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
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