November 18th 2013

This week has been pretty darn crazy!!! But the good kind! Like I've said before, we have an amazing branch missionary leader and this week he stepped it up even more. We are in constant contact with him every day as he has correlates our work with members every evening as well as meetings with in/less active and active members. It also is very helpful that the members are willing to help. In Relief Society yesterday the branch president asked who would come out with us and we ended up filling our week as they all shouted out what days they were available. It was such a beautiful moment!--me scrambling to fill my planner full of member help. And as we have worked with them all of the promises President has given us have been fulfilled . Our branch mission leader expressed that he feels like there is more love in his home (he lives with his nonmember parents) and I personally have felt less fear and have seen an increase in the effectiveness of our work. One particularly exciting example: a family who has been inactive with no contact for over six years has recently experienced a trial that has softened their hearts.  A member had an impression to stop by their home. They now have a desire to come to church! Their son is not yet baptized. They seem like a really awesome family and I'm praying for them so hard! AH!!

This movement in our branch was inspired by this past District Conference in Saratov. President Schwab asked, pleaded for members to be out with the missionaries every evening from 6-9 to be our little body guards. As a sister we don't get touched but for the elders it's a bit of a different story. (Plus, Balakova's pretty safe, so please don't worry mom... man I miss Saratov) Um but this has really motivated the members, so whatever works! :) They're so cute telling us where not to walk in the dark and yelling at us to get out of the way of cars. 

So you see that Heavenly Father is in control, everything is in His hands. He knows what's going to happen in the government, how people are going to react and He uses even those things to further, expedite, His work. And this truly is an exciting time. Think about it. As my branch mission leader pointed out to us, the age of missionaries can't really go any lower. This is the last time the prophet can make a wave, a bubble of missionaries. What does that mean about missionary work right now? And specifically in my mission, we are also experiencing a wave of sorts, a hastening, a push. And even more specifically in the Saratov zone we are about to (finally) reach a stake. A stake! the third in Russia. President Bennett said that his best guess is that Russia will get a temple when there are four stakes. How close does that mean that we are to a temple? Within a few years I pray! I remember my first cycle and that's all I wanted, to help these people get to the temple. And now I get to do my part and it's closer that I ever dreamed! And it's not just significant for me but for everyone because once there's a temple here, it's just going to explode from there. Russia really is the next Brazil, a key in the fulfilling of times as Joseph Smith prophesied.

I know, I'm crazy. And I probably repeat myself a lot. But at least you know that I love being a part of this great work.

Sister Johnson

PS wow that's so cool that we have another ward!!! So would that be the 4th ward? lol weird!