"Treek or Treet"

Hey everyone!!!

Thanks for all the GREAT letters 8) I'm not sure exactly why but I am in a great mood (not that that is a rare occurrence or anything). Maybe it's because we had a great meeting with Nastia last night (more on that later) or maybe cause I straightened my hair today and it hasn't gotten frizzy yet (I can count the number of times I've been able to do this in the past year and a half on one hand), or maybe cause we're gonna watch the greatest game every played today which always puts me in a good mood, or maybe cause it's just so great to see everyone I love so happy and successful in life and to know the gospel is true! Yes! (I think I set the record for a run-on sentence with that last one.)

Well anyway life is good here in Rostov. We got two of mom's packages this last week- the Halloween and one Thanksgiving and that put us in SUCH a great mood! (My comp is feeling very lucky that she'll be with me for Thanksgiving 8) but seriously it was amazing thank you!!!!

It was great cause we got the package the day of the Halloween party (yea we had it on the 8th- the Russians didn't know any better 8) and the candy was perfect cause we did trick or treating where they had to knock on the different doors of the branch and we gave them candy after they said: "treek or treet" in their cute accents. There were balloon animals and we had bobbing for apples, the game where you fish for treats over the divider, the game where you feel in the boxes and there's "brains, eyeballs, etc" bean bag toss, I painted a few faces, and an excellent toilet paper mummy race and we finished off the night with limbo. I have tons of pictures and film from it so I'll show it to ya some day. It was way fun and we had a decent turn out so there were plenty of bodies running around and participating -so much fun!

Me and my companion dressed up as the statue of liberty and mother Russia (tallest statue in the world up in Volgograd) and we were friends (hint, hint world) - I was the statue of liberty, our elders dressed up as Jedi knights which was pretty funny. They really enjoyed making the light saber sound as they pulled their broom sticks out of their holsters. It was way fun and Nastia came with her little brother and her son Stas (which is the cutest boy in the world by the way!) so yea it was a hit! And thank you, thank you, thank you, for the pumpkin pie filling and all the spices already to go in baggies -the smell was unbelievable! We can't wait! (and if our elders knew about it they wouldn't be able to either)

Um...what else....We had a meeting with Nastia last night and it went really well. We talked about baptism and the gospel of Jesus Christ and it was really good cause we used her son to help teach her about repentance: if you caught him stealing what would you want him to do, what would you say to him etc, and she really got the point we were making. She also told her mom about the baptism which she was worried she would be against it because Nastia was already baptized in a Baptist church, but apparently the mom said that they might come and see it-that's huge!

I want this family to come so bad and feel the spirit so strong so that they will really start seriously investigating the church, and then all join, and then get sealed in the temple and be an eternal family (the dad would be Elders quorum pres and the mom would be enrichment leader cause she's so crafty), and then Stas will grow up and serve a mission and baptize thousands, and lil Anna will grow up and marry a returned missionary and have an eternal family of her own and it will be a huge chain reaction! Ok ok....coming back down to earth, but please pray for her family that their hearts will be softened and that they will support her in this and come.

It was funny cause we were really stressing-wondering if she was ready etc. and then one of the elders said: "Let me say what I think President would say: did you know and understand everything when you were baptized at 8 -I mean, really know? They have the desire and the basic knowledge and that's enough -have to start somewhere" etc. After last night we both really felt the spirit while we were talking with Nastia and our worries have seemed to evaporate and we really feel that God wants her to be baptized and not sometime but now, and she wants it and that equals: 8)

So anywho, that's great about the proposition number 8 thing. An elder from California just mentioned it while he was reading his mail and was excited. I didn't know what it was proposing but that is great.

I can NOT (and if I could change the font on this and give it a dash of color I would) believe that Sabrina is 2!!!!!!!!!!!!! What?! Wasn't she just.....like.....BORN?! She looked so cute and grown up in her new bday dress-sheesh, the kid's got more style than me for crying out loud (which actually isn't a difficult feat at this point). But yea congrats to Brinee. ....um....so it's pretty cold here and we contact every morning from 8-10. What gets you here is the wind. Phew...it's just ridiculous when you get a good blast in the face. It's enough to give you brain freeze (only without the tasty ice cream.) Everyone looked great in their pics!

I heard from President that "mission hopping" won't be allowed (a few of us were wondering if there were uneven number of sisters in other Russian missions if we could go and fill in for a month or two), but it won't be allowed, sadly. It seems more and more that I'm mean't to go right home which is fine with me only I'm sort of leaving half of my heart here in Russia which might be slightly problematic. I love these people so much and will miss hearing this language everyday....I'm gonna find any Russian speaking people in Houston pretty quick -hello neighbors! 8) Though at the same time it's scary cause he'll prolly talk to me and be like....um....you can only speak this well with this many mistakes after a year and a half?! I'll just tell him (in Russian so you guys don't catch it) to tell you that I'm amazing 8)

Well anywho, congrats on the new jobs Mom and Steve-that's fun. 8) Are you only working until Christmas or more than that? It would be fun to go see you at the mall in your lil hat and apron (in my mind you're all wearing hats with open chocolate boxes taped to them).

I love you all and am so grateful for all the times here in Russia-the hard and the good and the opportunity I have had to strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ and hopefully help those around me do the same as well. Keep me informed on any new developments and Steve: I was not impressed by your letter.....o wait, that's because there WASN'T one....interesting how that works hmmmm?

Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts -they are really working and making a difference, keep praying for Nastia. We'll get her in the water and on the path if it's the last thing I do. 8)

Luv,
Cectpa Richards