HEY HEY HEY

This week was great!!! 

For the past couple of weeks we have had a lady come to church whose name is Lxxxx. I can't remember if I have already talked about her.. but she came to church before a long time ago but was never taught and now she is back again! We had a lesson with her and a member Vxxx. Vxxx told us that last week on Sunday she asked what she needed to do to be baptized:) so our lesson was awesome! Actually our lesson was not very good haha. Both Sister Greenwood and I felt like we couldn't speak Russian and it was a bit rough, but Vxxx helped us out ssssooo much so all was ok:) we talked about the restoration and a lot about the word of wisdom and prayer. It was about 2 hours of a lesson haha but it was awesome! We are meeting with her again tonight for family home evening, and then hoping to teach her again later in the week and...... do I dare say it?....... we are going to try and set up a baptismal date with her for May!!! it is so cool and I am so glad for the opportunity to teach her- I just hope we don't mess it up! right now it is like me and Sister Greenwood are the only things keeping her away from baptism hahahahahah just teasing. But it is really cool how I feel like the atonement of Christ is already working in her life as she has already decided to stop drinking and smoking and is coming to us and wanting to change. SERIOUSLY SO COOL!!! 

ok funny story:

This week we contacted a lady in an incredibly obnoxious watermelon dress. Don't get me wrong, she looked absolutely gorgeous, but the dress print was just huge slices of watermelon. And then her daughter had matching watermelon pants. We talked for a bit and she said that she had talked a little bit with missionaries before on the street, but wasn't really interested and left. Sister Greenwood and I walked away and we were talking about how cool it is that she has already met missionaries and how the work is just booming here! And then Sister Greenwood says in the most most most serious of ways, "I promise you, one day she is going to be a melon." hahaha! She meant to say member but she said melon and I absolutely lost it and thought it was so incredibly funny. haha maybe it is one of those 'you had to be there stories' but it was so incredibly funny:) man I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Later in the week we went to a shashleek store and we were leaving after having a good conversation with the owner and Sister Greenwood says, "I promise you one day he is going to be a shashleek." hahaha it's our new joke hahaha. SO FUNNY

another funny story:

We went and served Axxxxxx with the elders. He is literally building his own house from watching youtube videos. I feel like he and dad would get along pretty well and could make some awesome things haha.  We painted the gas line bright yellow (as is the fashion in Russia hahaha) and it was fun! Axxxxxxx was super worried about our hair so he made us tie pillow cases around our heads haha. But anyway we did service and then we went and bought these yummy little ice cream cones and we were all eating them except for Elder Tucker who got something else. WE all finished ours and then he decided that he wanted one and so they went back to buy one, but we could see a tramby coming so they decided to just go fast. So they came back from the produkti and Elder Tucker is saying something and putting away his change as Elder Gerritson starts eating his ice  cream and then Elder Tucker just stops and says," where's my ice cream?!" and then Elder G says "you didn't grab it?!" and so they drop everything and literally RUN back to the produkti haha. man I don't know why but seeing those huge Elders running for ice cream just struck my funny bone. We all made it in time for the tramby! haha maybe it is another one of those "just had to be there stories" hahaha

This week was awesome! I think I mentioned Lxxxxx in my last email, but we went and visited her and her family. They are SO CUTE. She has three little kids. one of them has a bowl cut and we call him coconut head and he is the absolute CUTEST. Her oldest son is 10 and stays home from school everyday as she works to provide for them. She also wants him to be baptized so we may be teaching him soon too! so awesome! 

We did some good contacting this week, served a member Lxxxxxxx by washing windows and cleaning drapes which was fun! 

we served Axxxxxx as I already mentioned

We went and gave a spirtitual thought to Rxxxxx but we were an hour late because they shut down all the trambys for a parade but then no one decided to tell the poor little mormon misisonaries haha. but we made it! 

I don't know if you will remember when I wrote about Kxxxxx and Exxxxxx and giving them spiritual thoughts when the elders would take them sacrament.. and how we sang and just talked with them and they were so cute and definitely an old married couple?? Well Exxxxxx passed away this past week. We went to his funeral on Saturday. It was a little hard... when we first got there, there were 4 people there for the service. Luckily, more members and people came to support Kxxxxxx but it was a little hard for me! I had the privilege of sitting next to Kxxxxxx during the service. I don't know if she remembers me, but I won't be able to forget her:) I don't really know what else to say about it.. the service was pretty:)

I am thankful for my family and for the knowledge that we have that there is life after death. I have a testimony that families can be together for ever.  

Well friends. I am skyping home in 2 weeks and I would be lying if I said I haven't really thought about it:) I am so excited to call:) 

this week was great and I wish I could just tell you every detail but it just isn't possible:) 

I love you all and I miss you all but I am so eternally grateful for this opportunity to serve here in Russia. I love it! 

I LOVE YOU ALL 

С большой любовью,сестра Price

HELLO

Yay team! hello! 

first off, 

how is everyone?    :)

THINGS ARE GREAT HERE. No but really, things are wonderful here in sunny Krasnodar!  Everything is green and blooming and the people are getting nicer! :) the tulips here are PHENOMENAL (goodness, how do you spell that?) and this was just a wonderful week! I also feel like I have a new hope that I am pretty sure didn't come just from me. I feel like there is a lot of work to do and a lot of opportunities that the Lord has blessed us with so I am so excited for this upcoming transfer! This transfer I will be staying here in Krasnodar with Sister Greenwood! Woo hoo! I am so excited for this transfer:) It will be awesome! Oddly enough, all of our district is staying here too for another transfer which is solid! Last transfer we had 29/33 companionship's change, and this transfer it is the exact opposite with only 3 (wait maybe 5?) companionship's who saw change. And I just remembered that our whole ZONE didn't see any changes. just crazy! so I don't really know what to expect next transfer, but I feel like it will be a little bit crazy haha. 

THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING. 

Monday night we went out contacting just around the branch before a meeting with our potential. WE were walking down the street and a lady turned us down and then we heard a ladies voice saying, "deyvooshki! eede cyda!" yeah just gibberish! hahah jk it means girls! come here! and there was a woman there one the first floor hanging outside of her window just waving and smiling! So we went over to her and started talking and she thought we were Jehovah's witnesses. BUT we kept talking and she is one of the nicest ladies ever! She invited us in for tea but we had a lesson, so we declined but said we would come back a different time. We went back to the branch and our potential stood us up... so we went back to their house! and there we had the first lesson with Galia and her son Andrei and his wife Anna. It was awesome! They are Jehovah's Witnesses but were super nice and we had a great conversation! and they want us to come back! Andrei is a little interesting.. he smokes and drinks and likes to text us.... so we just watch out for him haha. But he said I look just like a Russian and told me my Russian name is "Aleona" hahh so there is that! another funny story: on Wednesday night we were walking home from the branch and I was quizzing Sister Greenwood on her words so I was looking down and we hear this "ALEONA!!" and it was Andrei! so we talked together and I told him how I would be going to Armenia and he asked me to pick up special alcohol you can only get there haha. so of course I did! hahah just teasing:) but yeah so that is how we met with an awesome Jehovah's witness family through a window sill! 

WE went back and taught just Galia again on Saturday and it was a great lesson! She is still very much so Jehovah's witness but is just so sweet. She told us she would come to church, but she didn't end up coming. THEY ARE AWESOME AND SO SWEET! 

I think i am just now beginning to realize how nice Krasnodar is. 

We also ate at a place called pasta perfect and mom, you would LOVE it. mason jars and burlap and everything so cute!! AND YUMMY haha we also went to Olya's on Tuesday. She had a birthday party so we dropped by and had some Russian food. YUM. 

Wednesday we went and met with member Diana. She just talked and talked and talked. She has one of the biggest hearts I know and was telling me about how hard it is for her when missionaries leave and I was just looking at her and feeling the spirit so strong and just started crying as she was telling me about how heartbreaking it is for her when these missionaries leave. It was a really neat moment, but I also felt like a Goober crying in the middle of the rinik haha. 

THURSDAY WAS MY VISA TRIP. oh man. visa trips are terrible hahahahahah so terrible but so fun. We woke up at 2:30 thrusday morning and I showered and then we left in a taxi to the airport. Our taxi driver was VERY friendly and kept asking where he could find American wives to which I grumpily responded "America" (mind you it was 3:00 in the morning haha) haha. 

Me and sister Sommers went together with 5 other elders. Elder Tucker and Gerritson (dad, you found elder tuckers blog!) and they are serving here in Krasnodar and then burwell Constantine and Watterson who are serving in noverassisk and tuapse. 

our flight from Krasnodar left at 5;30 and we got to Moscow domodeovo at 7:30. then we left dom to Armenia erevan at 10:00 and got there at like 2ish. At the Armenian airport we actually met up with the other group of missionaries that left from Rostov so I got to see sister Jameson and Jarvis! (dad you also found her blog! ) it was so fun!!!! 

From there we left around 4 to Moscow veykovo (or something like that?) airport and got there at 5;40 and then WE WAITED THERE until 12:20 that morning. yyyyeaaaahhh haha. we then flew from there to Krasnodar- got into Krasnodar around 2:30 and finally got home at 3:30. YYEAAAHHH. slept in until 8... and then we had our day! ugh man i felt so bad and I kept feeling like i was going to pass out. we had district meeting which I was SO grumpy for hahah then we came back for lunch hour and language study which I also slept for. We contacted after that and then did weekly planning- so it was a good day to be exhausted for hahah. 

yeah visa trips! 

Saturday I had one of the most meaningful contacts in my life. We stopped this lady and when we asked her what brought her joy she said "absolutely nothing" and so we just started talking and telling her about why we are here and she was super sweet and I just kept feeling the spirit super strong. And like honestly when we contact I don't feel the spirit like in bursts like I did then. I don't even remember how we started talking about it but then she said, "my mother died two years ago and I just came from the cemetery--because it is her birthday today. and I think it is a sign that we met together today, so thank you." Man I could not keep it in and I just cried. We talked for a little longer about the Resurrection and testified that families can be together forever and then she left without giving us her number. We walked away and i let just a couple of tears drop haha. I can't even explain it well because I don't even understand it well haha. but I hope to never forget that lady and the love the Lord gave me for her in that moment. SO COOL. 

Last night we had a lot of tender mercies in finding less actives. We didn't actually \y find them-- or I guess they didn't answer, but we had a lot of people helping us haha. The Lord is mindful of us! 

Well that's all folks! sorry it feels so scattered but i just have so much to say and no time! 

I Love you all and I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have of a loving Heavenly Father. 

go and read 3Nephi 17 this week:)

I LOVE YOU!

Hambag

HELLO from Russia - Let's hope this sends!

Ok first off,  cross your fingers that this sends hahaha . Man I am so frustrated it didn't work last week! also my keyboard isn't working very well so that is also a bummer.    MY LIFE IS SO HARD. hahahahaha just jokes.

 HELLO FAMILY!!! 

Well from last week's email  you missed that we found  3 new investigators!!!! we had a crazy goal to find three...and then we found them:) it was an  amazing week! this past week we just kept trying to work with them... we are praying for some more success this week:)   I will give you brief overviews of each and where they are now:

VXXXXX: ok first off, imagine Gru from despicable me and you have  Vxxxx haha.  Vxxxxx is awesome! he is a husband and father of two kids.He speaks English practically perfectly and is currently teaching at the  university.  he studies religions and is all in all just a sweet guy who loves  to laugh and loves to talk hahaha.  We met him in the botanical gardens and the night that we met him we ended up talking with him for about an hour!!! we met later that week at the church and had a more formal      lesson there were we gave him the first lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon! He has a hard time believing  in God because of all of his friends that he has seen die in War and he is super interested in family history and has already done a lot of work! he really wants to learn more about his....    grandpa or great grandpa I can't remember... but it is nearly impossible with all of the record burning that happened here. so yeah that is a little bit about Vxxxxx!!! 

Our next investigator we found is named Axxxxx. WE also met him in the park and talked about prayer with him and setup an other  meeting. He came to the church though for our second meeting and he was a bit.... shocked... in short, the lesson was very short and I think he was super shocked because our church is more like a school than a provleslavney temple. he got out of there pretty fast hahaha.  We will see if we will meet with Axxxxx again:) 

Our third new investigator is named Lxxxxxx. She is Armenian and she is a cutie! Sister Greenwood and Moore met her and her mom when we were on splits and she invited us over to their house. We went over to their house and we spoke some golden English and then tried to have the first lesson with her. We got through all most all of  it and then we were interrupted  by her godmother that invited us in to eat. So we went and ate with them!  We couldn't find a way out... and it was just      incredibly nice of them. So we had homemade pelmeni and cabbage rolls with Lxxxx and her mom and her godmother while we talked about  missionary work and what we do here. They are by far the nicest people I have met in Russia. They are so sweet! We also ate this like fish stuff or something in red sauce which was interesting... :)  Then her dad came home and I kid  you not- he looked just like megamind except not as alienish hahaha. but really it was so funny how much he looks like him. He found our Book of Mormom in the other room and came in and said "ahhhh  so you're Mormons?!?!" hahaha  so we said yes and he was really nice  and  we talked about Romney for a bit hahha. Anyway it was an awesome meeting. We are hoping to meet again with them  :)

As far as this week goes, it was awesome!  we had zone conf on Monday and then pday on Tuesday and then conf Saturday and Sunday so it flew by for me! We met with less actives Axxxx and Nxxxxxx and   they were great meetings! Nxxxxxxx shared her sweet testimony of how when she found the church it was just different and she felt a sense of light there that she had never found anywhere else. It was awesome!  

Thursday we went to the Hxxxxxxx family and it was  awesome!   We talked about prophets and General Conference and they were just such a sweet family. We also drank juice and had cookies and -- maybe don't put this on my blog hahaha, but we watched the Mormon boys parody of Hello by Adele and now ALL I  WANT TO DO IS LISTEN TO THAT SONG BY ADELE AGAIN. hahahah 

We spent some time hitting the streets this week and went to the turtle pond!!! we saw so many turtles it was awesome! Goodness I am trying to remember what happened this week and I can't think of anything exciting that happened hahahaha.  

CONFERENCE WAS SO AMAZING. I can't even begin to explain how much I loved it! it was so cool! Nearly every talk seemed like it was just for me. I learned so much  and I just feel like I have been spiritually reborn:) It was amazing! A couple of things really stuck out to me:

1.  I think it was Rasband who said something to the effect of, "If life was fair, we wouldn't have a resurrection or the chance to repent.  in that case, I am glad that life isn't fair!! " 
2. I can't remember who (and I forgot my notes) talked about the Resurrected Christ and how in His perfect body, he still had the prints in his hands and feet. That hit me really hard and I have been thinking a lot about that. 
3. "you can either have what you want....  or something better" 
4. President Monson's talk  voobshay
5. Elder Eyrings  talk.
6. Everyone's talk

hahah no  I really really loved conference this year and I have a testimony that the words that we heard are the words of God and if we listen study and heed their words, we will be able to find our answers and find little ways (or big ways) that we can change to be better and better every day. 

I love you all! This week I have a  visa trip, but we are leaving out of Krasnodar so it should just be a day trip. 

IT'S ALMOST  MOTHERS DAY.

I love you all:) 

--

С большой любовью,сестра Price