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?!!!!