Singing In The Rain

This week has been, well an adventure to say the least ha. Last week after I wrote you all we had all the trainers come in for training. Which went pretty well, I thought. But, it was just the start of my adventure! Because of the fact that they all needed a place to sleep they spent the night at my apartment, and when you have 8 missionaries in an apartment with you it takes some time to get everyone ready in the morning. I had to leave earlier than the rest to make sure that breakfast was covered (I made блины) and so I left my keys with some of the Elders who were still waiting for a shower. I totally forgot about the fact that I didn't have my keys and went through the entire orientation and training and then sent all of the trainers with their new companions on their way's to their cities. Because Elder Stewart had to go to Finland I was on splits with another Elder and we were planning on spending the night at his apartment.

That night around 10 I get a phone call from an Elder who's sitting on a bus on his way to Tomsk... With the keys to my apartment in his hands….Sigh, I just put my head down into my hands and was like “You've got to  be kidding me”. Elder Stewart's in Finland, I have no clothes, not even a toothbrush with me.  We figured out that we had a few options to get the keys back to me. One was to send them in a package on a bus, and the other was to mail them. The Elders in Tomsk chose to mail them back to us, and they got here this morning So I'm looking forward to a clean pair of socks :) We're very grateful that the Elders let us stay with them while we were homeless, but it made for all sorts of fun things! For one, we didn't have keys to their apartment so were subject to when they were going to be home and so on. One night they were out picking up other missionaries who were coming in for a visa trip we stood outside until around 10 pm waiting for them to get home. It was fun, we got drenched when it started to rain but, I loved it :) it was a good way to end the day, plus I got to clean my shirt :)

But all is well, despite that we had an amazing week! We've found a few new investigators, and are still working with Nastya to help her get ready for her baptism on the 15th. We had a meeting with her (it was actually the night of the rain) and we watched Reflections of Christ: Another Testament. It's has some beautiful music and pictures of when Christ was on the Americas. We asked her to just imagine how she would feel if she had the opportunity to be there. At the end of the film, we sat in silence and then asked her, " Nastya, How do you feel right now?" She looked down, then up at us with tears filling her eyes and said, "Elders, I want to go to him". The Spirit in the room was so strong, I felt so blessed that the Lord had blessed us with that experience. It's amazing what he can do. 

 After the meetings while we were standing in the rain, watching the sun go down on the Siberian horizon, I could not help but to think about what had just happened. The week had been hectic, I was tired, wearing the same pair of socks I had been for a week and soaking wet. As I stood there seeing the sun and the clouds and the smell of the fresh rain plus the experience that we had just had with Nastya. I just started to cry.

There are a lot of things that go on in our lives, a lot of distractions, and a lot moments where you just want to scream and run away. But, when you take a second and look back to see where you've come from, and where you are. You start to understand a little bit of what it is exactly that our Father in Heaven wants us to do, to learn, to become. I love my Father in Heaven, and I'm very grateful for opportunity he's given me to serve his children and to represent his Son, Jesus Christ and to help people to come unto him.

President Trejo is flying out this Saturday and we'll be driving out to the airport tomorrow in order to pick up President & Sister Rolfe. No news yet on when the Gibbons will be coming but, we’ll be waiting with anticipation until they get here, so yeah, that's pretty much my week!  Sounds like you all had a pretty good trip to California and back. I'm glad you all made it safely we'll have to have a fun trip when I get back. I'm feeling Havasupai... Have a great week!  I love you guys!

liveSTRONG,
Старейшина Иборн!

Mom & Dad -  Guess we'll have to start thinking of all that college stuff here soon huh?.. Scary thought. I can barely speak English any more ha. This could be interesting. The pictures are me standing in the rain, and the other is the sunset over the train tracks--nuclear pollution sure makes for some pretty sunsets!

The New Mission President

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/61078/Changes-in-mission-president-assignments.html

I Will Do What The Lords Asks of Me

I'll start off by saying Happy Father’s Day! I totally forgot about it, and while we were sitting in Krasnoyarsk; Sister Trejo reminded me.. I also wanted to say молодецы Dad & Uncle Philip--your cannon ball was pretty legit.  My companion and I were laughing pretty hard.

This morning we got to go and pick up the first wave of new missionaries! We sent 8 of our most seasoned and experienced missionaries home and got 5 new ones! One of which I went to high school with  and one of which gets off the plane, reads my name tag and says, " do you know the Houghton’s?" Elder Stewart started to laugh way hard at that. Turns out Am sent his brother something to give to me ha we'll see what it is when he wakes up this afternoon ;). They're a good bunch of Elders who will do awesome I have no doubt.   We've been having to take care of the next transfer which starts in August and we will have 10 new missionaries and another 7 experienced missionaries going home and we are working to figure out who's going to be training, and leading the mission. Usually AP's are only AP's for 2 or 3 transfers. This will be my third transfer here not sure what is in store.   I know it's not important what I want, I'll do what the Lord asks of me; and I'll do the best that I can. We need to figure out what will be best for the mission, I've only got a few transfers left and I want to do all I can. 

I've told you a little about our investigator Nastya (Anastasia) who is golden! Monday when we got home from Krasnoyarsk we got to teach her a little bit about the commandments and help her understand what she needs to do in order to be baptized. We also set a baptismal date with her for the 16th of July, and will be working with her to get her ready. It's funny we don't even really have to teach. We gave her these pamphlets about the Law of Chastity and Word of Wisdom, she read them, called us up asked a few questions and said, "Alright, that makes sense and feels right." Elder Stewart and I basically just are here to answer her questions ha.  It's awesome being able to teach people who the Lord has prepared for the gospel, I've found a few of those elect souls on my mission and it's like they just thirst for more, they don't want our meetings to end and they do everything they are asked. You can see how the gospel really will change the lives of the people it touches. I love being a missionary! 

So I've got some news. We learned last week that President Petersen will not be coming to our mission next week. Due to some complications they have been reassigned to serve in Arkansas. There has been a new mission president assigned, President Gibbons, and do to the fact that he needs Visas and all sorts of fun loops that we have to jump through to get anyone to come to Russia, they will not be coming until end of July mid-August... President Trejo however, will still be leaving in a few weeks. The math adding up we will be mission president-less for a few weeks. President Rolfe from the mission presidency will be presiding for the time being but, that still means that there will be a lot of things that now fall on our shoulders as assistants... So for the next few weeks my life is going to be pretty interesting so be expecting some fun emails!

Well, I guess I'd need to go the new missionaries will be waking up soon and we'll have to get going on their orientation. Thanks for the emails :) You all rock! Have fun were ever you are! I love you all!

живСИЛЬНО

Старейшина Иборн!

PS - The pictures are of me in Krasnoyarsk, I found a Kaibo! Actually they're all over the place in here in Siberia!

Dad - Happy delayed Fathers day! Thanks for being a great Dad, and Friend, Love ya Badger!

Mom- Love ya mommy :)

Amber - Hey missy :) you're quite the cowgirl! you look like you've done that a time or two before lol. Thank you for the package you set last week :). The Reeses' were amazing, but i loved reading your letter :) Tell your family thank you for their letters as well They're awesome! Have a great week Missy!

Grateful to Participate in His Work

Hey everyone!

It's kind of weird how fast time is going. Yesterday we were at the mission home and President and Sister were packing up and getting ready to go home. I was like "wha?!" we actually just got some news about President and Sister Petersen that I'll have to tell you about next week, after everything is allowed to be shared. I can say, that my next transfer just got a whole lot more interesting. Stay tuned.

But yeah, we had a pretty good week last week. We had a good Training and Zone Conference in Tomck. We also got to announce that the cities of Tomck and Barnaul would be becoming part of the Novosibirsk District which is way exciting because it's a step closer to becoming a stake for us! You probably already know, but in Moscow they just created the first Stake in Russia! Pretty exciting if you ask me! One of the Elders serving in Tomck is from Moscow, and when he found out who the stake president was he got a good chuckle out of it saying, "He's one of my friends and not much older than me!" The church is small here in the Mother Land but it's growing! I have no doubt, that soon there will be chapels and temples all over the Siberian landscape! While we were in Tomck I got to see my first recent convert Alexey, I got to watch him bless the sacrament. it made me feel good inside to see that he's still active and is progressing toward the celestial kingdom.

We got home from Tomck late sunday afternoon and were able to meet with our investigator Nastia (short for Anastasia). She's a young girl about 20 years old, and she's golden. We had an amazing meeting with her and some of the other sisters from the branch. The spirit was so strong there as we taught about the Plan of salvation and what our purpose is here on the earth. At the end of the meeting she just sat there smiling and I asked her , "Nastia, how do you feel right now? Do you feel that what we've taught you is true?" She got quiet looked down then back up at me and said with a big smile, "Yes, I believe" The members that were with us, both told her how she was glowing (I am not sure that sounds right in English but it makes sense in Russian). She then began to tell us how her reading, and praying has been making her a different person and how her whole family has noticed the change in her since she started meeting with us. She wants to be baptized by the end of the month and we're going to try and help her be ready for that. It's such a blessing to be able to be a part of this work. To be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and to help to help people. I've had the opportunity to see a few of these moments when people have those "moments of clarity" like dad says, when they finally start to get it. I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father that He's allowed me to participate in his work. Like in Alma 32, Nastia has planted the seed, watered, and cared for it and is now seeing how good it is.

This next weekend, well I guess tomorrow, we're going to be headed up to Krasnoyarsk for the last Zone Conference of this Quarter. It's been an interesting 3 months that's for sure, iIve learned a lot and grown so much, and I guess now it's time to see how far I can push myself with the new changes that are coming at the end of the month I guess Heavenly Father wants to see what I've learned. I guess, I should probably just keep running. Thank you all for your emails. I miss and love you all. I will see you next week!

жив СИЛЬНО
Старейшина Иборн!


Mom & Dad - Looks like you guy's are going to be good grandparents (someday) I will keep that in mind when I need a babysitter in the coming years. Oh, an mom my nose is fine, agreed we will fix it when I get home. (All the broken noses from Wrestling).

Amber - Missy! So I've gotten so use to the whole not getting any mail that I don't even look in the bin any more, but this morning I see a box with pink lettering on it from 1088 E. .... and I jumped almost to the ceiling! :) You're the best :) I don't know how I ever got so lucky as to meet you. Elder Stewart laughed at me as I kind of danced around the office! I miss you, you're the best missy! Have a great week!


Oh! Found a Carl Jr's in Russia!

I Am Not Ready to Tap Out

Hey everyone!

I know you're probably all sick of reading these stinking emails and asking yourselves, "man, doesn't this kid get it already?" But today is Wednesday! Which means you'll have to put up with yet another email from Siberia! muahaha but look at it this way you only have 20 more letters from me...

This week has been quite eventful! We had a zone conference in Barnaul after the major flop that was ZLC. It's funny how the Lord works though, I guess it's like we read in Ether 12.27, he'll show us our weaknesses for us to humble ourselves and then he'll make weak things become strong unto us. I'd been trying really hard to figure out what we needed to do in order to try and help our mission and I think that that ZLC was just what we needed. We (my companion, Pres, and I) were able to follow up with all the ZL's to see how they were handling the whole thing and what they were doing to “raise the bar” in their cities. After some arousing of the troops, I think we were able to help them all see what we need to do, all of us are making personal changes we need in order to do all that the Lord expects of us. But yeah, we got to go to Barnaul and see the missionaries there and spend some time with them and have a zone conference and training with them. I got to see my old comp Elder Hansen who served with me in Tomck (over a year ago) He's a ZL there now and doing great. He's also from Joplin Missouri and his stake center was destroyed in the tornadoes. Sad.

I had an interesting experience being on splits with the elders there. I was with two younger missionaries who have both been out under a year and got to go on a meeting with them. We met with a lady and her daughter who were very nice, but they seemed very aggressive towards one of the elders. They started to verbally attack him как бы. The elders were talking about trusting God and how when we keep the commandments we will always be better off, and these ladies went straight for the throat asking all of these really prying questions that made this young elder look down and feel kind of bad. So, I jumped in. Kind of refocused their questions on me and gave these young elders some time to regroup. I was very grateful that I've had the examples of my parents in my life that I could use (you would have been proud).

After I'd shared my testimony in that way, they stopped their attempts to make the elders look bad and listened to the message that they had to share. It was an interesting experience for me for sure. When we got back from Barnaul I had a letter was on my desk, from Belgium! :) Elder Mueller's not dead yet! It was way funny, he sent me what is called the "Shaffer Pass". In High School our group of friends would pass it back and forth when one of us would do something that was completely awesome. I looked at the pass and smiled then turned it around and read that almost all of us have signed it and sent it to one another. It's been from Minnesota to St Louis to Brussels and now to Novosibirsk! Kind of a cool little thing :) I'm thinking it'll be going back to South America before it gets back to home ha. Danny also wrote a letter with it and made me think about the next few months of my life.

Here is what I am thinking---I have like 6 months left. That's like one toothbrush. (I brought a 4 pack of toothbrushes on my mission and I've got one left..) And I've been thinking a lot about what I've done on my mission and what I've still got a head. I kind of liken it to a wrestling match (like grandpa did) and the first 3 rounds are over. We're going into what really takes all that you've got "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." It'd be easy to give in now and just coast out the rest of my mission saying, "I've done my dues, I've help and baptized people and had a lot of good experiences I can just coast for 6 months and come home and see my family, friends, and Amber and all will be well." But I'm not ready to tap out. "Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." I'm going to do all I can.

Like Dean Karnazes says, "I'm going to come sliding in broadside, bruised, bleeding, and broken exclaiming what a ride" Sorry that's what's on my mind..

We also had a cool meeting with a street contact we had. Her name's Anastasia, she's golden! There really are people here who are ready for our message, you've just got open your mouth and be ready to talk to someone about the gospel. So we're even finding time to do some real missionary work and not just the administrating side of things.

I'd better get going, youre probably sick of reading and I've got go get some medicine, we've figured out that I have a sinus infection who'd of known that 8 months of having congestion problems could be cured! Gotta love modern medicine! I love you guys! Thanks for all you do for me :) I couldn't do it without you!


жив СИЛЬНО
Старейшина Иборн!

папа и мама - Thanks for helping me get where I am. I've learned a lot and been able to help other people thanks to your example and the way you teach/taught us.

Таннер - поздравяаю! молодец такой. я рад что ты мой брат. я горжусь тобой!
тебя люблю!

The Lords Errand

Hey ya'll,


Sorry I didn't write yesterday I had a bad day and didn't want to жаловать. but, everything is cool now . I've calmed down and I am super stoked for a new day! There's been a lot going on the last week so I'll try to give you a glimpse of what I've been up too.

Last week I got to go back to Omck! It was the bomb, it was such a good feeling to go back and to know everyone and see the people I have grown to love so much. I definitely miss that city and those members. We had a really good training and Zone Conference, we taught the missionaries about studies. How important they are as well as how to get the most you can out of your study time, as well as how to find the elect through our own efforts. то есть contacting! Every missionaries favorite pass time! I really enjoy talking to people on the street about the gospel, maybe it's just due to the fact that I've spent so much time in front of campfire audiences and student body’s that I'm really not afraid of stopping and asking someone, "Hey do you believe in Jesus Christ?" The second workshop is definitely a lot more fun at least for me. While we were at church over the weekend in Omck it felt kind of like coming home, it was weird everyone came up to me and were way excited to see me and had me get right back involved with the district presidency like it was when I was there the first time. Elder and Sister Maughan made me stand there and took a look at me Sister Maughan was all up set and asked Sister Trejo, "don't you feed this boy?!" it was fun to see everyone that's for sure, Sunday was the best though… Sergey, Violetta, & Valentina were all there at church :) all the individuals who I have taught and helped get baptized it was so awesome! :) ya know, the entire time I served in Omck, I felt like I didn't accomplish much, like I'd been pushing on a rock that wasn't moving anywhere. But looking back I really can see some of the fruits of my labor :). Sister Valentina invited us over for dinner with the ZL's and so we went and she fed us so much it was ridiculously delicious! I really hope I have the opportunity to go back to Omck again someday.


We got back to Novo and had a lot to do, we had to get ready for ZLC (which was yesterday). Honestly I'd been thinking a lot about what we should do for it how we could help our Zone Leaders in order to make this month “the month” that our mission Raises The Bar on how we do missionary work. After study, fasting, and prayer Elder Stewart and I both realized that what we needed to teach them about “How to receive revelation” for their individual zones and how to make changes to how they are doing missionary work themselves instead of always looking to others. It was kind of the whole personal revelation thing that Elder Dallin H. Oaks talked about once upon a time and honestly it was a very good workshop, I personally felt the spirit guiding me as I opened my mouth and really did feel that I was fulfilling my errand from the Lord. Interesting thing, We as AP's don't really collaborate with President when we prepare for ZLC, we teach for about 40 minutes about what we feel the mission needs and President usually takes the afternoon portion.


This time was interesting, when it was his turn to get up (this being his last ZLC I may add) and tells us to “Raise the Bar here in Novosibirsk, we want to be better, and I want you as a council of ZL's to decide what you'regoing to do. I was shocked because it was just exactly what we had taught this morning, about using council system and receiving our errand from the Lord for what we needed to do. And then he asked us as Assistants not to participate in the council...to let them go he and Sister Trejo leaving the room as well. I sat and hoped and prayed as I watched the council commence.


It didn't go as planned, or as well as President Trejo would have liked. It wasn't the best needless to say, and yesterday I was pretty upset about everything (I really just needed a run to clear my head and to think about what we needed/could to do but, by then the Elder's we're all on trains, planes, and buses to their own cities.

This morning however, while I was studying in the Book of Mormon, I read about Moroni and the Title of Liberty and realized, that's what we need! Something that will rally us all together and get us focused, and ready to work hard and raise us to the next level here in Siberia. We've been working hard and we'll be talking with President Trejo in a little bit to see what we can do. So yeah, I didn't want to write yesterday and just vent so I put it off for a little bit and was able to clear my head.


Today has started off great! We had a meeting with a street contact and will be having another one here in the next hour or so. We met with a young lady who we stopped on the street for English contacting and she told us how she'd been searching for God and wanted to know Christ better and so we invited her to learn more. This morning while meeting with her we were able to see that she really is one of those people the Lord has prepared for this message, all of her questions were totally answered by the message of the Restoration! We have taught her about Joseph Smith and she basically grabbed the Book of Mormon out of our hands! It was great, I haven't been able to really teach someone in a long time and it felt so good to be doing missionary work! I really do love being here and doing this work. I'm slightly freaked out about the fact that we're already in June and all but I guess time really does fly. Almost a year and half out here wow.

Anyways, I love you guys. Thanks for all your emails! I love reading from you and being able to know how things are going back home. I miss you guys like crazy and I hope you have fun, whether you're going to California, Staying Home and Working, Swimming, Running and doing P90x all day, or sitting home being with a brown dog, know that I love you and that I'm praying for you all!


жив СИЛЬНО
Cт. Иборн!



Mom & Dad - You'll have to check with Amber (if she's not married by then) about the whole camp thing ha, I wouldn't mind though, Waterfront or High Adventure Director would be fun. Make sure you take lots of pictures of Tanner's Graduation and California for me, I live vicariously through you guys! Be safe and have fun!


Tanner- dude, you're old.

Megan- Congrats on Volleyball Shea- bug! You rock!

B - Love You!