A Lot of Work to Do

Sounds like you guys already know about Elder Carr, he's a stud, I love him to death. The first day we were together he caught a pigeon and asked what it was called and stopped every person he saw and then would say, '' uhh.." and turn to me. His Russian is very good for just getting here. He loves to stop people and ask them if they've surfed and then shows them his pictures and says, " the only thing that makes me happier than surfing is the gospel". I have no doubt he's goint to be an amazing missionary.

So Thursday last week Elder Carr and I loaded up all of our stuff on to a bus and headed off to Kemerovo, we had no phone, no nothing ha just the address of our apartment and the keys to the branch. I wasn't to worried I figured we'd figure it out on the way, but we ended up getting into a conversation with a man on the bus about the gospel and in the space of 5 hours were able to teach him basically all the missionary lessons Elder Carr was stoked. We pulled into the bus station switched numbers and he took off. We're hoping to meet with him this week some time. Our Visa registrar met us at the bus station to our surprise and helped us get everything taken care of and even took us to get some groceries for the next few days. Elder Carr crashed as soon as his head hit the bed. I sure remember how that felt. Elder Lambson and I  also shotgunned and area but didn't open a city. I laid awake most of the night just wrestling with my thoughts and trying to figure out what we need to do, where we need to start, and how is the best way to help this city explode with the gospel.

We were able to take care of all of the things we needed and get our apartment in order and then hit the streets we set up a meeting with President Filapov who is the branch president here.  He's a good guy, has a strong testimony, is worthy to be the the branch president and he's ready to work. Sunday we came an hour early for presidency meeting to discuss the members and how to help those we need to and got ready for sacrament meeting. I sat and studied my scriptures and these verses from Mormon 6 kept popping in to my head. So I opened up and read verses 17-20.

17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!
18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I amourn your loss.
19 O ye afair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have bfallen!
20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.

I thought to myself why did I think of those verses? They're all sad and not very happy. Then 11 o clock came around. and the only people in sacrament meeting were President Filapov, Elder Carr, and myself. President Filapov just kind of put his head down and didn't know what to do. I told him President if no one comes let's partake of the sacrament, and then I have some thought's I'd like to share. 20 minutes later it was still just us. So I blessed and Elder carr passed the sacrament to the 3 of us the I opened up my scriptures and read those verses that had pressed on my mind. In a city of half a million people, only 3 partook of the sacrament this Sunday  We have a lot of work to do and I am grateful the Lord is with us to do it.

Keep us and the people in Russia in your prayers
I love you guys,

liveSTRONG
Elder Eborn