Volunteer Life

Hello friends and family. This is volunteer Price at your service.

:)

At VTC

At VTC

Sister Price and Sister Lindquist

This week was great! many of you are probably wondering what in the world us volunteers are doing over here in Russia.                 SO ARE WE hahahahahaha:)

Pretty much this week has been crazy weird but nonetheless crazy good. So as volunteers we are now having a daily VTC.. Volunteer training center. It isn't anything big but we just get together as volunteers here in Volgograd and the areas surrounding and we do language study, Russian history, and a spiritual part as well. Pretty much I love VTC! It is great and we have that everyday. 3 hours. We also have studies... and then every companionship is assigned to stay at the branch for 3 hours everyday. So pretty much it feels super weird to be here at the branch or at home with nothing to do.. well of course there is always stuff to do and things to study.. but going from "if you aren't on the street 5 minutes after you finish studies then something isn't right" to "yes that is what we are saying. don't street contact and stay off the streets so if you don't have a meeting with a member.. you are staying home." definitely weird. Sister Lindquist bought a guitar last week and we were asked to turn in our white handbooks so I mean if that says anything hahaha (update: we used the guitar for a devotional and the white handbooks have been returned haha) but pretty much it is just really really weird and I can't really describe it.. HOWEVER these past two weeks have been some of the most spiritual of my mission. I literally have moments where I am overwhelmed with the spirit and I feel the confirmation that this is the Lord's plan. I honestly think that we will be seeing miracles here in Russia and honestly this is what the Russian people need- love and service. Not a snot nosed American telling them that everything they have believed for generations is whack. (maybe edit that sentence out hahahaha)

Our Bedroom  - Oh Utah!

Some Sister Left her cookbook

A room with a view in Volgograd

At VTC

At VTC

But yes lots of changes coming to the mission! As of right now, any person that we teach needs to be very advanced in the teaching process, sign a paper that says that they are "following" the church -(so pretty much with the intent to be baptized) and we can't teach without a member there. However we can still visit members and less actives at their homes or at the branch.. the only thing is that if they have a non member there we can not answer their questions.. but the member can. So yes lots of member focus now.

On the streets we can not stop and talk to people, but if we have a natural conversation we can give facts about the church- like where it is or what time is starts, but we can not invite and we can't testify. so yeah that one has been hard. The first couple of days after I remember just watching people pass with a knot in my stomach knowing that I can't share with people that God exists. But there will be times and I can do it in other ways:)

Our Fruit and Veggie Vendor

BUT ANYWAY YES THIS WEEK WAS GOOD

Tuesday we met with the branch president and his wife; Mxxxx and Pxxxxx!! they are awesome and these two young bucks. They both work at Teleperformance (ZACH SHOUT OUT) and love it! They gave us lots of good advice on things that we can do as volunteers to help the branch out. They are awesome!

Wednesday we met with Sxxxxxxx and he is just so awesome. I love teaching him! he has a lot of faith and a desire to know everything! During our lesson we did a how to begin teaching point that says, " Sxxxxxxx we don't know everything and we can't answer every question that you have.. but we want to help you understand everything a little bit better!" and right after that he said, "who told you?" hahahah it was so funny!

Thursday we had the best VTC ever. man I absolutely loved it. We talked about the scattering of the 12 tribes of Israel and what that means for us serving in Russia.. and then we had a huge spiritual discussion about the plan of salvation and wrote down every question or concern that we have had or that we have heard about the plan of salvation and sat down and tried to find answers to them in the scriptures. It was just a really really neat VTC and it really spoke to me for some reason.. As I sat there with all of these 18-20 year olds discussing the meaning of life I had the distinct thought, "we aren't like regular 18-20 year olds" hahaha

But I invite you to find a safe spiritual place- with friends or family or in your ward or even with your bishop and stake president and ask those questions that you have always wondered about and never asked for one reason or another.. AND THEN GO TO WORK. STUDY IT OUT WITH PRAYER. I can promise you that you can find your answer in the scriptures.

Friday we had an awesome spiritual thought with a member Katya!

Saturday the Volgograd branch had a baptism! Rxxxxxx! Rxxxxxx is awesome !We have lots of Africans here in our branch that are going to school andRxxxxxx  is one of them. he has an awesome testimony and a love for God. Great guy!

we also met with Jxxxxx that day who is a recent convert. She is a cutie! She was going on this super long story and just talking and talking and I was just loving it. Man she is a cute old lady!

Sunday was kind of crazy! We had church in center and then left to tracktorney-- and people came !we had three lovely ladies there:) I gave a talk as did elder Osborn and Sergei and it was a good little meeting! After we had banana bread and tea of course:) and then we came back home for a few minutes.. had a crazy panic attack about food for the devotional.. threw some beans in a pot and then headed out to the church! we had a great devotional put on by sister Lindquist and I! And afterwards we all ate this crazy dinner together that all the missionaries put together last minute... potato casserole.. veggies... bread... cheese... meat... and a fruit salad.. not too shabby for the day before pday!!!! haha

Monday we had zone training and learned some more of what we can and can't do. It was a good zone training with good pizza!!!

We are now looking at service opportunities.. like maybe teaching English at schools or other humanitarian projects.. working in libraries.. or maybe even helping in music schools. It is all up in the air but we are pretty much looking for service!!

Today we went to Mamaya Gorgon. She is amazing !It is also creepy because she is built on a giant grave.. of 34,500 people. So yeah for war towns! haha

VTC is driving us crazy so here are some VTC quotes that are probably only funny to me but that I hope you enjoy:

--while splitting up names on the ward list.. everyone is taking notes except for one companionship.. he asks who has who.. other elder-- "uh well.. well you gotta do it." hhaha

--"good observation, sister mustache"

-- "thank you all for making out tonight"

"do you want to rephrase that??"

"..........no" hahahahahahaahaha

man I love you all!!!

С большой любовью,сестра Price

Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission - Newsletter

Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission 

Sunday July 24, 2016 

Message from President Miner 

Dear Pioneers,

As we seek to find a new path for the Church to grow in Russia we can now aptly be called pioneers — those who go before to lead the way or forge a new path. As we write this, July 24, we mark the 169th anniversary of the arrival of the first Saints in the Salt Lake Valley. Being a pioneer necessarily means some level of uncertainty because, after all, we are traveling where few or none have tread before. It takes some experimentation to find the best path, some trial and error. We have to be willing to explore new routes, even make a few mistakes. It isn’t for those who prefer to be told exactly how to do things, those who would rather not act but be acted upon. Being a pioneer is for those with an adventurous spirit who, when presented with a challenge, respond with, “Hey, this is going to be fun and interesting. Let’s do it!” 

It’s now incumbent upon us to find a new path, a better path. We will learn incrementally, step-by-step. We will learn from one another. It may take some time to establish this new path but we are the ones chosen to do it. Remember Mordecai’s words to Esther when he presented her with a plan to save the Jews, "and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) Do you think it is a coincidence we were sent to Russia at this time? I don’t think so. 

I feel to stand and shout like Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball did when they left their families to commence their mission to Great Britain. They were so sick they were being carried off in the bed of a wagon. The families they were leaving behind were just as sick. They had travelled a very short distance when they told their driver to stop. Gathering their courage and all their strength they muscled their way to their feet, waved their hats over their heads three times and shouted as loudly as they could, “Hurrah, hurrah, for Israel!” Such is the spirit of a pioneer.

With love,

President Miner

Volunteer Price reporting for duty

WOW THIS WEEK HAS BEEN CRAZY!!! I don't know if you want to send this one out. I am going to be very very very brutally honest and a lot of it is just for fam:) but edit if you want and take out all the negative or weird stuff and then you can share hahahaha

highlights from this week:

we contacted for a total of 34 hours this week.

I have lost 100 pounds from the sheer sweat that has dropped from my forehead and sad armpits

my body is sore and my spirit is exhausted:) but we have loved doing the work of the Lord this week! Thank you for your prayers. It is the only thing that has gotten us through this week:)

BUT YES!!! this week was awesome! I came in on Tuesday from the sleeper train which was great besides the fact that the toilet was so gross, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I was in a box and I had such a vivid dream that my leg was all bloody. Bloody garments even. Weird hahaha. But it was so fun and we got to see lots of Russia and just got to sleep in a sleeper train!!! haha

Then pretty much for the rest of the week we were on the street. It was really really hard. Not going to lie. Not a lot of people wanted to talk. We only received 6 numbers and one day we were just on the street the whole day with just "no's." we got pretty discouraged and got to the point where the only thing we could do was hand out cards without even trying to stop people.. which in the end was probably better because now people have our information.

Wednesday I was registered in the city which gave us a little break from contacting. We ate sharma and got to meet the other missionaries. I am super excited to serve here! the missionaries here are awesome and so funny!

Saturday I got the meet the recent convert Sxxxxxx who is just so solid and was baptized last week. We talked all about the priesthood and the temple and there were lots and lots of questions. HE is so cool though and is making plans to take the gospel back to India and so he was asking questions about how he can make it possible in India. SO COOL!

ah no time!

Sunday I spoke in sacrament! I absolutely love the branch. We have the regular Russians but then we also have a lot of Africans that are here studying that speak English. I didn't get to talk to them a lot but they already seem so friendly and inviting. The whole branch! Definitely a change of pace.

we also work with the tracktorney branch which was a thriving branch, had some unfortunate things happen, was closed for like 3 years and now we are opening it up again! about 5 members come. Unfortunately, no one came this week but we still held a little sacrament meeting with us, the elders and the branch missionary worker. it was amazing honestly. such a neat experience. JUST WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING Hhahaha:)

Monday I went on Splits with sister Kykla which was great! She is a Russian sister (of the 2 that we have in our mission) and is just amazing.

fun week!

I love you all!!

С большой любовью,сестра Price

BIG CHANGES

CRAZY WEEK

Hello friends and family!!! THIS WEEK HAS BEEN CRAZY! so much to tell you:)

this week has been a week of service, trips, and lots of new news and changes:)

First off we are all safe and fine and healthy and happy in good old Russia:) 

Monday we had FHE with the Johnstons and we translated for them. Sxxxxxxx the recent convert less active that we have been trying to get in contact with ACTUALLY CAME!!! Such a miracle I can't even explain it. SO NEAT!! As much as it has been hard to serve in one place for so long, I have seen more tender mercies and felt the gravity of them more because of my time here. I see all of the months of work and growth that accompany such big changes and it really has just been so beautiful to witness:) 

Tuesday I went on Splits with Sister Faddis!! It was so fun! we went to Ixxxx Mxxxxxxxx . and it was the 5th of july,..... Well I was thinking as we were painting her wall and I realized that exactly 7 months earlier I was also in her house taking wall paper off of her wall ON MY BIRTHDAY!! it was so cool! exactly 7 months. Crazy:) she is such a cutie and goes on these big laughing sprees and always yells, "это шутка!!!!" which means "It's a joke!!!" man she is so funny. 

That night we went to a less active Lxxxxx that the other sisters work with and read the Book of Mormon with her. It was really cool to meet with her too because the last time that I worked with her was when I was with Sister McMurray! she is a cutie and going through some hard times right now.. she is debating between two different churches right now, ours and I think baptist?? yeah a little strange but she agreed to read the Book of Mormon all the way through! so she is awesome! 

Wednesday we went and served Axxxxx at the house he is building. pretty much I stood in this huge pit and we took buckets of water out of the pit. It was really fun haha. He was doing some piping and ending up duct taping a lot of the piping... hahah things are just different here:) I love doing service like that! 

we then went to Oxxxx's and helped her put up her wallpaper again! it was great !

Thursday I had my Visa trip and it is honestly the nicest visa trip I have ever been on. We left at 4:30 and went from K-dar to Moscow , then to Armenia from Moscow, and then instead of going back to Moscow and then to Krasnodar, we went straight from Armenia to Krasnodar. We got home like at 9:30 which is sssooo nice. Less than 24 hours is always good! It was a fun visa trip too. I was with sister Sommers and Robinson and I love them both:) we always eat in the Armenian airport (well i guess not always.. just when there is time) and it was as delicious as always. I also talked with a really cool guy on the plane who was the coordinator of a stadium being built in Krasnodar. We had this whole long conversation in Russian and then he asked for my facebook so I tried to write something in Russian and he said, "or your can write in English. oh yes I also know English" hahahahaha YOU KNEW ENGLISH THE WHOLE TIME?!?! haha but he was really nice! He has heard of the church and one day will be a member, I just know it! :)

THURSDAY NIGHT WE GOT TRANSFER CALLS.....

I am being transferred to Volgograd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

woo hoo! I am sososososoososososos excited!!! I will be working with sister Lindquist that just got out of training, so she has been in Russia for 3 months. She is the newest missionary that we have in our mission. I am super excited! It is definitely going to be a change but Sister Lindquist just looks like such a cutie:) they actually had a baptism on Saturday with a man that Sister greenwood and Sister Jarvis met on the street. so it looks like the work is just going great! 

Things I know about Volgograd:

it is 14 hours away from Krasnodar on a night sleeper train ( WHICH I WILL BE TAKING TONIGHT FROM 7pm-9am. I KNOW SO FUN!!!!) 

people call it the "dust bowl"

the biggest river in Russia is located in Volgograd and Sister Greenwood said we will drive over it every time to go to the branch. 

they have "real" marshrutka's there.. hahahaha 

people say it is a super long city. 

the big "mother Russia" statue is located in Volgograd and we should be living close to it.

i think that is about all I know right now. I AM SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU!!!!!! YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! 

oh I have also heard that the branch is just amazing and that a lot of people speak English!!! so cool! 

Friday we met with Axxxxx and Vxxxxxx:) my favorites:) 

Saturday we went to our investigator Lxxxxx's graduation.. but then we didn't feel too good about it and it was a little different than what we were thinking so we left early. But she graduated!! so woo hoo! 

We also saw Tatiana on the street which was a tender mercy! and we met with Viola. mind you, we had literally no plans for the day and all these things popped up. I just feel like the lord has been really mindful of me because I have seen so many random people that I have made friendships with in the last nine months as  "coincidences" haha it really has been so neat. 

Sunday was great. I got to bear my testimony and take pictures with members:) they are all so sweet and I am seriously going to miss Krasnodar! but I am so so excited to start new in Volgograd:) It is like a fresh page!!! 

YEAH!!! 

Lots of people have asked about the new Russian law. I can't say a lot. pretty much, we had heard of the possibility of the law.. the law became a law this week (we were all in shock... and still in shock) and now we are just trying to figure everything out. The law goes into effect on the 20th so we will literally be spending every second over the next 10 days on the street in an effort to find people. Please send your prayers for the missionaries here for strength and hope. and please pray for the people in Russia that we will talk to that their hearts will be softened. As missionaries we are not supposed to ask for group prayers or fasts, and I guess I am not really, but know that missionary work here needs your help and I know that through your faith, we can and will see miracles. I am excited to hit the streets! I feel as if the Lord has sent us here for a reason and I just feel this sense of urgency to share the work. I may have only 10 days left on my mission of street teaching.. and that is really weird to think about. 

Anyway, to answer your question, yes! everything is fine here and safe, we will just change our tactics. I will also send out the big email that president sent that explains more. Also look at the baptism picture, the girl in the picture with the brown hair and bangs is my new cute companion!!! 

I love you all and i am so happy and feel so blessed for this sacred time to be a missionary. I have been thinking a lot about being a missionary and how it is important not even to take the little things for granted (like talking to someone on the bus). The time we have been given is precious:) I love you all so much!!! 

NEXT WEEK FROM VOLGOGRAD!!!!!!!!! :) 

 

С большой любовью,сестра Price

HAPPY FOURTH

Happy fourth of July my friends!!!

wow this week was great and crazy! 

AND I GOT THE PACKAGE THANK YOU!!! 

This week we got a little more settled in our house which is exciting! 

lets see.. I don't have a lot of time so I will just share some highlights of the week! 

On Tuesday we went out to a former investigator and knocked on her door and told her that we were the missionaries but she came and opened the door anyway! but she opened the door just a crack and was this old old lady.. she was also holding just a sheet in front of her little old cute naked body hahaha. so we told her who we were and asked if she remembered us and did some chit chatting and then asked if we could maybe come back and she said probably not.. so we were just planning on leaving but then she just starts talking and talking and talking and talking and I don't even know what she was talking about hahah ut she just talked and talked and talked all while just standing behind this sheet. we even kept asking her, "is this an inconvenient time?? maybe we can come back later??" hahah but she just kept telling us all about where she used to work and how she is sick now so she swims. man I thought it was so funny and so weird haha. 

We meet with a sweet girl named Mxxxx. She is the granddaughter of a member here that spends the summer in Krasnodar. She made us compote and cake and we talked to her about spiritual armor! She is a cutie! 

we also found the best burger probably in the world. It is only $2.75 and ssooo good. Like maybe even better than what is in America. we went there last week and also today cuz America. :)

 

Ice Cream with the Johnstons

I also had a cool experience on Wednesday.. here is what I wrote to president: 

"This week i had a really cool experience. We had just had a lesson with a members granddaughter who is not a member- Masha (maybe you remember her? she was here for a month last year in the summer and was taught by sister delong and misaraca) but our plans had fallen through that we had planned for after our meeting with her. So we decided to pray. We went to a park bench and prayed. As I prayed, I felt the sweet sweet influence of the holy spirit come over me as I sincerely pleaded with Heavenly Father to guide our path and to do what he would like us to do. We tried to follow the thoughts and impressions that we received and ended up going to a less active... On our way there though, I saw a mini car accident and saw how both of the drivers were very civil to each other and I just remember feeling the spirit again so strongly. I don't really understand the ways of the Lord or know why I felt the spirit then or why I was supposed to be there. .But I really have a testimony that the Lord really speaks to me--Just me!-- through the spirit. It really is amazing to realize that. I also realized during that prayer, that maybe more often than not I am following MY plans and not the Lords. Definitely has given me a lot to think about this week and I have been trying to keep that sincerity and earnestly with me throughout the week."

so now you also know that I wrote you differently than how I write president hahahah 

but yeah that was a cool experience that I had. 

Thursday we met with my favorite Axxxx. At the end of our meeting, after she prayed she said, "you know, when you continue to pray and pay attention you start to realize that there is someone there that listens and cares." wow oh wow. It seriously was such an awesome moment:) I love Axxxxx and I love seeing her testimony grow!! 

On Thursday we also found a leak in our apartment and so our landlord sent over some people to fix it. These two kind men came and fixed our tub! One was very grumpy and the other man was very old and very nice. The older man knew some English so was trying to practice with us as the other worked. Well anyway i think these two friendly gentlemen ended up liking these two sweet sisters a little bit more than just a handy man and renter relationship hahahah. The old man asked us for tea and so we made these two men tea and sat in our kitchen and just talked about life hahahaha. It was also one of the weirdest things that has happened on my mission haha. But yeah we just talked a little bit about God and about families and about how the old man has lots of children and lots of wives haha. Oh man just gets weirder and weirder. But they were nice and it is a good memory now! hahah

Friday we went to Ikea and tried to start some natural conversations with people.. don't know if that is legal on lots of levels.. but it worked pretty well and we were able to just talk to people without trying to yell at them on the street. It was cool! So if you go to Ikea and sit down.. watch out for two cute missionaries because they are looking for YOU. haha 

we also got in with Sxxxxxxx again and we had a nice spiritual thought with her! She is a cutie:)

We had an interesting taxi driver who taught us the longest word he knows (48 letters) and also told us a bit more about Muslims and what he believes and it was just really cool! 

Saturday we served rustam and then we went bike riding in Botanical gardens as a ward activity!!! Oh man it was so so so fun! one of our poor members ran into a fence though... she is ok! just hit her head and scuffed up her hand. It just made me feel better to know that an accident has to happen at every activity in Russia too.. It isn't just our wards thing;) just teasing!!! 

Lena didn't come to church this Sunday and we weren't able to get in contact to have a lesson. 

nikolai is still out of town and his phone still isn't working

we haven't been able to meet with Axxx.

but other than that our investigators are doing great!!!! hahaha

I have a visa trip on Friday but I think I leave at 7 and get back at like 7 so it isn't bad at all.

We get transfer calls on Friday as well. I am excited! I have to move this transfer.. or change comps.. right?? :) 

Thank you all! Happy fourth of July! I love you all! 

--

С большой любовью,сестра Price

P-Day with the other missionaries

Our Russian Faces