Dear parents of the greatest missionaries in the world,
Some of you have asked about how the Russia/Georgia war has affected us. As you know, we are in the Russian mission closest to Georgia, but generally there has been very little disruption to missionary work in our mission. However, in the neighboring mission of Armenia which takes in Georgia, the missionaries were evacuated to Yerevan, Armenia. They may be returning within several weeks if things stabilize. This includes a missionary couple who were in our mission for about one year before being re-assigned to Georgia before the war broke out.
Right now, the only negatives for our missionaries are a few things President Bush said in support of Georgia that don't sit too well with some of the Russians. So far none or our missionaries have been harassed very much, except for a few isolated verbal threats. As a precaution, and at the advice of the US Embassy in Russia and our Area Presidency, we are temporarily pulling missionaries out of a city that is close to the conflict (Stavropol), even though they were not in any immediate danger, and there were no reported threats upon our missionaries working in that city. The missionaries serving there will be re-assigned to other areas in the mission.
It is different watching the news on TV here (the new stations are owned by the government). It is very one sided, and makes Georgia look like the total bad guy. Watching bits and pieces of the Olympics is also interesting. Russia is understandably highlighted, and there is very little coverage of any person or team unless they are in an event with Russia. We have seen several events that we didn't even know existed in the Olympics.
Speaking of Olympics, it will be interesting to see how this conflict will affect the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi.
Thank you for your continued support of your missionary.
Love,
Elder & Sister Cameron
PS, we will go home on Sept 2nd, and report to our home ward in Las Vegas on Sept 14th. We are going to miss working with these excellent missionaries, but look forward to seeing our family again, especially our granddaughter (only grandchild so far) who was born the day we got out of the MTC. (We got special permission to visit with her for a few days before we boarded the plane to Russia.)
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I'm melting ...
Hello everyone!
Sorry for the lateness in my writing but the Internet cafe crashed earlier -only had time to read but not write and now with less than an hour to be home and starting our comp study I'm here writing this to you. See how much I love ya! It is soooo hot here!!! I'm melting -the humidity etc. and we're always outside contacting or knocking.
Well this week started off great. We contacted two girls on the street who we invited on the spot to come look at the church and explain about it and they said yea (crazy huh?). So that was way cool and we taught one of the better lessons on the mission and all because we asked a lot of questions, really involving them and they seemed to really like it. So we'll see what happens 8) Then we met up with Nastia -we knocked into her family awhile ago and we thought we would have to drop her soon cause she wasn't progressing. But she said that she read in the book of Mormon at work and prayed to understand it better and that it worked and that she wants to be baptized! We were shocked of course but so happy so we will have to teach her everything and will hopefully be meeting with her as much as her work allows. She even said she knows that if she prays the Lord will help her.
I've really learned a lot about the importance of goals and planning this week. We've really taken a long look at how we plan our days and have really broken it down to every hour with goals and activities and it's amazing how much faster the day goes and how much easier it is to focus on the work rather than one big lump goal for the day. I know I know, duh! But I just figured this out. So yea, everything is going great with the work.
It was great to get all of your letters and pictures. It was fun to look down memory lane a little. Oh yea, and mom: of course I would love to watch the different football games! What else will I have to do when I'm home?! Haha, of course I don't know if I'll wanna watch the ones the ones we lost but we'll see 8) Steve- keep me updated with what's new etc, and how band is going etc.
Um ...Amanda and Devin -you are both putting up a very weak fight for most letters sent to me, the judges are not impressed 8) Write with any cool news! Carrie and Brett: Congratulations!!!! It was so great to see your pictures 8) Sara, I'm very proud to think that you are in Texas and going to honky tonks ....I can honestly say I've never been ....and I've lived there 10 years .....ahem!
I'm loving this work more and more and am so grateful to see the Lord's hand helping me become a better missionary. He has a lot to help me with 8) but I know it would be impossible without Him. It's crazy to think that Andrea is going home at Thanksgiving ....that's sooooo soon! I'm grateful that I will have a little longer out here, but seriously the time is flying and I'm not sure what to do about it except to not think about it and work. I love you all.
Cectpa Richards
P.S. No mom, I'm not too thin. I'm eating plenty and if anything I could stand to be a little thinner 8)
Sorry for the lateness in my writing but the Internet cafe crashed earlier -only had time to read but not write and now with less than an hour to be home and starting our comp study I'm here writing this to you. See how much I love ya! It is soooo hot here!!! I'm melting -the humidity etc. and we're always outside contacting or knocking.
Well this week started off great. We contacted two girls on the street who we invited on the spot to come look at the church and explain about it and they said yea (crazy huh?). So that was way cool and we taught one of the better lessons on the mission and all because we asked a lot of questions, really involving them and they seemed to really like it. So we'll see what happens 8) Then we met up with Nastia -we knocked into her family awhile ago and we thought we would have to drop her soon cause she wasn't progressing. But she said that she read in the book of Mormon at work and prayed to understand it better and that it worked and that she wants to be baptized! We were shocked of course but so happy so we will have to teach her everything and will hopefully be meeting with her as much as her work allows. She even said she knows that if she prays the Lord will help her.
I've really learned a lot about the importance of goals and planning this week. We've really taken a long look at how we plan our days and have really broken it down to every hour with goals and activities and it's amazing how much faster the day goes and how much easier it is to focus on the work rather than one big lump goal for the day. I know I know, duh! But I just figured this out. So yea, everything is going great with the work.
It was great to get all of your letters and pictures. It was fun to look down memory lane a little. Oh yea, and mom: of course I would love to watch the different football games! What else will I have to do when I'm home?! Haha, of course I don't know if I'll wanna watch the ones the ones we lost but we'll see 8) Steve- keep me updated with what's new etc, and how band is going etc.
Um ...Amanda and Devin -you are both putting up a very weak fight for most letters sent to me, the judges are not impressed 8) Write with any cool news! Carrie and Brett: Congratulations!!!! It was so great to see your pictures 8) Sara, I'm very proud to think that you are in Texas and going to honky tonks ....I can honestly say I've never been ....and I've lived there 10 years .....ahem!
I'm loving this work more and more and am so grateful to see the Lord's hand helping me become a better missionary. He has a lot to help me with 8) but I know it would be impossible without Him. It's crazy to think that Andrea is going home at Thanksgiving ....that's sooooo soon! I'm grateful that I will have a little longer out here, but seriously the time is flying and I'm not sure what to do about it except to not think about it and work. I love you all.
Cectpa Richards
P.S. No mom, I'm not too thin. I'm eating plenty and if anything I could stand to be a little thinner 8)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Update
For those of you who might be concerned with the recent fighting in Georgia, I am posting the email I received this morning from the couple serving in the Rostov mission office.
Our mission and our missionaries are fine and safe. Our mission has not been affected by the fighting at this point. The missionaries from the Armenian mission who were serving in Georgia were all evacuated safely last Saturday evening and are currently serving in Armenia. None of our missionaries have been moved, nor is it felt that we are in any danger. We will certainly let you know if the situation changes. Our office processes visas on a weekly basis. There is always some group which is coming or going. We have not heard that Russia is refusing visas, so any rumors to the contrary are not true. If there comes a time when our missionaries must leave, they will finish their missions in another mission. Thank you for letting your wonderful daughter serve with us. She's a great missionary.
sister Cameron
Our mission and our missionaries are fine and safe. Our mission has not been affected by the fighting at this point. The missionaries from the Armenian mission who were serving in Georgia were all evacuated safely last Saturday evening and are currently serving in Armenia. None of our missionaries have been moved, nor is it felt that we are in any danger. We will certainly let you know if the situation changes. Our office processes visas on a weekly basis. There is always some group which is coming or going. We have not heard that Russia is refusing visas, so any rumors to the contrary are not true. If there comes a time when our missionaries must leave, they will finish their missions in another mission. Thank you for letting your wonderful daughter serve with us. She's a great missionary.
sister Cameron
I love mail!
This is a picture of Whitney and her companion Cepta Fourtina taken at a zone conference held on Monday August 11th. (Interesting food!)Hello everyone!
Sorry to say this week prolly won't be as eventful but maybe that's a good thing seeing as the events last week weren't the most uplifting. So my companion left yesterday early (5:30 a.m.) for Prague and the temple visit in Germany (so jealous!) and won't be back til Friday at 3 a.m. I saw her off and was there for my package that was brought in right then. I was so happy! But...just one question....what was with the pink hat Steve???? I mean....it's cool and all but when in the world would I wear it?? It's not warm and it's not "missionary" but thanks for the thought-haha everyone was perplexed by it but elder Mendenhall tried it on and it looked alright so it was appreciated 8)
Um, yea, so I waited for a mini missionary that didn't come so I slept on the president's comfy couch in his office for an hour and then the office elders called Lena (a girl from Taganrog branch) to come be with me which was great because we know each other well and she always helped us missionaries on meetings so she has experience. Today we are prolly gonna get together with the sisters in the north zone and do something.
Yes of course I heard about the war that started in Georgia -always sad to hear about man's reasoning and ways of settling problems -and I mean that in a mankind sense and not a sexist sense 8) As you all know we are not receiving anymore missionaries from America which so far we haven't felt much impact from it but soon prolly will -every transfer when more and more come home but in October we are receiving two missionaries (one being a sister from Ukraine) so they are finding and trickling in for sure. I think it's actually great for the church in Russia because it's demanding more of the members to step it up on the missionary front and helping which is just what they need to gain strong testimonies and will lay a strong foundation for the church in the future here in raising great families etc. and really understand the doctrine and how to LIVE the gospel.
Anywho, thanks soooo much for all the great letters this week! I got emails from Eric and through mom -lots of great news. I'm so excited for Carrie and Brett!!!!!! congrats!!!!!! and happy birthday to Sara!!!!!! and hi to everyone else! (I have also received letters through dear elder from Sara, Amanda, Devin, Jacob, Russ, etc ) They're coming so keep em' coming -thanks so much! Sorry if I don't write much snail mail to you all but I don't have American stamps and no time too so it's hard but it really makes my day when I can hear how all my friends are doing and all is well with you!
There's been a lull in new investigators lately but that's prolly cause we're really trying to focus on the elect. I want those who are ready now and I'm tired of waisting time meeting with people and trying to convince them -if they're not ready, they will be later. I need those who have been prepared by the Lord so hopefully if we show our faith enough and determination he will choose to bless us. I love you all and thank you so much for all your support! I know I am who I am because of each of my friendships with you and the things I've learned from you all!
Cectpa Richards
Monday, August 4, 2008
What's important ...in life
Well hello to everyone!
This letter is guaranteed to be a great tear-jerker, gut buster, and head scratcher because I owe you all that much from the embarrassment of last weeks letter 8) AND I'm on a well greased key board (no, it's really greasy) so no sticky keys to hold me up from my amazing blur of 65 words per minute.
So....as of last weeks experience....So we knocked into this girl who was about our age- she was way sweet and invited us in to chat and her mom was sitting at a table outside under the shade of their patio and we just chatted, explained who we were what we were doing and taught the restoration and gave her a book of Mormon. This girl who was 21 like us had been investigating different churches off and on but had seemed to grow tired of the different weird things in each of them etc. So she was interested to see if this church was different (cue the choir!) So yea, we had a return appointment set-up but because of a conflict with work it didn't pull through so a little time passed by. This girl was really cool and funny -she taught us Russian slang that's popular right now: ice= cool, and jest (with a soft j)= bad. Anyway, we really liked her and were excited for her to come and see all the cool young members etc here.
Finally we called her and set up an appointment for the next day to stop by. We stopped by after finally remembering where she lived and her younger brother answered the door and said come on in, why are you knocking?! Then we came in and sat down with her mom. Right away I knew something was off cause her mom seemed really out of it/upset. She said that her daughter wasn't there -had gone into work. It seemed like there had to be something more wrong if she was so sad so I asked what happened. She said that her daughter had gathered all her money and things and left the day before. Apparently this had happened periodically as she was growing up -would leave and live on the streets/be with friends and just recently her mom found out that she had been a prostitute and had prolly returned to this lifestyle. Needless to say we were stunned (well ...I was, my comp didn't catch the part about prostitution). It was as if I had heard she had died in some tragic accident. I could only think about how cool she was, how sweet and how much potential she had and STILL has. So yea....pretty solemn visit with the mom.
Her mom talked about how she was soooo hurt by this and so embarrassed for her daughter and ashamed. She talked about how she had no hope for her daughter, no hope that she would ever straighten up and change. She talked about how after our first visit her daughter looked at her and said: "Oh mama, they are such good girls, so beautiful, and clean/modest and happy." and then said that she was going to read in the Book of Mormon. (Her mom encouraged her thinking she could start hoping her daughter would find something here in this church to change her.) And then this happened.
Honestly sitting here right now it's hard not to cry just thinking about it and the situation. Everything becomes more sharper when you're a missionary. Your joys, your pains and your sadness. I've never been so saddened because of sin in others -and not because I'm thinking: sad, they sinned; but because I'm thinking of how UNBELIEVABLY EASY it is for them to turn around and come back into their Father's arms. And the huge lie that Satan tells us -probably the biggest lie in all of history: that we can't repent. We can't change, it's too hard, just give up, just keep on going like you are -it's not bad, we're all doing it etc. I really realized my unshakable hope and faith in the atonement on this day. Listening to her mom talk about how there is no hope for her daughter. There was a voice inside that just sat up and said: NO. That's not true! There is ALWAYS hope -ALWAYS! And I told her that. I told her how we can always come back no matter how far we've strayed in life, no matter how old we are, tired we are, undeserving we are -we can ALWAYS come back and God and Jesus are ALWAYS waiting for us with open arms -it is never too late and it's always possible and there is always hope.
I just marveled at this hope that I felt within me for her - she's had a good experience with the church, she's seen the results that can be had: clean happiness and she has our information and the book of Mormon -I just hope she realizes sooner than later that she can leave this troubled life on the streets and find a building with that beautiful plaque on it and come home -she can always come home, it's waiting for her, she's just in her own way right now. I love her and I don't hardly know her and yet I have all the hope in the world for her -I try to pray for her every night where ever she is. So yea....that was my experience.
Also while walking on the streets last week there was a crowd of people and we didn't know why but as we worked our way through we saw a body of an older woman (50-60s) just laying spread eagle. It took a minute to realize that she had died -I'm not sure how, had to have been natural cause she was on the sidewalk but the sadness of it really hit me - as I took in her nice outfit, well done nails which were now being buzzed around by flies -but it was strange because the sadness I felt was for a different reason ...it wasn't because she had died -of course I was sad for her family and the loss they would soon be experiencing but it was because she probably hadn't done everything she should have in life -prolly hadn't heard the restored gospel, been baptized, had that eternal vision of what was awaiting her, so that everything was in order.
I wanted so strongly to find her family and tell them where she was and how they could be together again. This life is so fleeting, so short, and so all important. Really understanding and seeing the eternal purposes behind everything is what gives it so much meaning -because, without it, without that understanding of who we are and why we are here, it's all really just....pointless....momentary pleasures and suffering, with empty fashions and just objects that we place all around us to make us feel like we did something, that we have purpose and meaning in our lives: No, life is great, I have a car ....I'm a car owner -like we use it all to give ourselves titles/identity but when you think of who we really are and how pale all of this stuff is in comparison it's pretty ridiculous.
That's what we're really doing here -just reminding people of who they are and why they're here, and how they can get back. Anywho ...sorry for the way long and deep stuff but just some stuff I've been coming to terms with and thinking about lately. We had transfers today-Monday, p-day and I'm hoping to get your package today mom! Um...we're still together which is great, still have so much to accomplish together. We have one girl who we want to help progress but her work schedule is always in the way -so hard to tell people to just have faith and find work that allows them to be there on Sunday, so hard ....but so worth it. The trick is helping them see that.
Well I love you all and sorry there wasn't as many laughs in this one -I forgot all the funny stuff that happened 8)
Luv ya,
Cectpa Richards
P.S. Steve- thanks for the mail! and don't worry -I'm always careful and nothing is going to happen, the Lord is looking out for us -luv ya! (I looked Russian in your dream? cool! What does that mean??)
P.S.S. O yea, and dad -I talked to president and he said that I'm prolly definitely staying an extra transfer so it will be around the middle of march when I'm done but if you REALLY need a date because you're using flyer miles or something and need to buy early let me know and I'll talk to him again but normally he said that if you wait a little longer the price always goes down before going back up right at the end. He also joked with me that I could go home with him and his wife in July -I was like: "Are you kidding me?!" with a big grin and then he said: "Yes, I am." I was so mad! I threatened to never bring him cookies again (Yea, I def learned the art of bribery while here in Russia 8) anywho, luv ya all!
This letter is guaranteed to be a great tear-jerker, gut buster, and head scratcher because I owe you all that much from the embarrassment of last weeks letter 8) AND I'm on a well greased key board (no, it's really greasy) so no sticky keys to hold me up from my amazing blur of 65 words per minute.
So....as of last weeks experience....So we knocked into this girl who was about our age- she was way sweet and invited us in to chat and her mom was sitting at a table outside under the shade of their patio and we just chatted, explained who we were what we were doing and taught the restoration and gave her a book of Mormon. This girl who was 21 like us had been investigating different churches off and on but had seemed to grow tired of the different weird things in each of them etc. So she was interested to see if this church was different (cue the choir!) So yea, we had a return appointment set-up but because of a conflict with work it didn't pull through so a little time passed by. This girl was really cool and funny -she taught us Russian slang that's popular right now: ice= cool, and jest (with a soft j)= bad. Anyway, we really liked her and were excited for her to come and see all the cool young members etc here.
Finally we called her and set up an appointment for the next day to stop by. We stopped by after finally remembering where she lived and her younger brother answered the door and said come on in, why are you knocking?! Then we came in and sat down with her mom. Right away I knew something was off cause her mom seemed really out of it/upset. She said that her daughter wasn't there -had gone into work. It seemed like there had to be something more wrong if she was so sad so I asked what happened. She said that her daughter had gathered all her money and things and left the day before. Apparently this had happened periodically as she was growing up -would leave and live on the streets/be with friends and just recently her mom found out that she had been a prostitute and had prolly returned to this lifestyle. Needless to say we were stunned (well ...I was, my comp didn't catch the part about prostitution). It was as if I had heard she had died in some tragic accident. I could only think about how cool she was, how sweet and how much potential she had and STILL has. So yea....pretty solemn visit with the mom.
Her mom talked about how she was soooo hurt by this and so embarrassed for her daughter and ashamed. She talked about how she had no hope for her daughter, no hope that she would ever straighten up and change. She talked about how after our first visit her daughter looked at her and said: "Oh mama, they are such good girls, so beautiful, and clean/modest and happy." and then said that she was going to read in the Book of Mormon. (Her mom encouraged her thinking she could start hoping her daughter would find something here in this church to change her.) And then this happened.
Honestly sitting here right now it's hard not to cry just thinking about it and the situation. Everything becomes more sharper when you're a missionary. Your joys, your pains and your sadness. I've never been so saddened because of sin in others -and not because I'm thinking: sad, they sinned; but because I'm thinking of how UNBELIEVABLY EASY it is for them to turn around and come back into their Father's arms. And the huge lie that Satan tells us -probably the biggest lie in all of history: that we can't repent. We can't change, it's too hard, just give up, just keep on going like you are -it's not bad, we're all doing it etc. I really realized my unshakable hope and faith in the atonement on this day. Listening to her mom talk about how there is no hope for her daughter. There was a voice inside that just sat up and said: NO. That's not true! There is ALWAYS hope -ALWAYS! And I told her that. I told her how we can always come back no matter how far we've strayed in life, no matter how old we are, tired we are, undeserving we are -we can ALWAYS come back and God and Jesus are ALWAYS waiting for us with open arms -it is never too late and it's always possible and there is always hope.
I just marveled at this hope that I felt within me for her - she's had a good experience with the church, she's seen the results that can be had: clean happiness and she has our information and the book of Mormon -I just hope she realizes sooner than later that she can leave this troubled life on the streets and find a building with that beautiful plaque on it and come home -she can always come home, it's waiting for her, she's just in her own way right now. I love her and I don't hardly know her and yet I have all the hope in the world for her -I try to pray for her every night where ever she is. So yea....that was my experience.
Also while walking on the streets last week there was a crowd of people and we didn't know why but as we worked our way through we saw a body of an older woman (50-60s) just laying spread eagle. It took a minute to realize that she had died -I'm not sure how, had to have been natural cause she was on the sidewalk but the sadness of it really hit me - as I took in her nice outfit, well done nails which were now being buzzed around by flies -but it was strange because the sadness I felt was for a different reason ...it wasn't because she had died -of course I was sad for her family and the loss they would soon be experiencing but it was because she probably hadn't done everything she should have in life -prolly hadn't heard the restored gospel, been baptized, had that eternal vision of what was awaiting her, so that everything was in order.
I wanted so strongly to find her family and tell them where she was and how they could be together again. This life is so fleeting, so short, and so all important. Really understanding and seeing the eternal purposes behind everything is what gives it so much meaning -because, without it, without that understanding of who we are and why we are here, it's all really just....pointless....momentary pleasures and suffering, with empty fashions and just objects that we place all around us to make us feel like we did something, that we have purpose and meaning in our lives: No, life is great, I have a car ....I'm a car owner -like we use it all to give ourselves titles/identity but when you think of who we really are and how pale all of this stuff is in comparison it's pretty ridiculous.
That's what we're really doing here -just reminding people of who they are and why they're here, and how they can get back. Anywho ...sorry for the way long and deep stuff but just some stuff I've been coming to terms with and thinking about lately. We had transfers today-Monday, p-day and I'm hoping to get your package today mom! Um...we're still together which is great, still have so much to accomplish together. We have one girl who we want to help progress but her work schedule is always in the way -so hard to tell people to just have faith and find work that allows them to be there on Sunday, so hard ....but so worth it. The trick is helping them see that.
Well I love you all and sorry there wasn't as many laughs in this one -I forgot all the funny stuff that happened 8)
Luv ya,
Cectpa Richards
P.S. Steve- thanks for the mail! and don't worry -I'm always careful and nothing is going to happen, the Lord is looking out for us -luv ya! (I looked Russian in your dream? cool! What does that mean??)
P.S.S. O yea, and dad -I talked to president and he said that I'm prolly definitely staying an extra transfer so it will be around the middle of march when I'm done but if you REALLY need a date because you're using flyer miles or something and need to buy early let me know and I'll talk to him again but normally he said that if you wait a little longer the price always goes down before going back up right at the end. He also joked with me that I could go home with him and his wife in July -I was like: "Are you kidding me?!" with a big grin and then he said: "Yes, I am." I was so mad! I threatened to never bring him cookies again (Yea, I def learned the art of bribery while here in Russia 8) anywho, luv ya all!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
ARRGGHH!!!
Please tell me you got a long email from me!!! If not I'm gonna go cry-literally it was so long and full of funny details and an experience that I had yesterday. I have no time to write today and I put so much effort into that email! ARRGGHH! I HATE email here! Breathe, breathe....sigh, ok so everything is fine and I'll write on Monday I guess-geez! Dad- I don't know that guy-met him last week and heard he was going to Houston for work and gave ya'lls number.
Luv
Yacectpa Richards
Luv
Yacectpa Richards
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The land of Prague
Well hello there....Wow, what a great week of letters! and great pics too which are always so fun!So yes I was in Prague last week. We left early Tuesday morning and flew straight there. We got in at like 9 am Prague time and met our contact (well ok, travel agent) at the airport who showed us our hotel which seemed glorious to us and was nice enough to show us different spots that we might want to hit up. So we checked in and then went to old town Prague and the Charles bridge which is very famous for some reason. (People say you haven't been to Prague until you've been there so I can officially say I've been). We saw tons of old buildings/cathedrals which I took tons of pictures of. I swear I felt like I was in the slides of my humanities class! We got to see a chamber orchestra perform in an old cathedral with amazing acoustics. They performed classics like the Four Seasons, Cannon in D and Ave Maria, it was great!
Also of course it was way fun to see the ol' gang from the MTC. Everyone seems to be doing well though two of the elders are currently serving in the Baltics mission up in Estonia because they had trouble getting an invitation letter this go around so we hope they will all return soon. We thought we'd have more time there but as it turns out we flew back the next morning and got home by three so there ya have it.
Um, I'm not sure why you think I'm with a mini-missionary but it's understandable with my track record, but yea...I'm with Cectpa Fourtina who is a full time missionary. This is her second transfer and she's from Canada and speaks French but knows English too and is great! We love serving together and both have a real desire for the work which is nice. Um....what else, what else.....oh yea, I bought a shirt in Prague which I love and we had to pay for food out of our own pockets for some reason. Normally they give us MSF but this time it was up to us....and Prague is VERY expensive so....any replenishing of the funds would be VERY appreciated 8) (This is to the parents obviously)
Um....So Dad I got your email and don't worry it won't distract me -it still is an eternity away. (At least that's what I tell myself to help me sleep at night!) So I'll try and talk to President when I go to the office today but so you know ...we got an email that says the usual about how it's hard for families to come out, and they know they want to know info to buy tickets at the best prices etc. but because of visa requirements/trips etc. we won't know the end of our mission (if we'll extend or not etc.) until 2 or 3 months before the end of the mission. But like I said I'll try and talk to President today cause he knows I want to extend and with the lack of foreign missionaries coming in I would think it shouldn't be a problem so ...we'll see.
What else, what else....so yea, the family we found is great but they haven't really grasped on to the gospel like we'd have hoped and it's hard to meet with them -all different schedules. Their daughter who is 21 and is just going through a hard divorce has two kids -4 months and 1 1/2 is interested and even is open to baptism. But right now her schedule at work changed and she doesn't think she can make it out on Sundays in the near future. So we're praying really hard for her to be able to talk to someone or change with someone. So please pray for her! We found another mom and her daughter on Monday and a lady yesterday and we're going back to both later this week so we'll see how seriously interested they are.
I've been trying harder lately to have a focused mind throughout the entire day. One thing about the mission is that it is pretty easy to do the physical stuff -go knocking, talk to people around you etc. But the actual hard part is keeping your mind always focused and thinking of something productive whether reviewing memorized verses, vocab, investigators, or anything religious and not letting your mind wander to memories of fun times before the mission or movies coming out etc. But the more I've tried and we've prayed, the better our successes have been and I really see the Lord helping me grow in abilities necessary. But like Mike said -the key is to stay humble and teachable. Sometimes the Russian people definitely help me stay humble, haha! One person will comment on how well I can speak, the next will bluntly tell me that I speak terribly. Or more often than not they will ask why my companion has a clearer accent than me ? (Her native language is French so I guess it's easier to speak clearer to their ears.) So in a way it's a blessing cause it keeps me humble.
Apparently the 4th of August will be our P-day because of transfers (it's a Monday) just so you all know. Well I love you all! ...And I would write a fun story of me romping around the mother land like Russ requested but I'm afraid I'm running out of time so I'll save it for next time.
I love you all!
Cectpa Richards
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