It finally happened! I fell! Not just slipped, but fell hard...right on my butt! (lovely missionary talk, I know, sorrry) It hurt! But not anymore, so don't worry! but I can't believe it! I went three months without falling! Oh well, we all knew it would happen soon enough! So the effects of the black tea are gone! The embarrassment is not but oh well! Well, I am with my new companion, Sister Braginets! She is great, and speaks no English, so you can imagine...I have a headache everyday! :) But it's good, it's hard, but good! We teach each other languages during the day! I taught her swing, slide, and teeter toter the other day right before Zone Conference. The Elders were like, "What are you teaching her?" Important words! :) It's been good! I love my new district...well not really new, just some new people. E. Anderson is now my DL (he's amazing) and Elders Smith and Zuber are my new zone leaders! They brought us flowers on Friday for a late Valetines day present! It was so sweet! I love both of them! We were able to meet the new sisters on Wedensday when we had a mini Sisters Conf. All the sisters were being transferred so since we were all there, they had a conf with us and the ZL's. It was good! I love being around missionaries! they are entertaining! :) We let one of our investigators go this week. Well not let go, but turned her over to the Elders. Her son just got the priesthood and has no interest in it at all. So we talked and Pres said with all things considered, the Elders should teach the son since he's a new member, and if the mom shows interest, teach her, but she hasn't been progressing for months, so who knows. So we have one investigator now, so we spend a lot of time with inactives or on the streets which is so cold! It's -31 today! Yep...cold! But oh well, it's Russia, it's to be expected! Well I'm sorry this is a short one, but I have to go...I love you all so much and hope everything is going good! I love you! Take Care!
Love,
Sister Wilson
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Hello! Happy Valentine's Day! (even though I forgot about it :))So good grief, it's been a long week, and I have no idea where to start. First off, please tell Nate, he has a letter on the way. When I sent out the one you just got, I hadn't heard from him, but then i got an email and sent out his letter, so it's on it's way! I would never forget about him! :) Oh and tell him I loved his email so much a couple weeks ago, I used it in a talk for District Mtg That guy is going to be a great missionary! ok, so...last week...Wednesday we had a zone conference, so we went to samara in the morning(about 30 minutes away from HovoK-where I've been the last week). Then had to go back to samara that night to get ready for my visa trip. We stayed in the apartment next to Pres and Sis sartori and had banana splits with them before going to bed! They are both so amazing! Anyways...it was that night that i had an interview with president and found out...I"M NOT TRAINING! Biggest answer to a prayer ever! ;) I'm going to be with sister Брагинец(brag-anets). she's been here for six weeks and is from Ukraine! she;s my age and Pres. said she is ready to work! I'm so excited! she knows Russian so that's good....she knows very little english, which i'm so excited about. This last week, with Sisters Torst and Lednova, I realized I know a lot more Russian than i thought I did. I've made so much progress language wise this week. I look back to last Sunday and now, and think, wow...I didn't know it was possible to talk like this...I'm no where near good at it, but I'm so much better than i thought! So that was Wednesday night...got to bed late, woke up at 2:30, left at 3:50 and was on my way to Latvia! 24hrs later, I was back in the apartment next to the Sartori's. We came in about 1:30am. Long trip, but fun. I got to know more of the Elders, cause I was the only Sister on the trip. It was fun! Wejust saw the insides of airports so no excited pictures or anything. sorry! It was tired! It's better now, but still a little slow! :) i will go on my next one somewhere around May 4th...that is when my next visa expires. Fun stuff! So...transfers...all I know so far is sometime soon, probably Wednesday morning, we go back to samara and me and Sis. braganets will go from there back to our area. It;s been a crazy week, but fun! there is an Elder here, elder Ellis that was in the MTC with me for about 6 weeks. It was realy fun to be serving around him again! and E. Morris is still going to be in my district, but his comp is leaving! :( but I'm so glad E. Morris is staying! And one of the Elders on my visa trip that really helped me with some language study plans, will be one of my new zone leaders! so that was fun to hear! I'm so excited to get back and start working...a lot of little things happened this week, that I can't remember, but one big thing...I broke the word of wisdom...accidentally...again...I think i have a problem! a recent convert (who is definitely going to be getting the discussions again!) gave us black tea and I drank it before Sis. Torst found out what it was....yeah...black tea made with Russian water...there's a reason we aren't suppose to drink it! i'm totally fine, don't worry! BUt yeah, that was fun to tell Pres...i told him in an email so I didn't have to hear him laugh! first drugs, now tea...the three of us were talking last night, and decided there are worse things i could do, so I repented and will do better ;) Interesting serving in russia, that's for sure...always have to be on your toes! i've really enjoyed my last week! I've also realized that russia has a lot of weird smells! I think i got used to the wierd ones in my area, but this area has a whole bunch of new ones that make my stomach turn! Oh well...just a fun little side note on the world here! :) I hope i get to serve here again! I love the area and the people! They were a lot of fun! Cool experience for me...We were at a lesson and i gave a spiritual thought from the Book of mormon and then we talked for awhile afterwards. The lady was talking and I looked down at the Book of Mormon and saw Книга Мормона(Book of mormon in russian) and started thinking about how many sacrifices it took for this book to be in Russia! It just really hit me there! Mormon abridged the recored and hid them. Joseph smith came and translated them, and dealt with much persecution. It was a miracle that these gold plates were translated and printed and sold as an actual book for us to read. Back in the pioneer times, they treasured that book. They knew the power of it and they kept it close to their hearts! Russia is in that pioneer stage now! I looked at the Book of Mormon and just thought, wow! the same miracle happened! THe book of mormon is in the former soviet union! Russian people are treasuring that book and holding it close to their hearts! Everything rides on whether the Book of mormon is true, and when people know it is, things change! if the book of mormon is true, then joseph smith was a prophet, and the ture church of Jesus christ is on the earth again! everything is on this book! And i realized how much i took it for granted before! It was just a really good expeirence to see how far the church has come, and how much my testimony of the church and of the Book of mormon has grown! I looked at my watch and realized it was February 12th, and i kept thinking to myself, that day was important to me for some reason. I came back and read my journal...that was the day last year, that i was waiting in the baptismal font before the Valentines dance, and those girls were there! That was the night I got my answer to go on a mission...I can't believe I almost forgot! That was such a special time! I love being a missionary! Well i think that's all for the highlights! Wednesday will start work back in my area...I've already set up appointments so people can get to know my new companion. I'm so excited!! Thank you for all your emails and I love you all so much! Take care! Love,
Sister Wilson
Sister Wilson
Monday, February 7, 2011
Hello!!
Hi,
I'm really glad to hear that you got the emails last week! I don't know what was wrong, either on my end or yours, but I'm glad it all went through! So...well first off, i've learned an important lesson(side note...this keyboard shift button doesn't work the best, so sorry for bad grammar :)), don't listen to rumors about transfers! so still no news on if I'm training or not, but everyone under the sun has heard something about it...whether it's I'm moving areas, I'm training, I'm going to have a Russian comp. You name it, I've heard it. And i talked with Sis. Sartori last night and she said President doesn't even know transfers yet...so I'm just going with it...but for now I'm in an area I can't pronounce let alone spell :) with Sisters Torst and Lidnova! I love both of them so much! they are so fun to be with and have helped me understand the mission and the rules a lot more! sis. Tedrow and I went to Samara last night, and the two sisters picked me up about 7pm and took me to their area. I will be with them til Wednesday night in their area, then drive back to Samara and the three of us will sleep in the apartment next to Pres and Sis. sartori, so that early early Thursday morning, two elders will come and be my comps for the visa trip. I will come back early early Friday morning, go back with the sisters until tuesday or wednesday depending on what happens with transfers...so yeah, it's confusing, and hard for me to understand, so just know...I'm good, I'm happy, i'm safe...no Russian pills have been taken...and I'll be writing from here next week as well! :) Last week was ok...nothing too exciting. We had an activity with the branch on Saturday and I got to see elder bahr again(he was in the MTC with me). That was cool! i don't have your letters with me from last week so I'm sorry if i miss a question! My head is seriously so confused right now...I'm trying to figure out what I even did last week! Hmmm....so how is everything there? Any snow? :) after that one day, it went back to normal weather here...not too cold...i sweat cause it's not that cold, but my coat is meant for really really cold...oh well! Weird winter in russia that's for sure! So any news on how Alex is doing? I'm sure he's great! I sent out a letter last week to you! Well I'm sorry this is such a boring letter...I wish I could think of things to write about but we didn't teach very much last week, and i don't know whats going on for the next little while, so yeah, kinda crazy right now! And the visa trip is right smack in the middle of it all! Oh well! Fun times as a missionary! I hope you're all doing great! I love you all very much! take care!
Love, Sister Wilson
I'm really glad to hear that you got the emails last week! I don't know what was wrong, either on my end or yours, but I'm glad it all went through! So...well first off, i've learned an important lesson(side note...this keyboard shift button doesn't work the best, so sorry for bad grammar :)), don't listen to rumors about transfers! so still no news on if I'm training or not, but everyone under the sun has heard something about it...whether it's I'm moving areas, I'm training, I'm going to have a Russian comp. You name it, I've heard it. And i talked with Sis. Sartori last night and she said President doesn't even know transfers yet...so I'm just going with it...but for now I'm in an area I can't pronounce let alone spell :) with Sisters Torst and Lidnova! I love both of them so much! they are so fun to be with and have helped me understand the mission and the rules a lot more! sis. Tedrow and I went to Samara last night, and the two sisters picked me up about 7pm and took me to their area. I will be with them til Wednesday night in their area, then drive back to Samara and the three of us will sleep in the apartment next to Pres and Sis. sartori, so that early early Thursday morning, two elders will come and be my comps for the visa trip. I will come back early early Friday morning, go back with the sisters until tuesday or wednesday depending on what happens with transfers...so yeah, it's confusing, and hard for me to understand, so just know...I'm good, I'm happy, i'm safe...no Russian pills have been taken...and I'll be writing from here next week as well! :) Last week was ok...nothing too exciting. We had an activity with the branch on Saturday and I got to see elder bahr again(he was in the MTC with me). That was cool! i don't have your letters with me from last week so I'm sorry if i miss a question! My head is seriously so confused right now...I'm trying to figure out what I even did last week! Hmmm....so how is everything there? Any snow? :) after that one day, it went back to normal weather here...not too cold...i sweat cause it's not that cold, but my coat is meant for really really cold...oh well! Weird winter in russia that's for sure! So any news on how Alex is doing? I'm sure he's great! I sent out a letter last week to you! Well I'm sorry this is such a boring letter...I wish I could think of things to write about but we didn't teach very much last week, and i don't know whats going on for the next little while, so yeah, kinda crazy right now! And the visa trip is right smack in the middle of it all! Oh well! Fun times as a missionary! I hope you're all doing great! I love you all very much! take care!
Love, Sister Wilson
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Hello!!!
Hi Everyone,
I got a lot of questions last time about transfers so real quick: Transfers are Feb. 14th and I don't know yet what's going on. President called last week and said there is a 90% chance I'm training so I should be getting ready. So that's what I'm doing :) But I won't find out til either this week or next for sure. And he still doesn't know what I'm going to be doing after Sis. Tedrow leaves. She leaves this Sunday after church and transfers aren't for another week, so the options are moving me into a threesome in another area for one week, or getting a mini missionary (a member called as a temp basically). He doesn't know yet what to do. And to complicate matters, my first visa trip is that week too...Feb. 10th. So the next few weeks should be really fun :) And then if I do train, I should be fairly wiped out by the time the new sister gets here! Fun stuff. But that's all I know. I'm thinking I'll know something next week considering Sis. T will be gone and I'll have to be somewhere with someone :) But that means I also don't know my email schedule next week so it might be off. Just know if you don't get one it'll come next week. The Volga is completely frozen over now so we'll be going there to get pictures this week! I wish I could send pics like I used to but the computers won't let us without first downloading stuff...not good here! Last Monday was the first time I saw weather the way weather should be in Russia in the middle of winter. After email we looked outside and it looked like a blizzard from the movies. And it hurt...the snow like pelts your face and you can't see so you walk with you head down and the wind was pushing me back...it was awful but fun at the same time! :) I know you never thought I'd say that one! Well all of our investigators are still at a stand still. So we work mainly right now with members, active and inactive. The active members need help just like the inactive. It's hard to stay active here. (Not for me :) don't worry!) But yeah, not much is new here! Thank you for all your emails! I love hearing from you! It's the highlight of my week! I better get going! I will hopefully write next Monday! Take care! I love you all!
Love,
Сестра Вильсон
I got a lot of questions last time about transfers so real quick: Transfers are Feb. 14th and I don't know yet what's going on. President called last week and said there is a 90% chance I'm training so I should be getting ready. So that's what I'm doing :) But I won't find out til either this week or next for sure. And he still doesn't know what I'm going to be doing after Sis. Tedrow leaves. She leaves this Sunday after church and transfers aren't for another week, so the options are moving me into a threesome in another area for one week, or getting a mini missionary (a member called as a temp basically). He doesn't know yet what to do. And to complicate matters, my first visa trip is that week too...Feb. 10th. So the next few weeks should be really fun :) And then if I do train, I should be fairly wiped out by the time the new sister gets here! Fun stuff. But that's all I know. I'm thinking I'll know something next week considering Sis. T will be gone and I'll have to be somewhere with someone :) But that means I also don't know my email schedule next week so it might be off. Just know if you don't get one it'll come next week. The Volga is completely frozen over now so we'll be going there to get pictures this week! I wish I could send pics like I used to but the computers won't let us without first downloading stuff...not good here! Last Monday was the first time I saw weather the way weather should be in Russia in the middle of winter. After email we looked outside and it looked like a blizzard from the movies. And it hurt...the snow like pelts your face and you can't see so you walk with you head down and the wind was pushing me back...it was awful but fun at the same time! :) I know you never thought I'd say that one! Well all of our investigators are still at a stand still. So we work mainly right now with members, active and inactive. The active members need help just like the inactive. It's hard to stay active here. (Not for me :) don't worry!) But yeah, not much is new here! Thank you for all your emails! I love hearing from you! It's the highlight of my week! I better get going! I will hopefully write next Monday! Take care! I love you all!
Love,
Сестра Вильсон
Monday, January 24, 2011
Hi again!!!:)
Hey Everyone,
So I don't have a lot of time so this might be short, it depends on how fast I can type. Well fun story (Mom it is a funny story, cause I'm fine :)). Yesterday at church I got a killer headache, probably one of the worst I've ever had, and it came on in like 30 seconds. My eyes were all fuzzy and it hurt to do anything. Well we were at church so I had no iBprofen with me, and one of the woman in the branch gave me something to take(which I would normally never do, cause I know I have a very low tolerance for anything :)) But I wasn't exactly thinking straight, so I took it and about 20 minutes later...well you'd have to ask my companion about the rest of the day! She said I got really tired in the meeting and said we needed to leave, so we left, and I guess the whole way home, I got really entertaining. Including but not limited to...walking upto a Russian man and saying HI....in ENGLISH, commenting on how people looked, walked, talked, umm....lets see, I wanted to go down a slide, I thought the snow looked like clouds and wanted to sleep on them, commented on grafitti, told the Elders I loved them, I think that was the high points. I crashed when we got home, after Sis. Tedrow asked the lady what she gave me. The woman said for me to drink tons of water and sleep, so apparently that's what I did. Good news...I woke up a few hours later, completely free of a headache and of my memory of the afternoon! So what did I learn from this lesson? Don't do drugs! :) No actually I learned I broke a mission rule I didn't even knnow about...don't take any kind of Russian pill...but we get separated for the last hour of church(Primary/RS) and now we know why companions are always suppose to be together ;) So no harm done, I did find out this morning, when the woman called to check on me that a gas line broke in my area and a lot of people got really bad, severe headaches, so she thinks that is what caused it...oh well...it was one for the journal! I feel great today! No side affects, except there are some elders I'm staying clear of for awhile, and my ego might be bruised a little! :) So onto other fun things! We had Zone Conference and Pres. Sartori came! I met with him and he talked with me a lot about trainging then said I might have to train this next cycle...as of Feb. 14th! He doesn't know yet but he said it's a good possibilty! We talked a lot about preparing for that, so I have been doing so much language study this week, it's crazy! Oh and I had to sew for the first time on my mission this week....I'm glad Devin showed me how before he left ;) Sorry Mom I had to! :) That is so cool about Alex baptizing Isaac! I wish I could've seeen that! That had to be so special for both of them! I'm so excited for him! Well not much else to write about for now! Thank you all so much for everything you do! I love you all and I'll write again next week! Take Care!Love,
Sister Wilson
So I don't have a lot of time so this might be short, it depends on how fast I can type. Well fun story (Mom it is a funny story, cause I'm fine :)). Yesterday at church I got a killer headache, probably one of the worst I've ever had, and it came on in like 30 seconds. My eyes were all fuzzy and it hurt to do anything. Well we were at church so I had no iBprofen with me, and one of the woman in the branch gave me something to take(which I would normally never do, cause I know I have a very low tolerance for anything :)) But I wasn't exactly thinking straight, so I took it and about 20 minutes later...well you'd have to ask my companion about the rest of the day! She said I got really tired in the meeting and said we needed to leave, so we left, and I guess the whole way home, I got really entertaining. Including but not limited to...walking upto a Russian man and saying HI....in ENGLISH, commenting on how people looked, walked, talked, umm....lets see, I wanted to go down a slide, I thought the snow looked like clouds and wanted to sleep on them, commented on grafitti, told the Elders I loved them, I think that was the high points. I crashed when we got home, after Sis. Tedrow asked the lady what she gave me. The woman said for me to drink tons of water and sleep, so apparently that's what I did. Good news...I woke up a few hours later, completely free of a headache and of my memory of the afternoon! So what did I learn from this lesson? Don't do drugs! :) No actually I learned I broke a mission rule I didn't even knnow about...don't take any kind of Russian pill...but we get separated for the last hour of church(Primary/RS) and now we know why companions are always suppose to be together ;) So no harm done, I did find out this morning, when the woman called to check on me that a gas line broke in my area and a lot of people got really bad, severe headaches, so she thinks that is what caused it...oh well...it was one for the journal! I feel great today! No side affects, except there are some elders I'm staying clear of for awhile, and my ego might be bruised a little! :) So onto other fun things! We had Zone Conference and Pres. Sartori came! I met with him and he talked with me a lot about trainging then said I might have to train this next cycle...as of Feb. 14th! He doesn't know yet but he said it's a good possibilty! We talked a lot about preparing for that, so I have been doing so much language study this week, it's crazy! Oh and I had to sew for the first time on my mission this week....I'm glad Devin showed me how before he left ;) Sorry Mom I had to! :) That is so cool about Alex baptizing Isaac! I wish I could've seeen that! That had to be so special for both of them! I'm so excited for him! Well not much else to write about for now! Thank you all so much for everything you do! I love you all and I'll write again next week! Take Care!Love,
Sister Wilson
Monday, January 17, 2011
Hello Everyone!!!
Hey Everyone,
Well first off, I'll answer everyone's first question by saying the talk and lesson went good. Perfect?....HA HA HA... not even close, but it was good. It helped me with the language, and with getting to know members better (especially the RS lesson). And something I don't think I told you last week...was that I gave the talk on the existance of God, how I know He exists, and the lesson on Sacrificing...on the exact one year anniversary of me going through the temple...which was also the first time I got the prompting to go on a mission. I remember coming out of the temple and being thoroughly confused by that one! :) But one year later, I'm in Russia giving a talk and lesson...it's amazing what the Lord does to accomplish His work! Anyways...they both went good, I was nervous (it didn't help that one of the Elders said they were bringing their camera) but once I got up there I just talked as much as I could. I'm so glad I did it. I'm glad its over...but I'm really glad I did it! RS is different here...the teacher conducts the whole meeting not the presidency, so Sis. Tedrow did the indroducing part and she started talking about me, but I wasn't sure what all she said...and then I hear her say "She was a Relief Society President." I don't exactly tell anyone that, so I didn't know why she was talking about it, but afterwards she said that she knew I wouldn't talk about myself, and she wanted the women to know that even though I couldn't speak well, that I have a strong background in the church. She said she told them, that she knows what I'm going to say, and that they all need to listen cause its true, and that I know what I'm talking about. She said that she knew if they knew a background of me, they would listen with different ears...she was right...they did. One of the woman bowed in front of me...a little wierd but she was just being funny. But it's crazy how they did listen differently then they did before. It just made me remember that Russia is so much in the pioneeer stage of the church. Some things that are normal in America, are just not here. But the lesson went good! I'm really glad I did that! :) It was another slow week work wise...We decided to drop one of our investigators....that's not exactly fun, but the same day we did, we found another one. We haven't met with her again, she works every day 9-7pm. So it's hard...we have to meet with her in her store. It's a bakery store! So yeah...I'm going to get fat! ;) But yeah, work is slow...people are still just on a standstill for baptisms, in our area...there are baptisms happening, which is great to see!! I didn't get a chance to mail out the letters last week, but I am going there today, hopefully! I'll also try to send pictures again today on the computer, but I don't think it's going to let me. I'm sending a package soon, and I'll just send the disk of pictures home. Just don't judge me on some of them...they need explanations! :) Well not a lot happened this week...fireworks are still going off, dogs are still barking a lot, so sleep is precious when we get it! BUt other than that...its just the same! I do really like the Bacon flavored chips...a little too much I think, but oh well! I love you all so much! And thank you for everything you do! I love being able to write to you, but I love hearing from you! It makes my week to hear from home! Take care and I'll write again next week!
Love,
Sister Wilson
Well first off, I'll answer everyone's first question by saying the talk and lesson went good. Perfect?....HA HA HA... not even close, but it was good. It helped me with the language, and with getting to know members better (especially the RS lesson). And something I don't think I told you last week...was that I gave the talk on the existance of God, how I know He exists, and the lesson on Sacrificing...on the exact one year anniversary of me going through the temple...which was also the first time I got the prompting to go on a mission. I remember coming out of the temple and being thoroughly confused by that one! :) But one year later, I'm in Russia giving a talk and lesson...it's amazing what the Lord does to accomplish His work! Anyways...they both went good, I was nervous (it didn't help that one of the Elders said they were bringing their camera) but once I got up there I just talked as much as I could. I'm so glad I did it. I'm glad its over...but I'm really glad I did it! RS is different here...the teacher conducts the whole meeting not the presidency, so Sis. Tedrow did the indroducing part and she started talking about me, but I wasn't sure what all she said...and then I hear her say "She was a Relief Society President." I don't exactly tell anyone that, so I didn't know why she was talking about it, but afterwards she said that she knew I wouldn't talk about myself, and she wanted the women to know that even though I couldn't speak well, that I have a strong background in the church. She said she told them, that she knows what I'm going to say, and that they all need to listen cause its true, and that I know what I'm talking about. She said that she knew if they knew a background of me, they would listen with different ears...she was right...they did. One of the woman bowed in front of me...a little wierd but she was just being funny. But it's crazy how they did listen differently then they did before. It just made me remember that Russia is so much in the pioneeer stage of the church. Some things that are normal in America, are just not here. But the lesson went good! I'm really glad I did that! :) It was another slow week work wise...We decided to drop one of our investigators....that's not exactly fun, but the same day we did, we found another one. We haven't met with her again, she works every day 9-7pm. So it's hard...we have to meet with her in her store. It's a bakery store! So yeah...I'm going to get fat! ;) But yeah, work is slow...people are still just on a standstill for baptisms, in our area...there are baptisms happening, which is great to see!! I didn't get a chance to mail out the letters last week, but I am going there today, hopefully! I'll also try to send pictures again today on the computer, but I don't think it's going to let me. I'm sending a package soon, and I'll just send the disk of pictures home. Just don't judge me on some of them...they need explanations! :) Well not a lot happened this week...fireworks are still going off, dogs are still barking a lot, so sleep is precious when we get it! BUt other than that...its just the same! I do really like the Bacon flavored chips...a little too much I think, but oh well! I love you all so much! And thank you for everything you do! I love being able to write to you, but I love hearing from you! It makes my week to hear from home! Take care and I'll write again next week!
Love,
Sister Wilson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)