News from Russia

Hey there,

 

We had an awesome week this week.  A lot of great things happened, including me getting a package.  That was so great, thanks for that.  We have been feasting on all the goodies yet still trying to eat them slow so they last.  It's almost Anthony's big day huh?  I still can't believe it.  I wish I were there, that whole thing will be so much fun.  Make sure to tell everyone hello for me that I haven't talked to.  Speaking of which, do you think you could get Garetts and Matts emails?  It would probably be easier to get Matt's and then I can get Garetts from him.  I haven't heard from either of them since I got here.  I liked the pictures from Russia, that looked pretty cool.  I want to go to something like that sometime.  I love the mustache Dad, how did you convince mom to let you do that?  Hopefully everyone is feeling good and healthy for the festivities, it's just not fun to be sick.

 

Well, this week was a lot of fun.  I forgot to tell you about it last week but Elder Nelson from the 12 was coming here to a city in our mission to dedicate a branch building there.  It's actually the city I almost got transferred to.  Anyway, we got to go to it and so did the elders from Kaluga, one of the cities in our zone.  They came to our apartment the night before and stayed which was awesome because that was the night I got my package and Elder Player got a package as well.  We put all our treats on the couch and took pictures of it.  His package had stuff like taco seasoning, enchilada sauce mix and peanut butter.  He actually gave us a packet of taco and enchilada stuff which was really awesome.  We get plenty of peanut butter because Sister Woolley gives us all a jar of it every zone conference.  Anyway, it was a lot of fun that night.  The next morning, one of the senior couples picked us up in the presidents car and drove us to Veronizh which was about 5 1/2 hours away.  The ride was long but we were all so excited it wasn't too bad.  We got there and went to the branch building which was so awesome.  It used to be an old theatre that was just sitting empty so the church bought it and has fixed it up so nice.  It is so huge and such an awesome building.  It has a basketball court in it and a room with a ping pong table.  I played two games of ping pong and am currently undefeated as a missionary.  I hope to keep that status throughout my mission.  We were supposed to have a missionary meeting with Elder Nelson but we found out that it was so foggy in Moscow, their plane wouldn't take off so President had his driver drive them all.  We had an improvised missionary meeting with one of the senior couples leading it.  When President and his wife finally arrived along with Elder Nelson and President Paul, our area president, we were able to have an extra hour and a half with them.  Elder Nelson was so cool!  He had to be completely exhausted.  He had gotten to Russia maybe a day or two earlier and he hadn't had any food the whole day, not to mention the 6 hour car ride they had but he still had the energy to stand and teach us for almost an hour.  We got to shake his hand first then he said, I'm here to help you but I can't do that unless I know what you need.  He let us ask any questions we wanted.  Only two questions got asked, one of them by me.  One elder asked about being bold and how to do that without being overbearing.  I asked how to more fully focus on the work and be more receptive to spiritual promptings.  Between the two, he taught us from the scriptures for almost an hour.  It was so amazing.  There were only about 16 missionaries there and we were sitting in a small room with an apostle, just talking!  It was the most amazing thing ever.  Elder Nelson brought such a warm and peaceful spirit with him, you couldn't help but know for sure he was an apostle of the Lord.  After that, we ate an amazing meal cooked by one of the sisters in the branch.  We had to hurry and eat because the dedication was supposed to start at 6:30.  The dedication itself was really awesome.  The room was packed full of Russian members of the church.  I couldn't believe it.  They have youth, they have priesthood holders, they have young men and womens programs.  It was like stepping back into a real ward.  Our ward has no youth but the baby of the branch president.  It was really motivating and impressive.  We heard talks from President and Sister Woolley, President Powell then Elder Nelson.  He told us that his son served there and was actually one of the missionaries who opened up the city of Veronizh!  That's pretty cool.  He finished up and read the dedicatory prayer.  After he read it, someone read it in Russian because Elder Nelson had had the mission president of his son translate the prayer!  After the prayer, Elder Nelson stood up and as his translator stood up as well, he told him to sit down.  Elder Nelson stood at the pulpit and bore a powerful testimony all in Russian.  It was so impressive and I know it meant the world to the members there.  It was really touching.  We all were really impressed and motivated to work hard.  We got back in the car after one last handshake with Elder Nelson and we headed home.  We didn't get back until 2:00 in the morning but it was so worth it.

 

We had another meeting with Tanya, our baptismal candidate.  She seems to be doing fine and we are still hoping for the 14th.  We are also meeting with a member tonight to talk about how we can get the branch involved in re-activating a lot of people.  I hope we are able to get something figured out.

 

One more good story about what's been going on lately.  Our washing machine broke down about a week and a half ago.  We have been trying to get the sisters old washing machine from their apartment since they left.  In the process, we uncovered a real crime!  The old landlord of the sisters has a daughter that just got married to a real punk.  I guess the guy stole the keys to the empty apartment and changed the locks.  This is true because we have the old keys and they don't work.  He refuses to give his father in law the keys and refuses to give up the washing machine.  He is trying to force the poor guy into giving the apartment to him and the guys daughter so they can rent it out.  The landlord is one of the nicest guys in the world and actually has a desire to get baptized.  Literally the week after he told us he wanted to be baptized, all this stuff happened.  You would think Satan doesn't want him to be baptized or something huh?  He doesn't want to cause a family dispute so he offered straight up to buy us a new washing machine.  We weren't sure about the whole situation so we talked to president and he said Let him!  Then he said we should pay for half because honestly the guy doesn't have a whole lot of money.  I feel really bad for him but there isn't a whole lot he can do right now.  He was so ashamed and embarrassed to tell us, I felt pretty bad.  Anyway, we have been washing our garments in the shower at night and putting them on the radiator until morning.  It isn't fun and I want a washing machine, we have been doing this for a week and a half!  Ha, oh well, we are getting the new machine right after we finish writing then probably spending the rest of the day doing laundry.  It will be so nice to have real clean garments.  I just don't think shampoo does the same thing as a good wash.

 

Well that's about all that has been going on around here.  We have zone conference next week.  We will be there a day early because Elder Hiatt has a visa trip.  I'm not sure what they do with the companion, I might just end up hanging out in the office all day, we'll see.  Then the next week we will travel to Kaluga to go on splits with those elders.  We are almost as busy as you guys! I will try to send some pictures home next week.  President Woolley will be emailing us a group photo of us with Elder Nelson.  Thanks for everything!  I love you.

 

Elder Geddes