Aug 10

Somehow, we only received the first part of Heather's letter.  So try not to be sad when you reach the incomplete thought at the end! 

Love you all!

Melanie

 

 

Hey,

 

So normally I start every email by saying that I feel like I just wrote yesterday but today it is the complete opposite! I feel like it has been forever and that everything has changed! And that is because it has!

 

First went to Finland again! It was sweet just like the first time!  Did the temple session in Russian which was really cool! And I understood! Which was even cooler!  Our new group was a lot of fun. A lot of newer elders that are funny but really strong. Unfortunately all the younger missionaries know Russian better than I do already...I thought I was smart haha but Russian has kinda kicked that proud part of me out of there :).   Anyways as we were in the temple housing and the temple there was just this incredible feeling! It’s awesome because we are all a family and everyone knows it! Everyone smiles and greets you and shares everything they have with you and greets you in the language that they think you might understand! haha it’s so great!  I was thinking about languages because there were people there speaking Russian and finish and English. And others I am sure.....but we talked to one Finnish man who didn't know English but knew a little Russian so we could talk to him! And we met another Finnish man who knew Russian and English and we had a good conversation with him where we went back and forth crazily between Russian and English because he didn't know either perfectly.  And another conversation with a woman who knew Finnish and English, a woman who knew just Finnish and a woman who knew all three (Russian fin an eng) and it was a crazy confusing conversation but we all talked and laughed and had a good time! haha cool huh? Oh the strange experiences in different countries!

 

Well I am now in Novosibirsk! It is a lot different here. People are more modernized and one of our branches is very big! With a lot of solid members and young people preparing for missions or just coming home!  We have new member who got baptized on wed and she is awesome she received the Holy Ghost on during sacrament meeting and paid her tithing straight after wards!   My companion is sister djurich and she is just great! haha possibly the most hysterical person I have ever met! and I think that she has a huge huge huge amount of faith because miracles just fall into our laps!  Seriously! Yesterday was possibly the best day of my mission so far!  We had four great meetings 3 of which were with investigators.  I don't know all of our people yet but the ones I have met are amazing people.  We have had members on our lessons that bring the spirit, testify and help strengthen and add their own conversions that make it so the investigators have someone to relate to etc etc.  My companion has only had Russian companions so her language skills are sweet! she is helping me out a lot....although it is a little embarrassing cause I am supposed to know more technically but.....we can all take a little humble pie every once and awhile I guess. :) The metro is great- everything is faster and nice although it is a lot louder and that makes it hard to talk to people. My companion is a very diligent worker and has a strong testimony and we can also have fun together.  We are both striving I think to make big changes this transfer which is good so we can work on them together. hmmm...

 

Our new mission president came!  He is awesome and so is his wife!  He speaks Russian and she can bear testimony in Russian as well. He is an incredible speaker but can also be very personable.  He read the Book of Mormon 7 times before he got here!  7 times in 7 months!  and then I the mtc he read the whole thing in Russian!  I haven't done that!  Anyways he is an amazing president but he is also really cool haha I think he watches Psych!  haha he fist pounded me twice the day that I met him haha and when I told him I was a triplet in my interview with him he did this "whaaaaat.....!!!!" just like Gus! haha pretty funny.  He gave almost a whole talk on one scripture and it seems like a rand