I'll
always remember when Squire was driving me down to Utah and he asked me
if I was excited. He could probably tell you better what I said but I
think it was something like yeah, I suppose so, I mean, it should just
be like anything else I've ever done... And he just laughed, knowingly.
I had no idea what a mission included, or what it meant to be a
missionary, honestly, I didn't even think about it. I just knew I had to
go on a mission, so I did. Therefore, in a way, I was right. All a
mission is is being obedient and working hard. It's being willing to go
and do as directed by the Lord. And that's all I've really ever tried to
do. But I was still dead wrong in that I didn't anticipate anything
I've experienced.
Well that's my thoughts on that. This week was really cool. We had
zone training in Saratov. The President and assisstants did a special
zone training as a follow up/boost from conference with President
Bennett (which I think I forgot to mention is our area seventy). So we
traveled by van again through the countryside passing through the towns
Marks and Angles (I'm not even making that up) through fields of
endless sunflower fields which were all dead sadly... but they were
still beautiful! Our town, Balakova, is also near a giant nuclar plant
and every monday or tuesday there is a loud alarm that goes off throughout the town. Thankfully, Sister Sigman warned me about that.
We were almost late for our bus since we had a meeting right before we were to leave on thursday
with a woman we are teaching named Nelya. Sister Sigman and her
previous comp here found her while dropping by potentials. Missionaries
had given her husband the "Finding Faith in Christ" video a couple years
ago. She had watched and said she cried. She's investigated several
different christian churches and she's very spiritually in tune. This
meeting on thursday
we didn't get much of a lesson though because of her husband. When we
came in the apartment building he was at the bottom of the stairs,
heaving up a HUGE bag of potatoes up to their apartment. Sister and I
grabbed the other one and despite his shouts of "no need! no need!" we
hauled up the stairs. Turns out service really does soften hearts.
Usually when we visit Nelya he's just around but hadn't expressed any
interest but now he loves us! He kept offering us melons, tea, coffee,
ice-cream and asking us questions about the Book of Mormon and why we
need to pick a church if they all are christian. He's got some good
concerns and he said he watched the Restoration film and liked it better
than the Finding Faith in Christ. haha So we didn't really get a lesson
in with her but we got him to open up so that was good.
Another cool experience this week was attending my branch
president's wedding!! :) He got married to Katya, a recent convert that
Sister Sigman and Sister Kiestler (my previous companion) taught. It was
held on saturday
at a government building about 5 minutes from our home. Sister and I
ran over there cause we were running late, but we got there just in time
to dry off before they drove up in their fully decked out russian
wedding style car. She wore this Barbie doll pink poofy dress and he was
in a shiny silver tux. We all lined up behind giant white doors with
them at the front and the small wedding party behind them. Apparently
the branch president is in a band so all their friends are these euro
punk rockers from the 90's. It was so funny to see them next to the
elders who are glowing and lookin all sharp with their suits and
hankies. Then the doors swing open to a blaring rendition of the classic
wedding march "BUUUM dum, da dum dum dum da dum dum da da dum!" played
by an old women in a big sweater & jeans on the violin and a middle
aged man on a electric piano. We walk slowly into a large marble room
with a glass ceiling, Russian crest and a velvet covered desk in the
middle with a piece of paper and two pens. The official said some words,
they were married and signed the papers to Elivis's "I Can't Help
Falling in Love With You" or however that song is called. Then we took
some pictures and that was it. Quite the experience... it was like a
dream, so cool... but let's just say I'm glad they're getting married in
the temple. :)
Well don't have any time left. I love you all so much!! and okay, sometimes I do miss you. I admit it. ;)
Sister Johnson
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