another week..wow and Happy Easter

Hello family!!!! i am going to start off with my week before i answer
> emails!
> First off, it was a great week i would say.. we had a lot of activities and
> we kept busy!
> After i wrote you last week we went to subway and it was good.. except it
> literally took an hour to get all of our sandwiches! haha not like the
> subways in america.. it tasted pretty much the same though.. then thursday
> we went to our investigators house... Ina, she is doing really well and we
> were hoping she would come to church but she didnt make it.. that makes it
> hard when they dont keep our commitments.. we are working with her and
> smoking and just trying to get her to gain a testimony about the book of
> mormom.. she said he husband was kinda interested too but we have yet to
> meet him. She ha a family so hopefully she can have enough faith to trust us
> and trust her father in heaven...
> then that night we went to the branch building and this bum came in.. he
> usually comes in and asks for food but this time he had some really really
> bad sores on his legs.. sister vasilevskay helped him and we have to get him
> a doctor.. they were things i have never seen before.. its hard because
> there are bums everywhere here and they do it to themselves because they
> drink, but then i just keep thinking that its their addiction and its so
> hard for them to stop.. i wish there were something we could do to help them
> but we cant until they help themselves.. its just so eye opening when you
> see things like that... i feel like im not mature enough to see that... i
> just get really sad.. but its ok, thats why we have this gospel...
> Then on friday, the alands (the older couple here) made us sloppy joes!!! i
> was so happy cause i loves sloppy joes!! it made my day... until the zone
> leaders told me that i had to speak in church on sunday... hahahahaha that
> ruined it! haha no it was ok.. just the fact that i had to plan a 20 minute
> talk, in russian.. in 1 day... so it was interesting..
> then that night, we have this group of mongolian youth here and they taught
> us how to make mongolian food! it was so good dad would have loved it! i
> know how to make it now so we ca do it when i get home... we will have to
> set up 2 weeks when i get home so we can make and eat all the food i learn
> how to make! it was incredible how fast and how easy they made these things
> look.. .they took this dough and filled it with meat and some with mashed
> potatoes and then they closed it with their fingers ( i wish i could
> explain) i will send pictures soon, but they just made it look easy and its
> not! then we deep fried it hahaha... very healthy i know.. but it was
> awesome.. then of course cabbage and carrots and onions.. it was yummy!
> then saturday we had the flower activity again! let me tell you mom, its a
> huge hit here, the women are loving it and they want you to send pictures of
> other flowers you are making... i only did the ones you burn and the ones
> jess taught us how to make and i forget how you do they rest.. but they want
> you to send more pictures of all of the kinds you make and different ideas!
> THen sunday! EASTER! and yes i gave my talk.. sister helped me write it but
> then i got up there and didnt really use it.. it was great though cause i
> could speak russian when i needed too! my russian is coming along and i am
> super happy about it.. but i still have to work hard... its a really really
> hard language...
> then after church the whole branch brought food and we had a huge easter
> meal! all sorts of russian food! it was so yummy... except you should see
> the way they eat in big groups.. they just hover around the table.. like
> nobody sits down and you have to like cram your way through people to get
> food.. and you know how much i HATE like tons a people... (ask my friends..
> they knew i wouldnt stay at parties more than 30 minutes) so its like the
> hardest thing to get food around russians.. then! you would except that a
> meal should take what... an hour to eat then to clean up.. so about 2 hours
> right.. for 70 people to eat? NO! it was over and cleaned up in 45 minutes!
> haha its like unreal here.. haha the culture is soooo differentt! oh! and
> instead of hunting for easter eggs.. the little kids have like a halloween
> type thing on easter.. .but they wake up really early and go to peoples
> houses and knock on the door and when you answer they say "he was
> ressurrected!" and you say something like "yes its true!" and then you give
> them eggs (real eggs) and maybe candy! the earlier they get up the more eggs
> they get... so they start at like 6.. .haha we didnt have anyone come but
> sister was telling me about it.. its kinda different here!
> then monday we have the univerisity come to the branch and they put on this
> little concert.. it was very interesting but cool... a lot of opera
> singers...
> then yesterday... we did service for this lady in the ward who believes in
> reincarnation... haha she thinks she was a french man in her previous life
> who sold wine.. hahaha thats a little taste of russian people.. haha oh man
> i love them.. but anyway we cleaned her windows and then english club! and
> then i learned how to play "we thank thee o god for a prophet" on teh piano
> by sister aland.. it was great!!
> and today we are doing service for this family who are interseted in the
> church.. their daughter sasha got baptized in january.. and they are great..
> i am doing their hair so hopefully it goes well! then its onto another week!
> hopefully we can do well!
> I was reading in mosiah yesterday... mosiah 2 when king benjamin speaks to
> his people and he speaks about service and about how we are eternally
> indebted to our god.. and thats a good chapter if you guys want to do some
> reading this week... it really puts things into perspective.. we constantly
> will owe something to our father in heaven... because we already owe him so
> much for the life he has given us... then everytime we do something good he
> blesses us right? so theres no way to repay him...
> thats how i feel on my mission... there are times when its really hard here,
> when i see things like the bum, or just the way people live, and what they
> have gone through,... and especially members of the church and how they have
> gone through so much to stay strong... and how i feel so weak here.. and how
> my life has been so easy.. and a lot of times i start feeling selfish and
> its hard to stay on a mission being selfish.. but then i read this.. and
> realized how much i truly owe to my heavenly father and how that this year
> and a half of my life is nothing compared to what i owe him.. and then to
> see the blessings that have come into our family already... its just amazing
> to me... its all because of our father in heaven and jesus christ... so i
> think i can bare siberia another year what do you think? haha
> well know that i love you guys so much! more than you know... i miss you so
> much! but guess what! i sent you that email about mothers day calls and i
> will send my number next week and how we can call! i love you so much! I am
> so excited to talk to you!!!!
>
> ASHTON ADAIR!!!!!! HAPPY WEDDING!! I AM THINKING ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME AND
> I HOPE THAT ALL GOES WELL! YOU BETTER SEND MY PICTURES SOON!!
> my dearest friends.. kristin i got your dear elder! and i loved it.. you are
> so great and i am sending a letter when i go to finland! love you!
> and all my other friends! write me you fools! i thought you loved me hello!
> i will try to send a package with trinkets soon ok? love you all!
>