Small Branches Are Special

Well another week is gone and it's been an interesting one that is for sure! Sounds like you all had a wonderful Spring break! By the pictures I saw (got me super duper way trunky….ha if you'd of had Amber there you'd of had all my favorite things ever in one place! Chinese food, Temples, Rock Climbing, My Family, Running, Swimming, and Playing on Rocks! So Yeah! I will be looking forward to next Spring break that is for sure. But don't you worry, I'm not getting distracted from what I'm doing here . This week was a very busy and it was full of traveling missionary work, trying to help our missionaries, and sleeping on trains. Llast week after we finished our ZLC we got all of the rest of our projects finished including designing and developing our trainings for our missionaries and all that stuff. We also got to meet with our investigator family from Armenia. They are wonderful, they read, they pray, the little girls always have questions about things that they've read. It's amazing to watch their faith/testimonies grow in the gospel. I've am so happy that I've had the opportunity to teach people about the Gospel of Christ and to help them to come closer to him. It' really is the best work in the world! Friday night we were suppose to get picked up by President Gushin and then pick up President and Sister Trejo, then get to the Train station to take a night train to a small city called Novokuznesk. Our meeting went a little long and we ended up being a tad bit late picking up the Trejo's but we made it on time! Elder Rupper and I ran quick and held the train for them and we took the overnight trip to Novokuzz (as we call it). I was always so excited about riding on trains across Siberia (the novelty has worn off ;) Not really loving trains. It was hot, a little gross and dark, and the window didn't open. Plus the fact that I woke up every time the train stopped. However, it was only an 8 hour ride so we got in around 5:30 and took a taxi to the Elders apartment where we rested and then got ready and went to our Zone Conference. Zone Conference there went very well actually. Elder Rupper and I focused on teaching how to use our studies more effectively, by using role play and practicing teaching lessons before you actually teach. As well as, about how to find the people the Lord has prepared for us. After we taught them a little bit about it we went out and practiced on the street for a half hour. Our big focus is on asking inspired questions, listening to people, and then teaching according to their needs. It's really interesting how it's been working out we had some experiences asking people about their families and we got some people who really were pretty interested in our message. Then on Sunday in Novokuzz we had 2 baptisms which was way nifty (I realize that I say awesome a lot so I'm going to try and switch things up a bit). One of which was a young single mother whose son will be getting baptized in the end of the month, and the other was a 73 year-old man named Yuri Ivanovich. It may not seem very old for us as Americans to be in our 70's but here in Russia if you are a man and you live to be over 60 it's a miracle (seriously). He's a great man, I had the opportunity to be on a meeting with him and to talk to him before his baptism. He was so excited that because he was getting married that he could be with his wife again. The gospel really is the best thing in the world. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ we have the opportunity to be together forever and to be with our families and those we love for eternity. I'm so glad I can be together with my family. The branch in Novokuzz is very small and as a matter of fact, the branch president is a missionary. We rent out an old salon (we call it the Salon of Salvation) and for baptisms we have to rent out a pool that we use as a font. Right before the baptisms we realized that the water was way too deep. Ha it was about up to your neck if you're short like me. So we tried to figure out how they could do it without just being under water the whole time and Yuri Ivanovich, who was standing on the ladder jumps into the pool, and starts swimming around the pool in his white suit! It was so funny, the Elder trying to baptize him was following him around trying to get him to stop. I was laughing way too hard. In the end he settled down and we had the baptisms. Later that night we left Novokuzz and went back to Novosibirsk. It was a great weekend. I really like those little branches, there's just a special Дух there. We'll thats about it for my week! This week we'll be going on a special assignment up to Tomsk for a few days ( I'm just a little excited to go to my mission "birth city" :) ) and then to Kemerovo to make sure that they can watch General Conference. So hopefully I'll get to watch general conference. I'm looking forward to hearing the words of the prophets! This'll be my second to last General Conference before I am watching them from the comfort of my own couch! So yeah! Have a great week! Keep being the amazing people you are! I love you. жив СИЛЬНО Старейшина Иборн Mom & Dad - Hey :) Thanks for the updates I'm super jealous that you all got to run a race together! When I get home and after I get back into shape we're all going to go on family running days. Way to go getting 3rd Dad and Tanner. I love you guys!