Salvation is Personal

Looks like you guys all had a pretty good Thanksgiving, I'm glad to hear that Aunt Terri and the gang was alright.  I also have to say your cowboy hats were way funny, I didn't know that mom learned how to shoot from a gangster ha. I'm kind of freaking out at how big my baby sisters are getting. вам нельзя быть такими большими!


But yeah, with the days winding down, I'm not trunky don't worry, I'm looking forward to being with you all again for the holidays and finishing my mission strong.


This week was pretty hectic, we were trying to make sure that everything went according to plan and that nobody died, and well we got half of what we wanted accomplished (no one died). Thursday was Thanksgiving, as you're all aware, and throughout the mission missionaries gathered at the mission home, at the homes of senior couples to eat and to celebrate the holiday. Elder Carr and I didn't have that option had so we had our own Thanksgiving! По Русский! I figured, what do we eat on Thanksgiving..?? Meat, Potateos, some kind of vegetables and some deserts. So I figured eh, we can put all that in one big pot so I made борщ and блины :) I'll show you pics when I get home, it was a pretty humble Thanksgiving. Elder Carr and I sat down at the table said a prayer and then shared some stories about Thanksgivings and things that we've had in the past. Then we got all cleaned up and got back to work.


It was an intersting night, we had a few meetings fall through but one man came to the branch. He was from Azrabajan (something like that) and he asked if I could help him. He explained to me in broken russian that his father had a brain tumor and that there was a clinic in London that could help him, but he didn't speak english. I called up President Gibbons an asked for permission (which he gave) and I spent the next 45 minutes on the phone with a woman in London trying to help this man.

That night when we got home from our day, my mind wouldn't stop spinning I ended up just going out and sitting on the couch and thinking about everything in my life, before the mission, on the mission everything. I really do have a lot to be grateful for. I have a wonderful family, I have great friends, I am healthy, I'm not as dumb as I look, I have the Gospel in my life, and most importantly I have a Savior who knows and loves me enough to take upon himself my mistakes, my sins, and willing to help me overcome my obstacles.


It's interesting how for some reason it takes untill you're half way around the world, in Siberia to help you see things that should be so obvious.


The Filipovs returned from the Temple this week which meant for me, I didn't have to speak at sacrament meeting! First time in 8 weeks! It was pretty legit actually, Saturday night we were in charge of the branch activity, we went ice skating! It was a pretty good turn out. Elder Carr wore this helmet and was practicing his areobatics. Ha if pro surfing doesn't work out he can always go figure skater! The cool thing was that after everyone came to the activity most of them all came to church sunday,  it was a good week over all.


Unfortunately, neither of our investigators were baptized this weekend...
One lady asked for a little more time to find out if Jospeh Smith really was a prophet, and the,  other individual, well, she said no. Sometimes it's hard, you learn to love these people so much, and you want only the best for them. But matter how hard we try, no matter what we say, how strong the spirit is present, It all comes down to them and their personal agency. Salvation is a personal thing, but we can all help each other. Our job is to introduce people to the Spirit, who will introduce them to Christ, who will introduce them to the Father.


Well I've gotta get going! We're picking up Christmas presents today! We'll be going to Novo this week and be coming back with Elder Erikson who'll be taking my place here in Kemerovo. We'll be in a three companionship until I go home to help him get adjusted to this part of the vineyard that is KEMEROVO!!

Love you guys!!
liveSTRONG


Старейшина Иборн!


Maddie - Don't worry B. 3 times is enough ;)