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