Growth in Kazakstan

Hey everyone,

Well we have had a really good week. As usual, after a hard week comes a really good week. Elder Hasbiullin and I have been realizing that the pieces are falling into place. Things are starting to happen for us here, we have investigators, meetings, things to do, people to focus on, food in the fridge and money in the wallet. We had 3 investigators come to church on Sunday! Can you believe it? Venera is doing great and we have committed her to live the word of wisdom and the law of tithing. She has agreed to both. She said it would be hard to give up green tea, but she will do it. We're so excited for her. Her baptism will be in a couple weeks, the 21st of May.

We met Venera the first day that we had permission to preach here in Astana. We talked to her on a bus stop and gave her a Book of Mormon. She was one of the first meetings we had with and investigator and it was an awesome first meeting. We were able to go through the whole restoration and ask her to be baptized when she received an answer. She agreed and it has been like clockwork ever since. She feels the spirit when we meet with her, she really enjoyed church the last couple of weeks, and she has become really good friends with Sister Maxwell, which is good as well.

The first lady that came to church is kind of an interesting, sad, and confusing story. She was invited by a member to the meeting that first Sunday, she really liked it, came to family night that week, cried during the spiritual thought about family, told us all that this is the place she wants to raise her daughter, surrounded by such good people and good influences, then she just disappeared. We got a hold of her after a while and found out that some of her friends had told her some stuff about us that was completely not true. She herself has no idea what religion she belongs to, but she felt like she knew enough about us to say that we aren't true Christians and that she doesn't want to belong to a sect. Just recently we went to her house, we weren't really able to get a lesson in, because she is kind of a confusing person. She's really nice, but for some reason she can't understand that we aren't just her 20 year old friends, but that we have something much more important to share. She is leaving for America in the beginning of June where she will be for an entire year. She is actually going to be looking for a husband there so that she can be there forever. I think she is just not very good at thinking things through in her head, and because of that she makes some really rash and not very smart decisions. I wish her the best of luck.

We have another couple of investigators that are doing well. We have been helping a 29 year old girl with English. Just recently we have made huge strides with her and have taught her the first half of the plan of salvation. She is Muslim, but she agrees with all the things we have told her so far and has even changed her mind about some things she thought earlier. I wouldn't say she's close to accepting baptism by any means, but just the fact that she is beginning to understand a little more about life here on earth is good progress for her.

Time is flying by, I can't believe it is already May, and that I will be calling home this Sunday. May is going to go by fast, maybe even too fast. We have a lot going for us this month, it will be a good month. I'm glad that we have things rolling here, it will make it easy for me to work to the end. Seeing the goals we have, and seeing how they are achievable will help me work all the way to the end.

I guess I should save some stuff for our phone call. I'm excited to call home, for the last time. By the way, I haven't gotten the mission news letter since I left Russia, I hope you have saved them so I can read through them when I get back. Anyway, things are going good. Thanks for the support and prayers. I love you guys. Talk to you on Sunday.

Elder Geddes