May 20th 2013

What a beautiful, happy week it was!

I'm learning more and more that who you're with is what makes life rich, where you are is just the backdrop. This is what makes contacting one of the funnest, most thrilling experiences. We come in contact with such a variety of individuals and responses within steps of each other. For example, the other day we were walking saying hello to everyone and a woman all the sudden starts yelling at us, telling us to go back to America... we keep on going and like literally two steps later an elderly man who was clearly in his own world was not aware of what just happened to us greets us with a huge, golden smile, calling us dear girls and is all sunshine and happiness... told us we were beautiful (in a non creepy way), thanked us for being here and told us all about his pension like three times.

Actually, the male gender in general has been warming up to us recently. Sister Clyde must be putting the pharamones on in the morning cause we keep getting creepers. We must be a pretty easy target, two foreign sister missionaries who talk funny and don't understand a whole lot. We're not allowed to contact men but if they address us, then we can talk to them. It always goes alright at first but then when they start asking if you have a boyfriend... haha poor Sister Clyde's been getting the brunt of it this week.

Mom asked if I've been able to keep in contact with the teaching pool. The answer is yes and no. It's different here than in America (obviously), in that we honestly don't even know our investigator's last names, let alone where they live. We only know where one of our investigators live (Arina and Anya) because they invited us over. All of our other lessons are done at the branch building (the white/grey building I sent the picture of). We currently have quite a few people we are teaching but we can't usually see them more than once a week sadly. It's hard to keep them progressing when the process is so stalled. But everything's going great! The work has picked up and we've got lots of work to keep us plenty occupied. Some exciting news with investigators: Olga came to church! We hadn't seen her or talked to her in like a month so that was a surprise! And she showed me that she's all the way into 3rd Nephi! Sister Clyde and I aren't sure where to go from here though since her situation is still kinda sketchy.

Also, Vadeem is moving along. Before when we asked him to be baptized he agreed enthusiastically but he had no idea what the meaning behind it really was but now we had a lesson with President Klimov (our branch president) and he has a much better understanding.

Here are some more random things I've been jotting down about Russian culture:

-You know those track suits you see Russia wear at the Olympics... the white ones with the red swirlies and "Russia" on the front? yeah, I see 'em everywhere. Especially on people who were obviously not in the olympics.

-And you know those mystic wolf shirts you expect to find at a gas station in Wyoming that were starting to get popular with the hipsters? I see those here too oddly enough.

-Men wear purses. Okay man-purses.

-Or people in general will carry shopping bags to carry their things and will use the same bag over and over.

-Women wear tights a lot, especially black nylons which their wear under skirts, shorts, pants, whatever. AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN A RUN! Some form of black magic I presume.

-Old men play chess in the park. :) So cute.

-They really like accordian music.

 

That's it for this week. I'll leave you with a quote I love.

 

"Even if you use your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you. He loves you to a depth and completeness you cannot conceive of in your mortal state. Indeed, were you to know His entire plan, You would never ask for that which is contrary to it even though your feelings tempt you to do so. Sincere faith gives understanding and strength to accept the will of our Heavenly Father when it differs from our own. We can accept this will with peace and assurance, confident that His infinite wisdom surpasses our own ability to comprehend fully His plan as it unfolds a piece at a time.

 

с любовю,

сестра джонсон