April 20th

Hello family!  Email is working now!  HOOORA!!


 So now I have to write for two weeks worth of stuff! First of all thank you to
Michelle and Tyler(Aunt and Uncle)!  You are great writers! You both write me more than two of
my siblings (Ahem...)  speaking of - Jake and Audrey it’s about time you write
to me this week ok?  At least 4 sentences each!  Anyways, Michele and Tyler i
love receiving your letters and hearing about what you are doing. I am flattered
that you share my crazy scatter brained letters with your priests i don't know
how much they help but i will do my best to make them worthwhile :) as for
advice?! haha i don't know! study on your own! know the gospel first! love the
gospel and apply it so that you can share with them how much you love it.  
Tyler asked a few questions and it will probably be interesting to everyone
so.... He asked if a lot of the men have drinking problems and that is a YES!
not just men, it is everyone.  They love Vodka.  I now know what it smells
like-it’s like this sweet moldy strange smell but yes it is a HUGE PROBLEM!  At
the stores they have rows and rows of alcohol!  The food is pretty good- i have
tasted a few things that i don't like, for example fat and liver and beet salad
but other than that it is pretty normal. They like mayo.   At every party we
have bread with an inch of mayo and sausage and cucumbers on top. It’s like the
party/fireside/ everything food for Russia!  There is a whole section in grocery
stores for sausage - like ten million different kinds!  I haven't eaten any
cabbage but my comp says that they use it for soup in the winter but it’s warm
now so no soup.  I loved Tyler’s letter! I would like to share with everyone
something that he said,


"May you always remember that you have the privilege, honor and power associated
with representing Christ. He will be with you in all things. Despite the fact
that you have a missionary companion, it is Christ that should be your constant
companion. With Him all things are possible. Draw inseparably close to Him
during this amazing time of life."


I LOVED this and it has given me hope and made me happy these past two weeks!
thanks Ty!

It is now warm! we don't wear coats any more and people get mad at us but it’s
warm!  We don't even wear jackets and the buses are soooo HOT!  They have this
fear of drafts so they won't let us keep the windows open if it’s even a little
windy or cold so it’s like a green house in the buses-----gross. 

Words of Melanie (she said in p.s. that all their snow is gone now)

One day last week we met this man on the street and he just started talking to
us about the church! It was sweet!  He knew all sorts of things and I pretty
much taught him the first lesson on the street and then he asked about hymns and
asked if we would sing one with him.....right on the street-so we did and he
loved it! We have had really good contacts this week and one even turned into
our new investigator. Her name is Dasha and she brought along her boyfriend who
has been searching for religion!  pretty sweet! When you work-Heavenly Father
puts people in your path, it’s amazing.


On Sunday last week this man stopped me- he thought I was Russian)- and gave me
his sons number and told me to call him and he wanted our numbers so his sons
could call us (he has two) and he told us that they would be good husbands and
then he tried to hug me and I was pulling away and he kissed the back of my
head! haha and my companion said i squealed! (how do you spell that?)  so I have
been kissed my Russian grandpa :)  oops!

I seem to pick themes for my work and right now it is from EFY 2007 the song
called "as I am".  It reminds me that Christ accepts us for who we are- we have
a place with Him and he loves us no matter what,  BUT his plan for us is to
continue to get better every day!  If you have the time and means listen to this
song, it is incredible!

Our baptism for Masha was on Saturday!  Yay! Of course I was stressing out but
it ended up going beautifully!  PS no one told me that Maria was getting
baptized! that is something that i should be informed of! I could have written
her or something! But anyways mom- on the same Saturday we both gave talks on
Baptisim!  sweet huh?  and my talk talked about her being a princess of God and
I made her a tiara and everything and we gave her flowers and talked  about how
she is promising to be a princess of God and act like one :)  the adults thought
it was silly but she loved it!


I have to tell you all my feelings about my mission at the moment- I am so
thankful that I am here. I cannot believe that my whole life I did not want to
come. I can’t imagine how my life would have been had I not come.  I have
changed so much and I have only been here for like 5 months. What I thought was
important before is still important- but I now realize what is the most
important! I don't even know how to describe to you what I am feeling but I feel
as though I will be able to say like Elder Holland " my mission meant everything
to me".  I feel like I need to send out a mass apology letter to all those that
I knew in the past! But also in the future because I know I won't be perfect!
haha! But I know because of my mission I will be better!

I have come to have a LOVE for the scriptures. I sit down at my desk- I turn on
my lamp and get my black pen and pink colored pencil out and open my scriptures
- the whole time I feel this....warmth..this hunger..and...this something from
way deep down inside of my soul (it sounds better in Russian) and I just know
that I will learn more today and realize more and come closer to my Savior
today!  I just love it! Ii think "yes it’s time! It’s my time to read!"  and I
feel this power surge into me, it starts way, way deep down inside of me and
fills my whole self!  - now that sounds really silly I know-but I want you know
how I feel :)

As I have read the New Testament,  I have found a great love for Peter!  I love
him! He is so incredible!  His nature is to immediately do whatever he can to
help the Savior, to love Him and to serve him.  A lot of times the Savior had to
say, no Peter, not like that - but Peter was only doing what we thought was
right and immediately when Christ says to change, he does!  He immediately goes
to the Savior.  Right when he knew it was the Savior walking on water he asked
to come to Him.  When he knew it was the Savior on the shore at the end of John
he JUMPED out of the boat and swam to Him!  When Christ was washing their feet
he said he would not let him, but when Christ explained, Peter said "not just my
feet..", Peter cut off that mans ear but Christ healed it. I think you know what
I am talking about! Peter is incredible! I think we can all learn a lot from
him!

I am also reading in Ether and love it!  Today I read about their journey in the
boats! What faith they had!  They got into boats, they couldn't see anything and
just said, alright we trust you. They gave themselves fully to the Lord!  wow!


This week we have an interesting situation, we are getting our bathroom
remodeled or something- not really sure I could understand it all, but there are
Russians running in and out of our house and yelling at each other in Russian
and taking a hammer to our bathroom...and there is a toilet in our living
room..it is all very interesting. We don't have water for who knows how long! 
not sure!  no toilet, no showers, no water to drink-nothing----so  ya.......it
will be an adventure! haha!


Random thought- they have clothes for their dogs-at the store they have a
section for it! There are shoes and raincoats and running outfits and sweaters
and stuff! It’s pretty funny!


Pretty sure this was the most rambly of all my letters and they are all pretty
random...so good luck with that :) and I love you all!  Audrey and Jake -write
me this week ok?  I love you and read the scriptures especially the BOM.  They
are here to bless our lives and to help us. Use them to their full potential! 


I’m out of time of course :)

Love Sister Trottier