Wednesday, September 29, 2010
9.29.10
Well it has been another great week in Russian! Filled with lots of missionary work, which is the best work ever!! Well this last week has been great and we have had no big distractions like we had in the past. No sicknesses and no moving apartments. Its was been very nice to get back to work. We have had a lot of meetings with people and have found some new investigators.
On Sunday we meet with Masha and her mom Valentina who had meet with the missionaries in the past but it had been a while since meeting with the missionaries. They are both great! Masha has excepted the gospel and our message for the most part and her mom is very much looking for the truth and the help of God. Valentina though has a lot of questions and some really hard ones to answer at times. We have more work to do with them but they are interested in learning more.
Also on Monday we went to a inactive ladies house to visit her and our branch president came with us and it was just an amazing visit. Her husband was there who is not a member and at the end of our meeting he was crying because he felt the spirit so much. We talk about eternal families and how through the temple they can be together forever. She really wants him to get baptized and for them to go to the temple together. We asked him if he wanted to be with his wife forever and he said of course he did. The spirit was really strong at that lesson and he invited us back to teach him more. So we will work with them to get her active and him baptized. It is so amazing to see families strengthened through the gospel.
We also had a great lesson yesterday with another investigator Valentine, who also is just a fabulous lady. We watched the movie about the Joseph Smith and the restoration and she really enjoyed it and told us that she believes it 99.9% and that she wants so much to believe it all and accept it. She has known about the church for a few year and has family members who are church members and my companion and I both dont understand why she hasnt been baptized yet. We plan on talking about baptism with her at our next meeting.
Our other investigator Marina whos mom was baptized a month ago is doing great as well, it was been hard lately to meet with her because of her schedule but tonight we are going to their house and will have a meeting and teach about the Holy Ghost and how to receive answers to prayers and revelation. She is soooo close to baptism but is waiting for her answer about what to do. Well so that is basically what we are doing right now with our work her in Nove. We do have more inactive members that we are trying to work with to increase their faith and desire to come back to church. Thanks for all your prayers for the work her in our mission, your prayers are a strong help to us.
Well what else to say????? On sunday I taught primary :) Well actually basically i just translated. We have a new family that moved into our branch from america. The parents both know russian pretty well and are teaching in a university here. They have a 3 year old girl and 4 months baby girl. They are members of the church as so they started coming to out branch. Their little daughter is soooooo cute and it is really fun to talk to her in english. All the russians from the branch just love her. Well she is only 3 and the youngest in primary and the only one in her class. So a young girl named Anya from the branch was little Elizabeth's teacher and came and asked me if I could help her since Elizabeth doesnt speak russian. Anya knows english pretty well but wanted Elizabeth to understand. So anyway Anya taught the lesson in Russian and I translated. It was soooo fun. We taught about prophets and Elizabeth is already soooo smart in the gospel because her parents have done a very good job teaching her and she was able to answer all the questions really well. So it was cool. I hope to help again!! We even got to color pictures and have snack time :) any missionary would love that!!!!
I cant believe I have been in Russia for a year!!! I remember when i first got here and somethings seems so weird and different from american, but now they are sooo normal to me and I am use to being here. I love Russia and love being here and communicating with these people. I wish you all could come here to Russia and see why it is I love it so much. I am so grateful the Lord sent me here on my mission. I have no desire to be anywhere else on my mission. From the time being here I have had many wonderful and spiritual experiences that have helped me to see why I am here. It is not just by luck that we serve in a certain mission. Every missionary is meant to be in their mission for a reason and those reasons are real. There are people here that I know the Lord sent me here to help them. Every missionary has different reasons and different people that they were personal sent to help. We dont know ahead who they are but there are times on the mission when you stop and think "WOW this is why I am here. The Lord needed me here for this person of for this reason." This mission has strengthened me in many ways and I will forever be thankful for this experience. I know this church is true and know it is lead by Christ himself. I know he is our savior and that through him we can change and always become better. His atonement is real and it is the biggest blessing we have. Through his atonement we CAN be forgiven of sin, no matter the sin. Repentance works and through forgiveness of sin we receive so much joy and happiness. Being here and seeing people change and become better and have a desire to repent and then seeing how joyful they are when they know the Lord has forgiven them is amazing.
Well my time is up :( I love you soo much and cant wait to hear from you next week!!!!! Keep being awesome and working hard!!!
love always,
Sister Mindy Gneiting
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Return Date
Friday, September 17, 2010
Packages to Sister Gneiting
We received this letter from the mission office about sending packages to the missionaries. So I thought I would pass this on so those of you that would like to send something to her for Christmas - you need to get on it soon. Thanks.
Dear Missionary Family,
As the holiday season fast approaches, we want to remind you of a couple things:
1. Your missionary loves getting mail from family and friends.
2. NOW is the time to send your holiday greetings- cards, letters, or packages- in order for your missionary to get them for Christmas. Packages from America can take 2-3 months as the season gets busier. And then they only get the packages when someone is going to the city where they are serving and that could be only once a month.
3. They love special treats that are consumable and non-perishable. Remember, our missionaries move often and carrying extra “stuff” is very hard for them. Please keep this in mind when making your gift selections. They may not transfer or go home with more than 2 bags 20 kg each and some are collecting a lot of things. Please don’t add to that. Also remember that someone has to carry those packages to their cities and if there are 12 missionaries in a city and each one gets several packages that weight 20lbs each, you can see it will be difficult to get the packages to them.
4. Please don’t send any electronic equipment. Missionaries are not permitted to use them (but family tapes are fine).
5. If you send CD’s remember that just because you find it in Deseret Book does not mean that it is missionary acceptable. The only music that does not need pre-approval by Sister Trejo is Tabernacle Choir, classical music and EFY (and some of that is questionable). Sister Trejo can approve other music but some that has come has not been acceptable. Please help your missionary obey the music rules. Music can be a great aid or a great distraction. And sometimes CDs doesn’t make it through customs.
6. As missionaries have come through the office I have asked for ideas they like in packages. These are only a few and you will need to adjust this to your missionary’s particular tastes. Missionaries can buy just about anything they NEED here in Siberia manufactured in Russia. In other words, don’t send shampoo or deodorant or socks unless they like a special brand from home. There are plenty of candy bars but some special kinds not found here are 100,000 Grand, Butterfingers, Nutrageous, Reese Peanut Butter Cups are a few. They do have Snickers here.
7. Other ideas: Past and current pictures, Koolaid, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce dry mix, Tide pens, Spray and Wash stain sticks, dry cider mix, vanilla, maple and rootbeer extract, games (no face cards), games that can be used for family home evenings or Single Young Adult gatherings that could involve a lot of people, things to be used for object lessons, stickers to use in other missionaries’ journals, American souvenirs or pins to give away, jerky, dry BBQ sauce, any favorite spices, homemade candy, Doritos, hot sauce, dry taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, jello. Missionaries spend a lot of time traveling (buses, trains, planes) and an inflatable travel pillow may save a few necks. They only carry their backpacks on these trips so there is no room for anything that can’t be deflated.
8. If you will write Merry Christmas on the outside somewhere or put on a Christmas sticker so we know that this is for Christmas, we will try to save it for Christmas time if it comes in early.
Send your mail/packages to the mission office address:
630102 Novosibirsk, Russia
ul. Kirova 46
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Russia Novosibirsk Mission
Elder/Sister ___________
Our missionaries are the very best of Heavenly Father’s servants. We love and appreciate them, as you do. Thanks for sharing your missionary with us and the good people of Siberia.
Love from Novosibirsk office couple,
Elder and Sister McCauley