Kazan Week 5 - "What's it like being in a Russian hospital"

September 14, 2015

All is well :) Thank Goodness

As many of you know.... I've been having some pretty nasty health issues lately. And it completely took me out of the work this week. Tuesday morning I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest, crazy uncomfortable chest pain that I have never had. Eating was especially a chore... it felt like I was eating rocks or sending a grater down my esophogus anytime anything went down. I called the mission doctor and he set up at appointment for me at a clinic on Tuesday evening. ... they checked me out and everything was fine with my pulse, no pain in my stomach, they even did x-rays on me. They found nothing. So they told me that I would need to have a stomach scope done. For those of you who don't know what that is... that's where they stick a camera down your throat and have a look at your insides. Yaaaaay. That would take place Friday morning. 

By Wednesday my pain levels were at a constant 5-6 and by evening it was getting 7-8 constistantly. What really began to scare me was when breathing deeply became painful. Here I am, a 20 year old young girl and I felt like I was about to hit my 85th birthday. Sooo by that point we decided it would be best for me to take it easy before my appointment on Friday.

Here we are. September 11. And I go in for my scope........ never have I been in more discomfort in my life. It was like someone was telling me, "hey I'm going to stick my finger all the way down your throat, but you need to keep breathing and try not to gag." Imagine shoving a hot dog up and down your ephogous and trying not to gag? Really. So obviously it was hard for them to snap a picture of the problem because poor Sister Wilson couldn't stop gagging. I'm sorry but I'm just not used to people touching me in my throat, stomach, and esophagus. 

Finally when they got a decent enough picture they took out the camera and I just layed there exhausted for a moment. When I came to myself they told me what the problem was. Which I had no idea what the word meant, so I had to look it up in my little handheld dictionary. I guess I have 2 ulcers in my throat. I really hate that word... ulcer. But I have them, so that's that. He said to me, "I really don't like one of them, it's about a centrimeter big... and the problem is that it's bleeding a little bit." They called in some other doctors and they agreed that it was serious enough that they called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. 

Upon arriving at the hospital they did some more testing on me. I felt like a labratory experiment. The doctor who was working with me then announced that I would need to have another scope done. I could not stand the thought of having that procedure being done on me twice in one day. The thought was absolutely repulsing. In that moment I felt so awfully desperate, I was looking for some sort of comfort or a hug from someone. I remembered prayer and the atonement and prayed for strength through my Savior. I walked into the room where they do the procedure and sat down on the table. As soon as the doctor lifted her hand to begin, I started crying. I was in noooo condition to have that done to me twice in one day! It was completely traumatizing the first time and didn't feel comfortable enough with anyone doing it because all the doctors were so impatient with my language barrier. Frustrated, the doctor threw up his hands and said, "I don't see a point in doing a second one either!" He then sent me back to the other doctors and told them that I was refusing help. Sooo they decided to keep my in the hospital under observation until Monday. It took some convincing to let my companion stay with me. But she was even able to get her own bed :) 

Up we went to our hospital room, which I was expecting to be private.... nope. There were six other beds with patients in them. That just overwhelmed me because what I really wanted was to be alone. I offered to pay more for a private room, but all the rooms in the hospital were full. I have never been poked and probed more in my life.  All I really wanted was my mom. Frustrated and exhausted, I collapsed on my bed and the tears came again. 

While I lay there sniffling an old woman laying across the room from me turned on her side and looked at me with a frown on her face, "Hey now... don't cry," she said with comfort in her voice. Her name was Lucia. I looked around the room at the people who surrounded me and one by one they each chimed in an told me that everything would be okay, and that I'm in a great hospital with wonderful nurses. Lucia, Yana, Anya, Valya, and Roostilia. I was honestly shocked by their kindness. Never have I been treated so warmly by strangers in Russia. A moment later a nurse came in with all sort of IV bottles and needles and looked straight at me. If anyone knows me... they know that shots are my biggest fear. Lucia told me to look to her and did a good job at distracting me by making interesting faces while the nurse got the IV situated in my arm. I stayed hooked up to that thing for a good 6 hours. 

The doctors told me that I would be staying overnight and that I wasn't allowed to eat anything for the day. Well.... I wasn't about to have a 40 hour fast so I went to the bathroom and secretly ate brownies in there. 

That night I got a call from the mission Doctor who told me that he had contacted a specialist in Salt Lake City about my ulcer and the specialist said that he doesn't think it will be a problem, but if the pain doesn't go down within 2 weeks that I would need to come home early from my mission. That thought didn't even cross my mind until that point and my ears just instantly filled with tears, I pushed the thought out and tried my best to get to sleep. 

Worst night sleep ever. It was like a war-zone in the middle of the night. People coming in and out and bringing in more beds and casualties who just had operations done. I wouldn't say that the hospital is the best place for resting in Russia.  

Morning... a nurse walked in with a tray of needles and every person in the room just instinctively turned on their sides, pulled down half their pant, and got ready for a shot in the bottom. I watched each person's face wince and decided in that moment that if they let me pass on the scope that they would let me pass on a butt shot. Unfortunately I was wrong. Everyone in the room knew I was afraid of needles and that's the last place I'd ever want one to go. Thankfully I got it overwith and everyone cheered and congratulated me :') 

I called our mission doctor at about 8:00 and he told me that it would be okay for us to check-out and go home and that it would be about the same if I layed in bed at home instead of at the hospital. The doctors were a little relluctant in letting us leave, but we got out, and gave out 3 Books of Mormon to doctors and to patients in the process :) I said goodbye to my new favorite friends. I felt a special connection to this group of people. All being pricked and probed and awkwardly having to undress all day. And then watching them take care of each other, offering support and pillows and words of comfort. They know how I feel, and I know how they feel. It's like the love I have for all the missionaries here, who go through the same things I do. 

Something interesting happened when we returned home from the hospital.... after about 2 hours of being home, I wanted to go back. I guess it was nice to have someone taking care of me. It was so so interesting all the time and having people to talk to and to baby me and take care of me like a mom, even if it was shots. 

My love for the Russian people grew more during these 2 days that it has my entire mission. I can honestly say that these are some of the best days that I have had here. I never imagined that spending time in a Russian hospital could be a good experience. But it will go down in history as some of the dearest days of my life. 

I feel that my mission was planned and organized to gain the optimal growth possible. I just feel like sometimes he sends me tests and trails and I feel like he wants to see if I can endure it well, and I feel like I fail the tests sometimes. But I don't know the answer key. God has known us forever and I can't ruin his plans, he's gotta have a ton of back up plans :) I'm just grateful that no matter what I do, and no matter what happens to me, this work will go forward, whether I'm apart of that or not.

Love, 

Sister Brooklyn Wilson 

Kazan Week 4 - "FALL!"

September 7, 2015

All is well. 

I don't have a lot of time to write today because I have to do school registration (cross your fingers that BYU won't reject me for the 3rd time). . 

Some interesting things from the week.... Jehovah's witnesses. They are EVERYWHERE in Kazan.  I always have mixed feelings about talking to them, because they are so so nice but it just always turns into an hour long conversation that usually goes no where (especially when I tell them that I believe that Jehovah is Christ's name and not God's name).... but at the same time they also need the restored gospel. I've never convinced them to take a Book of Mormon, but something cool that has happened this cycle is that we've given out two to two different people! But in order to do so I may or may not have promised to go to a Jehovah's witness church service when I go home :) 

Brooklyn's companion

Also this week was the first week of fall, and to celebrate my companion and I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and caramel apples dipped in white chocolate and cinnamon. I'm helping everyone to see that that really is the best flavor.... who'd have thought, white chocolate? They're delicious! We've been eating them all week :) 

It's possible! So hard though, and sooo messy! 

Z should have been baptized this weekend... but she didn't come to church yesterday, so we will have to lay it off one week. I was honestly so so devistated when she didn't show up. Other than that she has been progressing really well and is willing to meet with us often. Also there are lots of members here with kids who need to missionary lessons to be baptized! We'll be teaching a lot of them this week. I don't think I've seen as many kids at church in Russia as I saw yesterday.... it was crazy. There are usually only 2-3 kids in most families here, but there's one family with 5 or 6 kids and it just seems HUGE. So interesting to remember that that is completely normal in Utah. 

The temperature here is dropping pretty quickly! It could already be down to 38 degrees by the middle of the week. What on earth. Everyone here says that there wasn't really a summer in Kazan this year. 

We also did Missionary Leadership Counsel through Skype this week. Man it was so fun. I love the missionaries in this mission soooo much. They are my very best friends. 

Anyway. I love Russia, love my mission :) And I can honestly say that the only constant power source that I have found here comes through Christ. The power that comes through the atonement is the only thing that hasn't failed me. Everything else has always failed in one way or another. But Christ will never fail us :) He is the only eternal light in this world. 

Love,

Sister Wilson 

Kazan Week 4 - "The Power of Testimonies"

August 31, 2015

All is well,

Oooooohhhhh what a week! It was a crazy one. Holy moly.

I'll just start from the very beginning of the week. On Monday we went to the Kremlin, it is BEAUTIFUL. I can't believe I live here still. It's a dream. This is my mission, and I get to live in this place because God is really merciful :) I was just in awe the whole time, and there is a wonderful street here where you can buy souvineers, probably the first place in my mission I've seen where there are actual souvineer shops. 

Monday night we had a little activity night with two potential investigators that have been coming to english group. After playing a few games we had a spiritual thought, which was actually just watching the short 20 minute Restoration movie.... At the end of the video I stood up to turn it off, then turned around and sat back down and just began to testify. I said that maybe this seems all very far fetched, that maybe Joseph Smith was hallucinating... that maybe this is madness... but I know its not. And I only know that because I asked God. I prayed about it. I asked the source of all truth. They got really quiet at that point especially as others also began to testify. Their hearts really softened and they even began to ask questions and one of them said that maybe its not a coinsidence that they have ended up sitting in this church building. 

Saturday... was interesting. I got separated from my companion for the first time on my mission. We were trying to catch the Metro, which had already pulled into the station while we were walking down the stairs, but we both hesitated to get on right away, so the next thing I know, my companion is on one side of the glass doors and I'm on the other. Sister Nielson's eyes got real big and we both tried to say something with our hands but it didn't work out too well. The next second the Metro swiftly pulls away and I'm left all alone. Hmmm... that's not good. So I called the APs, which I had to leave the metro to do so... and that resulted in me missing the next few metros. In short, my companion and I were separated for an hour and a half somehow, and we ended up meeting back up at our apartment. (really interesting walking the streets of Kazan alone.. I'm pretty sure I'll never do that again) She had already been waiting at the apartment for a little bit when I got there and saw me coming, ran out the door and gave me a big hug :)  

On Tuesday.... Sister Twede and Sister Hullinger came in from Toliatti to do splits with us! WHOOO. Man I love splits. This week with Sister Twede we were able to receive 4 phone numbers and give out 7 Books of Mormon in one day. Sister Twede is so so good at setting and reaching goals, and by following the spirit we actually surpassed our goals. She is a very personal and diligent missionary and a really good friend to everyone she serves with. I have really come to love her in the past year :) also everytime I'm on splits with her we always have crepes... it's the best.  

While working with Sister Hullinger we didn't meet as many goals, but other things were improved on. She really felt more independant and confident talking to people. While on the bus I turned to her and said, "wanna try something scary?" She looked at me hesitantly and said, "what?" I smiled and replied, "bus contacting!" (this was the first bus she had ever been on) She smiled right back at me and said, "okay!" And got up off her seat and sat by a girl sitting in front of me. She immediately started a conversation and gave the girl a Book of Mormon. Then when the girl left, another woman came and sat next to Sister Hullinger and she just starts another conversation and gives this other woman a Book of Mormon. Two people in a row! I was sitting just with my mouth wide open. She's only been out 4 weeks! What a brave and faithful young missionary! She felt so good after that and was just beaming. So was I :) It really inspired me to step up my game. 

We had a lesson with one of our investigators, L this week. She gets really hung up on deep doctrine so it's hard to have lessons with her. This time we were talking about faith in Christ and she got hung up on the words, "Christ is the only begotten of the father in THE FLESH." For some reason in the flesh really got to her. Try explaining what that means in english... now try to explain it in Russian. 

We met with her another night also... and she often invites her friend, E, who is SO distracting on lessons and makes the most ridiculous comments like, "does anyone here know how to swim?" that was about the 3rd dumb comment he had made that night so I asked him to leave, and then told him to leave. The lesson just went downhill from there.... our member and L just got into a cat fight about how she thinks our church is better than everyone else (when really all she said was that no other churchs have priesthood). That lesson was going down in history as one of the top three I've had on my mission. While they were arguing I noticed my companion who had been quiet the whole lesson and just had the most concerned look on her face. I looked at her and said, "can you please testify right now?" We were able to get L and the member to quiet down and then Sister Nielson, 4 weeks in the field, gave the most beautiful testimony in broken Russian about the truth of the Book of Mormon, the church, and Joseph Smith. The Spirit immediately filled the room. L quietly said, "there's really something different about you missionaries huh...? not everything she said was understandable, but I felt the Spirit from her clean heart." That's the power of a testimony from a new missionary. 

Honestly this was a really hard week. I don't know why exactly. Missions are just kinda like that :) The desire to share the gospel is always there, I can say that honestly. But sometimes the motivation really takes a nosedive. I ended up giving a call to Sister Schwab, the mission president's wife, who admitted that sometimes she gets burnt out too, and that's okay. That's when she says (in prayer) "Christ... I want to do this, I really do. But I can't right now. Can you do it for me?" But here's the catch, no. He can't do it for us. But he can do it WITH us :) I know that he can do it with us. I am coming to the end, and I am training and I am STL, but I feel weaker in other ways than I have ever felt before! I am just taking it one day at a time and trying to finish like a good soldier. 

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. "

Matthew 11:30

“You come unto Christ to be yoked with Him and with His power, so that you’re not pulling life’s load alone. You’re pulling life’s load yoked with the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and suddenly your problems, no matter how serious they are, become lighter." Elder Russell M. Nelson “The Mission and Ministry of the Savior,” Ensign, June 2005

Wish me luck this week, and more sunshine :)

Loooove, 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 

Kazan - Week 2 - "He is in All Things"

August 17, 2015

All is well,

We had zone conference on Tuesday. It was so great :) It was a really long one, from 9:00-4:00. We did lots of role plays during it and Sister Twede and I took the role of 2 Babooshkas. Holyyyy cow Sister Twede is hilarious. She was meant to be a Russian Babooshka. We had interviews with President Schwab after conference, and I got my first blessing from him. Blessings from mission presidents is like getting a patriarchal blessing all over again ! :) I went home from that conference feeling real good and spiritually refreshed! 

We haven't had much time for site seeing/tourist attractions in Kazan yet. And won't be able to today as well because we are missing lots of necessary household items (cause we just moved in to this apartment) like a broom, a vacuum, pots and pans, containers for leftover food, trashcans... basically our apartment is gettin' a little nasty because of that. Welcome to the life of a missionary :) 

My trainee, Sister Nielson, is doing great. I've been having her make phone calls all week and she really hates me for it, but it's all for her good. She's gonna be a pro by the end of training. We really bonded this week as we opened up to each other and leaned on each other for support. Honestly you will be alone on a mission if you are closed off to your companion, so I always try to use that source of support that God has given us. 

A week ago we met a boy who was out early in the morning searching for a job. We promised him that if he came to church on Sunday then he would find work the following week. I knew that God would back us up with such a promise. Well... that boy showed up at church. Turns out that he is trying to change his life (as he was previously addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, and video games). We met with him later this week and he told us, "I was hired at a job yesterday... how did you know?" (I tried to act slightly calm, but I was absolutely thrilled) We told him that when we keep God's commandments, he blesses us, simple as that. We do our part, he does his. He came to church again yesterday and told us that he is reading the Book of Mormon and has already finished 1 Nephi. WOW. So so cool. His name is E. 

President and Sister Schwab were at church with us yesterday... oh how I love them so so much. They have really taken the role as wise grandparents for me out here. It was Sister Schwab's birthday so we had the whole branch sing happy birthday to her. She was absolutely thrilled :) President Schwab promised us that we are about to see amazing amazing things happening soon in Kazan (I can't wait when in the future people will open their mission calls and read, "you are called to serve in the Russia Kazan Mission! It's gonna happen!) Well... that night the Elders got a call. They said that some girls gave her a Restoration pamphlet the other morning, and that she has read it and is very interested in finding out more. Elder Northrop said that's the first time that anyone has ever called him from a brochure on his mission (and he's almost finished). Her name is L, and we are meeting with her tonight :) 

Also this week while contacting we passed a woman on the street who was obviously in a horrible mood and it was written all over her face. She was carrying out the trash and we tried to stop and talk to her but she wasn't having it. A few minutes later we saw her walking to her house and I said to her, "It's too bad that the trash shoot is all the way over here huh? But it's good exercise! How are you doing today? Is everything okay?" She said no, but was caught by our unmistakable accents. We continued talking and asking about the weather and the city and her family. She was upset over the death of a loved one. As we spoke with her, her face began to light up and we left her smiling and laughing. She was interested in the gospel, but it felt good to help change someone's mood (remember the golden rule!) We then.. a few minutes later met another woman who was very distressed about her son being handicapped. She began to cry and we reminded her that God loves her very very much and knows her circumstances and hasn't forgotten her and her frustrations. She also wasn't interested in the gospel. But hey, I'm sure that all these attempts will help when others try to share the gospel with them in the future.

I know that Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is in all things, through all things, above all things, and around all things. He can see the future and the past, we are bound to only the present and the past. For that reason we rely on God for our faith, knowing that he knows all. And because he knows all, he knows how to help us... even if that is sending two American girls to make you laugh a little bit. 

Love,

Sister Wilson 

Kazan - Week 1 - "Kazan!!!"

August 10, 2015

All is well :) 

Whaaaat a week. Wow. Where to start? One of the fastest and most interesting weeks I have had so far on my mission. 

Tuesday night we had 8 sisters staying at our apartment and it was so fun catching up with every one of them. These sisters are all my best friends, Sisters Wagstaff, McKell, Twede, and Palmer. All of which are training right now. On Wednesday morning we met our trainees. My trainee's name is Sister Nielson, she's 19 and is from Virginia, and she is a star. Her Russian is SO good. She often starts conversations by saying, "I don't speak so well in Russian...." And then blows us all away with how good she really is. People are surprised when we tell then she's only been here for 5 days. And know what else? We really do look like sisters :) Her and I are the only blondies in the mission! She is super positive and is a real sharp missionary. 

The next morning I had mission leader counsel, which was interesting because half of the leaders are new. My companion was a champ and stayed home with Sister Matakina who is a native. Two days out and already working with a native :) 

Man. I am in heaven. This area will definitely go down in history as one of my favorites. I've
heard rumors about Kazan being a pretty city, but I thought those were all exaggerated. Yeah riiiight. It pretty much took my breath away driving into the city. It's like driving in to the captial in the hunger games. The architecture is unbelievable, everything is very clean, and my favorite part? The people :)  ....holy cow they are not like any of the people like in Saratov, Balakovo, and Samara. They are sooo nice, and even if they're not interested in the church, they keep talking to us. In the past 5 days that I have been here I can probably count on only my 2 hands the number of times we've been told that we're from a sect. 

This Sunday there were about 40 people at church, which is apparently a lot. We write home in the branch building. Also the branch building totally doesn't look like a branch building. It looks like a storage unit or something from the outside. But the inside is really nice :) Our apartment is soooo nice. There are 2 air conditioners, which is unheard of in the mission. We're super blessed :) 

Man. The coolest things have happened this week. We've met some pretty remarkable people. Before church we were on our way home from early morning contacting. We passed a boy who was waiting for the crosswalk to turn green and decided to go back and give him an invite to church. He then gave us a card, and the only word that caught my eye was "alcohol" so I laughed and gave it back to him and said, "no thanks, we don't need that kind of stuff!" He then said, "I stopped drinking." I was a little confused at that and asked to see the card again. Actually it was an alcoholics anonymous card. He's stopped drinking for about 2 months now. We congratulated him and then asked what he is doing out so early in the morning, he replied that he is looking for work. I remembered that president Schwab has said about making promises to people and that God would back us up. So I told him that if in 3 hours he stops whatever he is doing and comes to church, then he will find a job this week. He scoffed at me, but I assured him that it was a promise from God and not from me. He said he would think about it..... fast forward a couple hours later. 

It was my first sunday at church and was a little crazy trying to get to know everyone and giving attention to a new investigator, my companion, and all the members. It wasn't until the second hour that I noticed a familiar face sitting across the room from me in sunday school. It was the boy that we had met on the street earlier that day. He had even come to the first hour and I managed not to see him, he stayed all 3 hours! He has lots of questions. He is addicted to smoking, alcohol, and video games, but he' trying to turn his life around. He said it's his second week of not smoking and that he already sold his TV. Heavenly Father led us to him at exactly the right time. He wants to change his life and he's come to the right place. 

We also met a woman about 30 years old on the street who is really in need of some guidance in her life. She's been living with a man who beats her so she was out wondering around on the street in the morning. Sadly, that often happens way too often. She really loved talking to us and gave us her address so that we would stop by.... A couple nights later we did stop by. There were about 10 little kids playing soccer in front of her house and out of that group of little boys we spot our friend playing with them.... in a robe, and verrrrry drunk. I talked to some other adults who were observing and asked if they knew her, they said that she more than often always drunk. She was really happy to see us, but I'm not sure how effective it is to teach someone who is drunk... we'll see what happens with her. 

We met a woman named S, who has a friend, N, who has a 15 year old boy has an incurable cancer. She gave us the contact information for this woman and we are going to call her and ask if we can come over and give her son a blessing. N is an orphan herself so she has no parents, no siblings, no husband, and the only one close to her is her son. Whether or not it is God's will to heal her son, I don't know. But I do know that if she accepts the gospel then she will have a family here at church :) 

I know that my Redeemer lives. I know it. 

He is the author of my faith. He is my deliverer. 

He is my best friend. He loves me, and I love Him. 

He knows better, and that's enough for me. 

Love,

Sister Brooklyn Wilson

Bezi - Week 12 - "Missionary Work is Miracle Work"

August 3, 2015

All is well :) 

The area presidency has asked our mission (and other missions as well I'm sure) to talk to three times as many people. So in order to do that, Sister Sotnikova and I have began talking to men too :) President said that sisters should focus on woman, and that elders should focus on contacting men, but if there aren't any women for us to contact then we should still talk to those around us. I can't say that I fully encourage the idea of talking to men... I've never so many awkward situations on my mission as I have had this week. 

I remember looking out our open window and seeing massive raindrops, smelling wet asphalt and wet bark, just taking in my surroundings :) and then two seconds later hearing two boys about nine years old riding their bikes home and one yelling repeatedly to the other, "Aaahhhhh, aaaaahhhhh I can't see anything!" Russian rainstorms are crazy. 

Two elders went home from our district this week, Elder Myers and Elder Weber. So Elder Myers decided to buy sharma for everyone, sharma is a russian burrito. There are mexican burritos, breakfast burritos, but Russian Burritos are pretty good too :) There is tomato, cucumber, mayo/sour cream, and chicken and other wonderful spices in them. It doesn't taste like a mexican burrito at all though. It's Russian somehow. Parker should look up a recipe for them online, they are great :) 

We had 4 member present lessons this week :) That's better than 2 (which was last week). We are trying to help our investigator, H, who is the father of a new convert, to stop smoking. He love love loooves church, but he feels embarrassed cause he needs to take a step out between hours to take a smoke break otherwise he gets antsy sitting in there. Also L came to church yesterday :) she is finally home from Moscow, and I am sure that she will be baptized this cycle. 

I have noticed an awful weakness that I have this week, which is that I have a really hard time finishing things that I start. I can finish it, but the quality at the end is always much lower than the quality that I start with in the beginning. I noticed that a little bit in my mission this week and I realized that it is a trial of my faith :) Will I finish the race strong? Will I sprint to the end? Or will I let myself go and loosen up and slow down? I think many of us can find the same problems in our every day lives... with school, with projects, even with fasting! The thing about enduring is that it really does test our faith, and holy cow is my faithfulness to God being tried! It's really not important whether or not you finish a mission, school, a fast, exams. What matters is what you learn. You don't fast just to get to the end of it. You don't take a biology class just to take a test at the end, you take the class to learn something during that period of time. We're not living just to get to the end of our lives. This is in fact a probationary period. We are being tested in every way. I feel like the closer a missionary comes to the end of his mission the stronger Satan tries to work on them. As long as I keep my covenants to remember Christ, I do not fall. As long as my faith is based on the Savior and not in myself, there is no failure. I know that clinging to Christ is the only thing that will allow me to endure WELL to the end of my mission.

We got transfer calls on Saturday night. I will be training this cycle :) there are 5 new sisters coming in, I get to meet her on Wednesday! I am also going to open an area that's been closed a while, beautiful Kazan :) I have heard that it is gorgeous there, I'm so so excited! I will get to see it in the Summer and in the fall and maybe even in the winter. Honestly my guess is that I am going to end my mission there, but we'll see. I am also going to be sister training leader. So yeah, president really dumpted a load on me. This will be a really interesting cycle :) My native companion, sister Sotnikova, will be serving with the only other Russian native in the mission, Sister Matakina. I am SOOO excited for them, it will be a blast. 

I'm sad that I won't be here to see the baptisms that will happen this cycle, L, H, and others. But I am just a worker in the vineyard, and the Lord tells me where to go. And I can't complain that I'm going to Kazan :) I've never heard anything bad about that place! 

Thanks for the prayers this week. I honestly felt real support. There are times on a mission where you know that the only thing that is keeping you going is the prayers of others, that's me right now :) And I'm grateful for those prayers. Cause now I'm on my feet again. And I'm ready to kill it this cycle! Missionary work is miracle work :) 

Loooove, 

Sister Wilson 

In a recent General Conference, Elder Kevin W. Pearson gave a talk entitled "Stay by the Tree". The following is a quote from that talk:

Enduring to the end is a hallmark of true discipleship and is essential to eternal life. But when trials and challenges come our way, we are often told to simply “hang in there.” Let me be clear: to “hang in there” is not a principle of the gospel. Enduring to the end means constantly coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him.

Click HERE to find out what it means to "Stay by the Tree"