Week 5

Hi Family!

Wow, it is so good to hear from all of you! It is so nice to read your letters because they are always so uplifting and positive. I always want to work harder and better after reading them. I really need and appreciate that every week!

I'm going to try and write as much as I can, but I'm a little short on time. I tried to attach some pictures home, but the computer is hard being difficult, so I lost a lot of time. Maybe by the end of this letter the pictures will work and you'll get to see some of my life here.

I can't believe another week has come and gone! Wow... I have been in Russia for over a month, which is just crazy. I would probably still think it was October or something if I wasn't using a planner all the time and I have to look at the dates. And you're having Christmas all together this year -- ahh! How fun! I truly will miss not being there! But, it always gives me comfort to know that we'll repeat it again in two years. So, patience : ) Oh, and I get to call you! The White Handbook says that it prefers we talk 30 or 40 minutes... not saying I HAVE to talk only that long, but just letting you know in advance that I won't have a ton of time... I'll try and let you know when I can for sure call, but I'll have to wait until next Mon., when I know where I will be exactly for Christmas.

Ok, to start off, we got two new Baptizmal Dates this week! Haha, woohoo! We fasted last Sunday to get 3 baptizmal dates this week, one with Vera, Yulia, and Sasha (he's Chinese and Sasha isn't his real Chinese name). After we fasted, Yulia called us, we hadn't heard from her in a while because one of her close friends passed away. Anyways, when we called her after our fast, she said that she had had a dream where we were talking to her about baprtizm, something we hadn't even brought up before. So, we told her that we'd love to come teach her about baprtizm further. We went by her house I think Wed. (?) of this week and she committed to baptizm after a very spiritual lesson. She also came to Church on Sunday, which was good, but the lessons were on the Law of Chastity and Baptizm for the Dead. Not neccessarily ideal becasue she had a lot of questions afterward, but I know that those principles are true, and that there is no need to apologize for them, and that they will bless her life. We told her to pray about them, and she agreed to. She is very inquisitive, but that is good in a lot of ways becasue I really know she is studying the Gospel thoroughly. We do need to help her feel it in her heart first, and to have the Spirit speak to her strongly.

We also got a Baptizmal date with our Chinese investigator named "Sasha". He has a hard time understanding us becasue of the language barrier, he speaks less Russian than I do and with a very thick Chinese accent, so that I can't understand really. But it is amazing how the Spirit breaks those barriers. And, becasue neither of us can speak that well, I don't feel uncomfortable trying to teach him, like he's correcting my grammar or something. So it's refreshing to teach someone at my skill level, kind of like the MTC haha! That really has been a testament to me, that I can bring the Spirit without necessarily speaking properly, even though I'd prefer to speak properly : ) We did ask him to give a heartfelt prayer in Russian, which he did, and I actually understood. I had one of the best feeling of my whole mission while he was praying, becasue I felt true joy, really. He has such great desires and I felt how pleased the Lord must be with him. Anyways, he also accepted a baptizmal date for January. We ordered Chinese materials from Moscow, and they should be coming soon so he can learn about the Gospel in his native tongue. He is actually from Chongching -- Jingjing's city! I have his email: wulongji@126.com if anyone wnats to pass that onto Jingjing... why not?

And Vera, her daughter is a strong member in one of the branches here (there's two in case I haven't told you), and she has listened to the missionaries for some time. She works for a Mormon-run business out of Provo, and really thinks fondly of the Church. When we went to meet with her, we had the intention of extending the Baptizmal commitment, but my companion and I both felt it wasn't right. We ended up talking about our families. How Sister Zaxarova's family joined the Church, and how Mom joined and later most of the McCuistion side. For some reason, that morning for Russian study, I practiced sharing personal experiences, and I even practiced talking about how Mom joined the Church. And then that very day, my practice came in handy! So many little things like that all the time, really. Little tender mercies.

To answer some more questions you all have asked:
Yes, I have 30 minutes in the morning to exercise, but as hard as I try, and don't feel like I get the equivalent to a good half hour of running. The first 5-7 minutes I'm barely awake, so I try stretching a little. Then, I do a lot of jumping jacks, etc. I've been really grateful for Denise Austin and Gilad and all the mornings I watched their work-out videos haha. I do those moves all the time! Remeber the Cha cha, and the basketball shuffle from Denise Austin? Yep... almost every morning : ) Oh, and when I say the food is rich here, I thought I should elaborate to give you a better idea. So all the dairy items here are sold according to the % of fat in them, like 1%, 2% milk etc. Except here, the smallest % of fat for milk I can find is 2.5% A lot of people here drink 6% and the Elders love it haha. I haven't tried it yet. I think I'll stick to my 2.5%. Oh, and one of my Zone Leaders from Idaho says he has 12% yogurt every day for breakfast. Haha! 12%! I thought that was funny. I should try that sometime, but the 0.3% I eat is really good actually! But besides the food being rich, it is usually pretty natural too. Instead of salad dressing etc., people use stuff like horseradish. Horseradish is everywhere. Who would've thought? I like that I have options here, so I feel like I can eat as healthy as I want to.

Oh yeah, I gave a talk in Sacrament Mtg. yesterday! My first Russian talk and they wanted it to be for 10 minutes. That didn't quite happen, but I tried. My topic was the Sacrament, and I wrote it in English first, then with my companions help translated it to Russian. So, I just read most of it, but I got choked-up... as usual. No tears though, which is an improvement! I have a hard time talking about my Savior, even thinking about him without getting chocked-up. I just feel His love so much. I just came across D&C 138 in my study this week, and I'd encourage you all to read it, esp. the last half. It talks all about the importance of bringing the Gospel to all people of the Earth, dead or alive. I love how the Lord loves every soul, enough that he has even provided a way for them to be saved after this life. So amazing! I really like what Dad said in his last letter. The Church is either true or it is a fraud, but when you look at the fruits of it, and how they are so good, you have to recognize it is not a fraud, but it is the greatest work under the heavens. Ok, enough of my preaching : )

The HB party sounds like a blast! Francisca, good luck with surgery! Everyone should in Cruces by now I think, so I hope you are all enjoying your time together. Relax : )

I love you all.

Oh and Mom I got your packages!!! YAY!! I was so happy! We decorated our apartment with the stuff you sent, and I have a picture I wanted to send you... if only I could get that to work. Anyways, thanks a million, really. You are the best. And you're sending another one? Wow! So nice. Cami, and Cassi, thank you too for sending me packages! I haven't yet received them, but your thought is so nice and appreciated.