October 4th

Hi Family!

I'll write some highlights from this past week, and then send you some pictures. Fall here is so gorgeous and we had an opportunity to go for a walk in a prak with an investigator and I took some pictures.

I can't wait to watch Conference next Sunday! It sounds like you all really enjoyed it! It really is the best holiday for a Missionary. It is so rejuvinating. We should get it in English this week, and watch it this coming weekend.

Anyways, Lena progressed so much this past week! She already knows and has decided she will get baptized. However, she is still putting it off, and Sister Schill and I have been trying to find out her concern. Well, last week at District Meeting, we were role playing how to listen to the Spirit and find concerns, perfect, no? I was pretended to be Lena, while another pair of Sisters extended to me the Baptizmal Commitment. As I was pretending to be her, and was putting myself in her shoes, I got the impression that maybe she is just scared? And so we started acting off of that angle. I had never thought she had fear about getting baptized, but as we were role playing it just became obvious. So, our next lesson with her, we talked about Faith versus fear, and at the end of the lesson, she opened-up to us that she is scared, just like we had role-played. It was really cool that even in practice settings like at District Mtg., the Spirit was able to teach us what she was needing. Anyways, she said that she was, one, scared that if she got baptized that she would get disappointed in the Members and the Church functions. She has heard a lot of bad things about the Church from friends, etc., and, though she sees nothing bad now, she is afraid in the future she'll get disenchanted with everything. Fear number two, she doesn't want to go inactive. She takes the whole committment very seriously, and she doesn't want to end up another person on the Ward list that doesn't come to Church, which is actually, a really great concern! Both of them are. She knows the Church is true and she wants to make sure she won't back out on anything after she gets baptized. How sweet! It just made me love her all the more. We reassured her though, and a member at the lesson suggessted a blessing, so she can let go of her fears. She really liked the idea, and this week we are going to have Elder Glagolev give her a blessing of comfort. Who knows, she could get baptized i a week or two! Problem is, we find out about transfers on Friday, and she'll be out of town this weekend, so if I leave, I probably won't get to see her baptizm : ( That's okay though.... as long as it happens! Um, she also came to a baptizmal service on Saturday for another girl named Lena, and she cried and she felt the Spirit when the girl was given the Holy Ghost on Sunday. So, Lena made so much progress this week! She is a very smart girl and doesn't want to think she is just "convincing" herself this is all true. But, every time she felt the Spirit this past week, I think she began to realize that it is real and that she really isn't making those feelings-up.

What else, that kid Volodia and Olga. We met with Olga, and it was great, she's still not really progressing, but just interested in hanging-out with Americans I think. However, Volodia is reading the Book of Mormon! He couldn't meet with us last week, but Olga said he really enjoyed our first meeting. So, we are super excited about him and will do all we can to meet with him this coming week.

Our two older less-actives are still active -- Brat Arkaidi and Raisa. They are doing so well and I can see how grateful the ward is to have them back. I consider Brat Arkaidi my Russian grandpa. He really is the nicest, most adorable, and hilarious old man I've met here in Russia. He wants to buy me new shoes becasue I discovered just yeterday when we were with him that the soles of both of my shoes are completely torn in half. Haha I had no idea! I'm trying to hold on to them a couple of weeks longer until I can put my winter boots back on.

We had some really great lessons with some active members and gave us some really promising refferrals, so that is exciting. The members here are so humble. I've really learned a lot from them and their testimonies. They don't worry about the little things, like if they drink caffeine or not, but they just really know that basic doctrines and live their lives accordingly. They know it is true, and that's all that matters.

Well, a lot of you did have dreams about me last week! Haha that was so fun to hear about them. Meesa, I can't wait to cuddle you too! At the beginning of my mission, I dreamt about people and places from home a lot. Now, when you all are in my dreams, it is super weird because you're mixed in with Russian people and places, and it is just really funny sometimes. I'll have to write them down and tell you about them later.

I've noticed this past week, that the times I feel most joy from my mission are at night when I am writing in my Journal. It is really cool to look back at the day and see all the has been accomplished and all the miracles. Since I've been on my mission a year now, I have started reading in my Mission Journal from a year ago, and have been reading lately about my experiences in the MTC: all of my fears about what the mission will be, if I can handle it, if I'll do a good enough job, etc. It is really amazing to see how everything has worked out so well, and that the Lord had a plan all along for me. He really did want me to come out here, and I really needed to, even though I didn't really want to at times. So much has happened and I have learned so much, and I am excited to go back home and start life fresh again.

Mom, I am sure you are a great Seminary teacher. And, you and Dad would be so fun to have as Mission President and Mission President Wife : )

I want to know which Conference Takls you all enjoyed the most!

I love you all SOSOSOSOSOSO much!

Sister Hakes