and patient with me... we help each other a lot with english and russian...shes a lot like me in a lot of ways...there always something to laugh about... we eat really weird foods at home. We put together all our leftovers and random veggies and call it "salad" or "soup", depending on the temperature we decide to eat it at. Yesterday we decided to make juice, so we had 4 huge pots boiling on the stove and added a little fruit there, some veggies there...sugar and spices...it was like making potion! (remember doing that when we were little? :) I love her so so much...she's a huge blessing in my life...shes 24...first names polina...i'll write more about her and her hilarious dad and family later....just know i'm so happy! I'm working hard... I'm growing more than I ever dreamed I would! Love you all! stay strong and work hard!
llove cectpa rell
ps...theres a huge chunk out of my debit card cause we ended up having to pay for rent on my card cause cec. k's didn't work...we got it all figured out!
pss and our power was out for a few days this week...haha...Nightime was like one big rave party
schastleeva...lyoubove!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
12th email: August 31st
ELO!
A big PRIVET from the cream of the cream, sevastopol! Life here is just one big surprise every single day...a little more about the city...
The crimean penninsula used to be Russia I guess...I think I mentioned that they hate Ukraine...and the missionaries told me they hate America, but everyone that i've met have been welcoming about my americanese culture (those who actually take the time to talk to us) As you can see from the pictures, its absolutely gorgeous here. Down by the coast, its more like san francisco than anything. It's boiling every day...i love it! Where I live is a little more run down and dirty, so i really do get the best of both worlds. There are soooo many dogs and cats roaming around here...and goats...the dogs howl and howl all night long, and when they finally stop at like 4, thats when the roosters start cock-a-doodle dooing welcoming the sun! The people here are great and they dress REALLY flashy. They would LOVE genx clothing. sparklies and jems and dicso balls and everyone is really dark thanks to the heat. Fruit markets are on every corner and the peaches and watermelon are amazing. We buy our food in all different stores...the butcher, the fruitician, the moloko man, the xlebywek (bread)...its great...those grocery bags come in handy mama! For work...most people work in the renok (big massive market where you can literally buy anything you can even think of...they've got fish heads) or random stores...
The teaching pool is okay...we're having a month long fast in our little branch to find more people to teach (i guess summer is hard) but we are still teaching enna...she is the kindest lady...she's always sending us home with weird aromatherapy remedies and cookies. She and her husband have two kids (13 and 5) and her husband doesn't ever sit down with us, but he respects us and understands that this is important for enna. She's coming to church with us this sunday and we're really praying for her testimony to take root. I just look at her and her family and I KNOW that this will help them. I look at our sweet members in our branch and the literal light they have with them...enna already has that...we need them there!
We're doing a ton of contacting and tracting...it is so ridiculously fun...except, ha, one kvarteera we went up (a apartment building with about 10 or so floors, 3-4 rooms on each level...this is how everyone lives!) no joke, everyone came to the door close to naked...oh man...we were laughing so hard and just holding our book of mormons ever so strategically. I guess I don't blame them...its so stinking hot...but still...not too pleasant when an old babyshka welcomes us in her bikini...uhhhhhhh...We recieved an awesome contact in that building though...she was clothed :)
The language is my number one obstacle right now...it's like my rock wall that I've got to tackle. When you climb, if you develop a steady pace, pushing yourself, making a little goals to your next handhold, and swinging back when you loose some footing, you'll get there. Try and sprint it, your body will give out. Russians my wall, and ever so slowly, I getting it. The Lord called me to preach the gospel in Russian, and with every single task, he provides a way. This way normally takes everything we've got, so I'm just dealing with the brain beating. I won't lie, its so easy to get down on ourselves. I want to share the gospel and be an effective missionary in the lords hands, but I'm not quite sure how. I read D&C 123;16-17 again when i was feeling particularly russian challenged...even the largest boat in the midst of the biggest storm needs that tiny helm for guidance...so do everything you possibly can and be still, and wait for the Lord to bring to pass his glory! Why is it so easy to forget that this work is unstoppable, no matter how well I speak, no matter how much I know! I can't expect to be less than effective when I'm a tool in the Lord's hands...this is God we're talking about....all he needs is will, dillegence, and faith on my part! oora!
i'm so happy to hear that everyone is working so hard in school...good job j! tackle that physics class... i really wish i took that! And no worries with the card, it wasn't a big deal...we just ate blackberries and the candy and goods from you and andrea for the plane, and rotten potatoes (bad idea) but we have money again and we're celebrating today with a tort...cake! The members always feed us little goodies pastry things too...yum yum yum...and theres this drink her called kvas...man alive its deliciouso. Its made from bread, which is weird...the elders are brewing some right now...i bet theirs is nasty
My district is me and cectpa kondratyeva, ct. belnap and ctarsheesha or something, ct. fluellen and makloop. Wonderful elders, wonder cectpa, and fresh off the block jonesy. They're a huge help to me. We had a couple contacts and church on sunday, meaning i was sitting by one, and cec. kondr had the other one. hmmm...i don't speak russian. but ct. beln helped me a lot and apparently he's coming back next sunday for sure! uuuura! We invited this crazy babyshka to church yesterday...we found her by the fence growling at the cats. she really wanted a book or mormon, so we're like, SURE...come to church! She was hilarious and crazy and had a full on mustache...we gave her a book of mormon like we promised and she sat through most of sacrament meeting reading it. I marked some pages for her, and then she left. Maybe she'll share the message with her cats.
i'm so happy sister johnson got a hold of you mama! ct. johnson is my fav...he's the elder you talked to on accident at the airport...he's like a little brother to me...i'm glad all you mamas can chat about us! I don't know any of the elders except my own district...we're in the boons down here...look our for ku, slaeker, anderson, johnson, and dibb...they are my mtc district...
welp, i'm happier than ever! love you all sooo mucho, and keep working hard! stay strong...like always...oh and take a look at "on the lord's errand" movie about pres. monson...it's incredible...i think...we watched it in russian...but our stake center is in it!
schastleeva
lyoubove
cectpa jonessky
ps...I took a massive fall in ultimate frisbee during sports with the members... I was diving (hard core) for our last point, but st. straweeshasha whatever dove too, and then i tripped on his flailing legs and ATE it...my arm is a massive scab with all sorts of rocks and diseases in it...haha...everyone was dieing of laughter...i guess i'm not too graceful in mid air...=
A big PRIVET from the cream of the cream, sevastopol! Life here is just one big surprise every single day...a little more about the city...
The crimean penninsula used to be Russia I guess...I think I mentioned that they hate Ukraine...and the missionaries told me they hate America, but everyone that i've met have been welcoming about my americanese culture (those who actually take the time to talk to us) As you can see from the pictures, its absolutely gorgeous here. Down by the coast, its more like san francisco than anything. It's boiling every day...i love it! Where I live is a little more run down and dirty, so i really do get the best of both worlds. There are soooo many dogs and cats roaming around here...and goats...the dogs howl and howl all night long, and when they finally stop at like 4, thats when the roosters start cock-a-doodle dooing welcoming the sun! The people here are great and they dress REALLY flashy. They would LOVE genx clothing. sparklies and jems and dicso balls and everyone is really dark thanks to the heat. Fruit markets are on every corner and the peaches and watermelon are amazing. We buy our food in all different stores...the butcher, the fruitician, the moloko man, the xlebywek (bread)...its great...those grocery bags come in handy mama! For work...most people work in the renok (big massive market where you can literally buy anything you can even think of...they've got fish heads) or random stores...
The teaching pool is okay...we're having a month long fast in our little branch to find more people to teach (i guess summer is hard) but we are still teaching enna...she is the kindest lady...she's always sending us home with weird aromatherapy remedies and cookies. She and her husband have two kids (13 and 5) and her husband doesn't ever sit down with us, but he respects us and understands that this is important for enna. She's coming to church with us this sunday and we're really praying for her testimony to take root. I just look at her and her family and I KNOW that this will help them. I look at our sweet members in our branch and the literal light they have with them...enna already has that...we need them there!
We're doing a ton of contacting and tracting...it is so ridiculously fun...except, ha, one kvarteera we went up (a apartment building with about 10 or so floors, 3-4 rooms on each level...this is how everyone lives!) no joke, everyone came to the door close to naked...oh man...we were laughing so hard and just holding our book of mormons ever so strategically. I guess I don't blame them...its so stinking hot...but still...not too pleasant when an old babyshka welcomes us in her bikini...uhhhhhhh...We recieved an awesome contact in that building though...she was clothed :)
The language is my number one obstacle right now...it's like my rock wall that I've got to tackle. When you climb, if you develop a steady pace, pushing yourself, making a little goals to your next handhold, and swinging back when you loose some footing, you'll get there. Try and sprint it, your body will give out. Russians my wall, and ever so slowly, I getting it. The Lord called me to preach the gospel in Russian, and with every single task, he provides a way. This way normally takes everything we've got, so I'm just dealing with the brain beating. I won't lie, its so easy to get down on ourselves. I want to share the gospel and be an effective missionary in the lords hands, but I'm not quite sure how. I read D&C 123;16-17 again when i was feeling particularly russian challenged...even the largest boat in the midst of the biggest storm needs that tiny helm for guidance...so do everything you possibly can and be still, and wait for the Lord to bring to pass his glory! Why is it so easy to forget that this work is unstoppable, no matter how well I speak, no matter how much I know! I can't expect to be less than effective when I'm a tool in the Lord's hands...this is God we're talking about....all he needs is will, dillegence, and faith on my part! oora!
i'm so happy to hear that everyone is working so hard in school...good job j! tackle that physics class... i really wish i took that! And no worries with the card, it wasn't a big deal...we just ate blackberries and the candy and goods from you and andrea for the plane, and rotten potatoes (bad idea) but we have money again and we're celebrating today with a tort...cake! The members always feed us little goodies pastry things too...yum yum yum...and theres this drink her called kvas...man alive its deliciouso. Its made from bread, which is weird...the elders are brewing some right now...i bet theirs is nasty
My district is me and cectpa kondratyeva, ct. belnap and ctarsheesha or something, ct. fluellen and makloop. Wonderful elders, wonder cectpa, and fresh off the block jonesy. They're a huge help to me. We had a couple contacts and church on sunday, meaning i was sitting by one, and cec. kondr had the other one. hmmm...i don't speak russian. but ct. beln helped me a lot and apparently he's coming back next sunday for sure! uuuura! We invited this crazy babyshka to church yesterday...we found her by the fence growling at the cats. she really wanted a book or mormon, so we're like, SURE...come to church! She was hilarious and crazy and had a full on mustache...we gave her a book of mormon like we promised and she sat through most of sacrament meeting reading it. I marked some pages for her, and then she left. Maybe she'll share the message with her cats.
i'm so happy sister johnson got a hold of you mama! ct. johnson is my fav...he's the elder you talked to on accident at the airport...he's like a little brother to me...i'm glad all you mamas can chat about us! I don't know any of the elders except my own district...we're in the boons down here...look our for ku, slaeker, anderson, johnson, and dibb...they are my mtc district...
welp, i'm happier than ever! love you all sooo mucho, and keep working hard! stay strong...like always...oh and take a look at "on the lord's errand" movie about pres. monson...it's incredible...i think...we watched it in russian...but our stake center is in it!
schastleeva
lyoubove
cectpa jonessky
ps...I took a massive fall in ultimate frisbee during sports with the members... I was diving (hard core) for our last point, but st. straweeshasha whatever dove too, and then i tripped on his flailing legs and ATE it...my arm is a massive scab with all sorts of rocks and diseases in it...haha...everyone was dieing of laughter...i guess i'm not too graceful in mid air...=
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