Saratov Week 9 - "Balakovo, city of miracles!!"

March 9, 2015

All is well,

Oh man. I am still in shock about how much can happen on a mission in just one week. Or a day, or even a few hours. I sometimes feel that I will do more on a mission that I will ever do in my entire life. 

SO, we went to Balakovo on exchanges this week, my birth place :') And WOW was that refreshing. I just fell back in love with everyone there. Not only the members, but literally that people on the streets! I am sorry but I have to say it, people are just straight up nicer in Balakovo. It's so easy to give out Books of Mormon there. However, Saratov is waiting for a stake, so of course there going to be more persecution there. ANYYYWAY. I will just relate some of the things that happened in Balakovo. 

First of all, Sv... (someone our companionship baptized) was in Moscow, so I didn't get to see her but I talked to her over the phone and she is doing great :) still going strong and reading her scriptures every day! Then we did get to meet with S, the 15 year old girl who was baptized is doing so so good. She just gets it. I wouldn't be surprised if she goes on a mission someday. And then we also met with N, who is handicapped and just about died when she opened the door and saw me. I have never seen anything cuter in my life. She was just jumping up and down and hugging me and then would look at my face and then hug me again. But the best meeting that we had by far was with a less active member named "E".

Sister Martinez said that "E" texted the sisters one night and said, "I need help. I have a drinking problem and I have been avoiding meeting with you because I thought you'd be disapointed." The sisters haven't been able to meet with her since I've been gone and we finally got a meeting set up for when I came. We didn't know whether or not we should bring a member with us because we were afraid that she might not open up, but president Schwab said that it is always better to have a member than have none at all. So we invited the new branch president, Zhenya. I was just praying the whole time that we could touch her heart. That we could somehow been instruments by which she could feel her Heavenly Father's love and have a desire to come back to him. The lesson was focused on Christ and we read and studied about why we need an atonement. We asked her if she still prays and said said no. That just broke my heart. I then told her how much her Heavenly Father loves and adore her, how precious she is to him and how precious their relationship is to him. And that was did it for her, she just began to sob. Zhenya then offered her a blessing, and I nodded encouragingly toward her. As he blessed her, tears just streamed down her face. One thing that really stood out to me during that blessing were the words, "God wants to speak to you." The spirit was so strong there. We invited her to start praying again, AT LEAST once a day. As we got up to leave I hugged her and reminded her, "don't forget who you are, and don't forget that God wants to talk to you." The tears began to stream again and she told me she loved me and thanked us for coming. That was one of the most powerful lessons I have had on my mission. I know it was so sacred to my Heavenly Father. 

Nothing breaks my heart more than knowing that people have stopped praying. Prayer is the most important source of relationship building with God, and Satan understands that quite well. Don't let him convince you that prayer is important, and when you have that thought say, "WHOOOA Hey there Satan! You really just gave yourself away by giving me that thought because anything that tells me not to pray is from the devil!" NEVER STOP PRAYING. I literally don't know how I could even survive ONE DAY here in Russia without prayer. 

I myself am doing okay. I have been thinking that something is wrong with me lately because I've been so down in the dumps and I just feel like a drag, and I don't know why?! I am praying praying praying to be lifted up and to rely on Christ, because I literally have NO reason to complain or be sad. We have investigators. We have seen baptisms. I was just wondering what on earth is wrong with me as we were walking out of the church building yesterday and I was suddenly BLINDED by the sun. I was instantly just filled with JOY! I MISS THE SUN SO MUCH. Seriously I think I am lacking in vitamin d or something. Goodness. Thank goodness winter is almost over. Pray for the sun to keep coming out :) and this might be the most missionary thing I'll ever say, but it really just reminded me of the Savior. A life without sun is like a life without the Savior. 

Yesterday was my halfway mark on my mission and it was also national womans day which is a HUGE holiday in Russia. My companion and I got roses and soap and candy from people at church :) Also a really old babooshka approached me at church yesterday and commended me for wearing my hair in a braid and not letting my hair down like all the other wild girls these days. Russian grandmothers are great :) 

Such a miraculous week. Truly. And a mission really is the best decision I have ever made. It is the hardest thing I've ever done but every aspect of it really is worth it. 

Love, 

Sister Wilson 

Sister Wilson refers to the importance of the sun and it's affect on her mood, and she likened that light to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Elder David A. Bednar, an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, teaches more about Light HERE

Saratov - Week 3 - "Russian bus rides"

January 26, 2015

All is well :)

I used to think that maybe it would be cool to get one of 

those pictures where the frost is all along your eye lashes because it's so cold outside and you know why? I really couldn't care less if that happened, I don't want it to get any colder! I am staying really warm every where but Russian winter really stings your face! However, the way that I start out probably every conversation on the bus is by saying, "Holy moly is it always so cold here in Russia?!" it always gets them... they hear my accent, laugh, and then it starts things all nice and naturally :) speaking about buses... I think that Russians could fit 300 people onto one bus if they wanted to. The other day was so crowded that I was just nice and snug and comfy with 1,000 other bodies around me, and I didn't even have to hold onto anything while we were riding :) then I looked over at my companion and she was so smushed that she couldn't move her arms from her sides at all, and the best part was that her hat had come down over her face so she couldn't seen anything either. 150 people on one bus, and ALL OF THEM are silent except my companion and me, we just couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous it was. (no one talks on buses, ever, it is always a silent ride, and if you do talk sometimes people will turn around and ask you to be quiet, as if we are in a library) 

I have noticed that I feel the spirit much more in abundance when I study something about the Savior during my personal studies. Sometimes we just read the scriptures or conference talks, and it's wonderful, and we feel the spirit and peace, but studying specifically about Christ really has helped me to take more out of my studies. 

I have specifically learned a few valuable things about faith this week. In PMG on page 62 it says, "Having faith causes us to try as hard as we can to learn about and become more like our Savior. We want to learn what His commandments are and then obey them." 

What shocked me a little bit here is that it says, "we WANT to learn what his commandments are, and then obey them." As we develop faith in Christ we actually will want to know God's commandments, probably because we are excited to see the results as we exercise our faith in Christ. That really helped me this week knowing that the more faith I have in Christ, the more of a desire I will have to keep any rules and be obedient.

Well. I think the fact that my companion and I still happen to keeps smiles on our face even though it is -25 degrees outside is a miracle. But a real miracle happened yesterday. The elders have been teaching a young boy who has agreed to be baptized in a week. There was a baptism at the branch building yesterday and this boy's mother came to check things out, her name is F. F watched the baptism and we were shocked when she turned around and had tears running down her cheeks. She apologized and said she didn't really understand what she was crying for. I would have to say that getting investigators to baptisms is one of the most important things that will help investigators to desire to be baptized themselves. She was so touched by the spirit and we explained to her where the feeling came from. It's amazing the way that the spirit works on people, all we had to do was get her to the baptism and the spirit did the rest! We will be meeting with her tonight at a member's place. She is so ready to be baptized :) 

This is F and her son :) This is also probably why I have gained so much weight out here.... We went over to have a lesson at their place the other day and just wanted to tell her what baptism means for her son, and were horrified to see this display of food... oh man. Mom you bet I used my magnesium that night.  

Our mission is about to get reeeally young. 14 missionaries go home this cycle. And then 4 sisters go home next cycle. Trust me that's A LOT. We we only have about 16 sisters after that. 

I wish you all a warm winter in America :)

Love, Sister Wilson.