December 16th 2013

It's been another good week although we were in Saratov (Yay, Saratov!!!) for an exchange so we weren't able to be in our area. Exchanges are always a great opportunity for us to learn from our great examples & friends--Sister Clyde and Hancock, and to get boosted up for this new cycle. We set a lot of good, specific cycle goals to give us vision, motivation and direction to work towards.
There are many obstacles that I have confronted recently especially. It's funny. It makes me laugh because I see how desperate Satan is getting. And he doesn't realize that every temptation he puts in front of me only gives me the chance to overcome it and become even stronger. That's not going without saying that I haven't struggled. At one point yesterday I was about to call President because I felt that stuck. And it feels like no matter what I do I keep hitting emotional walls of just not knowing if I can do it any longer, not knowing if I have the strength to keep going, to go out the door once more. But as I held the phone I said a little prayer and heard a comforting voice say, yes, you can. All I needed to do is take that step forward, to open my mouth and everything would be okay. In fact everything is fantastic. That night we knocked on the door of the most precious, prepared soul and taught him the Restoration. And that's the best joy there is. Honestly, it's my substitute for a temple experience, that's how sacred. I am so blessed. We have been so blessed. Three nights this week we have been let in while knocking. (maybe because of the cold?? :) ) It's an almost Christmas miracle! :)

Christmas is coming! I will be able to skype at 9.30 pm your time on Christmas eve. I hope that's convenient for you! I would earlier but my comps family is in Texas and they are two hours later than you... so looks like we're going second. Who will all be there? everyone. You can also invite the grandparents if they want to.

Winter in Russia is like a storybook fairy tale! Parents and grandparents in fur coats and hats pulling puffy children on old school wood and metal sleds, children having snowball fights and making snow men, icicles, hot cocoa and tea... it's just amazing! :)

That's all for today since I'm sending pictures!! :)

I just want to say that I love my Savior. We received the December Liahona this week and I took time to admire the painting on the cover. The innocent baby Jesus with His beautiful mother Mary gazing down at His tiny hand with such soft, preciously pure baby skin. I wonder if she knows that one day those that hand would heal the sick and wounded, would calm seas and eventually be pierced through with a nail, holding her Son to the cross. I never really understood why people's first reaction when they meet the Savior is to fall at his feet and bathe His feet with tears. Wouldn't you just want to hug Him, to look into His eyes and to talk with Him? But now I understand and just the thought of Him, of His sacrifice, seizes my whole self and makes me want to weep. And I wept as I read the article by Elder Porter. It was so beautiful. I invite you all to read it. Also, the talk by Elder Holland is basically what he spoke to us about when I was at the MTC. Exciting stuff! :)

Love you all soooooooooo much! more than hot cocoa with marshmallows.... and that's a lot... ;)

Sister Johnson


I usually wait until Sunday evening to type my weekly letter so that I can have the benefit of the full week before I write. I am currently in Ulyanovsk and have been here for two days. Before I left, I printed out numerous examples of your miracles which I wanted to share and unfortunately, they are still sitting safely on my desk in Samara! So, please know that there were amazing miracles, as always, which occurred in our mission, but I will be unable to include them in this letter. That may make next week's letter a little longer, but that will be great! We need to all be so grateful for the wonderful miracles that the Lord has blessed us with and will continue to bless our mission with as we are worthy of them.

Several of you have asked about calls to parents on Christmas day. As you know, the Handbook says that such calls should be kept to 30-40 minutes. As a mission, our calls this year will be 40 minutes long. Please show your obedience with exactness to the Handbook by strictly keeping that rule.

For those of you who have parents in the U.S., there is an 11 hour time difference (Mountain Standard Time). Therefore, if you want to talk to them on their Christmas morning, you will need to call on our Christmas evening. If you want to talk to them on their Christmas evening, you will need to call on our morning of December 26th. For those of you with parents in other countries, you will need to call when it is most convenient for you and for them. However, many of you will be involved in the Saratov Christmas Zone Conference on the 26th, so plan accordingly. Most of you will be making calls from members' homes, so please be sensitive and respectful of their time and needs. We are not authorized to make calls outside of the regular "awake hours" set forth in Preach my Gospel.

I would suggest that you let your families know in either this week's or next week's email when you will be calling so that they are expecting your call and don't waste time gathering family members after you have called. If parents are divorced, please call me about how we would suggest your time be divided. If you have a sibling on a mission in another part of the world and you desire to call him or her, please call me so that we can discuss the rules applicable to that. Make this a great event that is not a distraction to the work, but rather a blessing and an uplifting event for both you and your family. They have sacrificed much to have you on your mission, so let them know how much you appreciate them. Let them know about your love for them and the Savior, and the great privilege it is to be doing His work.

We will be having our Christmas zone conferences on December 24th (Toliatti and Samara) and 26th (Saratov). These will be sacred and special events, and we are looking forward to seeing all of you at those conferences. Please come to those conferences with a prayerful heart and an open mind so that the Lord will bless you and all of us with a wonderful experience.

Last week, I spoke briefly about the Lord's clear direction that we need to work harder as a mission. Thank you so much for the great support and commitment that so many of you have expressed about that in this week's letters. We will talk about this in more detail in our zone conferences, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences about this important principle. Please be prayerfully considering what we can each do to consistently work harder. I know that great blessings await us as we do so.

Allow me to share a profound observation from one of you this past week:

"I've been thinking a lot in the last couple of days about Faith and Love and Obedience and Work. It seems to me like the first two prepare us for the last two. It's not a coincidence that they are in that order. Our ultimate sacrifice is obedience and work. We have to literally put 100% of all we have in--that's true work and true obedience. So FLOW seems like it prepares us to make 'as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.' It finally clicked for me, and I understand it. Then I was thinking about how you said that if every missionary did the things on the last page of PMG, it would be a sacrifice sufficient for the Lord. I read through those--and recommitted to do my best in the new area, new branch, and with my companion to do every one of those 22 items."

We will talk much more about the principle of consecration in the zone conferences, but I end with this statement by Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

"'It was all made possible by the Savior's splendid submissiveness. He did voluntarily what He was not forced to do . . . 'Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.' (Mosiah 15:7). Jesus was totally, perfectly, and fully consecrated. Being 'swallowed up' means being totally enveloped--without question, protest, reservation, or resentment. It is 'all the way,' not halfway. Choosing such spiritual submission is the highest act of deliberate, individual will . . . furthermore, when we are 'swallowed up' in His will we will also know what it is like to be 'swallowed up in the joy of Christ' (Alma 31:38)."

Sisters and Elders, may we each become fully consecrated missionaries, working hard and allowing our will to be "swallowed up in the will of the Father." What amazing blessings, including being "swallowed up in the joy of Christ," await us as we do so! You are all wonderful servants of the Lord, and you will be blessed as you exercise faith in Christ, love, obey with exactness, and work with unwearyingness.

We love you all and pray for you.
President and Sister Schwab