June 18, 2012

Dearest Momsy and Popsicle,

Yes, mom you may have had a lengthy list but I love hearing about all you are doing so keep it coming.  All of your projects sound fun. Send pictures when you get finished. Dad, Thanks for the pictures of Todd. I enjoyed your commentary :) also, Dad I forgot last week, HAPPY father’s Day!!!!!! Also Happy ANNIVERSARY!!! Also, the picture they sent was me singing at Zone conference. I sang sweet hour of prayer and Elder Stoddard accompanied me. I knew him from SUU.

I'll start with your questions. The branch here is pretty great I don't know numbers but probably at least 50-60 people every week at church. It is pretty normal; really the only excitement comes from Sunday School. Mostly it's like they pick a topic and argue about it for an hour. The concept of only one person talking at one time doesn't exist. I played the piano last week in sacrament. The piano is so out of tune that I didn't know if I was hitting the wrong notes or it was just out of tune. It was rough. I just laughed. 

So I didn't know sister Braginets name for the first week but I got that down. It probably took me another week to figure out the situation with Russian doors. The first door you need a magnetic thing. Then the elevator. Then the door to get to our hallway. That one’s rough. The key slot is broken so you just have to know where to out the key and when to turn, turn twice. And then the door to our apartment, it requires 4 turns. Anyway, it was a process. Next I need to learn the public transport system.

Last Tuesday the branch had a picnic. We met at a bus stop and then walked for what seemed like forever into the woods. I had no idea where we were going and then all of the sudden there was a soccer field and a volleyball court in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, it was fun. We had an investigator come that was previously uninterested, but after being around some members she was willing to begin reading the Book of Mormon. It was a great opportunity to spend time with members and talk to them. I was actually able to translate for the senior couple here while they were talking to a member. That was cool. I didn’t think I could do that.

Also, this week has been really HOT. It is only going to get worse, and then it will get really cold...I just decided I am not going to be comfortable for a while.

On Thursday we were contacting on our way home and began talking to a lady and right off the back she was asking really great questions. We talked for about a 1/2 hour and then asked if we could meet to talk more and she said no. But we offered to help her in any way that we could so she suggested we could come help her in her house outside of the city. On Saturday we took an hour bus ride outside the city. We picked strawberries, and then weeded mostly. After we picked strawberries she gave us some of them and we all just sat around talking. The strawberries were delicious.  It was so beautiful! Everything was so green and just...I don't know. I loved it. I even loved weeding; I know you are probably shocked. It was nice just to be outside working. We also gave her a Book of Mormon and she said she would read it so we will see where things go.

There is an older lady in our branch who we go teach and serve once a week. This week I stumbled through the lesson and then we helped her clean her rugs. It was a lot of fun. We took the rugs outside and then just wacked up with these things that looked like large fly swatters. She is really great.

Well, I think that is all.  I love you all so much and pray for you often.

Cectpa Pearce