Hey everyone,
Still here in Kaluga, honestly not a whole lot has happened this week. We have been having a hard time getting contacts lately for some reason. We talked with almost 150 people this week and we got one contact! It's crazy. We had a couple days where we just had contacting and one appointment. It has gotten pretty cold so it's not so fun to be outside for hours on end talking to people who are also cold and don't want to stop to talk. We kept our spirits up though. We have been meeting with our investigators still, trying to get them to make some decisions. They are still kind of at a standstill right now. Yesterday they came to church and during Priesthood we had a pretty good chat with them and the branch president. After it was over, we left and our branch president stayed and had a chat with them for about 10 minutes. He told them that they need to make a choice and that they need to be working towards baptism. He didn't get any further than we have, they still just don't exactly have that desire. I have a feeling that if they continue to work with missionaries when I leave, they will be baptized but right now, they just aren't showing the desire.
This week has actually been a tough one for me. A combination of Christmas, waiting to go to Kazakhstan, inactive members, it all just kind of built up to this week. During Sacrament meeting (on which there were 9 people including me and my companion) I was just thinking a little about my few months I have had in Kaluga. It was kind of hard to see that I have been here for so long and we still have such low attendance. I sat next to Tatyana though, she is completely solid. She hasn't missed church since her baptism and has clearly seen how the Lord blesses us for keeping the commandments. It is just really hard to see these inactive members with cigarettes on the table, complaining about how hard life is and that kind of stuff. I just want to tell them to wake up and look around, they know the truth, they know exactly how they can get themselves out of these ruts but they won't do it. I have a little over a week left in Kaluga, I feel like visiting all these inactives and just calling them to repentance! I know their lives would all improve 10 fold if they would just remember the covenants they have made at one point and honor them. It's hard to feel sympathy for these people when they are outright breaking the commandments and then wondering why life just doesn't work out for them.
Anyway, enough of that, I am still having tons of fun, granted I am getting a little antsy to get this transfer done with. Not that I'm sick of Kaluga or Elder Bressler, but it is always just interesting to see new places and new things. Especially when the new place is a completely new country! I have been trying hard to stay focused on what is going on here in Kaluga, but the closer I get, the harder it is. I really want to work hard this last week though so that I don't leave Elder Bressler and his new companion with nothing to go on. It really will be a lot of fun though to get to Kazakhstan where there is a district and a senior couple. Being in a two man city is a good experience and I'm really glad I got to serve here, especially with Elder Bressler but I'm ready to get back to a district and a big branch.
I fell down for the first time this week, I tried jumping over a pile of snow and landed on the ice on the other side, I think I'm doing a lot better than last year though. Maybe I got some skills from last winter and I won't fall so many times. We will be going to Moscow this Thursday for zone conference, then I am assuming we will be going back next week either Monday or Tuesday, if all goes according to plan. I'm sure I'll know by next pday what the plan is.
I have missed the community concert too, I liked singing in it, the few times I did. We have been listening to Christmas music non stop while we cook lunch or dinner. President put a lot of music on the ipods we have and so we are hooked up with everything from the classics to some pretty modern Christmas music. Also, we have been listening to a 14 part lecture series on Jesus Christ that was given a while back at BYU. It has been so awesome. 14 different speakers just taking parts of the life of Jesus and talking about it for an hour. It has been really interesting. I love the Christmas season. We have so much to be thankful for and it is all thanks to the Saviour coming to the earth just for us. Hopefully everyone is remembering the reason we celebrate Christmas.
So Caleb is married huh? That's crazy. Did they get married in the temple? How is he handling being an instant dad? Is he going to school? Hopefully dad gets that appointment that he wants, sounds pretty important. It's of course really sad to leave Soda, but like I said, I'm still going to give my homecoming talk in the Soda Springs 4th ward with Bishop Humble sitting right behind me. We might all have to sleep in tents in their yard, but that's fine with me! I really want to go straight to Soda if possible, see my name on the Arctic Circle board! I know it's a completely different town now, but there are some things that will never change.
Thanks for all the letters and support. Have a safe trip to Iowa Mom and Dad, and Grandpa and Grandma! That will be lots of fun. I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season! I love you all.
Elder Geddes
No comments:
Post a Comment