And the work goes on

Hello one and all!

All is well here in team T-rog. Cectpa Malinina has been working with us for the past few weeks and will either go back this week or next but it's been great seeing her and reminiscing-(sp?)

It's been fun because she's been able to see how I've grown and gotten further in what I'm able to do-of course you never really notice how much you are improving etc but apparently there is a difference which is heartening 8) hmmm...it's hard to focus, I'm really hungry (fasting for an investigator who is golden to the core, we've taught everything, she accepts everything but isn't legally married to her husband because he doesn't have visa/documents-the government won't give it to him because if they do they have to pay him a bunch of money because he's a medaled war hero and they naturally don't want to pay him money and also want a bribe which they don't have the money for. So we're fasting for her to receive an answer of what to do-I'm hoping whatever it is it will lead to baptism quickly, tho I don't know if she'll be brave enough to just leave him-been together for a long time....we'll see)

Um, haha thanks for your approval of our lil joke dad-I thought mom would at least mention it but then again she was sick when she wrote the email and wasn't' prolly all there. So far there have been no repercussions (sp? seriously my English is suffering now) though for Women's' Day they came over and made us breakfast and gave us flowers and chocolates-we have a good bunch of elders here. I thought I'd at least get a comment of how cool our axe experience was while knocking-sheesh, tough crowd, haha I'll get a cooler story this week k?...though I may have to die in the process for it to be cooler...maybe a kidnapping...yea, that'll get a comment (haha joking of course)

It looks like in the beginning of April we'll go on another trip to Estonia for new visas-I swear heads in the office are going to roll soon, haha our president is pretty annoyed with all the red tape (understandably) but this time at least it will only be for a day, there and back so no big deal. It's fun cause all of us who were in the MTC and came out together in the field get a little reunion every couple of months 8)

Eric, thanks for the email!! it was way cool to hear about where you are. I dunno, I could prolly use an intensive "listening only" situation-it could really boost my listening comprehension which may be my weakest area right now, understandably. I liked the little comment about the victory over America palace-hahaha, talk about counting your chickens (or is it eggs?)before they've hatched. you'll have to take tons of pics and send them-they'll prolly get here faster than anything from home.

Speaking of things from home, if you haven't already sent my bday package: PEANUT BUTTER M&Ms!!! (it's impossible to get them here, simply not here) I mean, in Rostov you can find peanut butter which is pretty cool, but not this, also yellow cake and chocolate frosting 8) Cakes here, I'm learning, are really pleasing to the eye-they look great but just not very satisfying in the end, shrug. (I think it's cause they don't have the good liquid vanilla-this powdery stuff that's not as good and they don't have brown sugar). Also some batteries would be good-here half the time you get batteries and they're already used and not much juice left in them.

Well I hope mom is feeling better and that Steve hasn't caught whatever she's had cause then she'll catch it again- I know how the chain works. And what was the big news from Steve? you left me hanging buddy-sigh.
what else...

Thanks for the pictures Mike/Jess! they were sooo cute and soooo grown-up looking! wow...I cannot believe how big Gracie is. Poor kids, I understand their pain with all the ear stuff...looks like they are blessed with the same tiny ear canals like me-hopefully they won't have to get tubes like me, ugh but whatever helps right?

Well the work is going good here, we have a couple of potential investigators that we'll see if we can't kick into high gear in the upcoming week. Our English class is going great-our attendance was smaller this past week but we had more fun than we've had so hopefully they'll go tell their friends and get people coming back. We have two baptism dates right now- one a mom of a less active that we've been working towards baptism as well as re inactivating her son-they came to church last week so it's looking good. Also there is a 9 year old boy who's gma is an active member and his mom is inactive-hopefully we'll have the cooperation of the parents and the baptism will go through.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve here and feel so blessed that the Lord trusts me with this important work and responsibility of teaching his children in Russia-and it is DEFINITELY needed here. Satan really is doing a number on people here as far as traditions go-there are some really hardened hearts, and not because they are bad by any means just...have let their traditions become the very chains he uses to stop them from coming to the truth. Sometimes I feel like "the dog who saw a rainbow but none of the other dogs believe me" (who can name that movie? hmm?) But at the same time it's better than if they didn't' have any religious beliefs at all-there's definitely a foundation to work with there, just need to focus on our similarities and trust that the Holy Ghost will teach them the truthfulness of the differences. I love you all and pray for you every day as I know you are praying for me.

Please work with the missionaries wherever you are-give them referrals or at least ask them if they have investigators you can invite over for FHE one week, to teach a lesson or anything like that-it makes such a difference when the branch/ward you are serving in supports and is excited about the work and you know you can count on them. Plus it really increases the likely hood of them getting baptized because they have a real foundation of support in the ward-have friends etc. Seriously one thing I have definitely learned while serving on a mission is how I want to help the missionaries when I go back home-the kind of member I want to be cause I know how hard it is and what a difference it makes. So please do it! pick one Monday out of the month and ask the missionaries if you can offer your home for them to bring an investigator to simply fellowship etc-they'll be so happy I promise! especially since in the states everyone is kinda on their own for FHE-here they have an FHE at the branch for all the people without families-young people etc.

I love you tons!
Cectpa Richards