Kazan Week 8 - "Baptism"

October 5, 2015

All is well :)

This week was awesome because we had a baptism, which doesn't happen all too often so that was wonderful :) Z was baptized by the branch president. Sadly, many of the members were working that day so it was a humble little support group, but those who did come did such a good job at entertaining her little baby and she was so good and quiet the whole time up until the ordinance itself... then she started bawling. Of course :) 

There was one night this week where we only have 5 minutes left of contacting til we had to go inside, but my companion noticed an old old woman kind of hunched over standing by a building. We approached her and asked if we could help her home. She only lived about 2 houses over, but she lived on the 4th floor and it took us about 40 minutes to get there. I can't imagine how long it would have taken by herself. I asked if she had a family, she lived with her son, who is too lazy to go to the store himself so he commands his old mom to. She rolled up her sleeves and showed me dark dark bruises covering her arms. She said it was from her son. Abuse of the elderly really just makes me sick. I am so grateful that I have always lived in a home free from violence and that I have never been afraid to step foot in my house (except those times in high school when I broke curfew). I'm really grateful that my companion followed through with that prompting to help her! The whole way to her home she was just thanking us immensely and thanking God for sending her help again (because this happens more often than not). 

It's starting to get pretty chilly in Kazan, it's supposed to get down to 38 degrees this week already, darn it :( I'm going to miss the warm weather. I'm pretty sure I've turned a bit into a Russian myself... which is funny because Russians are usually super sensitive to the cold, in the summer I remember seeing people wearing turtle necks because it was raining or cloudy but really it felt like 100 degrees outside. 

Last Monday we took a walk around the Kremlin again (this big white and blue beautiful mosque, but not the Kremlin you are thinking of, the one in Moscow) with some members but this time we went inside, it's so gorgeous! So interesting, because I actually felt really peaceful inside the Mosque, I was wondering if it was the Spirit. They had us wear these head-robe things inside and Yana, one of the members we were with was just having the time of her life taking pictures.

 As missionaries we don't get to watch conference until this weekend, but I am so so ready. I am ready for some new revelation as to my own questions and some new insights. One thing that I've really learned on my mission is to really study the conference talks. I have a couple general conference Liahonas that are like gold to me, they're starting to look a little shabby. I have a few favorite that I always go back to :) also does anyone know what to do when your scriptures fall out of the bindings, cause that happened recently... actually it happened in front of everyone at zone training. That was embarrassing haha. 

I love love loooove my companion. I've been trying to be more easy-going with everything and just lighten up a little with how the work needs to be done and the results have been wonderful :) We haven't had any contention in our companionship and our patience and charity for one another is really growing. Everyone on the streets always asks us if we're sisters, we both have blond hair and my name is Sister Wilson and her name is Sister Neilsen. It's also pretty hard for people to pronounce my name for some reason, which in Russian you would say sestra Vilson. 

We found out that there will be another pair of elders coming into our area next cycle so there will be 6 missionaries in Kazan :) it's so fun to have bigger districts, there's only 4 of us right now. Also there are 5 new sisters coming in next cycle. So I'm hoping I can train again :) Also, I heard that Saratov is supposed to become a stake by the end of the year, but those could be rumors. But I hope not. That would be so so cool.

Sister Twede and Sister Hullinger are coming up this week for splits. Today we're going to a huge mall to find some winter gear for sister nielsen and maybe a noble fur coat for me (in my dreams).

Love you all! Thanks for everyone's support

Sister Wilson 

Kazan - Week 3 - "In Every Thought"

August 23, 2015

All is well,

Sorry this is going to be a shorter one this week!

WOW. What an interesting week. I am continuing to love Kazan :) We reset the boundaries of our area with the elders and now we both share the center of the city with President Schwab's permission. Which is going to be sweeeet. We get to see all the beautiful architecture around here. I really feel like I'm living in a dream city whenever I'm in center.
Today we are visiting the Kremlin and then we'll take a stroll down a walking street and do some souvineer shopping. 

Sooo our investigators in this area? We have about 2.... L, who has been an investigator for about four years. We are really going to pray to know what to do about that woman. She loves the Book of Mormon, and loves church, and wants to be baptized. But for some reason everytime before baptism something gets in her way. We are hoping to get some sort of revelation to know what to keep Satan away from her! 

Another investigator that we have right now is Z. Remember last week how the elders gave us the number of a woman who was interested in meeting with us? We all thought her name was L... turns out that her name is , but she goes by Z. When we met with her in the church last week for the first time I didn't recognize her face as someone that we met. But she told us that she remembers that two blond girls, and one with reeeally long blond hair who were very social gave her an invitation to church. That was definitely us haha :) And then I saw Z's loooong long hair. Dark and thick and I totally remembered that all we did was give her and invitation to church and I said to her, "By the way you have gooorgeous hair!" I can't forget hair that long. It's past her booty that's for sure. She has a daugther, D, who is 1 1/2 and adorrrrable. We're so excited to be teaching them :) 

Also we met a boy named R on the bus the other day. He's 17 year old. And what do you know, it was my companion to start the conversation! Well, we took him to the church and had the elders show him around. Then on Sunday he came to church with us.... and after church he confessed his love for me and after he left continued to send me texts full of poetry. Yikes.

My companion is doing sooo so well! She is still hesitant, but is making calls, and even contacting on the bus! We are friends, and we get the best of each other :) 

I have noticed the times that I am not exercising faith in Christ is when I am not looking unto him "in every thought" doubting not and fearing not. When I don't use faith in missionary work I honestly just feel like a foreigner wondering around in someone else's country. I really want to focus this week more on Casting out fears and other forms of unbelief, I also want to look unto Christ. Even if the outward results don't come, the inward results always will if I have faith in Christ. 

Doctrine & Covenants 6:36 

Look unto me in every thought; 

doubt not, fear not"

Loooove, Sister Wilson