November 5, 2012

Seriously where did October go?? Time is going so fast! The pictures you sent were fun! It looks like you had a good fall! Fall in Russia is beautiful. I saw snow yesterday for the first time. Right before church started there were big flakes falling. Usually it hangs around 4 degrees Celsius right now. I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit. Good news! Our washer is fixed! We don't have to wash our clothes by hand anymore. This week seems crazy long but I also feel like I was just here. This week we were able to meet with a lot of our investigators that we haven't been able to meet with for a while. A lot of them are progressing well right now so hopefully something will happen with them. Also, this is week 6 of the transfer so next week I will know where I am going to be. At the start of this cycle I wanted to leave but now I want to stay here for a couple more cycles. I feel like a lot of cool things are about to happen here. Sigh. We’ll see.

Yesterday we met with Vladimir. He investigated the church a year ago and really likes the Book of Mormon. He still reads it and prays every day and says he knows it's true. I asked him "If you know these things are true what do you need to do?” he said baptism and then he asked "what do I need to do to be baptized?" so I explained the commandments briefly and then explained that he would need to quit smoking. He said I will quit smoking in December and then get baptized in January. We’ll see what happens but it was a cool experience. He has a lot of things to work through so hopefully he will have enough faith to make it happen. Also, this week was sister's interviews. So we met with the elders and then worked with them a little. They always build my faith that the priesthood is god's power on earth. Mostly because these wonderful goobery Elders exercise their priesthood well and are still 19 year old boys. It is cool to watch them seek to do god's will.

This week we will have culture night and we will be going to this Siberian dance group. I am so excited! It should be a lot of fun. Also, while we were on the street this week we found a lady named Nina. She is around 75 and used to teach English and worked as a translator in America for a while. She is way cool. We met with her and she said that she doesn't want to change her religious beliefs but she wants to know what we believe. She has a friend that met with missionaries a long time ago and she wants to talk to us as well. Who knows what'll happen!

For the past little while I have been trying to become a better teacher in Russian. It’s hard! Anyway, I have really been studying the doctrines of the lessons so that I can explain them clearly in English and then learn how to say it in Russian. It has helped me really focus during all 3 hours of study. Anyway, wish me luck!

I love you all! I hope everything with moving goes well this week. Good luck dad! If I can learn Russian you can learn a new way to do things :)

Love, 

Cectpa Pearce