August 22nd

Hi Family!

Oh my goodness! It is already cold here! I kept trying to deny it and think "it's not really that cold, it's not really that cold..." but it didn't work. I left our apartment Friday morning with a light jacket, then when we came home midday, I had to put on a thicker layer of tights, a hat, and a scarf! The rain was coming down half frozen and icy-ish. Can you believe it?? It's only August! I think it was just a week ago I was writing about the extreme heat. All sorts of memories came back from winter, memories of being cold. I had somehow forgotten what it felt like, and convinced myself into thinking that it really wasn't that bad. Ok, now I'm complaining... sorry. I just wouldn't believe how fast the weather changed if I hadn't experienced it myself. I hear it should get a bit warmer before it really turns to Autumn/Winter. I hope so!

Yesterday, Lena came to Church! It really was the highlight of my week. Hands down. We were able to meet with her twice last week, and instead of choosing to go home for the weekend, she came to Church! It was a perfect meeting for her in every way. The talks in Sacrament Meeting were solid doctrine. The first on the Restoration and Joseph Smith, the second talk was on a talk by Sister Beck to the women, and how we shouldn't resist self-correction and repentance. It was like word for word what we have been trying to get her to understand. Then, the biggest miracle of all, was that the Sunday School class. Sometimes I worry about what the members will say in Sunday School, but it was by far the most spiritual lesson that I have been to here in Russia. We're studying the Old Testament, and the lesson was on Job, and how he was tried and still proved faithful. Last week, Lena had all sorts of questions about how, if God really loved us, why would he try His children? We gave her doctrine after doctrine, and tried to teach her, but she seemed to have difficulty accepting the idea that God would permit Satan to exist and torment us. In Church, one of the members asked the exact same question she had been asking us, and the members all discussed it together. It was beautiful for her to see that even the members don't have all the answers to everything, and that they don't just blindly follow what people tell them. She could tell that they too were very inquisitive, yet full of faith, and that they concluded that God just knows better than us, and they were willing to accept that answer. It was a beautiful lesson, and it really hit home to me how important it is for her to come to Church. Unfortunately, next Sunday is the Temple dedication, but I know she felt the Spirit very strongly, and had many questions answered. I feel so strongly the love our Savior has for her. After the lesson on Job, we sang I Know that My Redeemer Lives, and she and I both were very touched. When we were singing the song, I felt the love of my Savior for her, and instead of thinking of myself as I sang the words of the song, I was thinking of Lena and how He died for her too. The song is just as much aplicable to her life as it is to mine. I know the Lord wants this girl to be baptized. He keeps giving her small miracle after small miracle so she can continue on and finally make the plunge -- literally : )

Well, that is very interesting news about selling our home. Being 100% honest, I actually thought this was going to happen while I was on my mission, and that thought became more and more clear to me within these past two weeks. I'm not sure why, but I just had the thought occur to me a couple times that I might be coming home to a different house. I was talking to Sister Allcott a couple of weeks ago about how she and President Allcott decided to go on their first mission, and she said that she felt like there was always something getting in their way from finally being able to leave, whether it be health, finances, family issues, etc. She said that before you leave as a Senior Couple (and maybe this applies to Colin too), you almost have to prove to the Lord how determined you are to serve Him. That was at least their experience, and I heard another Senior Couple here in Ekat agree. I don't know if I am way off in relating that to you, Mom and Dad, but I have heard you talk in the past about having a desire to go on a mission after Dad retires. So, if selling the house will help Dad retire, and would free you both up (to serve a mission or not) I think it would be great : ) I am happy for you Dad! I hope everything works out for you at work as it should. You are such a great provider, you deserve some peace and debt-free-ness : ) Just like Job, right? The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, but either way, He knows what is best.

We also had a less-active show-up to Church. She hasn't come in about three or four years. She is a very nice, smart, successful woman, but to be honest, when we have met with her in the past, I've always left her home feeling kind of faithless. She just doesn't seem to have a testimony now, and I am not so sure she ever did before she got baptized. Shame on me for being faithless though, because she came to Church of her own accord. I don't want to take any credit for her coming, but I have noticed that if you show people that you care, they are more likely to come. We've had three or four less-actives come back to Church, and we haven't really even taught them as much as we have served them. That seems more effective in some ways. Don't get me wrong, we need to teach too, but sometimes the less-actives already know what they should be doing, but they just need someone to show that they care about them, and then it makes the needed changes less difficult.

This next week should be interesting. The Church is putting out some new methods to help missionaries be better teachers with Preach My Gospel. There will be some changes made to the work, most of which don't effect me that much, but Zone Conferences now will only be quarterly, which is kind of sad. The other change, is that every other month, there will be a leadership meeting for all of the Zone Leaders, District Leaders, Assistants, and Trainers. The first such meeting will be tomorrow, and will last four whole days at the Mission President's home. It turns out, that I am the only Sister training anybody at the moment, which means I will be the only sister at the meeting! All the other leadership positions are obviously held by the Elders. I am kind of weirded out by that. Just me and a bunch of the Elders. I think they might arrange for another sister to be with me... Anyways, I am actually really looking forward to Training tomorrow. I think it will be good receive some instruction as to how I can be a better teacher.

Oh, and Mom, to answer your question, we are the only missionaries in our Branch right now. We don't have Elders in our area, but I see them weekly usually at our District Meeting. We're the only companionship of sisters without elders in our Branch. We also have our own English Club too, so Sister Schill and I are pretty much on our own in Botanika. It's nice in some ways, I don't mind it. I am in the Ekat Zone, which has six companionships (our biggest zone - our mission doesn't have a lot of missionaries, only 50 max) and two senior couples. I don't see anyone of them very often becasue they all meet in the same building for Church on Sunday, but we're at a different place for Church. Anyways, I hope that answers your questions! Thanks for your last long, lovely letter. It was so good to hear how your Seminary class and everything is going. Thanks for always relating my mission to motherhood, it helps keep me motivated. And yes, Cassi, I loved your letter too about the surprises of being a Mom, and yes I have shared those surprises as a missionary. Love you both! Thanks so so much for all you do for me : )

I love you all so much! Thanks for your emails and I hope all is well with the newest Hakes member, Emily! Have fun at the Hakes-sibling Reunion! Much loves!

Sister Hakes

P.S. I'll need to think about your question Bear... I'm not sure what I miss exactly. Don't do anything to extreme Bear! You're so sweet.

Mom and Meesa, I would like having more foundation/make-up. They don't sell the same kind of foundation here, and it's a pain trying to find something that works here instead. Also, if you did want to send something for the winter, a hat or scarf that is all natural, meaning real wool or something like wool that's not sythetic, works in the extreme temps. If it's not real, it kind of freezes along with everything else and it's useless.

Give Megan Zant a BIG thank-you for her package she and Michael sent me for my Bday. Tell her I plan to paint my toenails soon! It was so sweet and so thoughtful of her : ) I loved it.