January 28,2013

Sounds like you have had a pretty fun week! I don't even know what to say about this week. We have been working a lot with Tanya and she will be getting baptized on Saturday. There were no young women in our branch but there will be next week! For the past 2 weeks the Young Women’s president has taught a lesson for the 3rd hour and it has been really great. Tanya has a place in the branch and has started doing personal progress. Which I think is probably the coolest thing in the world. Anyway I will write more next week about her but it has been awesome to watch the power of the gospel change her. When I met her she was very quiet and shy. We would ask her questions and she would always turn to her mom to answer, but now she has her own opinions and never stops talking.

The Petersons will be going home and at the end of this week so that is kind of sad. I guess I have been in Tolyatti for a while...transfers will be at the end of this week so we will see what happens. Cectpa Polyanskaya wants to leave...it's been a rough cycle. Anywho, yesterday we had a lesson with Alessa and she has read a lot of the Book of Mormon. I had the prompting to read 2 Nephi 31 with her and then asked her a couple of questions about. I don't remember anymore but she came to the conclusion that baptism would be a necessary step. She has a tentative date set for March so we will see. She is an incredible mom; hopefully we can help her husband progress as well. Who knows?

What else...we have done quite a bit of tracting this week. And for the first time on my mission it was actually pretty effective. We have 3 return appointments for this week. Also, in other news it was really cold this week. Today we will be finding a skirt for Tanya to give to her at her baptism.

I hope you have a great Monday!

Love you lots!
Cectpa Pearce

ps. Pray for Tanya!

January 21, 2013

Still no callings, eh? It sounds like you have had a pretty cool week. "Valley of the Gods" sounded way cool. Tell Felicity happy birthday! I sent a card but who knows if they will get it. I just got 4 letters back that made it all the way to America and then apparently something was up with the address so they sent them back.  Except they were all correct...gotta love the mail. If you could get me your new address so I could use that as the return address then it wouldn't be as expensive to resend them. Once again, give me your new address!

Well, this week we were in Tolyatti all week and it was a pretty normal week. On Saturday an 8 year old girl got baptized and Tanya came with us to the baptism and had a really great experience. We met with her yesterday and she said she wanted to be baptized. I asked her, "after meeting with us and going to church could you go back to your life as it was?" and she thought for a minute and then said "probably not" it was way sweet. We weren't really sure how they were accepting the word of wisdom, but as soon as we walked in on Wednesday they said, “We bought herbal tea!" anyway she is doing so well. Other than that I don't really remember what happened this week... oh! We went tracting with the Elders. Sister Polyanskaya hates tracting but after tracting with them it was better. We still haven't had an opportunity to tract in our area but this week we should we'll see how things go.

As far as feeding the elders make whatever you want, they will eat it. But I would say they are probably well fed, so don't force them to eat. If you really want to help them, pray about who you know they could teach. Well, love you lots!

Cectpa Pearce

January 14, 2013

How has your week of being super grandma been? I am sure it was fun:)

It has been quite a week. Monday after we wrote you we went to a branch picnic in the forest. It was way fun. Tanya our investigator went with us and had a really great time. She is looking pretty good for baptism around the end of the month beginning of February. The Tonya who got baptized in Moscow was at the picnic as well so I was able to talk to her before she headed back to Moscow. Anyway it was a blast. And then we headed straight to the bus station to head to Samara for my visa trip on Tuesday. As soon as we got to Samara sister Polyanskaya discovered the reason her head had been itching for a couple days was because of lice... so I spent the night combing out her hair and spraying stuff on it. There were 8 sisters at the apartment in Samara so we didn't want anyone else to get it. Can you imagine, all of the sisters having lice? It would be a nightmare. And then I woke up at 3:30 in the morning for my visa trip on Tuesday. My group was pretty fun. Sister Upshaw was with me and then the Petersons and the Sartori's were with us as well. And then some Elder's that you don't know. But, we flew, we ate and got home and 1:00 in the morning. As fun as it is to talk to everyone I hate being tired for a week after it.

After visa trip we had lessons with our investigators and some members and less actives. We are beginning to teach together pretty well. Studying together is still rough but we'll figure it out.  This week we focused on teaching the doctrines of the gospel. Especially the restoration. As we have taught the restoration to members and less actives, especially, we are seeing them change and remember the testimony they received when they were baptized. It is sweet.

Yes, I hear from Chris usually once a month. Although, with Christmas / weird mail I haven't heard anything since November. Actually, maybe it was October? I don't remember. I will probably write him today.  But remember how I can't open emails from anyone but family? Ya, so if you don't send me them then...nope I don't get them. Will you forward them! Thanks. It’s interesting that he will be home in April. Everyone in our mission is being moved back a month. My original estimated day was September 2nd but now it is September 30. Which is sweet. That means I get a full 18 month mission!

Also, how often does the computer eat your emails? It seems to be an epidemic. Maybe you should get that checked out. Well, I think that is about it. This week we have culture night and will be going to a Russian Orthodox monk choir. It should be cool. AND we won't be going to samara!! Tolyatti all week! Well, love you lots! Talk to you next week!

Cectpa Pearce

January 7, 2013

Happy New Years!! and Merry Christmas!

It sounds like you had some good holidays! Last week we were able to work in our area Wednesday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday. We were in side Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday night went to Samara for Sisters conference on Thursday and Friday. Sisters conference was way cool. Mostly it was really great to see everyone. We have never had all of the sisters in one place. There have always been a couple of companionships in Saratov. There are 15 sisters right now and from now until July we will have 20 sisters. With the lowering of the age for missionaries there will be an estimated 40,000 more missionaries (I think I said that before...). Anywho, President said "maybe the 2nd coming is closer than I thought. God wouldn't call down 40,000 more missionaries for nothing!" I hadn't really thought of it that way before but we had 56 missionaries when I got here, and soon we will have 80.

That was pretty much our week...yesterday we met with Tanya and she accepted a baptismal date for January 26th. That was cool.  This week was a very strange week.

We have been in Samara every week for the past month and...Tonight we will be going back. I have a visa trip tomorrow to Latvia. It sounds cool when I write it; I just know how tired I will be after it. It should be cool though. I will be in the same group as President Sartori and the Peterson’s and the 2 elders I will be flying home with. The airport there is pretty. Maybe this time I will take some pictures. Who knows? Well, after tomorrow this week should be pretty normal. Sorry, there wasn't a lot to tell this week.

Well, I love you all!
Love,
Cectpa Pearce

December 31, 2012

It sounds like Colorado is treating you pretty well! Having clear air would be nice! I will answer your questions first so I don't forget. On Saturday of this week there was a New Years party but there was Santa or in Russian grandpa frost/freeze? (I’m not exactly sure how that would translate). And the snow princess so more like Christmas. People here have trees they don't put them up as early as we do, but they have them. There were people buying them today. Fun fact. In Russian Christmas trees are called "yolkee". Now people to say shoot or dang say, "bleen"or pancake. Before they would say "yolky polky" and it means Christmas branches. Russian is cool. Anyway the activity was fun. All the little kids dress up in costumes for New Years. So Merry/Happy Christmas/New Years/Halloween.  Maybe I will know more next week.

We will be in tonight and all of tomorrow. The fireworks should be cool though. I am looking forward to it. The baptism didn't end up happening because she was sick and had a fever. Maybe next week. Who knows. This week we had zone conference and it is always great to be around other missionaries. We were able to watch the Christmas devotional. This week is Sisters conference so we will be back in Samara for Wednesday to Friday. It should be pretty cool. But we haven't had much time to work last week and this week we won't either. Hopefully we can meet with most of our investigators.

She has been really hesitant to go anywhere with us without her mom. But her mom works a lot so it doesn't always work out. But today she came with us by herself for the first time. It was a miracle. And do you remember Tonya that we taught when I got here in July and then went to Moscow to get baptized? Well she was in town for New Years and she happened to get on the same bus we did just a couple of stops later so we were able to ride together and then I was able to talk with her at church. It was so cool!! She is doing so well. She is preparing for the temple next year and gave her first talk a couple weeks ago (I know all of that from her letter I got a couple weeks ago) but all the same it was so great to talk to her.

Well, I think that is about it. I loved talking to you and our house looks beautiful! Enjoy it!

Love,
Cectpa Pearce

December 24, 2012

The weather here got real cold this week. Yesterday it was -25 which is cold. But Tolyatti is always really windy. They said with wind chill that it was around -35 -40. My hood always has a ring of frost on it when we go in. welcome to Russia!!!  Things with the work are going well. I feel like we should be having some baptisms in the next month. I hope so anyway. I feel like ever since I got here something cool was about to happen and now it is more of a reality. It only took 6 months. We had a way awesome lesson with one of our investigators and a member yesterday. The testimony of a member on lessons is so powerful. She was able to testify about the gospel in a way that resonated with our investigator in a very real way.

Working with Cectpa Polyanskaya has been different. Good different. We speak in Russian mostly (her English is actually really good) already I feel like my Russian is getting better. I feel like both of us have a lot to learn from each other and it should be an interesting cycle. We didn't have the opportunity to buy food last week but we had basics for the most part. We ate blini (Russian pancakes) like 3 times this week I think. And then once at our investigators house, so 4. Ok 5, last night at a member’s house too. That is a lot of blini in one week. It’s alright I love it. I am sure I will gain some weight this cycle because Russians cook with a lot of oil and butter. I think she went through about 3/4 of a liter of oil this week. And 2-3 sticks of butter. It’s all good. In return I get to learn how to cook like a Russian:)

On Wednesday this week Sister Polyanskaya had a visa trip to Kazakhstan and so I spent the day with the Peterson’s. It was so weird not being on a regimented schedule. We just visited babushka it was way fun though. One of them gave us bread with butter. Or butter with a little bit of bread. Seriously. 1\2 an inch of butter on a slice of bread. It was a little bit much. Also this Thursday will be zone conference. So once again... going to Samara. 3 times in 2 weeks. Yippee!

I can't believe that today is Christmas Eve. People here are just starting to buy Christmas trees. Russian Christmas is January 7th (happy birthday Hayzlee!) they still have new years to get through. I guess it just doesn't feel much like Christmas. But that's ok:)

Dad! You know how we would go on Christmas Eve and by one last gift for everyone? Well this year you and mom should go buy and electric tea kettle. Every Russian has one and they are genius. It boils water real fast so for your oatmeal in the morning it would be perfect and any other time you boil water...anyway, if you don't get one now, I will buy one when I get home. For hot chocolate and tea they are genius too. Oh ya... drinking tea is a Russian thing. I didn't like herbal tea at first but now I love it. Cool! I am becoming Russian!

I haven't bought anything for Christmas. I did get myself a coat a couple weeks ago. I think I told you that though. As far as my room is concerned you can do whatever you want for now. I can help you when I get home if you want or you can unpack it. It is all the same to me. Well, I can't wait to talk to you! Tomorrow!!

Love you!
Cectpa Pearce