September 24, 2012

Hello!
Oy! What news! I don't even know what to say. Dad, I am grateful that you have been blessed with good work to help support all of us. Well, maybe I will be able to think more clearly after I tell you what happened this week.

This week went by way fast. I don't even really remember what happened. Last week we found a girl named Elena and this week we invited her to family home evening and she came with her friend. She is cool. She is a Baptist but likes to meet with youth of other churches and she has been interested in the Mormon church for a long time. She said she knows they are good people and that a lot of what we say is either true or...we are crazy. But she wants to find out for herself. She is full of real intent and really wants to know for herself. It is hard to teach her because she always says “your Russian is terrible. I don't understand. Speak in English" and then we speak in English but she doesn't really understand that either. So most of the time it is just her correcting us. But we will see where that goes. And then on Thursday was our culture activity. We walked out into the forest by the Peterson’s and made a fire had tinfoil dinners and just kind of enjoyed being outside. It was so great and so beautiful. It was right by this awesome lake. I will send some pictures home...maybe let me know where that will be or when.

We also had sisters interviews this week. Once a transfer the zone leaders and district leaders interview to just kind of see how your mission is going. For me it just makes me realize how much I am learning. Things that were hard last cycle are now easy and now there are other things that are hard. Anyway they are good. I also asked for a blessing and I have just noticed a theme from all the blessings I have received in relation to my mission. They always mention how the things I am learning will help to prepare me for my future family.

For the most part that is it. I never get to tell you everything that happens but you get to hear the best of it.

So, you will be selling the house. And moving by the end of the year. Dad will you begin working out there first? I guess just keep me posted! I don't even know why it makes me so sad that you are moving. It is just a house. Make sure you take lots of pictures of everything. Your sewing room, your workshop, the yard. I guess I just don't know anything else. Well, I guess just keep me updated on your next adventure together!!! I know that the Lord is aware of you and he is putting you in a place where you can bless others. Maybe this will be good preparation for a mission? Who knows? Like always I will be praying for you!

I also thought about a package and all I really want is some letters and pictures. Just things I can hold. So don't worry about a full on package maybe just an envelope would be cheaper.

I love you all so much! Really though I am so grateful for all of you.

Love,
Sister Pearce

September 17, 2012

Hello family!!

Yes dad, the weeks do seem to fly by. This week seems like it was one day. We just finished the 4th week of our transfer which is nuts. Also, I have been on my mission for almost 6 months....that is a lot of time.  I can't believe Kathy Gehrke is home from her mission. I am sure it was cool to see the Bowles and some for the former members of our ward.

This week the big news is that Faina has a baptismal date!! It is for the end of October but she is doing really well!  She has a bad knee and she was working long hours and I guess it was hard. In our first lesson she had a hard time praying out loud but she did it and then this week she told us that after our first meeting she went to work and her work schedule had changed. She works 2 hours less every day for the same amount of pay. She said "god answered my prayer. It’s a miracle." isn't that way cool!! She is the best. She calls us to confirm appointments.

Another cool answer to prayer: this week we met with Tonya another one of our investigators and she has 4 little kittens that she has been trying to find homes for 3-4 weeks. We prayed with her and I felt silly praying about the cats but that is what I felt the spirit prompt me to say. She told us the next day one of them was adopted! She also said she felt like it was an answer to prayer. Cool right?

I love Tolyatti. I wouldn't mind staying here for a while. I don't know if that will happen, maybe. I at least want to see Faina be baptized. Also, I would love serving with Sister Scoville for a while as well. Fingers crossed!

We have also been meeting with a lot of members here and I love them all. They are all so nice and grateful for missionaries because every single one of them is a convert to the church. A lot of the members here are just very solid. They are always willing to help us, when they aren't on their dacha. Oy, dacha's. Don’t get me started. In the summer, a Russians life revolves around their dacha. It’s cool but people have a hard time coming to church because of it and don't really understand the importance of the Sabbath day.

Well, before I forget, happy birthday mom!!!!! I hope it is great! Don’t have too much fun without me, and send me some pictures of everyone together. Deal? Thanks. Well I love you all so much!

Love,
Cectpa Pearce

September 10, 2012

Hello family!!

Wow! It sounds like you have had a good week! Mom, I am glad you are able to work for another year. And that Brayden gets to see you in action. Tell John congratulations!! I have been praying for him to find something. At least they were able to come back to Utah for a little while. Your activity day activity sounded really fun. To answer your questions: The weather is starting to be cold. Today I pulled out my thermals and I am wearing my boots. I wear my jacket every day. It isn't terribly cold yet but it definitely feels like fall.  When I got here the sun went down around 10:00ish and now around 7:30-8:00. I guess I have been here for a little while...weird. Sister Scoville and I like to cook together so we cook a lot of different things. We made borscht the other week, she brought taco seasoning and we made taco soup. It. Was. Delicious. It tasted like home. I haven't really started craving anything American but...man. I don't remember what else but whatever we are feeling like. For Christmas I want a package from home. I don't want to sound demanding but...I know what I could get here and you know how much I like surprises. Sister Scoville also brought some peanut butter and I didn't realized I have been missing that either. Rice crispies and marshmallows would make good packing material...surprise me. I will send a package home maybe full of Russian surprises :)

This week has been an interesting week.  We had zone conference on Tuesday and our bus picked us up at 6:30 so we were up early. President Malm is in the area presidency for the eastern European area and he came and just kind of did whatever he wanted. It definitely wasn't like a normal zone conference. It was good though. He focused on being an "Always" missionary. And President Sartori talked about the principle of "always". We are now studying what it means to each of us to be an "always" missionary. It is an interesting study. And I think it will really help our mission. Wednesday was just a strange day. I was so tired from zone conference. The night before zone conference I think I got like 3 hours of sleep. For some reason I couldn't sleep. I don't have time to say everything so I will just give you a few snapshots. It started with a man talking to us about the Book of Mormon and turned into he was looking for a wife and tried to hug me. And ended with being led into a secret provaslavny (I don't know how to spell that) church by a lady we had found beforehand. She took us to the leader of their church, so I had to bow out gracefully. It was strange.

AND! Ok I am really excited about this because our investigator just called me so let me explain. Yesterday one of our progressing investigators was going to come to church with us and she was really excited. We went to her apt. and her sister answered and told us never to call again or to stop by. We were disappointed to say the least because she is so cool. She is the one that came back and asked us for the Book of Mormon. Anyway, we were bummed and we didn't really know what we could do. Just wait and see if she would call us. And she did just barely! And she wanted to meet with us away from her sister so we set up an appointment for tomorrow. YAY!!!  This should be a good week! Tatiana!!!!

Well, I love you all and I hope everything with John’s work goes well!

Love,
Cectpa Pearce

September 3, 2012

Hello family!!

I can't believe that school has already started!! Time is flying. I feel like it has been 2 days since I was writing you.

The Peterson’s were in Moscow for a young single adult conference and they were able to see Tonya. She is the one Sister Upshaw and I was teaching when I first got to Tolyatti. She wrote me when she got back to Moscow and I wrote her back but she hadn't received it yet because she gave letter to the Peterson’s to give to me and she said she thought I had forgot about her. :( Any who, in her note she said she was getting baptized on the 1st of September!!!! I wanted to write her before her baptism but I got her letter on Tuesday so I will write her back today. BUT, I got a call on Friday from a number I didn't know and it was her! She said she got my letter that morning the day before her baptism. I was so grateful that I was able to talk to her. She said she felt so ready to be baptized and was excited for her baptism. I can't wait to hear about it!

Other than that this week was pretty normal in that we did the same thing but people were just popping out of everywhere for us to teach. One lady on the street said, "You called me LAST summer to meet and we never did here’s my number, stop by tomorrow" or we did some addresses and ended up finding 3 people that were taught a year ago. One of them had a baptismal date. We aren't entirely sure what happened but he thought we had forgotten about him. We stopped by another lady and she wasn't home so we left a note thinking nothing would come of it but she called us the next day. She also had a baptismal date. I don't know what will happen but I am excited to feel the spirit guide us while we seek revelation to help them.

The weather has turned a little chilly. They said usually it is warm through September and then gets cold in October but it is a little early this year. I had to dig my tights out of my suitcase and my jacket. Everyone says right now you can only by fall clothes but if winter comes early I hope they start selling coats early as well...I guess we will figure it out.

Also, Sister Scoville is the best. We have only been companions for almost 2 weeks but already I feel like we have been friends for a long time. We work really well together and we have fun while we do it. We cook a lot, comp study is the best...I don't know I just really like working with her. Yesterday while I was in church I looked around at all the members and I just realized I love it here in Tolyatti. I want to serve here for a while if I can.

So did you get my pictures I sent home? I will send some more soon probably. Also, zone conference is tomorrow and we will be picked up at 6:30 in the morning to get to samara. So tomorrow will be an early morning, but it should be good. For the past couple weeks we have been given 3 talks to prepare a 4minute talk on becoming a disciple of Christ. It has been fun to study for and I feel like I have learned a lot. The area president has taken over zone conference so we don't really know what to expect but it should be great none the less.

Well, I am about out of time. I love you all!!

Love,

Cectpa Pearce