Previet Semya!

Haha! Hello from Siberia! 

The Subject line kinda sounds like how i would write it in Russian...Kinda :)  Thank you for all of the emails!  It was good to hear from you and to know that i am in your prayers. I am glad that you got the email from President. Sorry the phone card didn't work out and sorry my first email was sort and sad kinda....  We flew all day and im not gonna lie, all of the emotions from the mtc had been building up, i hadn't cried yet, so i think it all came out during the stress of travel etc.  In moscow i thought we would have a tone of time but instead we just ran around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get to the embassy and apply for our second passports!  On the way there elder Vorononkov and i read mosiah 5-  it gave me strenght and courage because i realized that is what i was dong, was taking Christs name and that is waht he expects of me!

The travel was crazy, but once we got to Novosibirsk, the smiling faces of the APs and President Trejo was wonderful!  They took us to the mission home gave us food and we showered and slept!   That night i read Psalms 34:4 -  Christ really WILL take away our fears!

On wednesday we had orentation which i don't remember much of, but i took good notes so that is ok :)  The thing that stuck out to me the most is PResident Trejos "famous quote"  "Begin with the end in mind!"  i think that is an awesome thing for us to remember with everything we do, remember what we want to have happen. OUr mission goals this year are 130 baptisms-in my mission we strive to have a balance in our work between members, inactive members and new converts.  her 7 out of 10 members are inactive!!!  very bad!  President Trejo and his wife are incredible people and i am so happy to be able to work with them. they said they want to be like our pretend parents and they really work hard to be that way.  They took us to KFC  and gave us pamphlets and told us to contact! my first contact i asked the lady "do you speak english" (inrussian i said this of course) and then she started talking and i looked to the AP who then finished. She was impressed that it was my first day in Russian and said i sounded good.  But don't get too proud bec ause after that no one understood me! haha

It took a while but i finally convinced them to tell me where and with who i was serving! they think its funny to make you guess your something.  I am serving in Omsk and my mom (trainer) is Sister Sologub.  She is from Ukraine and she is so so sweet and great!  She was my friend's (from MTC)  Sis. HOlmes mom too.  She is practicing her english while i learn Russian. we communicate really well most of the time! haha.

Thursday- we went to the Mission office and i saw Adam Whitchurch (Friend from High school)! i was so so happy to see him! it was nice to see a familiar face, and sister HOlmes!  I went contacting with the sisters and was rejected every time!  I think that is normal....After that i got onto a night train on the transiberian railroad! crazy huh?  I traveled with Sister Svab who is from Germany- she is awesome and has been here 4 transfers.    The whole train i sang to myself songs from the White Christmas :) the funnest thing is that i could hear the person in the next room snoring because  the only thing between was a thin wall haah!  don't worry Chels, this night train was not scary and was very clean :)

Fri-  i got to Omsk and my mom was waiting wtih all smiles to greet me!  We had district meeting and i was called "the Greenie" the whole day. We meet at the Senior COuples apartment which is really nice and they are the Maughns.  They are very nice and hard workers.  My whole district is great and funny. I would tell more details but i don't have time.....My first lesson i taught was to Andre.  We invited HIm to be baptized but hye said he was not ready. But He still came to church on sundday. He knows the church is true, he reads and prays every day. we just odn't know what the problem is.

Sat-  we had zone conference this weekend which was nice cause i got to see Pres and wife and APs again.  It was great to have that much time focused on the "effective teachng skills"  President Trejo is incredible and has a great spirit about him.  After This we hada meeting with Luba. She is a memeber and we taught about missionary work.  All of the Babooski (grandmas)  worry and freak out beceause i haven't been able to buy a coat (until today) and they say i am going to die.  She made us delicious Russian food!  Well most was good....the beet salad was kinda gross but we also had good bread that fruit kinda stuff was cooked into it.  

The crazies thing so far is this thing called a marshootka! haha it is like a mini van but inside there are bunch of bus seats and the drivers drive like mad men and a ton of pep\ople just crowd into it and pass money up to the driver who while driving counts out chrange! haha! and the street lights go from red to yellow to green so itsl ike a race and everyone revves their engines- here cars have the right of way because a person can get out of the way better than a car or something haha

Sunday- The branch is awesme! here in Omsk we have 3 branches (10 missionareis (i think) and a senior couple)  and sister sologub and i are over brance two by ourselves. But today PRes Trejo came and talked about missionary work. Because we know that members are the best way to get investigators.   It is "tradition" for the new missionaries to give a testimony so i did which was embarrassing but all of the people are so loving every one gave me a hug( that was female of course) and everyone wanted to talk to me and say hello!   The church is so so new here, the branch president is a 20 something year old who just got off of his mission!  But they are still strong and love the lord and each other. 

Mon- more zone conference which is great to be all together and do practices.  My favorite of this was president said that "Eternity hangs in the balance"  "eternity hangs in the balance everytime you walk out of your apartment.  That is a HUGE responsobitly tha tis mine. Kinda intimidating..... We went out contacting especially for families and sis Cologoob says it was a miravle because we found two families that were interested!   

Tues- we had english club and i am incharge of one of the groups which is fun. I was talking to a lady and she said "i just wish someon ewould give me a BOM"  haha well of course i gave one to her, testified and told her where i wanted her to read and told her i would check beack with hereon Friday! sweet huh?!

wed- we went to IKEA!  haha it is not just ikea but a HUGE mall and a big supermarket bigger than costco!  you wold all HATE grocery shopping here. it crowded to the max and super stressful ahah! but the mall was just like a normal mall.

I am good and happy. I have had many experiences!  Crazy enough i can understand some but not really haha!  i can understand the gist of things when it is about the gospel :)  I am happy and excited to be here! I am scared all of the time but I pray that that will go way!  I have never been so cold in my life! haha but they say it is warm now!  sorry that this is crazy email but I am happy!  and the church is true!  and I love you all! 

Sister Trottier