MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Merry Christmas...sorry I didn't get an emailout last week to everyone...I hope you all had a great Christmas...it was so good talking to you all! Crazy that it was the last time as Dad reminded me with his Germany comment(that was a good one Dad ;))...but anyways...it doesn't really feel like Christmas here but oh well...New Years is this week and it's their favorite holiday so if its like last year I'll get to listen to fireworkds all night long...on Sat and Sun we have to be in by 3pm so it'll be fun finding things to do inside...which brings me to the next thing...I got transferred again...President called this morning...tomorrow night I will be in a different part of Samara (Avrora) serving with Sis. Webb...I'm really excited about that...she is so sweet and so funny! Sis. Lednyova will be in a threesome in Penza with Sis. Quinn and Taylor...so that was some news for you. We have culture night this week on Thursadfy....we are going to see the Nutcracker...I'm excited I've never seen it before...we had a Christmas party at church and we wathced the First Presidency Devotional. I was sitting by an investigator and one of the little girls inthe branch...she is so adorable...well durning the prayer, I oped one of my eyes to see if someone had come in the door( I know good example) and I hear this little voice..."don't look!" I looked down at the little girl and she's floding her arms and squinting her eyes at me showing me how I should be durning the prayer(exactly like in the Best Two years)...I couldn't help but laugh a little an dhten I let her dad know that she is a good little example...he just lauhged and was like, "We learn the most from children." It's really true...Christmas was ok at church...just sacrament, again didn't feel too much like Christmas, that is until Elder Bruckhaussen came up behind everyone in the room where we have sacrament and sprayed christmas tree scent...everyoone enjoyed that! :) Well I better get going...everything is going good here...I'll tell you more next week about my new area...Ilove you all so much and thank you for everything you do for me! Happy New Years!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Transfer Call!!

So its been an eventful week and this one will be too...Saturday we got the transfer call, not too big of a surprise there. Sis. Pitchforth is headed down to Saratov to train and Sis. Lednova will be with me in this area! I'm so excited! I loved working with her each time I did, but it was always for a short amount of time! So it'll be a lot of funactually being her companion. She goes home with me on the same day. This week, the new sister will be here tomorrow evening, and will be with us in Samara, then training at the office for her the next morning, and then that night the two of them will leave on a train, I will be with the other Samara sisters til Thur morning where we will then go to Zone conference, and I'll finally have a companion! :) It was so confusing to get all of that, but we think we have it right now. This week is Zone confer, like mission conf last year but not as big. It's still two days,but not with the whole mission, just two zones instead of three. It'll be fun to see everyone, even though there are somany new missionaries I won't know a lot of them..yeah like last year, just backwards! ;) But yeah its a busy week...I can't wait til Saturday where it'll be a normal missionary day! BUt Sis. Pitchforth did give3 me a great going away present...SHE FELL! It was last monday night and it was when she was talking to an older couple...she just plopped right down on the ice...I would love to say I'ma better person than her and that I immediately helped her up but Ican't....I was laughing so hard, and so was the couple. but the man helped herupso all is good! She was pretty mad with herself, cause she didn't want to fall in front of me...but oh well...she did! I'll miss her that's for sure, but I'm also super excited to work with Sis. LednovA! We're still working with the young girl I told you about (the former investigator) she fasted this week for an answer and she';s doing really good! Well I better get going. I love you all so much! Take care this week and I'll write again later1! :)
Love,
Sister Wilson

December!!!

Hey, sorry I didn't get an email out to everyone last week...very little time! I might not have a lot of time this week either...we have a new way to email President and well...Sister Pitchforth and I are just not that smart when it comes to computers so we spent a lot of our time on that...next week SHOULD be better! :) Ok...President wants us to make a time to call home for Christmas so it's all set by the time we actually call! So...is Christmas morning...your Christmas morning about 8-10am ok? It'll be Christmas night here so I figure thats what we did last time! Let me know if it doesn't work! No...Sister Pitchforth has not fallen yet...close calls but nope...I'm not above tripping her but I'd feel bad if she went home with a broken leg...and she said she would make me feel bad the rest of my life, so I'm just going to let destiny take it's course! :) This week was great! The investigator I told you about in September, young girl, who didn't end up being baptized...she is meeting with us again! I love her so much and that was so hard when she decided against baptism...we agreed with each other that our companionship(work wise) hasn't been the same since then. It sounds weird but true...but we randomly called her and she said she has had so many signs in the last few weeks to meet with us one of them being every time she picks up the BOok of Mormon to read it, that day she sees us on the street. She always wanted to takl to us but didn't. So we called, she asked to meet and she came to church yesterday! She is doing so great! We are of course being careful with it but she's so ready...she just said she wants to know for sure, which is good...its our job to help her realize she has already recieved her answer! She is just so great! I'm really excited to be working with her again! Well i better get going! NOt a lot of time left...Tell Bob congratulations for me! I love you all so much and thank you for all you do for me! Take care this week and TALK to you soon!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Pictures!!!

Sis. Wilson and her companion saying Merry Christmas to everyone!!!:-)

Brittany and her companion wishing everyone a Merry Christmas in Russian:-)

Brittanys Thanksgiving in Russia:-) Her zone in the mission!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!:-)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! It is so wierd to think that its here again...last Thanksgiving was my second day in Russia...that's crazy! I hope you all have a good one! Eat lots...it's thebest part of the holiday! ;) So this week was good...we have exchanges with some sisters from Penza(Sister Quinn and Sister Callister)...it was good to see them again. It's different now cause they come to us when they have a reason to be in Samara, so it was kinda a surprise but it was good. I realized this week that I won't ever see Russia again without snow covering it...and I never really took pictures of a lot...so I'm basically telling you this so Brandi has time to get mad at me and get over it :) I have some but not a lot...of Russia that it! Sis. Pitchforth still has not fallen but I agree with you Dad, this is her week! :) We had a good Sunday yesterday...we have had a rocky relationship with one of our new members and yesterday was such a big step in the right direction! It was a good feeling! When you help somone be baptized and then well, they don't want to talk to you for one reason or another, it isn't the best feeling in the world...but yesteday it was all set aside, so it was really good! Missions are hard at times, and for more reasonsn that I would've thought before coming, but all of the hard times are nothing compared tothe good! The area...well we are still rebuilding! But its good...we're having fun, and working hard...very hard! And we know that as we keep doing that, then whatever is in God's plan will happen! Thank you thank you thank you! For the packages...I havenot opened my Christmas presents but very tempted, especially considering I know what one of them is...:) but I will wait! We decorated our apartment already...so cute! And the book was great! I cried a little, but mainly cause I was laughing! Thank you so much! Sis. Pitchforth loved it too! It was so thoughtful but also rally funny! And thank you for my sweats...Sis. Pitchforth wants to come to Forks when we are both home...someone wants Team Jacob sweats! ;) But thank you again so much! It was great! Sorry this is so short, but I have to get going! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything that you do! Take care this week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Sister Wilson and her companion Sis. Pitchforth!!:-)

Sis. Wilson, he companion on thew far right Sis. Pitchforth

and two other sister missionaires:-)

Hi!

HI! So, yeah it snowed a lot of last week which also means things are slick...and that also means that yes, I have fallen! Sis. Pitchforth calls it the first snowfall of the winter because she thinks she is funny...key word there...thinks! Its ok...I'm ok which I'm sure was your first question...it however was not her first question...well it might've been but I couldn't hear her through the laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. Yeah it was fun for all involved...well notme, but oh well! I am waiting for the time she biffs it! :) And she knows it! So yeah that started out my week! Before I forget...we got a call today and I'm suppose to tell everyone that after today, I can't open emails from anyone besides my family. So if friends write me on the email, I won't be able to openit...the best way is to send it through dearelder now. And we found out that we get to eat Thanksgiving Dinner with the Sartori's on the Friday after....that will be so fun! WE were both excited when we found out...just a little taste of home! Ok so with the Russian language...they have this letter that doesn'tmake a sound, it just affects other letters...its in my name, its the fourth letter on my tag...well I found out this week I've been saying my name wrong this whole time! Members have been hekping us try to pronounce that letter but it's not working...Oh well...good thing I have a name tag...they can just read it ;) WE had to drop an investigator yesterday...she had a baptisimal date for this week...she said that she just can't doit...long story but she said that she can't put Christ before her job right now....it was such a hard lesson to go throuhg. She was crying at the end. We told her to call us when she's ready. This is the hardest part of missionary work form me...people getting so close and then they let it all go. It all up to them and how they use their agency but it still hurts. It's the fourth time its happened in a row now,so it's not been the most pleasant of experiences...but we have both learned a lot through it, and we just pray that they will accept it one day! WE know there are people out there that are ready to receive and accept the gospel...we just have to find them! :) We bought some red and green paper...we're going to makea chain countdown to Christmas...yes dad...it's before Thanksgiving and we're already talking about Christmas...you would be disgusted but we're also listening to Christmas songs :) Well I think that is all for now! Ilove you all so much! Thank you for all the support through letters andprayers! Take care his week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

It's WINTER!!!!!!

Winter has arrived early!
It snowed a little bit but didn't hang around, but the cold did! It's been -14 C/ 12F around there we don't have an exact thing on our phone...but whatever its cold! We both agreed that we forgot what it was like to live in Russia during the winter...so FUN! :) Get used to it...it'll be this way until I go home...the next warm weather I get will be in Seattle getting off the plane, and as far as I remember...it's not that warm in Seattle either :) Oh well...so this week was a tough one in finding new people! The internet has taken out some of our new investigators. We're going to start referring them to our websites so if they do get on the internet, they know where to go and not just straight to google! But yeah, we reset a baptisimal date with someone who missed their last one. We have a few weeks to work with her, so we're praying that it goes through this time...she's ready, just scared...and it's understandable I just wish there was a way we could show them that everything will be ok...but if they knew that where would faith come in? We went tracting in actual homes, not apartment complexes for the first time...that was so fun! I felt like a real missionary you would see inmovies...why? cause there were mean dogs! Wow! NOt fun, but entertaining in a way! :) Oh I got my stitches out...not too excited like when they went in, but my arm is fine. Only hurts when I smack it on something but then again, anything would hurt if you smacked it, so life is back to normal! :) We're all decked out in our winter gear now...which makes it super fun to talk to each other on the streets...we can't hear with our hats and then another hat from our coat on so we're always asking each other to repeat what they said...which last night I foudn out, Sis.Pitchforth does not like. So what does a good companion do? I don't know but what I did was I started asking her to repeat herself even when I do hear what she says? :) Yeah...I think the direct qoute to me last night was, "You are such a butt!" Makes street contacting more fun! Tracting is still a favorite for now...except the uncomfortable experiences that will make for good stories at some point in my life...I don't understand why you would ever answer the door not clothed...anyways...last Saturday we tracted and well, the men were super friendly that day...and my companion was on high alert especially after one of them, leaned in to try and kiss me(with his wife watching). Sis. Pitchforth about killed him...she's none around the mission as a fork being her choice weapn and trust me, that guy better be glad she didn't have one! :) She is so funny! I never want to serve with anyone else and that is what we tell Pres every week :) Well I think that is it for this week! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hey guess what...you know how I don't really like this holiday, at least the gross part of it...well they don't celebrate it in Russia, so there you go...good for me...and I don't have to worry about getting fat off of all the candy...except for the fact that I already ate all the pumpkin candy you sent...ok lets face it...they were gone the week you gave them to me! Yep...so thank you! I gained some weight that week! :) I got a lot of how are you questions from last week so I will tell you...besides a very bruised ego I'm good! The stitches come out today after I finish writing you! Should be good! It doesn't hurt, a little sore once in a while, usually after I hit it onsomething, so my bad! Ok...funny story made more funny...Sister Pitchforth...well she thinks she is funny ;) and she wrote the funniest, wittiest email about my fall last week to her family and all 500 friends that get her email, and well she forgot to put that my arm got stitches! So what would you think if you got an email that said, "Sister Wilson decided to sit her bum on a glass table...got some stiches..." YEAH! All of her emails today have butt jokes on them! And she is laughing so hard right now! Good times with my lovely companion! She better be glad I love her! She is teaching me patience for when I'ma mother(her words). We were walking the other day and there was a gross dead animal on the road and I told her don't look...what did she do? SHe stopped, looked at me with this defiant little, oh reallly,look, and then looked! She is so much fun! I love serving with her! Anyways...hey I slept for 34 hours with two one hour breaks on Tues.Wed...yeah I kinda took a dive energy wise...I said I was fine, but Sister Pitchforth called Sister Sartori and TATTLED and I had to sleep...well she was right! And now I am all caught up! Thank goodness! SO yeah...everything is good here...except our investigators didn't get baptized this week...and oneof them really hurt...I'll tell you about it in my letter...I hate when people get so close and are coming unto Christ and then at the last minute, they back out...Saturday night we decided that the best way to describe that feeling is Satan drop kicking us in the face...great feeling let me tell you...but what actually is a great feeling is when we come back full force and drop kick him and his little buddies!!! That is the best feeling(basically...when someone gets baptized!) So yeah...I'm doing good...THank you for all of your prayers and support! Take care this week! Love you!
Love,
Sister Wilson

See letter below!! Yep she is in Emergency room spreading the gospel.....She will do anything:-)

Kiev Temple!!!

Hehehe!!!:-)

Hello....ok so...I have a story to tell you...so I am 100% fine...very important to remember before I continue...so last night I was really smart and thought, "well I have to send a fax so why not sit down while I send it..." I looked around and the only there was our glass coffee table...hmmm...thought about it, and yep decided five minutes was ok...wow! I was so wrong..>Mom your mu mu comment a few weeks ago was spot on! :) Yeah so I broke the table(yep...I lost some ego points last night...it gets worse for the ego later trsut me) and well it's glass so I kinda cut myself in the process...ok long story short...it was a deep cut and well...it needed stiches so...lucky me, I won a trip in a taxi at 11:00pm with the assistants to the hospital to get two stiches in my right arm...ok so this is the time you go back and read the first line...I'm 100% ok! no worries here...the ladies last night were super nice...they probably couldn't waited for the anesthetic to kick in before actually sticking me but oh well! I'm good! I have a gross looking arm thats all tied up in gauze but hey, I'll have a cool scar to tell my grandkids about...and then when they ask, "Grandma how did you get that?" I will tell them the truth(cause by the time I'm old, I will have made this story good)...”Well kids, Russia back then was a hard mission, and when you're older I'll tel you all about it!” Save me on the loss of dignity story...so yeah...I'm good...Assistants came, gave me a blessing, we took a taxi together to the hosptialt, waited, stiched up, came back, and Pres asked them to clean up the glass for us before the went home(felt bad about that one...it was like nidnight) and I was in shock a little and our quote wall is now booming with a lot of things I said last night...in the presence of the assistants...here area few examples... “Does that car say fart?”...it said Fiat but I was tired and couldn't read in the Taxi, “Yep Elders, that is where my butt fell” as they were cleaning up the glass... and everyone's favorite....except mine...they were leaving and instead of just saying thank you, I said, “Well thank you for a lovely evening. We should do this again sometime.” Yes that does sound like I was thanking them for a date...which was evident when one of their faces got red and the other one bolted for the elevator...oh well...good stories right? That's what I keep telling myself...oh and I almost forgot...the two things I feel bad about..1-I hit E. Eyers...yep, just with my good arm, but still, hit him...oops...thats what he gets for making fun of me when I'm injured...and 2-SIs. Pitchforth was trying to get numbers from the doctors to set up appts to talk about the gospel and she started talking to me in Russian as they were stiching me up without anestheitc...I turned and was like ,”Do not talk to me in Russian....I don't understand you...” not very poilitey....She said it was fine...it was like if a woman was in labor...you don't take offense to what they say...well not in labor, but did break a coffee table...so :) that was my night...al is good! I'll be a little sore but all is good! Sorry this is all my email but I don't have too much time...Ok...this makes me a bad missionay for not talking about this first...we have three baptisms set for this week! So excited....I'll write in my letter about all the details! Amazing people are here are so ready to accept the gospel...we just have to be willing to do the work! I love you all so much! Tahnk you for eveything you do for me! Take care this week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

TEMPLE!!!

Hi, so yeah, found out this week that on Thursday we'll be going back to the temple in Kiev! So excited! Sis. Pitchforth will be with me again this time, so that's good! WE have zone conference tomorrow and then the temple on Thursday...shaping up to be a good week. We just got back from our interviews with President...I love having interviews with him! Well some news...we won't be travelling anymore...our area president found out about when we got kinda kicked off the train that one time and he thinks its better that we don't travel...so now we will only do exchanges when sisters come to us like for visa trips or conferences...which is ifine with us...we loved doing it when it was needed and will do whatever the want us to...but we love being in our area too, so either way was ok with us. When we were in Penza last week it started raining so hard...we had one umbrella so that was fun...it actually really was..it wasn't cold, just wet and we were running to catch a bus when another bus slashed us completely! Like you see in movies! A big wave of water and wow, look at that we were under it! So fun! We were on our way to FHE too...it was a good exchange though! The sisters there are great missionaries and fun to be with! Hey if you get a chance could you send me like two pictures of my car...I know that sounds vain and weird but I've given my pics away except for one, to little kids who like cars...I taught one in Penza how to say Mustang! I know..not missionary words, but pretty cool all the same! You aksed what I would want for Christmas...pens...anything that is like home...just pictures, home things, I don't know...And yes, I did get the pics of Deception Pass...I loved them so much! thank you...and they were gorgeous! Nice job! I skimmed the emails a second ago and saw that you think Sis. Pitchforth is from Montana...she's from Colorado and she wants Dad to know that just cause she made one comment about loving animals doesn't immediately make her an animal freak from montana.. :) She is so funny! Ok I have to go...Not a lot of time left...I'll talk to you later! I love you all so much and thank you for evertything you do for me!
Take care this week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Hi!!

So conference was great! I was so excited to listen in English! :) My favorite talk was actually Pres Uchtdorf's from RS session but wow, there were a lot of good ones in every session! I think my favorite quote from all of conference was when Elder Packer said, "The outcome of this battle is not in question. Lucifer will lose." Hello! Yes he will! That;s good to hear as a missionary cause there are times here where he kicks our butts! like in every battle there are casualties...But we have to keep going because in the end he will lose. And if we keep pushing forward, there will be less casualities! We do all we can, and the Lord will do the rest! It was a good conference. This week was good. WE did one day exchange with the other sisters in Samara and tonight we are on the train to Penza again for Tues and Wed. It'll be good! Keeps us busy and so grateful for the time we have in our area! Our investigators are doing good. One is getting baptized on Saturday another one on the 29th, and a few progressing investigators! Looks good for now...just have to keep working to keep it that way! Yesterday we foudn out that Karma comes fast sometimes or that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor...we're not quite sure. But on the way home, it was dark and we were just passing out invitations. Sis. Pitchforth gave one to a lady who after the fact we noticed she was little tipsy. She started asking all these questions about the church(not in a good way) and when we said she could call us, she yells for us to talk to her now. We turn to walk away and she in by the curb and she yells for us to come back and then we turn around, and she throws our invitation back at us like she has accomplished something in doing it, and without skipping a beat, falls backwards off the curb. She like rolled a little too...it's a rule in our mission that we can't help drunk people no matter what and SIs. Pitchforth went forward a little. Ithought she wanted to help so I tried to stop my overly charitable companion(she likes this part of the story :)) and she said, "Oh no, I just went back fro the invitation." Then we talked about how karma came fast to that woman or Heavenly Father has a sense of Humor like Brandi and thinks it's funnier when people fall. ;) I'll go with the first!Well I better get going...sorry not much happened this week! I'll write again next week! I love you all so much! THank you for everythign you do! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson

PS. I did get Eileen's email and I'm praying that she gets my letter before she enters the MTC ;)

General Conf this week!!

One week til General Conference...I think I told you but we get it a week later here...but all the missionaries in the Samara district will be able to watch it together in ENGLISH! so great! :) I hope you all enjoyed it! Ok so...first thank you so much for the packages! They were great! The pamper package was perfect! And much needed! :) And it all got here...thank you! So we did our splits in Saratov with Sis. Quinn and Braginets...it was so eventful but not in a sisters were crying sort of way...they are doing so great! It was so good to see both of them happy and doing good! In all seriousness that was such a blessing. When you train someone, no matter how hard or easy it was, you have that connection with them...you just hope and pray for them, that they are doing good...and to see both of them together, doing great! It was a blessing, that's for sure! i love both of them so much! \but it was eventful for other fun reasons....first, while contacting at night with Sis. Braginets, I was handing our invitations about Christ and there was a couple by a bench. The girl was sitting down and the guy was just looking at her...I thought it was so gosh darn cute...so I went up to give them an invitation and HELLO~ not cute! The girl didn't see me, and she just started taking off her clothes while her boyfriend watched...then she saw me and was very embarrassed and tried to put her shirt back on...you may be wondering what I was doing at this point...well this all happens at the same time that I'm handing them an invitation and all that comes out of my mouth..."Here's an inviation to learn more about Christ, our Savior..." She took it and I booked it out of there so fast! I was so embarressed, but played it off like, "yeah I meant to do that..." yeah didn't play it off too well. Sis. Braginets was laughing so hard I thought she was going to die...then on the way back, they were still there on the bench but were just sitting holding hands...so there you go...Sister Wilson...I'm not just here to spread the gospel, but to literally stop people from breaking the Law of Chastity...I don't remember signing up for that part! :) The next day we were picking up the sisters at District meeting and we picked up our tickets for the train home...It was 4:20 at the time, and I looked at the tickest and it said our train left at 5:20...good thing we had E. Eyers with us...we turned and was like, "um...do we have an hour to get to the train station?" OUr answer... no you have an hour to be on the train...so we got to run through the streets of Saratov, pack, get a taxi, and get on the train...we try to get on, and the lady is like electronic tickets don't work, you need real ones...10 minutes before the train leaves...we run back, no one can help us, more cause they can't understand us (note to us...practice words in Russian other than gospel related :)) so we ran to a different wagon and met someone who would let us on the train...gave her a BOM :) yeah for missionary work, and then the lady who wouldn't let us on in the first place, was so not happy. She said we might get kicked off at the next stop...so we are on the phone to the mission office and the assistants...we get a text from the assistants..."don't worry I can fix this..." we're thinking great! All worked out, except for at 9:30pm the lady was like, "get off, get your tickets and get back on...you have 10 minutes..." GREAT! It was so fun let me tell you! :) Pres told us the next day that this is all learninig experiences...I think all we learned is that me and SIs. Pitchforth are more alike than we thought...as in we have no patience! Her quote, "I hate the Christlike attribute of patience!" :) But no it was a fun time1 Good experiences! Speaking of my lovely companion...we were doing language study and we were eating brownie batter and she all of a sudden pops up with a lovely comment..."You only have 3 cycles to get skinny"...yep! It's true...3 cycles....yep it's true...she called me fat! :) But in the most endearing way! We have a quote wall with all the funny things we say...yeah...we do think we are pretty funny by the way, and that skinny comment definitely made it up there! Ok I have to get going...I love you so much! Thank you for everything you do for me! Can't wait to tell you what i thought about conf! Take care this week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

PLEASE tell Eileen congrats for me on her mission call! She is so amazing! I am so unbelievably proud of her! I love that girl!!:)

Hello!!

Hey!
Well it is raining and wet here! like a lot! I have my winter boots on! fun times! Last night we were contacting...well trying...no one was on the street...might have been the downpour of rain and the fact it was freezing...but anyways...we started singing and dancing...not a lot to draw attention to ourselves but enough to make us laugh! It was good! :) Got to do something to keep us entertained! and we found a new investigator...trust me it wasn't cause of our dancing! ;) well we went to Toliatti last week. It was good! two days out of our area kinda hurt but oh well! Tonight we get to go on a train to Saratov, with the assistants...they came with us to Toliatti last week...Sis Pitchforth and me agreed that it is more fun when elders come with us...they keep us entertained as well! :) They are so great! so yeah...this week will be good! And next week we'll be able to see g. conference in english! so nice! :) Well sorry this is short but i have to get going! I love you all so much! Thank you for everthing you do for me and for all the prayers! take care this week!
Love,
Sister wilson

HELLO!!!!

Ok, so I have about twenty minutes to write back to you all cause the printer didn't work last week or this week so I had to read all your emails in the last 30minutes from last week and this week...thank you for writing! It wasn't all that fun not hearing from you last week...I don't ever read the email til we print them, and then the guy was like, the printer doesn't work...so no emails last week even though you sent them...but it was good! Now I have info on the last two weeks! :) Sorry if I don't get back to all your questions..I can't remember them all...anyways...this week was good and hard. Our investigator didn't get baptized on Saturday...her mom is super against the church and she said she promised her mom she would never get baptized into our church so...we'll see how that goes for continuing to teach her. We are going back to my first area. It will be good! I'm kinda tired but exchanges start again so I'll sleep on the bus! :) The exercise program is a lot better...when you get past the first week it doesn't hurt as bad...only when we laugh at each other when we do the exercises cause then you get a cramp...but other than that...no pain! :) We have a new ZL so this week we switched nametags at church to confuse him (that sounds mean but he started it by not remembering our names after we introduced ourselves) and it didn't work...but was fun for the members to see...they thought we were funny! :) I gave the talk on the holy ghost at a baptism yesterday and I had Sis. Pitchforths tag on and they announced Sis. Wilson speaking so when I got up there it kinda killed the joke! Oh well..next time! :) We seriously have so much fun together! Sorry this is so short and boring this week...I'm super tired! But we have time to take a nap today which hardly ever happens...part of us making time to "slow down" from Pres. Sartori! :) I love you all! Thank you so mcuh foreerything!Take Care
Love,
Sister Wilson

No time!!

Hi!
Hey I had to write an extra long email to President this week about zone conference so I won't have as much time as usual! And first...well he might've already called but if he hasn't, Elder Zwick took your number when I met him here and said he wanted to talk with my parents...when I told him I was from Mt. Vernon Stake, he totally remembered being there to put in Pres. Dickson. We talked for a little bit about it and then he said he wanted to call you. So if someone calls and it sounds official from the church I wanted you to know that I'm fine! :) I know it would scare me to death if I didn't know someone was calling...so heads up! Zone conference was great! Very uplifting like usual! OH yeah....so I was eating ceral the other day...and I bit into a rock...I'm sorry what am I saying? I can't bite into a rock cause it's a ROCK! No, what I can do is bite down really hard on some random rock that was in my cereal bowl...that is very possible! I was so scared I broke my tooth...I love Russia, but I would be on the first flight home before I went to the dentist! :) that last comment was only like 70% true ;) Thank you so much for the package! It was ggreat!!! I have already had some mashed potatoes and roast beef! :) So tomorrow will be different. We have a missionary coming to be with us for the day. SHe is getting ready to go to the MTC on Wednesday...she's from our mission...and she needs to be with people, so it's us! I'll be fun! WE take her to the airport Wednesday morning...little differnt! So we started a workout program today! Yep! True! We eat brownie mix and well...lets say we didn't want to wait until right before we came home to look good ;) I hurt so bad right now, but in a good way! Fun times! I think the best is actually trying to do the exercise! Not fun, and hilarious at the same time! Sorry it's short! I have to go! I love you all so much! Thanks for everything you do! Take Care
Love,
Sister wilson

One Year Really?????:-)

Hi!
Wow...so does not feel like it's been a year since you all dropped me off at the MTC. Crazy! Well...this week was good! Found 12 new investigators...and we think that maybe two of them have potential...awesome! ;) A lot of people are interested in meeting but getting the second appointment has been a downfall for us lately...but we did set a new baptisimal date with one of our investigators so we have two set for September right now! Yesterday at church one of the women was surprised that there wasn't going to be a baptism that day and she was excited about how many we've had and Sis. Pitchforth turned and said. "well...the field is white already to harvest..." and it's so true here! It's amazing how the work is progressing in this area! I love it! Well we didn't have any cool gun stories this week and as I read from Dad's email I'm sure you're all ok with that! :) We did go to the zoo last week for Culture night...wow...Russia zoos...we walked in and the first big cage had a...wait for it wait for it...a SQUIRREL! I know...it was so amazing we could barely contain our excitement! Then the next one...well...they said it was some african little animal...but as E. Hale nicely put it..."Um...yeah...that's a cat that they found on the street." No it was fun. They did have some cool animals too...andthey had snakes, which now my companion and a few Elders know that I'm kinda a baby...yeah it was not a little gardener snake it was a huge, I can swallow you whole snake! It was so gross! Yep...didn't stay there for that exhibit very long. Transfers for sisters were called down and we are staying here! We're so excited! We have a lot of fun together and this week we found out that we have a lot of fun at night too...well if you remember correctly...I have allergies and when I sneeze or blow my nose...well it's loud(fog horn is how Sis. Pitchforth puts it...I think a few at home put it that way too)...one night I blew my nose and Sis. Pitchforth, all while still asleep, said, WOW, then laughed and then started riding a pretend bicycle in the air...I was so confused and wanted to laugh so hard(I have her permission to put this in here by the way...we're both laughing right now!). I was like, wow I so have something to hold over her head now, and then when I told her in the morning she laughed super hard and then..."Well I was just trying to get away from the incoming ship!." Yeah..we are so excited we are still together! She is so much fun! We are all going to McDonalds today as a district, should be fun...but before that, we are going with the Zone Leaders and one of their investigators to some mountain today. The guy is super nice and loves America and said there is a mountain with amazing views that he wanted to show us so we're headed up there after email! So excited! Well I think that is it for the week! We have Zone Conference this week and President Schwitzer(Area President) and Elder Zwick(1st Seventy...I think he came to Mt. Vernon once a few years ago but maybe not) are goign to be there. We have been learning the 4th section of D&C in Russian cause Pres. Schwitzer asked us to...and well...lets just say we have two days left...and well...we're working on it! SIs. Pitchforth said today..."I hope we don't lose a baptism thismonth because we have such a bad attitude about memorizing this." Should be fun! :) I love you all! Take care this week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Crazy times!!!

Hi,
So I got your package! Thank you so much! It was so great! And whats better is I can say I still have some candy left...yep...it's not all gone, which in our house, its pretty much impossible, but we're trying to do better with the sweets...we hae the mentality...if we have it..we hae to eat it! :) But we're getting better! And thank you for the floss! very important for me! :) ANd the hand sanitizers! Wow! They smell so good! So this week...well no baptisms, but two of our new members did get the Holy Ghost! That is always cool to listen to their blessings! :) We finished the exchanges with Sisters this cycle, we went to Toliatti last week...it was good! I got to see some ward members from when I served there so that was fun! But now we have a break for probably two weeks! Sorry about the spelling...these keyboards are really bad! Everything keeps getting stuck! Oh well...So yeah, oh I forgot to tell you (don't worry :)) two weeks ago, we were on a transport(tram) and we were talking to people, and the older lady I was talking to was like, "shh...don't talk so loud right now." First off i don't talk loud...and then I noticed her staring at some guy...yeah the guy had a hand gun just kinda hanging out on top of his laptop. I turned to her and asked "Is this usual?" And she just stared at me..."Um...no." hmm...so yeah, for like 5 minutes the guy just stood there and then got off the transport like nothing was up. He acted like he didn't even have a gun...just like a normal guy! We got to district meeting and we were like "Oh my gosh you'll never guess what happened..." So we told our fun little adventure, then found out it's not that unusual. The assistants were like, "Hey you can now join the club of who has seen a gun in public." We thought it was a one time thing...apparently it happens more then we notice...by the way this isn't meant to scare you...it's totally fine! :) It went in my journal ;) Things are just a lttle different here than at home...but all is goood! And it just reminded me of the Bourne movies...The streets of RUssia...an armed man...a dead quiet bus ride...intense...ha ha ha! Ok that was just for fun but it did remind me of that movie! Well...Sis Pitchforth was sick this last week, so we were inside for a little bit...she slept for 16 out of 24 hours! Way to kick that cold in the butt! And I let her know that it was a good day for me too...cause everytime she woke up she entertained me like I did for her two weeks ago when I as sick! :) I was talking to her one time and she just started looking above her like there were birds there or something! She was so funny! And the best part is she remembers it! When one of us is sick we hae to find someway to make things fun! :) It usually ends up with us making fun of eah other but oh well! It's a good strengthening exercise for the companionship! :) But yeah...all is good here! I better get going! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything you do for me! You're all amazing! Take care this week! Love you!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Hello Fall!!!!:)

HI!
So yeah, its raining and pouring right now and I have needed a jacket for the last few days...needed...did I use one? No. Cause I didn't know I needed one til I got outside...yep I really do need someone still walking around with me telling me a need to put ona jacket...but yeah fall will be fun! Especially with Sis. Pitchforth...she has this habit of if she sees a leaf that looks like it'll make a crunch sound...she's going to go out of her way to crunch it...there have been times were all of a sudden she isn't right next to me...she's behind me cause I missed one! :) She's so great! I have so much fun serving with her it's ridiculous! But yeah...it totally feels like fall...we are going home to wrap up in blankets with hot chocolate while reading our emails...I told S. Pitchforth today, the only thing I need right now is the pumpkin candies that come out at this time! :) Yes that was a hint and not at the same time, since I am perfectly capable of eating junk in Russia I'm not sure I should be asking for more junk food to come my way, but then again...what is fall without me downing a few bags of pumpkin candy? :) SO wow! I just realized what a bad misionary I am...I have been talking about candy for the last few sentenes and I haven't even told you...our investigator got baptized yesterday!!! yeh! Itwas great! She was super ready and everything went perfect...well that's not true, but it's over now! Let's just say the night before her baptism, me and Sis. Pitchforth came into find the font full of remodeling material and water...so what did we do...good sister missionaries we offered to help...so we spent some time taking buckets fill of water and yuck outside (we weren't wasteful...we had an older lady telling us where to put the water so the plants can get watered :)) so that the baptism could go on...it was an experience and the baptism went on! SO GREAT! Yep and we set a baptisimal date with a young girl this week...she is so amazing! We're trying to help her quit smoking..so far so good! She is set for the 10th of September! So excited! Well we decided that Elders have it easy going on exchanges...Elders don't cry...they don't have drama...they say there peace and it's done...well...Sisters are not like that! :) All the sisters here are so great, but everytime we report after, the assistants just stare at us and are like.."We don't have top deal with those things." Yeah we know! :) we went to Saratov last week...SIs Quinn...it was so good to see and talk to her. She's a great missionary! well I have to get going! I love you all so much! Take care this week!
Love,
Sister Wilson

HELLO!!!!!!

Hello,
Ok, so yep, he got baptized yesterday! Another one of our investigators! Wow! He was so ready it was ridiculous! WE are both fully aware of how little we have to do with someone being baptized...they come fully prepared to us it seemslike. Heavenly Father really does a lot of work! :) It was good! I sent 4 pictures...hopefully they come through this time! they are two of yesterdays baptism...missionaries and some members,and our investigator...he's inwhite! :) and then the combined baptism last week with the assistants...our investigator is the girl in white :) So great! I think the only bad thing yesterday was the embarrassing part when our investigator, sorry new member, tried to hug me afterwards...WE shook my hand and went to hug me and I did like the backwards limbo while saying in RUssian, not allowed. ALl the members are missionaries at the same time were like, oh no no no. Yeah...to behonest, I enjoy teaching women better! but :) some times we just need to laugh! So yeah...great end of the week, and we have an investigator gettingbaptized this Sunday too! She is amazing! WE met her on the street. We were headed to the church and she was standing there waiting for something, and we were like, hey do you have like 20minutes totalk with us? she said yes, so we taught her about Joseph Smith,nextlesson set a date, she came to church, the ward loves her, andshe announced to everyone yesterday, hey do you know Im getting baptized, you should come! :) So great!In our zone we are titling August "MIRACLE month!" It so is! We set a goal for 4 baptisms in our companionship and I have never set a goal that I feel so comfortbale is the Lords goal! And at first I'mlike what the heck, 4? Never going to happen...but I worked on my faith :) and then wow..miracles came! Soooo great! And we went to Penza last week. Train was fun! We got to the train station and our phone wouldn't work, we could hear people but they couldn't hear us...so after like 20 minutes of trying, we hear E. Eyerson the phone say, "That's it. WE're bringing you a phone,see you at the station." We were like, there is no way he's going to make it. The train leaves in like 20 minutes and they are across town. Well We are in the hallof the train and the train has 1minute till it leaves and we see our lovely assistants running down the hallway! 30 seconds to spare! It was fun! I don't sleep well on trains I found out...yep...left at 10:00pm,got into penza at 5:30...up at 6:30...contacted for 16 hours over two days, got on the train at 10:30, got in at 6:00am, fun times it was and we got our schedule changed. We leave on another train tonight! We're going to Saratov this week! Sis. Quinn! I'm so excited to see and work with her again! I called her last night and told her we were coming and we were both so excited! It'llbe fun! :) And this time the assistants are coming with us onthe train so they don't have to run. Busy week...but I love it! And the work is amazing! Us being gone from our area...wow does Heavenly Father take care of that for us...we got back and the next day foiund 5 new investigators! Love it! It's all in His hands! Do what you need and are asked todo and whatever is suppose to happen will happen! I have to go! Il ove you all so much! I hope you got thepics! I'll write again next week! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Busy Week!!!

WOW...what a week...I am so tired but so unbelievably happy! One of our investigators got baptized last night! :) AHHH!!! It's so great to watch people make that step towards Christ! Watching your investigator step into the waters of baptism...there just isn't anything better! And she is so amazing! She reads and loves everything! She knew that emma helped Joseph Smith translate the BOM for a little bit...and then on the way to her baptism, we were handing our invitiations and she totally took some and handed them out too...told people to come to her baptism, that the church is true, and on the way home, we found two new investigators cause she bore testimony! :) Just amazing! And another investigator is set to get baptized this sunday too! wow! two weeks...two baptisms...and another set! The work is really booming in the area! And this week was the first time we did Sister exchanges...it was with the sisters in another area of Samara, so we just worked in each others areas for two days but it was exhausting. But it was good...we liked being able to help in any way we could and we still were able to get our work done...the assistants told us this morning that we are leaving on a train tonight for Penza (Пенза-that;s for you Dad in case you want to look it up :))to do our next exchange...it's a 6 hour train ride so it's an overnight train ride...should be a fun experience! :) We miss District meeting and Sports Night though...but oh well...the thing we're a little worried about is our investigator set to be baptized this week isn't 100% ready...like he still doubts sometimes...and we are scared to just be gone for two days, but we know that Lord will provide if we do as He asks, so to Penza we go! The best part about going on the exchange this week! Hot water! We have been out for 2 weeks...I feel gross and disgusting! Oh well...life goes on! :) Well I think that is all for this week! I'm sure there is more, but I am talking on the recorder you sent me, every morning so you'll have more info soon! I love you all so much! Thank you for all your love and support! I'll write again soon! :)
Love,
Sister Wilson

Visa Trip!!

Hello everyone!
Again..the keyboard gets stuck...sorry! So...I went to the temple! oh my gosh if there is one place that satan doesn't want missionaries to go...it's the temple...we had so many like 30 seconds close calls...no you can't get on the plane, nope theres no room, nope you just missed it, no room in the session...wow! One thing after another, but we got there, and did initiatories and a session! it was so amazing! I love going there do much! And Kiev is beautiful and clean and smells good! :) it was overall, just great! the next time I am in the temple will be Seattle so I need to make this one last for 7 more months! :) I sent pictures so i hope they went through...with a dew others...let me know! so yeah...temple on thursday then...mircacle baptism yesterday! One of our investigators was supposed to get baptized on Saturday but he couldn't cause of some stuff(personal) and we were like, what the heck, we know he's ready, why?!!! then yesterday E. smith is like, "I want to interview him..." two hours later and a hour before the baptism he got cleared! :) It was great...in the pic, our investigator is the one next to Sis. Pitchforth! He's great! And he was so happy afterwards! his blessing when getting the holy ghost was so personal! It was great! so yeah, not a bad week! :) A bunch of elders that I love went home this morning...its hard to see them leave...E smith, Yates, hollingshead, Bolt...wow...it stinks! But it's ok...it happens to all of us eventually :) so yeah...I got to see sis. Quinn yesterday for like 10 minutes...I love her so much! She's amazing...I hope I get to go to her area soon! We should get our schedule for traveling this week! We went to stalins' bunker for cultrue night this week...pretty cool! One of the pics are of the assistants...E Eyers is in the white jacket and E. Hale in next to him...that's there serious faces when they get calls from missionaries apparently...yeah...well i can't think of anything else to say! I'm sorry! My mind is fried...we slept in today cause we were so tired we didn't hear the alarm clock...pres knows... :) so the elders will soon know...that'll be a fun story to explain! :) oh well...we're taking naps today! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything and for your emails! it really gives me the support i need each week! I love you! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Visa Trip!!!

Hello!
ok so the shift bar this time doesn't work...so don't count on good grammar here either! :) anyways...so yeah...we are going to the temple on thurday! so excited! and sis. pitchforth is on the same visa schedule as me so it'll be good to have her with me...and sis. taylor too...i don't remember if i told you about her(she was with me last time). it'll be so fun and so good to be in the temple again...and we're grateful that we can listen to it in English if we want. but yeah...so visa/temple trip on thursday! Pray i can get back into the country :) j/k! so yeah this week was good! we have four investigators now with a baptisimal date...but they are now all on the 13th of august...we don't feel like they are ready for this weekend...it was kinda fast and we want them more prepared...but they are all so amazing! we hadn't been able to get ahold of one of them all week cause his phone is broken and then he was on vacation and we were waiting for our investigators to come to church and like no one showed up, but then in walks one of them with his inactive brother, and they were so happy to be there! he's amazing! the members here are amazing! they always want to help...in my last area it would be like pulling teeth to get like 2 lessons a week with investigators and members, but here...well last week we had 9 and the week before we led the zone with 13! this week we are leading the zone in baptisimal dates. we had our training last week...so...there are six weeks in a cycle and every week we will be on exchanges with somebody...4 of them will be with sisters in their areas...so four travelling...then we will do the zone leader days still but then we get an added exchange...yep...the assistants want to do splits with us every cycle...stop laughing! :) so every week we will have an exchange...the assistants make our schedule at the end of each transfer for the next one so we should know soon where we'll go first.keep you updated. yeah so it has been so fun working with the zone leaders and the assistants...it's realy like a family of people who make fun of each other...me and sis. pitchforth are very competivite...as last sports night proved....we have it in the assistants area of samara so we should ususally leave to go home at 8:20 to be home by 9:30 and well...we know that...but when we play ultimate frisbee and we have trash talking elders...it's hard to let the pride go and leave...E. smith and eyers were on one team and we were on the other...well...let's just say that i think we surprised everyone with our competitiveness...the elders everytime they would get a point would do a little dance, and trash talk..."what's up now?" and then if they lost or missed the frisbee we would give it back to them followed by them, "get out of my face..." as nicely as they can....oh my gosh...it is so fun1 but we were not going to leave cause we wanted to get the last point...well we still didn't get the last point and we were 5 minutes late home...we had to run the whole way after the metro...2 miles...and we were still late...so yeah...this week we are going to do better....and we are working on a victory dance that we can do...all week we get calls from elders..."sisters...elder eyers would like you to know that he's still winning..." yeah...thats our assistant! anwyas...we ate more brownie batter and oh my gosh a bunch of junk...we both now we are going to get fat...but we work a lot so hoopefully it will even out! the work is going so good! and we just love being a companionship...she's so amazing and fun1 we stay up way too late talking! but yeah...life is good! no worries here! how's everything with you all? :) I got your package1 it was amazing thank you! i ate everything already! and iam buying batteries today for the recorder! that'll be fun1 you'll get more details :) thank you! serioulsy getting a package is like a taste of home! it's the best! thank you thank you! and i get mail every week know that i'm in samara! cool! :) i love serving inthe city! it's been my dream since i got my call...serve in samara...and it was so worth the wait! :) i love you all so much! take care and i'll write next week about the temple! :)
Love,
Sister wilson

Crazy Week!!

Ok, so the space bar stinks so sorry about the grammar! And I hope I answer all your questions...there were a lot :) I still don't know about the traveling sister details...we were suppose to have a training last Saturday but our schecule was so packed with meetings that we couldn't...yeah I said that right...we had 20 meetings this week! And set two baptisimal dates for the 30th of July! Oh my gosh it was great! They are both so ready! One is a 20 year old guy and the other is like a 50 year old man...they are so ready it's crazy! This area is like bursting! Sis. Pitchforth has been in this area fro about 4 weeks now and she spent a lot of it inside because he comp was sick, so it was the first week we got out and really worked...12 new investigators, 2 baptisimal dates! Crazy! It's amazing that the Lord has this plan the whole time for someone,and then oneday a missionary calls from the area book andthere life is changed forever! It'sbeen a great week! Sis. Pitchforth is amazing! We have so much fun togather including eating an entire batch of brownie batter...yeah I did...and yeah it was good :) We wanted sugar but diddn't have time to bake the brownies! It was good! I wish I had more info for you but it's been just all about the work, notthe travelling part,which has been so great! I've never felt like this on my mission! We're always busy! I will write you about the investigators cause they have great stories! And you're right Dad, you won't ever baptize someone, you don't love! It's so true! Today we're hoping to have a normal relaxed pday! I have to get going! i love you all so much and next week for sure I'll have info...our training is on Wednesday so there you go! :) Thank you for all yourprayers and support! Take Care
Love,
Sister Wilson

CHANGES!!!!

So...this might be a long one I'm not sure...SURPRISES! I got my first transfer call! Yep, Saturday evening the assistants called and said both of us received transfers...there are no longer two sets of missionaries in Komcomolcke, just Elders...and Sis. Quinn went to Saratov, and I am in SAMARA! I always wanted to serve in the actual city! I'm so excited! My new companion is Sis. Pitchforth...she is from Colorado and is so sweet! She is also someone I've always wanted to serve with! So I'm really excited! Ok...so...yep, I said there were surprises, plural. When the assistants called, E. Eyers said that I had a special assignment...me and SIs. Pitchforth are travelling sisters. Yeah...we're not 100% sure what it all intails but each transfer we will travel to all the sisters in the mission...there are 4 other companionships besides us, and do exchanges. He said we will be going as representatives of Pres and SIs. Sartori, and we are meant to lift and inspire! So every week, we're guessing, except two, we will be travelling to different parts of the mission. I'm really excited and nervous!!:) We don't know how long it will be...it's kinda a trial to see if it's effective, but we know it's for the next cycle. Transfers came early for sisters cause Sis. Lednova went home today with health problems. So yeah...I am in Samara, in the Besamancke branch. And E. Smith is my ZL again, at least till August when he goes home..so it should be fun here! So yeah...I think that is all the big news! 8 months there are no change and then this! Keeps us on our toes! Today the ZL's called and want to take us to lunch, so we might find out moreinfo there...we don't know! But we have a meeting with the assistants this week so I'm assuming by next week I will have more details! Everything is so crazy now...it was really hard to say goodbye to Sis. Quinn...we had fun together but it madeit easier cause we will see each other every cycle if I'm still a travelling sister...I don't really enjoy that title, it always reminds me of a travelling circus, but oh well. I have to get going! I'm sorry this is all I wrote about...it s just been so crazy the last few days! But all is good! And I am doing good! So I will write more next week! I love you all! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Happy 4th:-)

HEY! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
Yeah, believe it or not, it's really not a big holiday in Russia ;) Our district is getting together after we email for pizza and then a Reptile Petting Zoo...yeah pizza sounds good...me screaming like a little girl and ruining any reputation I have of being a dignified Sister missionary doesn't sound good, but whatever..I just won't touch them...problem...the Elders know I don't like spiders or snakes. Well, if they put anything on me you'll know...cause I'll end up coming home(killing missionaries is frowned upon in Russia :)) So it's wierd cause you're sleeping right now, so I can't ask about your 4th of July! But I hope you have a good one! Today I think I am just realizing how grateful I am for my country...I love Russia and the people, but nothing replaces home and I'm just so grateful for everything there! And to be honest I'm mostly grateful for air conditioning! :) It's true...if I could be promised air conditioning this entire summer I'd give up Taco Bell for life....it is so humid, muggy and just plain hot here. Sorry....if you want to keep your imagine of me as a dignified Sister missionary...stop reading...I sweat all the time...like gross! My shirts are wet, so it makes it wierd to hug people, but then their shirst are wet so I'm like, gross I just touched other peoples sweat...I have a permanant glisten on my face and it's not the good kind like when they tell pregnant women they have a glow(well lets hope not :)) Yeah it's sweat and its there all the time day and night...hot! And it's only getting worse by the day...everytime I tell someone its hot they just laugh and tell me, "no this is actually cool." I think I'm going to die...or learn to live with it :) But my feet at really getting tan! ;) So yeah...we had three investigators at church yesterday! It was great, cause two of them got to meet and talk with PRes and Sis Sartori....it went so well! Yeah...so yesterday I got to translate for a little bit! When Pres and Sis Sartori come, they have a missionary translate in the back with a microphone and they have headphones....Elder Yates translated for them, but then Elder Yates bore his testimony and I got to! It was a lot of fun...and it made me realize how much Russian I've learned...like I had to know what he was saying cause if I didn't...the Sartori's wouldn't...and then after I translated for Sis. Sartori when she talked with the Primary Presidency....it was fun! Members would come up and be like, "Sis Wilson can you translate for me? I need to talk with Pres...or Sis..." I was thinking....What Sis. Wilson are they talking about? But at the same time I've noticed on the streets I'm understanding less...I think it might be cause its so hot and I'm not focusing as well but I just really want to get better at the language! I don't want to be 'understandable' and I want to be able to speak correctly! Grammar! It's a killer! but yeah, we have two progressing investigators and a bunch of new ones to work with this week! I forgot...we had Zone Leader day on Saturday...we got to contact with the Elders...it was good and fun! At the end the danced on the street...yeah...it was entertaining. Sis. Quinn is still doing good! i can't believe she's almost done with the 'training' months...its gone by really fast! We have 3 weeks from this wednesday til the temple, or at least the week of the temple, we don't know the exact day. We're both really excited! It'll be good to go to the temple again and its only in the summer so it won't be every Visa trip...so this will be the last time I go til I go home! Crazy! Well I need to get going! I think I've rambled enough! I love all of you so much! You mean the world to me! Take care this week and I'll write again on Monday! :) Love you!Love, Sister Wilson

Summer??

Where's Summer? That's all I have to say! It's been rainy and windy all week...and I forgot my umbrella half the time, so I looked like a drowned rat some days...yeah...anyways...I just really want the sun already! And to stay for longer than a day! Oh and Brandi I think you'll like this...I will never make fun of your dirty ankles again! I have a tan(stop laughing...it's happening) but I have a really good tan on the tops of my feet, and that's it! Sis. Quinn stopped while we were contacting yesterday and was like, "Wow, your feet are really tan and your legs are still white." Yeah...I have really tan feet! Don't understand that one but it makes for fun times! Anyways...So we had a lesson this week where our investigator told us she believes Christ was an alien....yep...didn't quite now how to respond to that...but it made again, for interesting times. We have a lot of new investigators but none are progressing right now. The one we've been working with didn't come to our meeting and isn't answering his phone...so we don't know what happened there...I'll keep you updated! Allergies are in full swing...yeah I sneeze all the time on the street and well Russians...they have a thing about germs and they stare at me funny when I sneeze...no one has said no though cause of it so I figure its fine... :) I hope! We are know having a combined sports night with the whole district(like a stake) so all the missionaries are there(well...8 of us). It was fun...we play ultimate frisbee usually which well you all remember how great I was at that game! It's a good way to keep me humble :) I can't believe that July is this week already! We want to try and get the missionaries together next monday for like a 4th of July picnic or something...don't know if we are allowed too...we might want to leave the American Flag at home, but other than that it might not be a problem! I bet Brandi is all ready for the 4th! Time goes by way to fast! Well I don't really know what else to talk about...not a lot happened last week! Oh what am I talking about...we placed 11 Books of Mormon in one day and past our goal for June...we wanted to give 40....so far we've given 43, and have a few days left! It was a good day! Well I will write more later! I love you all so much! Thank you for all your support! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson

E. Eyers (AP) Pres. Sarton, E. hollingshead (AP)

Me and Sis. Lednova

On the bus after our VISA trip!


The Elders moved out of this apartment and Sis. Lednova and Brittany moved in
They left a note saying.....Sisters We welcome you:-)

Hey there!!

Hello!
So...it was a good, but long and busy week! Tuesday we got to go to the village, and it was so pretty an felt like home! I'll send pictures soon! I loved it there! That took most of Tuesday, then Wednesday we went to a museum for Culture night...wow...great, like so unbelieveably funny pictures...I'm send those too! And Thursday we plan for like 3 hours each week and Friday was SAMARA, zone conference! Saturday, Sports Night, and Sunday...well Sunday, church, meetings, I gave another talk in Sacrament...busy busy week! And we found 7 new investigators, 5 yesterday! It was so great! So, yeah, Zone Conference was great! Really inspiring, always is! Had an interview with President! I love him so much! he's amazing! I'm so glad he will be my president the whole time!...And I foudn out my release date...Sis. Sartori said it might still move, but probably not...so....March 5th! I get my full 18 months! I'm excited! Well...what else happened this week...we still have our one progressing investigator! he';s doing great! And we have about 14 new ones to work with, so we're more busy then I've ever been before! Pres said that he knows it's possible for us to find one new investigator a day, and since he's said it, me and Sis. Quinn have been working really hard, and have done it! It's so great! She's such a blessing!@ I can't even explain it! She's amazing! Honestly, I would serve with her the rest of my missin if I could! No funny stories this week...I heard a lot at conference, but they weren't mine, so it's probably not as funny to you! :) I love my mission! The Elders are all so great! So many of them are going home soon, that it stinks! But I'm grateful I was able to serve with them! Well I better go! i love you all and thank you for all you do! Take Care this week! Love,
Sister Wilson

Pictures to:)

Family!
Hi, how are you all doing?! :) This might be a quick one cause we tried a new internet place and we can't print out emails so I had to read yours first so it didn't leave me with much time! But anyways...to answer your questions before I forget...yes I have been getting Grandma's emails so she's sending them right! :) And well shoot...I already forgot the other questions...sorry! Well I did the RS training on Saturday and it went good....not a good turnout but we had representatives from each presidency so that was good! I did the first 2 hours of the training and then we had lunch...it was good! im glad I got to do that...it helped my language and I got to work in RS again for just a little bit! So it was a good experience! It was in New City which is about 30 minutes from my area. It kinda took up our whole Saturday and by the end of the day I was wiped out! But now is another week and we have Zone Conference on Friday in Samara so that will be good! And we get to go to the village(it's where the really nice homes are) tomorrow to meet with some members! I'm looking forward to it, except it really is a hassle to get out there! it's my first time in 7 months cause it is a lot of work! But we really want to meet with some of the families so it'll be good! To be honest, this was a tiring week! And I'm trying to think of what we did and I'm drawing blanks...we did meet with some investigators, one is progresssing...the one we speak with in English and this morning during study, our Zl's called with a contact...there is a guy who lives in our area that has a Book of Mormon and read some and wants to learn about it! Yeah....talk about miracle! he said two guys gave him the book about two years ago and he just found it this week! So we're meeting with him on Thursday! I'm excited! not often do people call wanting to meet with us! The branch is still doing good...I gave a spiritual thought in Priesthood yesterday while Sis. Quinn did Relief Society.(I had a woman with me, don't worry!) The Elders are out of the branch for a few weeks, so it's just the Sisters and we have Invitation Sunday in July and Pres wants us to do weekly spiriutal thoughts about it in the third hour so I took Priesthood this week...it was fun! Just like when I would go into Priesthood in America! Awkward, but fun! They told me I could come anytime :) But the Elders come back on the 21st so just one more week! Well...I'm going to go...sorry this is so boring, but I really can't think of anything else to write! i hope you're all doing great, and I'll write next week! I love you all! Thanks you for everything!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Rain!!!

Hello,
It feels like home here...it's been raining for three days, thunder the last two, and it looks like from what members have told us, it'll rain the rest of the week...so I'm back to wearing a coat, and boots! Anyways...enough with the weather update! First off...OMAHA!!!??!!! That is awesome! Tell Nate that I'm sending out his congrats letter this week! :) I'm so excited for him, I was thinking about it all week! On Thursday night, I was like, "Oh my gosh, Nate is getting his call today!" And I talked about it with Sis. Quinn the whole way to internet, so I was very excited and I'm even more excited! He goes into the MTC one day before I did! So when I'm celebrating my year mark in Russia, he'll be starting! :) We'll both be celebrating! That's awesome! Tell him I love him and am so excited! So...this week I have the RS training...should be fun! A little worried...it's two hours of talking in Russian!!! Which I do everyday but not like this! But I'm determined not to worry myself about it and jsut take it as it comes! We'll see how that goes! This week I was called Satan twice! That's a record for me! It sounds bad, but just picture two young American girls knocking on doors and a older lady with no teeth opens it, sees the tag and yells: "SATAN GO AWAY!" Yeah, Sis Quinn's eyes got big and asked did she just call us Satan? Then once on the street again,an older lady..."You are one of Satan's angels! LEAVE!" Yeah...it would be a let down and kinda discouraging if I wasn't laughing so hard when they said it! Fun times! I just think...if she thinks that I'm Satan...she's in for a shock :)Fun times proselyting! Anyways...what else...we have anew investigator that wants us to teach him in English so yesterday was the first time I taught an English lesson in 9 months! Yeah...it was hard and weird...I think when I get home, they should keep me far from any teaching callings...I can't speak English correctly!!!! What happened?! Oh well...It was good...he wants to meet again this week and he said he'll read and pray about the BOM! Our investigator I talked about a couple weeks ago is out of town and will be for awhile with a family problem, so I'm hoping everything is ok! We have a few other people we work with but none are progressing! We keep working though! Yeah we know that the work in Russia is hard...it's hard everywhere! We know people told us before our missions and in the MTC, "Russia...you won't baptize many" or "Russia...the gospel is slow there." But things that those people don't know...yeah we don't baptize like other countries, and yeah the gospel is young in Russia, but the fact that yesterday, an apostle of the Lord came to Russia...Moscow and organized the first Russian stake...proves that the gospel is growing! That gives us so much hope here as missionaries...this year they are celebrating 20 years of the gospel in Russia and in twenty years, they got a stake! What's next? More stakes!!! And all the members know what comes when more stakes are formed.....TEMPLE!!! And the Russian members love and respect the temple! It's great! They know what they are working for! They want the blessings of the temple in their own country! They want it for their own people! I know I just kinda went on a rant, but I just love remembering that it's not our opinoins that matter...the Lord knows one day there will be a temple in Russia...He knows! It's great to think about! Well next week the 17th we have Zome Conference in Samara, so that'll be fun! 1-2 days in Samara! I love Samara! WEll I think this is long enough! I will let you all go! Take Care! I love you all! And thank you for all your support! It means the world to me!
Love,
Sister Wilson

Hi everyone!!

HELLO!
Ok, so first before this gets too long, I wanted to have enough time to put in my guesses for Elder Saunders! :) HA HA! That's so awesome! I'm so excited! I can't stop smiling! Ok...so I don't know how many I get or how it's working but for me it was one place in the states and one foriegn so I'll do that...States: Georgia :) (reason...Nate...good BBQ! And you'll come back with an accent!) Foreign: Russia...ha ha just kidding, although that would be awesome!, that's not my guess...my guess is...ITALY! The temple is being built and missionary work is on fire at least from what I heard, and they need hard working missionaries like Nate, so that's my guess! Or England...cause you'll come back with a cool accent! :) I can't wait to hear...this week is going to be so long, cause I really want to know...not as bad as Nate probably...well maybe :) Tell him congrats for me and I'm so excited for him! Ok, so this week was good. We found new investigators, and two are kinda progressing. They are reading but not coming to church. We asked one investigator to be baptized and he said maybe but he wants to learn more first. So we are still praying for that! It's been great working with the members lately! They have really opened up to us and we are having a lot of fun together! It is reminding me of home now! We had a few fun experiences on the street this week...one lady, older Russian Orthodox, saw us talking to someone(member of the church) and started yelling at us that we were sinning and that we will be cursed by never finding husbands...the member and I just laughed. We left and I told Sis. Quinn what she said, and she laughed so hard...she had to stop and wait a little before going on, and then wnated to write it in her planner so she didn't forget to write home! I don't know if I can make it sound as funny as it actually was, but just picture a really old lady with a cane, yelling at us, and once we left, she watched us til we were out of sight...I wanted so bad to wave but I thought that would be rude! Anywyas the next day was sunny but had a breeze and we stopped one lady, again older, and she said, "Girls, I'm sorry but I will not talk with you becuase you don't have your coats on. You need to go home and get warmer clothes." Then she left. That was new...I've been givena lot of excuses of why people don't want to talk to us, but not having a coat on...that was different! Anyways...more big news, well not big, just big and scary for me...on the 11th of June I will be training RS again, but thsi time on the District level(stake). I was talking to our District President and he wanted Sis. Sartori to come up with a plan for District Training for the RS so I called her and told her what he wanted discussed, and she couldn't make it cause of a visa trip. She talked with Pres and came back on the phone and said they wanted to know if I would do it instead...ha ha ha! WhAT? I said I would I just wanted to make sure the district Pres was ok with it first, so we went back and met with him and he said that's what he wanted! His wife was in the presidency I trained last month and he said that he saw how that changed the RS and he wants that for the district...needless to say...on the 11th in New City, will be 25 women...RUssian women, and I have two hours to talk...ha ha ha! WHAT!? Sister Sartori is actually doing all the work...she is preparing what she wants talked about and I just talk about each topic....my 2 hours is on the responsiblities of the President and her counselors...should be fun...and nervewracking, but I'm excited in a weird way! We started sprots night last week. We get two hours everyweek to play some kind of sport...it was a lot of fun! ANd it is kinda a way to do missionary work in a relaxing environment...people come and we play sprots and ask if they want to meet! :) We're having an American Evening in July and a lot of people, nonmembers have shown interest, because the majority of people want to know about America, so that should be good! We're also trying to get an opne house started but that might have to wait...we have Invitation Sunday coming up in July also...it's different being on the other side of that one! I've been the member...now I'm the missionary...it's fun! SIs. Quinn is still doing great...all over the cold so we worked like normal this week...hard! Well I think I rambled enough! I love you all so much and thank you for all your prayers and support! Take care this week! And next week...I'm sure none of you are counting...but it's my half way mark...just thought you'd want to know ;)
С Любовь Сестра Вильсон

Hey there!!

Hey,
So another week has gone by which is crazy to think about! Time really is going by way too fast in some ways! Sis. Quinn was sick last week with a cold, which wasn't surprising...new life, new country, new weather, no sleep, always going after three months of the MTC, but she still worked so hard! I am way impressed and proud of her like everyday! She's amazing! We work well together and we both try our best with the language, and the majority of people are ok with it! :) Majority! But anyways, yeah, I love working with her! This is what missionary work should be like. Pres agrees with me and that I learned a lot from the last 2 companions, and it's made the missionary I am today so I'm good with that! :) So we have a new investigator that I am so excited about! We had four meetings on Wed and we were sitting at the branch building with a member and two meeting didn't show up, and we were getting a little down, but we started our next thing, helping our member with RS, and then this guy walks in and said he had a friend that is in America but is a member of this church and he saw the sign and wanted to know more. We took him on a tour and it was so great! After he said he wanted to come to church! We gave him a BOM and said we would meet with him on Sunday! Then Sunday, he came! And he stayed for all three hours, and said that he felt empty inside when he first came, but then something started building and it was a good feeling and he said he wants to keep coming! It was so great! We tried to have a meeting with him but that bombed...my fault for not explaining everything. We told him we wanted to meet with him and we had a member with us, a girl cause we cant meet with men by oursleves, and we walked into a room and he said, "I'm going to go look at the building some more." We were like, what is he doing? So the Elders called us like 5 minutes later and long story short, our investigator thought we were going into the girls restroom. Yeah, don't ask how he thought that, but anyways, we went out to talk with him and he wants to come to Sports night on Wed and meet with us then. He is a really nice guy! We also did service with the branch on Sat and it really helped our relationships with them. We left after three hours and about a hour later, a member called and asked us to come back and eat dinner with the branch so we did and they were all so excited that we came back! Which hasn't ever happened, at least now like this! It was great! They are asking us gospel/leadership questions and actually following our advice! The ward is finally growing again! Hey, there is amember here who is going to be in Seattle visiting her sister in July or August! She's the 2nd Counselor in RS and the one I've been working with! Sh'es great! So if you want to meet her or takl with her, let me know, she said she can meet you at the temple...she speaks English so dn't worry! :) Well I think that is all for now! i love you all so much! Take care this week!
Love Sister Wilson

Ok side note...I'm dying in the heat and it's only like 80 degrees! Yeah add like 30 more and thats summer in Russia! :)

HELLO!!!:)

Oh my gosh...so I know what it feels to be a hard working missionary...hard working as in doing the work, Sis Quinn is amazing! I love her so much! We have worked hard every single day including her first one! She isn't even unpacked yet...don't worry, we have time today! It's so great! i feel great! It's been a great week! She's adorable too and I'm learning so much from her! :) I know I'm the trainer, but I think it's a good thing when the trainer learns more than the trainee. She just came from the MTC where they are teaching the newest things so why not? :) I'm so happy to be serving with her! It's great! Here is an example...usually we would place like 5 Book of Mormons a week...since last Wednesday we have placed 25! :) AH!! It's great! We have found two new investigators and people onthe street are giving us contacts! It's not perfect but it's great! the biggest blessing I've seen is that I understand! Before I didn't understand everything and I still don't...but I have such a testimony that the Lord calls and qualifes...with Sis. Tedrow and Sis. Braginets I didn't NEED to understand...I tried but I didn't need to. Now I need to and I do. It's amazing! We've talked to so many people and I bet there were only two I didn't understand. The members all said that I speak better too. Our District President said that it's cause the Lord needs me to speak and understand so I can! The gift of tongues is so real its unbelievable! And it's so amazing to know that the Lord is 100% in control and it's all on His time! I love it! Sorry this is kinda confusing...the ZL's are here and they keep talking...which is great but distracting! Ok...they left...so the work is going forth and we're helping RS each week! Sis. Quinn has so much faith and desire it's hard not to be excited all the time! I'll try to send a pic soon! I'm so looking forward to the next three months. Pres said that he wants me to train the whole three training months so 95% sure I'll be in Komcomolcke til the end of July...but by then we will have our next visa trip...KIEV TEMPLE! YAY! so excited! I miss the temple so much but it's such a great feeling knowing that I'll be going in less than three months! We have our ZL day again this Friday. I'm excited...I learned so much last time! And it's alot of fun! I spoke yesterday in sacrament...a lot of people were like, "Sis Wilson! When did you learn Russian!?" Back sided compliment, but I'll take it :) So it's bee a good week! We had training last week for the trainers before bringing in the new missionaries and that was really helpful! We won't have new sisters now for the next 6 months so after 3 months, I know I won't be training! It'll be completely normal...I hope! Well I think I've rambled enough...my grammar and English are getting so bad...sorry for typos or anything. I'm to the point wher I think in Russian a lot so I'm trying to think in Englsih and Russian keeps popping up. That's a good sign I'm told! :) When I get home people will think there is something wrond with me! :) Ok...I love you all so much! Thank you for all your support! Take care!
Love,
Sis. Wilson