Spiritual Evening

4 August 2005
"I know that it is weird that I am here and that I am writing here on the computer on a Sunday but I had to come here to the office to get a number for Dima from Saratov because tomorrow they are going to Kiev and they need to make sure that someone will be coming to meet up with them there and that they will get there in time. Well I had to give them the office number there in Kiev and so that meant that we had to come here because I am not a walking phone book. We decided that we would write in our journals here since it is a lot easier and I can write a lot faster. Well, anyhow, today turned out to be pretty good and we had a lot of success and we helped out a lot of people. We went to the church this morning and we had to open the doors again of course. Well, we got in and there was water all over the floor from the tub for baptisms and so I had to clean that up. After doing that, we started the meeting that went pretty good considering that President wasn’t there. Brock Anderson was here after just leaving a little more than a month ago. He served here in the office before me and he served as the Executive Secretary. He came back for a girl and let’s just say that it is sure interesting. Testimony meeting was interesting as there was a lady there who shared her testimony twice because no one else was getting up. It was good, but at the same time it was weird and I guess that is part of life here in Russia. So, after looking at some of the pictures that Вика Орлова brought for me to look at from her mission, we went and sang a bit from the new hymn books and it was a lot of fun. I will be singing on Thursday in a little choir and so that means that we needed to have a little practice afterwards and teach the Russians the new songs. What was supposed to be a quick practice turned into a long practice and it was sure crazy. We came here to the office with the APs and let’s just say that it was a big waste of times. I worked on getting an English lesson invitation typed up and then we finally decided to get out of here…

Well we were only leaving because we had to go to the Ehlerts to eat at a 6 o’clock dinner appointment. Well that was way cool. There is always a ton of food there and we always have a ton to eat. I love to be with them and they are such good people. Well after eating we had a cool spiritual little lesson with them. Daniel, the American investigator of the APs, was there and so we talked a lot about Joseph Smith and we had a way spiritual meeting with him. We basically shared our testimonies and it was way awesome. I shared an experience about when I had left on my mission and I got set apart as a missionary. I remember the spirit was so strong as I sat there and I felt the mantle of the Lord come upon me. I remember just crying and feeling the spirit so strongly at the time, and I will never forget that experience. I then shared the experience about how when I was in Izhevsk my first week and I completely felt the spirit and I just cried at the meeting there. What an awesome feeling that was and I know that the Lord was blessing me at those times. It was a very spiritual evening and so that was good. We all felt the spirit a ton, and it is one of those moments that I will certainly not forget. We came home and like I said I had to get that number for Dima and so we had to come here to the office. We were already late in getting home and since this is so much faster to write, we figured we would do it like that. Well now are going to go home and do who knows what – well actually I have a ton to do. All the same I love the spirit and to be here and to share the gospel. This is truly the gospel of Jesus Christ and I absolutely love it here. I love to feel the spirit! What a life!"

Russian - Balakovo Rumor

14 August 2005
"Я буду писать на русском сегодня потому что я хочу. Сегодня мы отдыхали много и мало работали - даже мы не работали короче. Мы были на собрании сегодня утром и это было хорошо видеть людей. Вячеслав там был и он будет проводить урок на следующей неделе - это отлично что он будет там и что у него обязнность теперь.

После собрания мы пошли к сестрам с асистиентами и кушали. Вообще было так вкусно! Они готовили нам щи (щей) и тогда плов! Также готовили нам очень вкусный салать и тогда торт. Было вообще отлично. Они такие хорошие. Будет грустно когда сестра Горлова уедет. Я надеюсь что будет еще такая отличная сестра здесь тогда. Короче они молодцы! Я их люблю! Мы были там очень долго (3 часа) а тогда мы приехали домой. На пути домой все сплетни начались. Кажется что Ст Андерсон с офиса, приедет за дочкой президента Колцова. Мы говорили много о членах в нашем приходе, и скажем что были многие проблемы здесь. Ну, мы добрались до дома и ложились и заспали. Ну мы проснулись и было почти восемь поэтому мы решили планировать потому что надо было поставить цели на шесть недель. Мы говорили много о Tom и мы думаем и имеем веру что он будет креститься. Нам надо сильно работать с ним и помогать ему понимать что есть одна истинная церковь. У нас будет хороршая неделя и занятая поэтому это хорошо. Также мы будем работать сильнее на этой неделе. Мы надеемся что все получится у нас.

Я хотел писать здесь о Балоково. Сегодня мы читали книжку и там было предложение написать один слух миссии. Есть такой слух что если ты будешь служить в Балково тогда у тебя будут проблемы. Именно там есть очень большой завод как Чернобль. Говорят что у людей всякий проблемы и что они не растут как обычно. Даже однажды у миссионера был опухоль маленький и он не знал. Он поехал туда и из-за радиации опухоль очень быстро вырос. Ему пришлось уехать домой но это спасло его жизнь потому что он узнал что у него был опухоль в горле. Слышал что там есть таблетки на всякий случай. Люди часто спрашивают меня служил ли я там потому что у меня мало волос и лысею. Ну, конечно это слух - на самом деле есть такой завод там - и может быть не совсем так, ну на самом деле этот завод занимает половину города и почти все, что видно когда ты приезжаешь в город. Вот одни слух нашей миссии."

Dead Missionaries

25 May 2005
"We have survived the first day in the office. I don't know how I am going to live. I hope that it gets better. I think it will, but today I did very little. We got oriented there in the office a bit before heading to lunch and a few other things. Well, we did got with the Ehlerts tonight to a lesson, and I translated a little bit for Sister Ehlert. Basically, we are going to die here. Well, not really, but it will be better to work tomorrow. Elder Anderson and Pritchett are both dead. They are funny guys, but it is crazy to see such missionaries. Well, for now I guess I will go, but things are different here."