Strengthening a Testimony

Hey everyone,

I am sitting in a post office in Moscow. We got up early this morning and took a bus to moscow for the second part of our training. We will be staying the night here at the AP's apartment. I thought it was going to be a hotel but oh well, this will be fun too. I am going to just write this one letter because we don't have a lot of time.

This week has been good so far. I decided I'm not going to be complaining about Kaluga anymore. I will most likely be there for another 3 transfers, but who knows. I know me and my companion are going another transfer together though.

The week started out pretty bad though, I won't lie. Our shower has been broken this whole time and my companion and I have taken 2 showers in the last week and a half. We have to go to our landlady's house to shower and we have only been able to make it over there about ever three days! I'll have to take two showers tonight just to make up for it. Luckily it started cooling down right when our shower broke so we haven't been sweating quite as much. Luckily we got to take a shower on Sunday. When we got back from her apartment, I saw I had missed a call from the branch president, Dima. It was 9:30 and church started at 11. I called him back and he asked me to speak in church. Oh well, what can you do. Luckily I had a talk written in English for last zone conference. I just translated it a little bit and used it. I spoke for about 15 minutes and I feel like it wasn't too bad. It felt weird because there were only 2 other members that showed up other than Dima!! In all there were 5 people at church. I played the piano, blessed the sacrament and spoke. I couldn't believe that only 3 members showed up. Everyone is still getting in there last little vacations before school and everything starts up. The week got better after that. Sunday night we had a meeting with a Russian Orthodox priest. I'm not sure why, but I somehow always end up getting meetings with those guys. We found the place that he wanted us to meet at and it was a super old church, kind of more of a seminary thing. Anyway, he led us into a room with a table and about 10 people sitting around it. He said they had just finished a bible study class and that now they were going to ask us some questions. I had a prayer in my heart that I would be able to understand their questions and be able to respond well to them. For the next hour and a half I answered questions to the best of my ability. The priest was asking a lot of questions about Adam and Eve. Something I like about meeting with people like this is it gives me some ideas of things to study in my personal study. His main question was why was the fruit forbidden. Kind of a good question I guess. Why didn't God just send us here in a state that we would be able to make choices, whether good or bad. Why was the fruit a necessary part of the plan? I answered the questions as good as I could, explaining that we were given agency, and that choices were an important part of our learning process on the earth. It explains everything so clearly in 2 Nephi 2 we can't make choices unless there are choices offered. We can't make good choices unless it is possible to make bad choices. They of course didn't really accept my answers but it all makes sense to me. That's why the Book of Mormon is so important and crucial to our knowledge of the gospel. My talk that day in church was actually about agency. That is such an important thing for us to understand! And such a fun thing to study. It's my favorite topic to teach about as well. They asked a lot of things about life on earth and why it is necessary. They think it is a form of punishment to be here, but we know it is a blessing. They feel like God could have just taught us everything we needed to know and that if we still think it were necessary to come here to experience it for ourselves, we don't trust God. It all comes back to telling your kids not to touch the stove. Sure they understand that you don't want them to do it, but you also don't want them to eat too much sugar, or get their pants dirty every day. Until the child touches the stove and burns his hand, he won't understand why he's not allowed to touch it. Or in other words, we've all heard the analogy of trying to explain the taste of salt without using the word salt. The gospel makes sense. It is designed to be understood by all. It doesn't need to be debated or reasoned. It is simple and true. Anyway, the guy gave me a small book written by some Russian Priest. Cool souvenier.

This week, the senior couple from Tula came to Kaluga for the day. Their names are the Moffetts and I feel like Elder Moffett changed my mission. He is probably the most knowledgeable guy in the gospel I've ever met. His scriptures have just about every verse marked up with notes all over the place. He is so good at teaching any topic using the scriptures. They took us out to lunch first and I was just talking with Elder Moffett. I had been kind of down on myself and had come to the conclusion that my time in Kaluga was just a testing period and the only reason I was there was for the Lord to see if I could handle it. I asked him if he thinks the Lord really needs 19 and 20 year old kids walking around Russia trying to get these people to hear the gospel or if it is just a kind of training or teaching opportunity for us. He testified to me that he knows the Lord needs us here, and specifically needs us in Kaluga. He shared a verse with me in the Doctrine and Covenents that has really changed my way of thinking. It is in section 117. The Lord is talking to someone, I can't remember his name right now, but what he says is that he remembers this man and wants him to know that his sacrifice is worth more to him than his increase! My sacrifice is important to the Lord. He is aware of me and my needs and desires. If I am able to keep myself worthy of the spirit, be obedient and work hard every day, it will make no difference if I baptize one more person or a hundred more people, I will be able to know that the results of my mission were the will of God. I really want to work hard. I really want to be obedient. I really want to be a tool in the hands of the Lord. Aside from that great experience, we went contacting with the Moffetts. They are so great! They were able to give out 5 Books of Mormon somehow! They don't speak much Russian but they have a desire to share the gospel.

Elder Frehner and I have gotten a lot of contacts this week and we have gotten one new investigator. Her name is Inna. We finally got a meeting with her and gave her a Book of Mormon and she agreed to begin reading and meet with us again. As I was explaining the book to her and explaining a little about the church, I felt inspired to be bold and be honest. I said, Inna, I will be 100 percent honest with you. We are missionaries called of God to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and baptize them in his name. Both my companion and I have the authority to baptize people and we want you to know that it is our intent to teach you the gospel and help you gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and when you gain this testimony, we would like to baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ. I'm sure my companion was a little worried, but I wasn't. She didn't agree to be baptized or anything, and in fact she said, I'm already baptized, but I'd love to read this book and learn more. When I heard her answer, I wasn't worried at all. I don't know if she'll get baptized, but I know if she will follow the steps of the gospel and read the Book of Mormon with an intent to know the truth, she will find out and she will be baptized. It's all in the hands of the Lord. We will do all we can to help her progress towards baptism, but even if things don't work out, I understand my purpose here. I am not ashamed of the gospel and will continue to preach! I have been praying a lot lately for help in strengthening my testimony. I know that God answers prayers and that my testimony has already been strengthened. I love the gospel and hope to continue to learn more and more each and every day.

I will write more about this conference next week. It's going good so far, I translated for the Russian elders and sisters for the last half of today, I hope I don't have to do it again tomorrow, it's hard to get a lot out of the training when I am translating.

Anyway, I have about 3 more minutes left on this computer. Sorry I didn't write everyone, but I got your letters and enjoyed them all. I love you all and miss you but I wouldn't rather be any place else right now. I've still got a few more months to continue to progress and grow, change the things that I need to change and strengthen the things that need to be strengthened. Thanks for everything! Oh ya, I got my package mom, thanks! Love you!

Elder Geddes