I know i always say this, but i cant believe how fast every week goes. I always feel like i just wrote you. So we are starting another transfer.................. and i will be staying here in Irkutsk :)))))))))) I am very happy to stay, I know there is work here for me to do. So this will be my 4th transfer in Irkutsk, which i cant believe because i feel like i just got here. It is a great city with great great great people.
Well this last week was great! We had another baptism here in Irkutsk on saturday. It was a man named Alexander who has been an investigator for many years. He finally took the step and was baptized and everyone was so happy for him. Soon he should receive the priesthood and become a strong priesthood leader here in russia. The number of priesthood leaders here is low, so everyone is valued extremely. One of our investigators, Natasha, was at the baptism. We think she will be baptized soon. She has alot more to learn and some things she doesnt understand very much, but she really has a desire to learn more and she loves reading the Book of Mormon. So we will continue to work with her and help her progress to baptism. Most of the people we meet with right now are younger and right now all the universities are winding down for the year, so all the students are very busy with homework and exams and things so it makes it hard to find time to meet with them. A couple of our progressing investigators are like this, so we arent able to meet with often. We are just praying for time to meet with them so we can help them.
So this last sunday was a holiday, well just here in Irkutsk. It was the Day of the City. Well where we meet for church is right on one of the main streets, so as we were at church, in sacrament meeting and we starting hearing loud noises and music outside. Well it was a parade. We were just finishing up sacrament meeting and then after we all hurried to the windows and watched the parade. Sunday school ended up starting late because everyone wanted to finish watching the parade. My companion and I go to the sunday school for the youth, so we went and dragged them all into class haha and then closed the windows so there werent distracted. It was really funny!! Tomorrow I leave to Finland. I am really excited to see it this time because Finland is just so beautiful and everything will be green this time. Last time i was there there was still snow. This trip is a little shorter than usual. We will only have a little time actually in Helsinki, but the most important thing is that we will be able to go to the temple. Mainly the trip will be just be traveling there and back, so we will be really tired when we get back.
Today Elder Scott was in Novosibirsk and he did a conference for the missionaries. All the missionaries in the mission except us here in Irkutsk and one other city were in Novo for it. We are just soooooo far away for it to work to get us there. It is like being on 2 different sides of the united states. They broad casted it for us though, which was great. President Powell, who is in the seventy and in the area presidency of like east Europe or something was there too. They both gave us great advice and counsel that will very much help our mission. It was amazing to hear the words of an apostle directed specifically to us here in the Novosibirsk mission.
This last week we had a concert at a childrens hospital. Us missionaries and some of the members went and did kind of like a talent show for them. These kids have tuberculosis and live at this hospital. The ones that came to the concert were about between the ages of 3-10. They were so cute and loved having us there. Elder Southam, who is here with his wife on a mission, did magic tricks and pulled money out of their ears and they just loved it. It was so great because they were so happy and had big smiles. They have hard lives and so it was a blessing for us to be there with them and see them happy. It is always great to do service and see how happy we can make people.
Sorry if this email wasnt very interesting, maybe next week will be better :))))) Well you all should already know this but........ I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo thankful for you all and you love and support. You are all great!!! Have a great week :)
Love,
Sister Mindy Gneiting
pictures: Marina's baptism, Alexander's baptism, my comp and i on the trans sibirian railroad, the parade, and us at the concert
No comments:
Post a Comment