Saratov - Week 15 - "This week was AMAZING"

April 27 2015

All is well :)

Where do I even staaaart? I loved this past week so so much. This is gonna be a long one :) 

This week we had zone conference and exchanges :) The APs talked about how we really need to widen our net. We have a promise from the area presidency that Russia's baptisms will increase 10 fold, it is actually prophesied to be the next Brazil. When I first heard that my jaw just dropped. RUSSIA, cold, hard Russia... the next Brazil? For that reason I am really really glad that this is God's work and not mine :) I just get to participate in it! We were suggested that we need to be taking more hours to contact. Which I was really worried about because we don't actually have a ton of time to contact as a companionship. For whatever reason Heavenly Father has really blessed this part of the vineyard and we have plenty of progressing investigators that we are working with. But president clarified not to worry about that, because obviously our investigators take presidence over contacting. Actually I think I'll just take a minute and tell you about our investigators. I don't think I talk about them enough. 

There's O, who will be baptized this week (more on that later) The sisters gave her an invitation to church and she called the missionaries herself (that seriously rarely happens, so talk about chosen) she is 22 and beeeautiful and honestly understands the gospel.

Another is Ni, who is a 50 year old. Oh my goodness I have never met someone with a richer character in my entire life. I wish you could meet some of these people. She is so whimsy and ditsy and acts like a fairy god mother. The other week she begins to sing a song about Christ and how he was resurrected and that we need to follow him, it lasted about 30 seconds and then she turns to me and says, "Did you like it?" I say, "yes Ni, very much!" Then she gives a little sly smile and says, "I made it up myself." She was a referral from a less active member. 

Then there's Na, B, N, K, L, and a few others that we meet with less regularly. Such a blessing to be able to teach people :) 

 

English club this week seemed to go especially well. This week we taught about the word of wisdom and we had a little object lesson where we came in the room and said, "Sorry we usually bring refreshments of some kind but today we didn't have time, so we just picked up a bag of trash on the side of the road. We hope that maybe you will find something you like." then we poured out some trash and half eaten food onto a plate and offered it to each person. The point of this is to relate it to drugs, alcohol, and smoking and saying, "you'd never put that sort of garbage in your mouth!" (good analogy right?) Well I was absolutely shocked when I began to pass around the plate and people actually starting taking food off of it! It really wasn't off the side of the road, we just gathered some stuff from our apartment, but still! I couldn't help but laugh and little bit and feel bad. I was confused if it was that some of them were poor or what? Usually Russians are freaked out by germs. And some of them really were repulsed and said, "oh no no no! No thank you!" So that kind of ruined the object lesson a little bit haha :) 

Also, there was a new face there and I asked her what brought her to the church building. She said that she was riding her bike and that she decided to drop by the church buildilng. The members were cleaning that night and greeted her warmly. They told her to come back a few days later for english club and then to come to church on Sunday. This woman, A, is just a STAR. So so kind, she's like 50 years old and I feel like she's my aunt. Not to mention she speaks AMAZING english. So she came to english club and then on sunday she came to church and just fit in so well! I just love to picture the way that this 50 year old woman found the church. "I was riding on my bicycle one day and God led me straight to his church!" Something else that was shocking was that she even offered to come the next time that we clean the church and help the members. 

"I was riding on my bicycle one day
and God led me straight to his church!"

This week we had exchanges with Sister Martinez and her Russian companion Sister Matekina. Man I just have to say... I love sister Martinez so much. I feel so comfortable and happy around that darling latin girl. We served together almost 4 months ago now and we're still the best of friends. I know for sure that her and I will be real good friends after the mission. I trust her with all my heart and her and I can just be real honest with each other and it doesn't hurt at all, just strengthens the relationship :) She gave me one of the best compliments that I have ever gotten in my life, it's one that I've never really heard, so I think that's kind of why I like it. She said, "you are like a child. Not childish, but childlike." Just my reactions to things, or my questions, or my approach to things, my tone of voice, is like the excitement that a child has. I just loved that from her :) She is one of the hardest working missionaries I have ever met and she is FINALLY, finally reaching a difficult stage of her mission where she's just getting worn out. She's got 3 months left and her and I had a real good heart to heart. One of my favorite things about her is how absolutely humble she is and how Christlike she is. 

Another thing... In two months this mission will have about 9 sisters left. And then guess what happens... TWELVE sisters will be coming in. Hahahaha there will probably be greenies training greenies. Or there will be sisters with more than one trainee. Man it is going to be really interesting. All of the sisters will be training at one point or another in the next 7 months.

My companion and I are doing well :) No worries here. Missionary work is real great. After zone conference I had an interview with president, and asked if he had any advice for me. He gave me just a few words, he said, "I know that you have been worrying slightly about what lies down the road for you in the next few months. I would advice you not to worry about the unknown, but to throw yourself into the work and give those worries to your Heavenly Father." And that's just what I will do :) 

We had a MIRACLE yesterday. When we had our investigator, O, who rarely gives concrete answers or commitments to anything called us herself and said, "I really want to be baptized." I was stunned. I asked her to repeat what she said to make sure I heard it right and she again said, "I really want to be baptized." I totally just gave a shout for joy for all the neighbors to hear. We set up a baptismal date with her for the 2nd of May, which fell through because she'd be going out of town the 1st of May for 2 weeks, which we REALLY worried about her regressing during that period. So we asked for president's advice and he was quiet and said, "I am just really trying to listen to what the Spirit tells me right now, and I feel that she really needs to be baptized before she leaves." We told that to O, and she didn't know how she felt about it because she didn't feel that she'd recieved any concrete answer to her prayers yet. But she agreed to the 30th of April anyway and agreed to have it announced at church, but she was still unsure. Then after church yesterday she calls and gives us the news :) She apparently had a dream in which Heavenly Father made it known that she needs this in her life. 

This week we were also able to attend a baptism. I am really going to strive to attend more baptisms when I get home, if you need something to fill you with the spirit or strengthen your testimony, baptisms are a really great place to start. After the boy was baptized and was changing back into his normal clothes we waited in the chapel. 

While we waited we watched some Christ videos and when I realized the kind of life I am able to live thanks to Him I just started to bawl. I felt an immense gratitude for the opportunity to help others to find and partake of salvation. Thanks to Jesus Christ we are literally able to live fairytale lives. This work is so satisfying. It is so so hard. It is FUN. It is surprising :) I love the little miracles that God blesses us with. 

Like A, and like O. I can only describe such experiences as tender mercies. I am so glad that we don't have to think up miracles ourselves... God is so creative, all we have to do is exercise faith and he provides us with the miracles :)

With Love,

Sister Brooklyn Wilson 

Saratov Week 7 - "I am right where I am supposed to be!"

February 24, 2015 

All is well,

Where do I even start? 

At English group this week I was with Sister Palmer and Sister Chase because I was waiting for sister Coleman to come down to Saratov. At english group I was sitting next to a boy on the very end of the row, R, who knew very little English and asked me to translate much of the time. We were explaining the apostasy and ending up playing telephone to show how things get completely skewed up when truth doesn't come directly from the source of truth. Because I was second to last I had a thought to just change the entire sentence completely... but instead of making up a new sentence I just whispered a bunch of gibberish into R's ear something that didn't make sense in English or in Russian that sounded something like, "selkfjlke sdoi aspoie wex ielk" which he was totally cheating so he wrote it down on paper and then when it was time for him to say it he read it out loud and it made NO sense. I don't think I've laughed so hard in sooo long. Everyone in the room was laughing with us as he continued to say the sentence with his Russian accent which just made it twice as funny. He was a real good sport about it too :) Maybe this isn't even funny... but it was, you had to be there ;) 

At 12:00 that night we went to the train station and picked up my new companion. Oh man. I am with the lovely Sister Coleman :) She has one of the most outstanding personalities that I have ever beheld. She is just a very thoughtful person and so honest and open with me about things. I can't wait to see the miracles that will happen in Solnechney thanks to having such a strong companion here, and she is just ready to WORK. She really understands a few things quite well. And that number one... We are here to baptized people. We do not need to be meeting with people who are just willing to meet with us to talk about religion. Our purpose as missionaries is to do what? Help people to receive the restored gospel, which includes BAPTISM. We should not be meeting with ANYONE just because they are willing to meet. If we give up those people who are willing to meet with us then Heavenly Father will help us to find those who are ready and willing to act on the message. So, we have been clearing out our area a tad and been putting some people away and are going to get out and do some more finding, which will be AMAZING because contacting with Sister Coleman is the best thing ever.

This weekend we will be having a baptism :) F is getting baptized and she is so ready. She will probably be a relief society president someday, I will be honest. She is so giving. Wow if I could describe that woman I would say honest and charitable. And I can honestly say that Sister Coleman and I really haven't done anything to deserve this baptism. Heavenly Father is just very generous and gives because he loves us. 

My prayers are going to be a lot more personal with Heavenly Father... I think I am just realizing how personal my relationship with him is and how personal it is with each individual being here on this earth. Knowing that I talked face to face with God just as Moses did before this life helps me to trust him so much more, it helps me to trust that he also is preparing each one of his children to return to him by stacking up special experiences, and when the time comes each one of them will be ready to accept his plan. 

If anyone is thinking about going on a mission... I would recommend a yes :) It's the best decision I've ever made. I will never regret serving a mission. I would not rather be any where else in the world. 

Love, Sister Wilson 

PS I know that I am in the highest incident mission in the entire mission field, but I have never felt more safe in my life. Especially as sisters. I've rarely felt that I am in danger. 

Saratov Week 5 - "Shoulder to Shoulder with the Savior"

February 9, 2015

All is well,

I am realizing how much more I need to actively exercise faith in Christ. (you know what? You could study faith in Christ every day for yearsss and not even get it perfect, at least that's what I think) I can't believe how simple our baptismal covenants are, how easy they are to remember, yet how difficult it seems to be to actually FULFILL our covenants. However, I have noticed that remembering Christ ALWAYS makes things lighter. This morning I reread in Moroni 7 that before you can ever have faith or hope, you must be humble. I need to ask that Heavenly Father humbles me, because you can't plant a seed of faith in cement. Heavenly Father would rather use clay than old crusty playdough, and

that's what I want from my mission. I really want to be that soft clay, I want to be an instrument. 

Also this is my dear companion's last week in Russia. Sister Busman is doing wonderful. Thanks to her, I love slow cooked scrambled eggs (weeeird, right mom?) also I love Swedish chocolate (which is sweet sweet milk chocolate with little shards of salty black chocolate in it, and oh goodness the first 3 times I tried it I hated it, but now I have really fallen in love with the combination).

She is starting to merge into thoughts of home a little, which she feels bad for (oh sweet sister Busman) but OF COURSE that is normal right now. How can she not? I am so grateful for the things that she has taught me about obedience and about loyalty to God and to always do the right thing when no one is watching. Sister Busman is a missionary who has literally given HERSELF to the work, not just her time. She is the most consecrated and good intentioned missionary. She will be someone that doesn't look back on her mission with regrets in mind, because she just kept pushing. I can't even picture her as a normal person at home now. She has been shaped into a missionary. She came and did exactly what God needed her to do in Russia. (side note... I have lost my third pair of mittens. It's so easy to lose them on the bus) 

We have been struggling with keeping investigators lately... we have been finding and teaching AMAZING (seriously amazing) people, but they end up falling off the face of the earth. Literally. Their schedules get stuffed with work or their phone number changes. Even when we warn people during lessons when they feel the spirit to "REMEMBER HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW" warning people that Satan will tell them to stop meeting with us or that this isn't important. They still manage to fall off the face of the earth. It's so frustrating, we're fighting against a power that is so scary and real.... so we've been working on finding a little bit.  

I am going to have to say that Russian people are about fifty times more pleasant in the summer than in the winter. I am beyond grateful that I am serving two summers rather than two winters :) This week has been a little more difficult than most... I feel that I am just now experiencing what people mean when they say that Russians are tough cookies. I will explain to you how a normal day of contacting in Russian winters goes. "Hi, my friend and I moved here to share a message that is very dear and precious to us, it has changed our lives and we want to share it with others." and here are just a few of the usual replies, "did you know that you are from a sect?" or "не надо" (no need) "I'm in a hurry." or sometimes if you are lucky you get the "GET AWAY FROM ME." When we tell people why we are here they often act like we just pooped on their car or something. 

Well. One day.... rejection after rejection after rejection (and a couple snide and sassy comments later) I had had enough. It's so hard to feel as though we are not wasting time and literally paying for it all at the same time. I just started to cry. It hurts so badly having something that you know is so pure, something that you know will bring them happiness, and having them slam it down without even knowing what it is. It's hard giving your all and putting your whole heart into a conversation just pleading with these people and testifying with all that you have about it, and being rejected. Oh it hurts, it really does. Then my companion said to me, that yes, it does hurt, but that it's the sacrifice that we are willing to make, so that they too can at least have the opportunity to accept it, or to reject it. That reminded me of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. That he paid the price, the price is paid, the gift is ours if we will only accept it. Being a missionary gives me so much gratitude for the atonement. Knowing that when we are rejected, we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest missionary who ever lived. After that thought I brushed off my shoulders, gave my companion a hug, and continued down the slushy, snowy path to make sure that everyone could receive the opportunity to accept the sacrifice that Christ has made for them.

Missionary work is tough! It certainly makes you rely on the Savior. 

I really wouldn't rather be any where else. 

This is the most useful experience I've ever had in my life, it's so so bittersweet, 

but it's so worth it. 

Love, 

Sister Brooklyn Wilson 

Sister Wilson's last couple of paragraph's made me think of a recent General Conference talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Below are some of his thoughts and also a link to the entire talk entitled "The cost and Blessings of Discipleship"

With admiration and encouragement for everyone who will need to remain steadfast in these latter days, I say to all and especially the youth of the Church that if you haven’t already, you will one day find yourself called upon to defend your faith or perhaps even endure some personal abuse simply because you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such moments will require both courage and courtesy on your part.

For example, a sister missionary recently wrote to me: “My companion and I saw a man sitting on a bench in the town square eating his lunch. As we drew near, he looked up and saw our missionary name tags. With a terrible look in his eye, he jumped up and raised his hand to hit me. I ducked just in time, only to have him spit his food all over me and start swearing the most horrible things at us. We walked away saying nothing. I tried to wipe the food off of my face, only to feel a clump of mashed potato hit me in the back of the head. Sometimes it is hard being a missionary because right then I wanted to go back, grab that little man, and say, ‘EXCUSE ME!’ But I didn’t.”

To this devoted missionary I say, dear child, you have in your own humble way stepped into a circle of very distinguished women and men who have, as the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob said, “view[ed Christ’s] death, and suffer[ed] his cross and [borne] the shame of the world.”1

 read or listen to Elder Holland HERE

Samara - Week Eight - "There are no coincidences!"

Will YOU accept our invitation?

September 15, 2014

All is well,

Know what is so interesting? The mysteries of the Lord. Many times people think of these "mysteries" as things that no body else knows, some special kind of secret. But I think mysteries of the Lord are just that, things that no body else knows, they are things WE never saw coming, but that were revealed to us because we acted in faith. My companion and I often prepare very carefully for lessons with our investigators or meetings with members. However, I have found that time and time again we don't even use the prepared material for them, we actually end up sharing it with someone completely different. For example my companion and I had prepared a lesson about the sacrament for a member who feels they are not worthy to take the sacrament, but our meeting fell through with them. Then, on Sunday we had an investigator walk out of sacrament meeting because she was terribly offended by something that someone said about the sacrament and that its not important for her because she hasn't been baptized. We ended up dropping by her apartment that night and explained the sacrament and we were able to iron out problems and give her peace of mind on the subject. I love that God can see the future and give us revelation :) We didn't know that this would happen, but he surely did!

Like I said before, the mysteries of the Lord are brought by faith, actually I am pretty sure that mysteries and miracles are borderline the same :) I am so impressed with how aware of us God is. One thing that has especially been bringing me to awe is the Lord's timing. The other day my companion and I were hoping to visit a potential investigator, "Ye.," no body has really been able to get a hold of her in a couple years by telephone, so we decided we would come to her home. First of all, we couldn't find where the correct entrance was, then we had to ask around to figure out which floor she was on. No body knew, so we got on the elevator and exited on about 4 different floors before we found hers. We knocked on her door and waited and waited, sadly... no body answered. We walked back to the elevator and a mother walked out of the elevator with a stroller, and behind her was a woman. The woman's hair looked like a volcano, lava red hair :) pretty much she looked like a diva. I decided that it would be worth a shot to ask her if she knew Ye.. She looked at us ... smiled and said, "that's me!" She ended up letting us into her house and we found out that she's actually not a potential investigator, she is a FORMER investigator. She met with the missionaries about 10 years ago and has been taught all the lessons, however, she remembers almost nothing. We will be dropping by her again soon. Why did I go through all the trouble explaining that? Because God's timing is PERFECT. If we had not dropped by 5 floors or gotten lost a couple times we never would have ran into her. We often go through times in our life wondering WHY is this happening to me?! But knowing that God is perfect, we can have peace, knowing that looking back someday we will be able to see the big picture.

Now I have an invitation to you all. The other day I was having a difficult time contacting... I could not shake my fear and (unfortunately) my laziness. So I came home and wrote this list :) 

Why not?

1. Christ died and rose from the grave. Because of his resurrection, because of his atonement you have NOTHING to be afraid of!

2. By talking to people your language is promised to improve

3. What do you lose by opening your mouth? Nothing. You lose energy? It's energy given  from God.

4. To bless your own family and those at home. Say, "I'll talk to this woman for my dad!"

5. To bless yourself with pace of mind. Go out knowing you WILL share the gospel, not hoping that you won't have it. 

6. The gospel is THE GOOD NEWS, you aren't sharing bad news with anyone :)

7. Because this mission needs baptisms. Do it for your friends, for the missionaries here, for your president, for the mission goal. Because you contribute to the mission goal.

8. Do it because you love God and you care about what he cares about.

9. Our desire to do (ironically) grows as we DO.

10. What is the worst that will happen? Someone may not be friendly or want to speak with you. Big whoop :)

11. You've seen too many miraculous things from OPENING your mouth to stop! Continue! more miracles will comes. Exercise faith in Christ, he rose from the dead! Do you not realize that he can do all? Miracles cease because of disbelief or doubt, which causes us to with hold our deeds of faith.

12. Talk to all you can so that you will get used to rejection, so you will become used to the fear.

13. Perfect love casteth out fear. You don't care what will happen, you love this person so much that you'll risk it all to save them!

14. Rejection hurts your ego. A damaged ego=humility. Humility=more susceptible to the help of God. 

15. The Message is true, the book is blue :)

16. The elect will be ready, all your need to do is open your mouth.

Okay now you all know the things I am struggling with, and I realize a lot of that doesn't pertain to you. But I know A LOT of it does. Please consider talking next to that girl next to you in your class who looks like a scary emo and would never want to talk about the gospel. NEVER assume somebody doesn't want the gospel because of how they look. Can we all just throw a little bit of fear out the window this week and sincerely share the good news with someone this week? Search for someone. It is likely that there is someone who needs to be searched for :)

I love being here. I have never been more stretched and uncomfortable in literally every single way possible in my life. But I love it :)

Be good everyone!

Love, Sister Wilson