> Ok to start off thanks for everyone for writing me! it was good to hear from
> everyone and see how they are doing! i miss you guys so much... you have no
> idea! but i am glad to hear that all is going well!
> But other than that thanks for your email! its good to hear things are going
> well.. i am sorry about the black eye, i never got one of those haha except
> in diving. Well the weather is really good here, all the snow is gone! yay!
> and its actually really really hot most days except today, its kinda cloudy.
> Most days i dont even wear a coat except today its a bit cold so i have a
> coat on... You asked about tracting mom... we kinda tract i guess you could
> say that? but mostly its just contacting on buses and on the streets... we
> just talk to everyone wherever we go... except its a lot harder than i
> thought it would be to just talk to people randomly.. so thats one thing we
> are working on as a companionship... most of the time when i start talking
> to people they just laugh because they either dont understand me, i have
> said something not right.. or just cause i am american... there arent many
> americans around here... haha i think the missionaries and thats all! haha
> you asked about the missionaries around here... we live about 20 minute walk> from the senior couple the alands and i love them! we basically see them
everyday and then we just have 4 elders here.. so all in all... 8
> missionaries in tomck right now. we actually cover the whole city so its
pretty cool being sisters here.. it is hard though because its really just
me and my companion.. no other sisters... and sometimes i just feel alone
because shes russian.. and shes great dont get me wrong i love her.. but we
dont agree on some things and the cultural differences are hard sometimes...
so i like talking with sister aland because i just feel like she understands
me... I never thought that would be a problem but being raised in different
>countries really makes a difference... anyway.. mom keep up the good work!
>im glad you are having people help make hairbows! that should be great! and
>good job on the missionary work too... our work as missionaries should never
>stop, we should always be looking for ways to serve and share the gospel..
>what did they say in conference? something along the lines of "you should
>always be teaching and sharing the gospel, and if needs be, use words" so
>basically we need to be doing missionary work through our deeds.. and you> are a great example of that by the way you always are willing to give what
you have.. you always got mad at me for not charging that much for hair but
you do the same for everyone and its because its a way we can serve... and
ya its kinda crazy to think that there is only one branch here in tomsk
right now... just ont and only like 50 memmbers come... its gunna be crazy
in 20 years,... if we baptize people or help in their conversion to see the
> church grow here in novosibirsk! i know that not that long ago places like
brazil and mexico were just like russia... no that many members... i am
> hoping in no time at all.. russia will grow like that too!!! i can only do
all i can as a missionary and let the lord soften their hearts! i love you
> mom! thanks for everything!
Oh! by the way... i think i have like 8 dollars in my account... haha i need
> like 30 i think so i dont get charged... so hopefully you can put more in
there.. and if possible.. just put extra when you can so if i need anything
during the week i dont have to worry about how much is in there and wait
till p day to ask you? i am sorry... life is crazy being a missionary!
dad! it sounds like fishing was fun! we actually went again to the forrest
and made a bonfire for family home evening too! The senior couple here, the
alands are great. Elder aland is a fisherman and hunter too and he tells me
about his stories so i tell him about yours and he says he wants to trade
you a trip up in the utah mountains to this place where you can catch 80
trout an hour for one of your mexico trips! haha i told him you guys could
be friends when they got home... and that sam would have to go too.. haha so
maybe you guys can go when they get back!
THe weather is great dad, you will be happy to know i am not freexzing but
really hot!! And the food here... i havent really tried anything i dont
like... they have this salads that they eat, and its like BRIGHT pink.. and
its either cabbage and beats or something.. i dont know.. but i stay away
from the pink salad.. other than that i think you would love the food here
dad.. its seriously sooooo good! i cant explain what we have but most of the
time its like meat or mashes potatoes wrapped in some sort of dough... then
we have salad but not salad.. its like a bunch of stuff tossed in
mayonaise.. Russians LOVE mayonaise.. its gross actually how much they love> it.. haha and theres a whole bunch of rice stuff thats not rice and they put
meat and veggies in it... its all really good.. we get fed by members
sometimes so its pretty cool... the only thing that i dont really like are
the sweets here... their cakes and stuff arent the best.. just not sweet
enough. its almost just like bread.. which isnt bad because the bread here
is of course amazing! And then they have thje bleenees you get on the
streets.. they are like flat pancakes and they put all sorts of stuff in
them! haha and then the dairy is all like whole milk.. like some yogurt you
can buy.. usually the yogurt i would say is like 2% in america right? here..
you can get 17% hahaha its like 300 calories in a little tiny thing.. its
like pure fat! hahah we did have hot dogs at our fire and we cooked sausage
there too and thats good.. but we just eat them with bread because theres no
buns here! haha Anyways.. thats the food.. i wish i could send some to you..
OH! the juice is amazing too... thats another thing thats way better!!
Anyway.. gainer seems like hes still so funny! haha he is just a little
manipulator! its because hes so spoiled! haha grandma and grandpa give him
what he wants! haha he will be so old when i get home! so weird! well dad, it seems like you are doing good too! i hope work is well and that you can
get enough fishing in... i love you and i appreciate your letters and
everything. Everyone told me you did an awesome job at the baptism and
stuff... i am proud of you i wish i could have been there! i love you dad
and look forward to your email next week!
Jess! thanks for the email!!!! its good to hear from you and how your trip
was. i am glad you got to be there for grandpa and gracie! its weird to
think if you werent there it would have only been mom dad and rach.. usually
i am there ... we know gary was there in spirit too.. i think he wouldnt
have missed that moment! i am glad you got to take neil! hows he doing? hows
your family too? are the boys so big?? i cant believe they are so old.. dean
will be 5 soon right? so weird! i hope sam is doing well and all is good
with the family and the job!! i love you jess and i am thankful for you and
your example to me... its crazy because we only have like 2 families in our
ward.. that or the rest arent active.. so its good to tell people i have a
sister with 4 boys and she goes to church every week! haha its possible!! we
know it! so thanks again! i love you and thanks for the email! keep on being
a great mom! you will soon be getting emails from your boys when they serve
missions!
Grandma!! thanks soooo much for the pictures!!!! i started crying! its so
great to see that... i am so happy that that day happened.. i just cant
believe it..its such a great feeling to see all these changes! grandma you
are so great! I am so excited to come home and see our family and be able to
go through the temple and see the results.. by the way did you find out how
that works? you guys will be sealed but will mom be sealed to you too? I
love you grandpa and i love getting your letters and pictures! thanks for
everything!!
OK! i hope i answered everyones questions! thanks for writing me.. its good> to hear from you guys and see the changes in you too... i hope you guys are> reading and going to the temple and doing all you can! i will keep asking
you so i hope you are! mom dad family..... if you want i can read the book
of mormon with you? like every week we can read 5 chapters and discuss them?
that could be cool and we could grow from that too? tell me what you think?
Ok this week was pretty busy!!!
We met with zanieeda and we taught her about baptism but then.. at the end..
she said she was leaving and we couldnt meet with her till june? russian
people are so weird.. seriously... haha but hopefully she thinks about what
we said cause she says she wants the holy ghost so hopefully her heart can
be softened soon...
Then we have a new investigator... ina..and she is like the golden
investigator.. we found her on the street and she just wanted to know more
right away and we went to her house the very next day and have taught her 2
times already adn she says she will come to church! hah sister and i want to
know what the catch is? cause this never happens! hahaha but we can just
pray and maybe she is just ready! she has a family... a husband and 2 sons..
so we will see!! Then on saturday we made flowers mom! you would be so proud to see! we had
about 15 people there which was a really good turn out and they loved them
so much we are doing them this saturday too! hopefully we will have more
people there!! we actually got an investigator out of it kinda too.. so it
was a huge success! alll because of you mom.. so you are actually doing
missionary work in russia too!!!!
then monday we went to fhe and had a bonfire out in the forrest too.. we
crossed that way old cemetary too! i have pics i need to send its just so
hard on the computer i will figure it out sometime though i am sending a
disc soon! anyway we went and then we ended up leaving way later then we
thought we would and sister and i left our clothes at the branch so we had
to borrow elder alands keys and he actually gave us the wrong key so they
had to come get it cause it was the key to their apartment then we had to
call a taxi cause it was already 1030 which is an hour later than we have to
be home.. and when we got in the taxi it was BLASTING beyonce! haha i just
felt like the worst most disobedient missionary ever.... but we repented..
haha it will never hapen again! but man it was funny... me sister aland and
elder aland we all thee squished in the back of this itsy bitsy taxi and we
were all dying laughig at how the situation turned out... man its crazy
being a missionary..> Then i did more hair... i did it for this ladies sister in our ward.. she
actually hates missionaries so it was amazing she actually let me do it..
and we prayed with her too.. so it was a good service to do because now she
knows that missioanries arent that bad.. that we are slightly normal hahaha
Anyway.. today we are actually getting subway and going to a park with all
the missionaries! i am excited! but i have to write my mission president!
THanks for the emails!!!! i love you guys!
know i love my mission, and even though its soooo hard! i wouldnt trade it
for anything! the church is true! it really is! i was reading in jacob 5
today about the olive tree and at the end in like 70 when it says there were
few servants but in the end when they were dilligent and kept the
> commandments, the fruit they produced would bring them joy! read it cause i
know thats how missionaries can be! if we are dilligent the fruit we produce
will bring us joy! i love my mission!!
Oh! ps! HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PICTURES FOR ME! and i know you guys get to call on mothers day so like 2 1/2 weeksss! yay!!
and then i have my visa trip to finland may 12th! yay!!!
> ok i love you guys!
ps! happy birthday brooke and court! sorry its late!!!! i love you guys i
hope that you love being 22!!!! ahhh!
ASHTON! HAPPY WEDDING SOOOOON!!!!!! i wish i could be there,... i better be
there in spirit! i love you sooo much!!!!
love... sister west!!!
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