9.15.10

HELLO FROM RUSSIA!!!!!!! thats me screaming, i hope you heard it,

Well really it has only been a few days since i email you last, so not much has happened. Actually really not much at all has happened. My companion is really sick and has had a temperature for over a week, so we have spent most of our time home so she could sleep and get feeling better. So we havent done much missionary work. Its really weird actually not going out all day as a missionary. Today was the first day that she actually said that she felt a little better. So hopefully she will get feeling better and then we will get back to our work.

As a companionship we are serving in 2 different branches, but church is at the same time on Sunday. So one Sunday we went on splits and she went to the 1st branch and I went to the 4th branch. Most of the people in the 4th branch I dont know, so it was good to get to know all those members. After church we had some meetings with those members too and had some good meetings. Members are one of the most important parts of missionary work. As we work with the members they begin to trust us and feel comfortable with us teaching their nonmember family and friends about the church. So we are working with these members to think of people that they know that we can teach.

Well we havent been able to meet with our investigator Marina so is close to baptism for a few day since we have been home so my companion to rest. I did see her yesterday at english club and she is doing good and still reading the book of mormon and still looking for her answer about baptism. Hopefully soon we will meet with her again.

Tonight we are going to a hockey game. The pro team from Novosibirsk is playing. Im not sure who they are playing, but it will be way fun. Last time i served in Novo we went too and President only lets us go once a year i think, so i got pretty lucky that i get to go twice!!! haha

Well i cant really think of much more to say, so im going to spend the next little while attaching some pics cuz it usually takes awhile on these computers. So ok im gonna do that....... well sorry its not working. the computer wont let me download my pictures. So i will try again next week :( sorry

ok well i love you all and im sorry this email was really lame and not interesting. I hope you all still love me!! Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Mindy Gneiting

9.10.10

Hello everyone,

So sorry this email is getting to you 2 days late, I hope you havent been worrying! I was on my visa trip on Finland and Moscow this week so I didnt get a chance to email on wednesday. So dont worry, Im still alive!!!!

Well this last week as been busy, crazy, and different. Last week I left Irkutsk on a train and was on the train for over 30 hours traveling here to Novosibirsk. So now I am back serving in Novo which was the first city i served in on my mission. It is nice being back, but i am in a different part of the city so there are new people to meet and a new area to get to know. My companion is Sister Antonova who was my companion for 2 of the transfers that I served in Irkutsk. So we are excited to be back in together, but we both dont know a lot about the area we are in right now but we will figure it out together.

It was really hard for me to leave Irkutsk. I was serving in that city for almost 8 months, so I was really close with the people there and all the people we were working with. I knew everything about that city, even the Zone leaders would call me when they didnt know things and ask me question. So anyway its been hard being away, they were like a family to me, but I know the Lord needs me to be here right now, so I will continue to do the work here in Novo.

Well I have only really been here for a few days, so there isnt much to say about our work here because I dont really know about it myself haha but we just had a baptism last saturday. A lady named Lena was baptised and the great thing is that we are teaching her daughter who is 20 years old and her daughter is close to baptism. She still waiting for her answer she says to get baptized, but she is really serious about getting her answer, so hopefully soon she will decide to be baptized about follow the example of her mom. They are both great. There are also some recent converts that we have had a couple meetings with since I have been here and then some inactive member also who we have meet with. Next week when I email you I should have more information about this area to share with you, just right now i am trying to figure it out for myself haha

My visa trip was great. So i packed a change a clothes, my toothpaste and tooth brush and we headed off to Finland again, but unfortunately the temple was closed so we werent able to attend a sesson. Instead we just spent more time exploring Helsinki and seeing the cool sites. One place we went to was what is called the "church in the rock." The name basically gives it away, but it is a church that is inside. Im not sure what religion it was, but it is a working church, like they have religious meetings and stuff in there. It was really cool to see. Helsinki is a very beautiful and nice city and the people there are so friendly. Also this time we had a 12 hour layover in Moscow, so we were able to go into town and explore too. We spent most of our time around Red Square which is just amazing. The building are just sooooo beautiful and the grounds of the Red Square was so beautiful. Last time I was there it was snowy, but this time there was green grass and leaves, daffodils, and other flowers and it was soo gorgeous! Also we say a big police escort for someone. I dont know who it was, but someone really important, maybe President Medvedov. Anway there was a really nice black limo surrounded by alot a big police vehicles and they drove down the street next to us. It was cool to see but we wished we knew who was in it. I'll send you some pictures next week, just remind me.

Well I have to get going cuz this isnt pday and we need to go do some missionary work. Well as always I love you all so much and hope you all are doing great!!!! Have a great week!!

love,

Sister Mindy Gneiting

8.31.10

Another one bites the dust!!!!!!! Haha i mean the week ofcourse.I still cant believe how time flys by.

Well the big news of the week is TRANSFERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So where in the Novosibirsk Mission will Sister Gneiting go.................. well I am getting transfered and will be going back to serve in the city of Novosibirsk, but in a different area of the city. I am really excited to go back to Novo because I really love that city, but I am sooooooo sad to leave Irkutsk. I have been here since January so I have grown to love this city and the people here very much. I leave today and its been really hard to say goodbye to everyone here. Of course though I know that transfers lie in the hands of the Lord and that its his decision where I go. He has allowed me to be here in Irkutsk for almost 8 months and I am so thankful that I had that opportunity, but now i know there is work prepared for me in Novo. So I will go willing to my new area to serve. I really do love the city of Novosibirsk and the people there and am looking forward to serving there again. Like I said though I will be in a different part of the city and in a different branch. So it wont be completely the same as before. Also my new companion will be Sister Antonova, who I already served with here in Irkutsk. She is great and I am excited to serve with her again.

So today I get to started my long journey to Novo on the train. I will be on the train for over 30 hours. I wont be alone though, my companion Sister Semonova is leaving too, so we will be on the train together. So yesterday we bought a bunch of food and later today we load the train with all of our suit cases and head down the tracks. I like train rides, they are fun. It can definitely be an interesting experience. I will let you know all about it next week. Actually I dont know when i will email you next week because next week I have another visa trip and will be going to Finland again. So i have a lot of traveling in the next week and a a half.

Sunday was a special day. We got to watch the broadcast of the Kiev Ukraine Temple dedication. It was so great. President Monson, Pres. Utchdorf, and Elder Nelson were there. There was a bunch of members of the branch that received recommends and were able to come to watch it too. The sacrament room was where we watched it. The coolest part was that new convert Natasha that we taught and who was baptized in July was at it. Being baptized is only the beginning right? You see what we do as missionaries helps prepare people to eventually make it to the temple. So it was really special to see this young girl who was just baptized have the opportunity to participate in the temple dedication. I felt as if i was actually with her in the temple. I pray she will continue to grow in the gospel so that she will have the opportunity to attend the temple someday.

So our investigator Tamara is doing great! We had a baptismal date set for her last saturday, but we decided to move it back a couple weeks. Like I told you, she is 82 yrs old and its hard for her to remember everything. She wants to get baptized and keeps asking when she can get baptized, but we just want to make her she understands completely before she does. So I wont be here for that baptism, but the new sisters coming to Irkutsk will continue to work with her. She is a great lady. It is sad to have to leave while she is so close, but it happens in missionary work sometime.

So i bought you guys a bunch of souvenirs, but instead of sending them i think i will wait and give them to you when i get back. So you can look forward to stuff from Russia!!!!!! :)

Well I cant really think of anything else interesting to tell you. next week I should have a lot of news!! So look forward to that :) Well of course I love you all so so so so so so much!!!!

Love,

Sister Mindy Gneiting

PS Parachute pants are a huge fashion right now in Russia! Funny huh?!!!!

8.24.10

Hey Hey Hey its Sister Gneiting!!!!!!

Ok this last week has gone by soooooo fast. Its was a good but interesting week. Monday was a normal day as a missionary. Tuesday morning and afternoon were normal, but then that evening we were at the train station alot. First the senior couple Elder and Sister Southam left to go home to america. So we went and said goodbye to them. It was really sad because I have been here in Irkutsk with them for 7 months and they have become like my mission parents. So it was sad to say goodbye. Then a couple hrs after that my companion, who is a mini missionary and a youth from the mission, left with the other youth from Irkutsk on another train to head to the Youth Conference and they were there all week. Then on Weds was pday and then Thursday morning I got on a train and spent the whole day traveling to Ulan-Ude and got there in the evening. So Thrs night until Sunday afternoon I was serving with the sister in Ulan-Ude. Ulan-Ude is a great city. Its a very beautiful city. This city is very close to Mongolia so there is a lot of asian people there. It was a really great city. Well then I got back to Irkutsk Sunday night and then my companion got back Monday morning, but she came back sick so we spent the day home so she could rest. So the last week has been interesting and a little unusual. Yesterday though was a full day of missionary work, so we are back to it. It was hard being away from Irkutsk that long, because this is were my work is. So I had to leave the people I have been working with. Im back now so things are great!!

So I told you about our investigator Tamara who is 82 yrs old. Well things are going well with her. She is supposed to be getting baptized this saturday, but she is not quit ready so we will move the date back a little. Its just kind of hard with her because she is older and forgets thing easily, so we have to repeat a lot of things with her. We just want to make sure she really understands the gospel and about Joseph Smith and the Restoration before she get baptized. So we will continue to work with her. So please pray that she will be able to become ready for baptism. Sorry I dont have a lot to tell about my mission work here in Irkutsk because i was in different city for most of the week. The work in Ulan-Ude is great though. We met with some of their investigators, member, and less actives and they are working hard down there too.

Well the weather is starting to cool off here slowly. Thats a booger though because it makes me sad because I love the warm weather and im not very excited about putting my warm clothes back on. Right now the weather is ok but soon it will get colder. How is the weather there, is it still pretty warm.

So you asked about my Russian, well its coming along one day at a time. My russian is not perfect, but the most important thing is that I am able to do the work. The Lord really does bless us to learn this language. It is a very hard language to learn, but its amazing to thing a year ago I didnt know any russian really and now I am able to teach people the gospel and get along fine her in Russia. Everyday I just continue to study and show the Lord I'm willing to be here in Russia as a missionary. Even though the language is a booger and very hard to learn, its when I show my faith in the Lord and show that i am willing to struggle to do what he has called me to do as a missionary that he blesses me. Work Work Work is what we can do to show our faith.

Well I love you all so much and again I hope you have a great week. Stay strong, read your scriptures, and say your prayers!!

Love always,

Sister Mindy Gneiting

8.17.10

HELLO HELLO HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!

Well things are great here in the beautiful city of Irkutsk Russia!!! I just love being here so much. I love being on a mission and I cant even dream of being anywhere else. So things are great right now. So I think I told you last week about our investigator Tamara who is 82 yrs old. Well........ great news........... She is getting baptised :) She loves meeting with us and coming to church with us and she has accepted everything we teach her. So this last week we talk to her about baptism and she told us that she was already baptized when she was a baby. So ofcourse we talk to her about how only our church has the priesthood and the authority to baptize. Then I asked her what she remembered about her baptism and she said "nothing ofcourse I was a baby" and then we talk about how Christ said that little children dont need to be baptizd and we talked about how it should be our choose if we want to be baptized and she said "yeah I mom made the decision not me" and then she said she wanted to be baptized in the true church of Christ and the right way. So I am very excited that she has made this decision. So if everything goes as planned she will be baptized on the 28th of August.

So this week I will be in a different city. Tomorrow morning I get on a train and ride to Ulan-Ude. I will spend the rest of the week until Monday there and then come back here to Irkutsk. I am doing this because right now I am without a companion. My companion is a mini missionary which means she is just a young girl from my mission who is serving one transfer as a missionary. This week is the young single adults conference for the mission so she is at that. So I am being sent to Ulan-Ude to be with the sisters there. So that will be exciting.

Yesterday the senior couple Elder and Sister Southam left to go back to America. They have finished their mission. It was sad. They have become like the missionaries parent. They take care of us. I just love them so it was sad to say goodbye. They had been here in Irkutsk for a 18 months, so the members here love them so much too. so everyone was sad to say goodbye.

Ok so right now I am with a girl from the branch, she is my companion for the day. Well she is awesome and she has a car!!!!!!! Of course the missionaries in Russia dont have cars, so its so awesome that she has a car and is driving me around haha I didnt realize how much i missed my car until yesterday when we went to the gas station and I begged her to let me fill it up with gas :) So I am on cloud 9 right now!!!!

Well I have to get going to meet with the elders for an activity. I love you all sooooo much!! Have a great week and everyone should send me pictures

Love you
sister gneiting

8.3.10

Hello family and friends!!!!

How are you all doing? I hope you are doing great! Seriously, where does time go!!!!!!!! Well first off all I have very little time to write, I spent to much time reading emails sent to me and then realized my time is almost done :(((( sorry. You know forgiveness is a very important characteristic!!! haha Well I will type fast, so excuse my many mistakes in spelling.

Well it has been a great week! Our investigator Katya is coming along great. She is still searching for her answer to if the church is true, but we have had some great meetings with her and I she will find her answer soon. She is very involved in our meetings and really likes what we teach and is always paying attention and listening and giving great answers to questions. She is a great girl and I am very grateful for the opportunityty to teach her. She has been to church and many activities and is developing great friendships with the branch members. We also have a new investigator named Tamara who is 82 years old!! She is soooo cute. She was a former investigator like a year or two ago but the sisters only had i think 1 meeting with her. Well anyway we have meet with her twice and she is great. The thing is that she talks a lot and gets side tracked, so its hard to teach much. You know how grandparents like to talk and tell lots of stories about their life. The stories are great and its really great to hear about her life, we just hope to be able to teach her more. We will continue to meet with her. Well you remember Natasha who was baptized a few weeks ago? Well she is continuing to be great and continuing to grow. Well the next cool things is that her and her mom have a young girl living with them. We went to there house yesterday and had a lesson with them and this girl named Anya joined in on our lesson and she was very interested. We invited her to meet with us again and she said she would like to. So we are really excited about that because Natasha and Lyudmela will be great examples and help for teaching her.

Well today is pday of course and today we are going to watch the movie Saints and Soldiers on the projector at the church building. Im excited because I really like that movie and its been a long time since i watched it. Dont worry we have permission to watch the movie :)

Also this week we are having zone conference. We have zone conference ever transfer and the president of our mission always comes to Irkutsk for it. Usually we have it later in the transfer but this time they want to do it earlier for some reason. So I am excited for that. Its is always such a spiritual experience and I always learn so much from President and Sister Trejo and the assistants to the president. So next week I will write you about that.

So soon will be the Temple dedication for the Kiev Ukraine Temple. All of russia will be in its temple district and so its a really big deal here. Its almost as if there was a temple coming to russia. Ukraine is a different country ofcourse but in a lot of ways like russia. Its make us here in russia excited for the future temple to come to russia. Ukraine is being an example for Russia. We will be able to watch the dedication for our branch building and right now all the members are getting their interviews for the branch president so they can attend. It will be a great event. Also in a few weeks the patriarch for russian is coming to our mission and our city. There is only one for russia and he has to travel around to all the area through out russia. so he is only comes very rarely. Its been along time since he was here. So we are preparing the members for the great blessing of receiving a patriartical blessings. They are very excited for him to come.

Well my time is done. So until next week!!! I love you all sososososososos much!!! Have a great week and I cant wait to hear from ALL of you :)

love you all,

Sister Mindy Gneiting

7.27.10

Hello again from Russia!!!

I hope you all are doing great. Things here in Russia are great, but very hot!! The weather has been very beautiful lately. I just want it to stay this way because I know in the near future the temperature will get VERY cold!!!!! So I am enjoying the hot weather while it lasts!!!!!

So I am with my new companion, her name is Lyuda Semenova, and like I said last week she is a mini missionary. She is great. She is 21 years old and was baptized a year ago in another city in our mission. She is the only member on the church in her family but is very strong. I was a little worried to get a mini missionary at first because sometimes it is hard when your companion isnt a full time missionary and just a member because they haven't been through the training at the MTC or the experience of being a full time missionary so they dont understand completely what our role is.... but Lyuda is great and I am so thankful to have her as my companion right now, I think she has already taught me more than I have taught her. I know this will be a great transfer with her. It might not be a full transfer with her though because well first of all in a couple weeks there is a young single adults conference and she will be leaving to go to that for a week and then we heard that maybe after the conference she will be going back to Tomsk where she is from instead of coming back here. So that might happen but at this point we are not sure. So I will keep you updated.

So Natasha who just was baptised is doing great. I was a little worried this last week because when I called her a couple times she didnt seem herself. So i was praying everything was alright. It even seemed like she didnt want to meet with us, but we were able to see her a few times and she is back to normal. She has a pretty hard life and I think she was a stressed with some stuff. She came to church though on sunday and that helped her alot too. It was her moms birthday as well on monday. Her mom is a member and a very kind and sweet lady. Well they dont have really any money so Natasha asked me to help her do something for her moms bday. So we asked the Southams (the senior couple serving here) if we could have a family home evening at thier home and invite some people from the branch. So on monday we had a little surprise bday and fhe and it was so fun. There was about 15 people there and once again it was a good event to help bring unity to the branch. We taught a spiritual thought about friends and why friends are important and that we need to be good friends and love and serve each other. It was a very good thing for Lyudmela (natasha's mom) because she lives a very humble life and it was great for her to feel loved and supported. Its so important for us to love one another. I have attached some pics from that party. One of a group of us at the party and also one of Natasha and her mom. Also there is a pic of me with FRESH strawberries for lake baikal that the branch president's family gave us SOOOOOOOO GOOD. They picked them yesterday themselves and then brought them to us last night. WOW what a blessing!!!!

So I hope you all are reading you scriptures. I love the Book of Mormon. It is such a blessing for us, written for us. We always can find answers to our questions about life. A girl here was telling me about how she will pray to Heavenly Father about a question or concern she has and then right after praying she opens up the book of mormon and just starts reading a random verse. She told me that it is amazing because she always opens up to a verse that is exactly what she needs to hear. Thats way cool! We should all try that, I think that really shows trust in God and it shows our desire to find the answers we need. He will always give us answers, advice, and counsel, but we need to be watching for the answers.

Well once again I love you all so much and I hope all is well for you. Have a great week!!!

Sister Mindy Gneiting