4 Weeks left!

Family!

Thanks everyone for your letters this week! It is so good to hear from you all and Cami, Josh, Francisca I love the pictures/notes of the neices and nephews! So sweet! I miss seeing little kids so much. Occasionally there'll be one or two at the MTC and I just go crazy. I'm weird I know.

Um, I have 14 minutes so I'll write as much as I can. Sorry I can't write everyone more persoanlly when you are so good at writing me, but I am trying my best! Not too much time, which is how it is meant to be.

This week we got a real investigator! His name is Tony and he lives in Nova Scotia. Every Monday our District goes to the RC which is where we get all the phone calls/online chats/ and video or Book of Mormon requests by phone. My companion contacted tony I think via phone call and since last Monday, we've taught the first and part of the second lesson. He is a lost soul but really wants to do God's will. We actually just got off the phone from talking to him and His brother had a stroke and died yesterday. Really sad. Kind of perfect though because we just planned on teaching him about the plan of salvation - second lesson. So we cheered him up a bit before he left to Halifax for his brother's funeral. We testified a lot about God's love and how we can return to live with Him and our families after this life. Really sweet Spirit and my companions do a great job of teaching by the Spirit. Although all of this is just over the phone, I feel like I caught a little glimpse of what it feels like to be in the field and teaching real people. So awesome.

I have four weeks to go before I leave for - Russia! I still can't get over the fact I'm going there. We got two new native Russian sisters last night, one of which is going to my mission. It is so cool to see them because most of them have never been to the USA before, most aren't endowed, and most haven't even received their Patriarchal Blessing yet. I am just so inspired and impressed by their dedication to the Church in a place where there are so few members and the culture is so full of tradition. It gives me hope though that there are more people just like them in Russia waiting to be taught. Most if not all members in Russia are converts because the Gospel has only been there since the breaking up of the Soviet Union, which I'm sure you all know. It just amazes me though how people all over the world are accepting the true message despite whatever circumstances they live in. I feel so blessed and so lucky - it just seems unfair. I can't wait to get to know these sweet sisters better : )

Russian is coming along. We do an hour everyday of SYL (Speak your Language) which isn't that much but I feel like it helps me a lot. The past week I've learned al ot more vocabulary and familiraity with the language I feel like because we've had to teach in Russian a couple times now. When we teach we have to try and formulate our own sentances and thoughts coherently in Russian, so that has improved my speaking a lot. I still have so much to learn! Kind of overwhelming. But really, I feel ok and I know it'll come... eventually : ) I actually don't worry about the language too much though. Not as much as I thougt I would at least. It think it's because I know it'll be really har the whole time, so I've tried to come to terms with that.

Wow, 60 poeple at Colin's baptizm!! I've never heard of such a thing! So awesome. I am so glad you are having missionary experiences back home with Victoria, Colin, and even Todd Horton. I feel like we're all working together, isn't that cool? I'm glad my family loves missionary work too. Well, love you all so much! Talk to you in 7 days!

Bird
Sister Hakes : )