Another great week!

Dear Family,

We just returned from another great weekend meeting with our missionaries and members.  This time we were in Perm, our farthest city to the northwest.  The travel was the only thing that really didn't go smoothly.  Friday morning we were picked up by our new mission driver, picked up the assistants and headed to the train station.  I was excited to have my first ride on a Russian train.  However, the early morning traffic in the city was so terrible that we finally realized that there was no way we were going to make it to the train station in time.  Finally, we turned around and went back to the mission home, where we loaded our suitcases into the mission car and we took off.  The drive there was about six hours and it was a beautiful day for traveling so we actually arrived about an hour sooner than we would have by train.  We were also happy that we would have a car in town and not have to use taxis. 

Our beautiful drive to Perm through the forests of Siberia

We arrived in time to attend the weekly zone meeting.  Then Dad did interviews while I visited with missionaries.  It is always fun to have the chance to talk to them individually and get better acquainted.  I often also answer health questions, something I have no real qualifications to do, except that I raised eight children and no one died!  I have learned a lot since being here, so I do my best and use the area doctor when anything is out of my comfort zone. 

Saturday morning we attended the baptism of a young boy at the church.  Dad spent the day interviewing priesthood holders prior to calling a new branch president and counselors.  He also had interviews for temple recommends.  In the afternoon the branch held a joint home teaching and visiting teaching fireside.  There were wonderful presentations made by several brothers and sisters, and then Dad and I were the concluding speakers. 

Sunday morning baptism

Sunday morning there was another baptism before church.  We had a sweet experience just as we were arriving at the church.  As we approached in our car, we noticed our senior couple walking from the bus stop.  They were only about a half a block from the church, so I rolled my window down and we asked if they would like a ride, just to be funny, because they were almost there.  We all laughed, dad parked the car, and as I went to roll my window back up, it just wouldn't budge.  The cold was so extreme that morning, about 30 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit.  I tried and tried, and could not get it to go up at all.  I took off my gloves to get a better grip but still couldn't get it up more than two inches.  Dad got out and came around and tried, to no avail.  Then he took off his gloves and still couldn't get it up.  We would pull it up  a couple of inches   and It would just sink down again.  We began to worry about getting into the church for the baptism that needed to start.  We had our luggage in the car and decided we would have to unload all of it and take our chances at leaving the car open, and would perhaps have to stay over until Monday when we could get it fixed.  At that point, I just said a silent prayer, asking Heavenly Father to please help us.  As I finished I reached over and pressed the button, like I had just done dozens of times, and to my amazement, the window rolled easily up, all the way to the top!  It was such a sudden thing that our jaws dropped in surprise.  But again, like so many other times, it brought the sweet confirmation that even in the little details of our life, our Heavenly Father is very aware of us and answers our prayers. 

 In Sacrament meeting Dad released and sustained the new branch presidency.  He did a very good job all in Russian, with some astoundingly difficult Russian names.  I was proud of him, and the members all love it so much that he is trying to do everything in Russian. 

Every time we travel to a branch, we have them hold a combined meeting during the third hour and we teach about how the members can help further the missionary work in their branch.  Our assistants do most of the teaching, following the plan that Dad has outlined.  They are wonderful speakers and this was an especially good presentation.  The people always love to hear Elder Krivov's conversion experience.  He has been a member for five years, and was found originally because his older brother's friend invited both of them to church.  He didn't respond as quickly as his brother who was baptized first.  But eventually his brother got him to really listen, and he was baptized.  Also several other members of their family.  Now three of them have served missions and two have been married in the temple.  Many lives have been changed for the good.  All because one young man was willing to approach Elder Krivov's brother.  It is a wonderful story for our members to hear, especially as told by a powerful young missionary who is filled with gratitude for the many ways his life has been changed and blessed by the gospel.

A dear member

After church Dad had many more interviews for temple recommends and with missionaries.  When we finally drove away from the church it was beginning to get dark,  only about 5:30, but darkness comes early here now.  Our GPS has been acting up lately,  it is very old and the maps loaded on it are old.  Before we knew what had happened we discovered it had guided us wrong and we lost about an hour correcting our course.  We finally arrived home after midnight, thankful for safe travel and protection. 

Missionaries waiting to be interviewed helped me put away Christmas

I have had two thoughts come to me many times this week.  I mentioned them in my talk about visiting teaching, but I have personally applied them to myself in my missionary calling, and I believe they apply to all that we do in the service of the Lord.  The first is that there are very few ways that we have available to us to truly show our gratitude to the Lord for the many many blessings that He has granted us.  Serving others is one of the few ways available to us to do so.  He has said, "If ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  Truly we can view our service in church callings as a wonderful way to show our gratitude for our blessings. 

The second thought I had is that each one of us has been given the experiences in life that are exactly tailored to tutor our souls and instruct our hearts, if we are submissive and willing to be taught by them, they can transform us into the person the Lord knows we can become, which is always in His likeness.  Each opportunity we have to serve is an opportunity to submit ourselves to this schooling process to become transformed.  Sister Julie Beck said that through our service to others, "we practice becoming disciples of Christ.  We learn what He would have us learn, we do what He would have us do, and we become what He would have us become."  I know that as we minister to those around us, we will be assisted by angels, as we strive to do what the Savior would do if He were here.  We are allowed that privilege, because the Lord knows it is essential to our earthly schooling process and to becoming like our Heavenly parents.  It is the opportunity that we understood and shouted for joy to have.  As we do so, we begin that wonderful transformation that will allow us to receive His image in our countenances.  Why wouldn't we be seeking every single day for opportunities to lift up the hands that hang down, to minister, and to bless those around us.  We are always, in every single act, the ones most blessed by the opportunity to act in His name. 

I am so thankful for the wonderful blessing of this calling.  I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to sacrifice so much and to consecrate every moment to serving the Lord.  I am grateful for the lessons I am learning and for the growth I am experiencing.  We are so grateful for every single one of you.  We are grateful for the way you love and support each other.  Sometimes we can hardly bear to be away.  But truly it is a blessing to be called to minister as He did, "one by one" to these precious missionaries and to the wonderful Russian people.  We experience miracles every single week.  We have prayers answered so readily.  We feel our hearts swelling with gratitude to our Savior, for His precious gift that makes our eternal family possible.  We want so much to share that gift with everyone here!

With much love and gratitude,

MOM