the snow

Dear friends and family,

This last week was full of ups and downs, challenging, great, and full of snow. We love the work here in Zap, but at times it can get a little depressing.  Our investigators Lydia and Igor are just really struggling.  Lydia seems like she is actually progressing a lot and her faith is growing, but Igor is doubting God and doesn't want to come to church or pray.  It is great to see Lydia step up and encourage Igor, but she is sad because he is doubting.  We had a really depressing lesson with them last week where we just went over the same issues about authority and all that, and Igor was just doubting and angry.  But we also had a good lesson with them later that week and we shared Presiden't Uchtdorf's message "You matter to him". It was good, Igor actually prayed for us, and they came to church on Sunday, so we just are surprised about things sometimes. We met with our Babushka investigator and talked about baptism.  She is doing solid on reading and praying, but she is soo stubborn when it comes to talking about baptism and coming to church.  But she loves us anyway and tells us to come back.  I hope she softens up a little bit haha.  We had a couple of great lessons with a few less-actives, and it's always interesting to hear their perspectives on everything.  I am finding more and more that the Ukranian people here are very conscious and emotional.  A lot of the less actives are just scared to come back because they are worried about what other people will think and they never feel like they are worthy to come back.  A lot of people have just simply been offended and don't want to come back.  It's all relative and we just keep working with them.  We met with our investigators Irena and Nickolai, and they are so funny.  We had a great lesson with them the week before and talked about temples, eternal families, and work for the dead.  This week they had a lot of questions about it and we answered all of them and had a good lesson.  But after they are like "girls, thank you so much. you answered all of our questions! and we understood almost everything you said! but we will need a break now because this is a lot of information and we are very busy with work." we were like...oh..okay? haha so interesting.  They are great, just interesting haha.  Like I said, our lives here are full of ups and downs.
So it is pretty cold now. It snowed almost everyday, and it gets pretty cold.  The wind is the worst...ohhh, the wind.  It's pretty awful. But good thing I like to wear at least 3 layers and sometimes put hand warmers in my boots! Oh big news for all russian speakers, the first presidency of the church sent us an email saying that they just finished the Triple Combo for scriptures in Russian, and a new copy of the Book of Mormon.  YES!!!  we are all overjoyed.  The copy of the BOM we have right now isn't all correct with grammar and doesn't get the meaning across sometimes.  So we are very happy about that.  It has been a long time coming. they have triple combos in ukranian and armenian..but russian has taken awhile haha.  but everything is good here.  Missionary work and being a missionary is just a whirlwhind of emotions constantly.  It has been the lonliest, best, happiest, most depressing, hardest, and most rewarding 5 months of my life haha.  We are here to "invite people to come unto Christ" and that is what we do.  Whether we are contacting, meeting with investigators, less actives, members, and acquaintances, it is what we do. We try to always remember who we represent and the work that we have been called to do.  Russian is definitely the hardest thing I have ever attempted to do, but it is slowly coming along and I feel like I am speaking better and understanding more.  Sometimes its hard to convey how I feel about the gospel even in english, and sometimes in Russian it is nearly impossible.  Good thing we have the spirit haha.  Well i love you all, the work is hard and great, and i am surviving the winter thus far.  Everyone says its supposed to be "spring" this week and all the snow will melt but who knows haha.  Well the gospel is true, the work is moving forward, and we are happy.  I love you all, you are always in my prayers, and I thank you for your support and prayers.  LOVE,

cectpa demille