Dear Family,
On Thursday, we will have been in Russia for one month. I can't believe it! It certainly seems like six! Hah! But, we (I should say "I" because Dad figured his out the first week we were here!), feel more and more ways that I can be of service here. This is certainly a different mission than others in the fact that we really can't go around talking about the church--#1 because the Russian government says we can't, and #2 because of the language barrier. But we can definitely name drop when people ask why we are here. The people can only be taught about the gospel if they come to church or are in a member's home. So, the mission president encourages us to get out and about so that our presence is felt wherever we go.
On Sunday, we received the nicest letter handed to us by the sister missionaries in our ward--one has been out a year and the other came just a couple of weeks before us. They are both from the Utah area someplace--we meet so many that I can't remember exactly. Anyway, I will send it along for you to see--mainly because it made me feel happy that maybe we are doing some good, and for the fact that those two young missionaries have already learned how much it means to people be appreciated. It truly made my day! We will soon start having some inactives in our home along with the missionaries--probably some who are English speaking--so that Dad and I can be part of the conversation.
(On the top row, the 2nd and 3rd sister volunteers from the left are the sweet sisters who wrote this letter.)
We will soon be starting to travel to different places this next month for auditing training. Dad is working very hard to make sure everyone gets trained. You can't blame someone for not doing something properly until you know they are properly trained. We learned that in our Dairy Queen experience! (Did you notice how I slipped that in there?! Hah!) Anyway, we will be going to the Baltic area, as well as down to Bulgaria, I believe.
Then, right before Christmas, we have to take our three month leave out of Russia, which we must do every 90 days, and Dad wants to try to go over to Kiev to the temple there. That's what most senior couples do--go to where there is a temple so we can do temple work. There are two other places that they go--Helsinki, Finland, and the Sweden temple, which I'm sure we'll try to visit in the two years we are here.
This week, we have Senior Council tomorrow night, I'm going with the Mission President's wife to the outdoor market on Wednesday, and Friday, the senior's are touring a Russian chocolate factory. That certainly sounds interesting and delicious! Last Thursday, we had a Women's Volunteer Workshop where all the young and senior volunteers came together for five hours of training, testimonies, and then dinner afterwards. It was really well done! The young volunteers here are absolutely amazing! To get to anything is at least an hour or longer--cold weather and having to find addresses that seem impossible to find--and learn such a difficult language, in the meantime. They can only eat with members if they bring an inactive or non-member with them. That seems pretty strict--certainly not what we have ever had in Florida--but they go along with the rule!
We had our first skiff of snow this morning and woke up to 32 degree weather outside! It feels so much colder because of the moist air and wind. We still don't have our heavy coats, but that is a necessity this week.
Well, better close. We certainly send our love to all! So proud of Lauren this week participating in the State of Utah Distinguished Young Women program and winning $1,000 in scholarship money for physical fitness. She has worked so hard, and we really congratulate her for this.
Love you all so much,
Gma Laura
PS I put many pictures on Instagram, but I actually do have a blog so that I can put it all in a book when I get home. If you want to see it, I have to invite you, so if you're interested in it, just let me know, and I'll do that.
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