Another Baptism

Hey guys,

Well, I'm not really sure what letter President Woolley sent you but it seems like it was a little old. Those 6 elders and 2 sisters came in at the beginning of this transfer. We just got one new sister for the next transfer to replace Sister Corbett who had to go home, and one sister got transfered into my district. I am staying in Veronezh for one more transfer as the zone leader. I'm pretty sure I will get to come out after this transfer but I'm really glad I got to stay one more. My companion is awesome and yesterday, Ludmilla asked me if I would baptize her. I was very humbled and honored to have her ask me. I know the Lord uses his missionaries to bless the lives of those who are ready to accept the gospel. I'll get to Ludmilla in a little bit though.

The trip to Moscow was really fun. We got there early in the morning and just relaxed a bit until the meeting was supposed to be starting. Elder Perry was great. I can't believe how healthy and active he seems for how old he is. I guess he will be turning 88 years old on August 5th (Rob, did you know you shared a birthday with him?) He and his wife were so happy to be here with all of us. We got to go through and shake his hand and tell him our name and where we are from. It was pretty funny, someone would say a city like South Jordon or something and he would reply, "that's terrible!" or "well it can't get any better than that!" It was pretty funny. He said he knew where Soda Springs was at, so that was cool. He got up to start his talk and said that he would be giving his first talk using his new iPad, whatever that is. It looks like a big ipod touch. Then he said, "I hope it works, but I don't trust it" and he held up an old notebook and said, "just in case" His talk was actually just the lesson on the restoration. It was interesting and he had some different insights into things that I hadn't thought about but for the most part it was just the basic first lesson. The cool thing is to think back on the "basic" first lesson and realize that I felt the spirit as he testified of principles of the gospel. He shared with me something I had heard and actually shared with others hundreds of times but yet I was still able to feel the spirit. After the meeting, a bunch of us went to one of the markets in Moscow to find a tie store. We hit the jackpot and found a store with probably a thousand ties in it, all for 100 rubles! I bought 7 ties for somewhere around 20 dollars, and they are all awesome ties! I was pretty happy about that. I want to come home with a nice suitcase full of ties, because you just don't find these in America. My companion from the mtc is sitting at around 45 or so ties that he has bought here. I'm at I think 11 or so. Not bad. After that we just kind of relaxed at the branch building in Moscow. The missionary room there has a ping pong table and a fooseball table and some couches and stuff, it was pretty cool. Our train home wasn't too bad at all.

We got back Sunday morning with plenty of time to get ready for church. It was fast and testimony meeting and it was one of the best ones ever. I was still able to feel the spirit, even though I was translating the whole time. I don't think I have told you, but I always translate the sacrament meetings for the senior couple and for a group of American English teachers. There is some program called ILP and so there are groups of students that come here for a couple of months at a time to teach English. One of them by the way is the girl who sent me that email. We did a couple service projects and they came as well, and they would come to family home evening and stuff too. They were cool but they're gone now. Anyway, I was translating for them and then Ludmilla, our investigator got up and bore her testimony. It was so awesome and all the women were crying. She testified that she knew God had led her to this church and had led her to me and my companion. She shared with the ward the story of her grandson who was hit and killed by a car 2 years ago. She shared an experience that she had where her grandson came to her in a dream and told her she needs to be close to religion. She told everyone that he was killed on June 19th, and that she thought June 19th would be a miserable day for the rest of her life but now that she has found us and has the plan to be baptised on the 19th, it will be a happy day for her. After the meeting, everyone came up and talked to her and thanked her for her testimony. It was a very sweet experience. We have been meeting with her almost every day, give or take a couple days. It has been such an awesome thing to teach her the gospel. She is amazed constantly at the simplicity of gospel truths and has said several times, "why am I just learning this?!" She said she knows it's true because every time we come to teach, she just wants to hear more and more. She is finding so many answers to questions she didn't think had answers. It has been so amazing to watch the small flame of interest she had when we first met her turn into an unquenchable fire. She has found something she has been searching for her whole life and she is excited. Yesterday we didn't have a meeting scheduled with her but she called and said she would be in the area and asked if we could meet her at the branch and teach her a lesson. We taught a lesson about the last three steps of the gospel, baptism, receiving the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. As we were talking about baptism, she asked us a few questions about how it takes place and what exactly will happen. She then asked who was going to baptize her and we told her it was her choice. We went on with the lesson a little further and she stopped us and said, "Well Elder Geddes, it's going to be you that will baptize me. I met you first, and if I hadn't have seen you in the hall, I would have just turned around and left" I didn't know what to say but it was probably the happiest I have been on my mission. I told her I would love to baptize her. I can't really think of a greater thing than to get to baptize someone who I know has been searching for the blessings of the gospel her whole life. It will be a sweet experience that I will never forget.

It sounds like everyone is excited for the big trip to Colorado. It sounds like a lot of fun. You'll have to take some pictures and tell me all about it. Don't worry, I'm happy here in good ol' Veronezh, I won't get too homesick. That is so sad about Donavan's mom and grandma. I can't believe that. That has to be the worst thing ever to have happen on a mission. Be careful everyone! I have been craving a temple session the last while. Sometimes I feel like there is just too much filth all around, with immoral pictures all over the streets, immodestly dressed women everywhere, I could really just use a couple hours in a perfectly pure and clean house of God. I'm really hoping once the temple gets opened up in Kieve we will get to go somehow, maybe on a visa trip. I'm pretty sure we will be able to.

It is getting really really hot here. It's getting up into the 90's which isn't too fun. Everyone smells terrible on the hot and stuffy buses. To make matters worse, I ruined one of my short sleeve shirts the other day with the iron. I burnt the collar pretty good on accident. I have to wash my shirts almost every time I wear them because they get so sweaty and dirty around the collar. Anyway, that's about all that's been going on here. I'm having a good time and am trying my best to always be trying to be a better person. Thanks for your letters and love. I love you guys, have fun on your trip.

Elder Geddes