August 5, 2013

Dear Family:

So this has been I feel like the fastest week of my life. There is nothing really exciting that happened to make it fast, it just was. We said good bye to President and Sister Sartori. They called every companionship and said good bye and then they left and President Schwab came. The Schwab’s are so great! We met them on Friday and they were a little jet lagged but I am excited to work with them for the last couple months of my mission.  We had an exchange with the Sisters in Samara this week but it was pretty norm. We did find a guy named Roman. We drew a picture of dispensations and prophets and just like Illia he rode by on his bike and then came back to talk to us. He actually already has a Book of Mormon, and knows quite a bit about our church but all of that is only research really. He is a self proclaimed atheist. There is some power but he doesn’t' really know who or what it its and doesn't want to know because there is no evidence of him. Anyway, I don't think things will go too far with him but it was an interesting lesson. 

Sasha didn't come to his lesson on Wednesday. He text us at 3:00, when it was supposed to be, and said he wanted to meet, only later at 6:00. So we said ok and came back at 6:00. Then he didn't show up and didn't answer the phone. Grrrrrr. Anyway, we'll call him at the end of the week and see how everything is going. I don't really know what his deal is.

We found some other investigators but they don't understand a whole ton. They have been raised Muslim but say they are Christian. I don't think they really know what that means...

This week has been rainy and cloudy every day. And extremely humid. I am getting a little tired of being damp every day but...what can you do. It is starting to get dark around 8:00-8:30. I feel like most of my mission has been served in the dark. I know that isn't true but...all the same what happened to summer?!

I do feel like the Lord is teaching me something though. Coming to Samara and traveling all over the place I think I began getting a little stretched thin and began relying on myself and other tangible factors. So now we don't really have any investigators or anything going on in our area. While I know that sounds depressing it's ok, I know I have the opportunity to really draw closer to God and participate in his work out of a sincere desire to serve him rather than any outward indicators of success. I am sure as we work diligently and strive to become more like him we will see his hand and blessings will begin to come.

Thanks for sending me pictures of everybody! They all look so great! And well groomed...that might take some adjusting to. Until next week!

Cectpa Pearce