Hey, everybody! I cannot believe another week has already gone by.
Time is flying but I am loving it. We just got 10 new Russians (so
another district) on Wednesday so that brings the total in our zone to
80 but a zone is leaving today so we'll be back down to 70. Still pretty
cool that just in my zone there are 70 people either going to the
Baltic, Russia, or the Ukraine. I don't even know where to begin on this
email. On Wednesday we had TRC- Teaching Resource Center. So basically
we go to this building and talk to returned missionaries and volunteers
in Russian. They aren't pretending to be an investigator or anything and
we just get to share a spiritual thought with them and have a
conversation. And guess what? WE DID IT. It was insane. I spoke Russian
and they understood! What the heck? It was so cool though. Our people we
taught were so nice and so kind to help us when we messed up a word or
said something weird. Haha. We also had our second and third lessons in
Russian with our "investigators" (they're really our teachers but they
play investigators of people they really taught in their missions) Sasha
and Anton. Our lesson with Anton was so cool. I knew wayyy more than I
thought I did and we actually taught a 20 minute lesson. It's crazy how
much we are learning and the pace we are learning. Heavenly Father is
without a doubt helping us all out. But the coolest part of this week
was Sunday.
Sundays continue to be the absolute best part of the week in addition
to P-Day. We had Relief Society and guess who spoke? Janice Kapp Perry.
She wrote: As Sisters in Zion, I Love To See the Temple, A Child's
Prayer, etc. It was THE coolest thing. I have never felt the Spirit more
strongly than during her talk. She got up there and talked about how
she came to write church songs but then she had us sing a medley of all
her primary songs. And that was so cool. Plus it was Mother's Day so
when she sang, "I see my mother kneeling with my family each day" I just
lost it. I'm so grateful to all the women in my life who have been my
mother. I have so many and I'm so blessed for that. But the coolest part
wasn't then. So we sang that medley and then she started talking about
this new song she had written in response to all the sister missionaries
serving. So, she wrote a new song, it's to the tune of "As Sisters in
Zion" but it's called "The Sisters of Zion." And then she announced that
we would be the first ones to sing it. So we start singing this song
and pretty much the entire auditorium just starts crying. Here's some of
the words:
We'll go forth enlisted with Helaman's Army.
The angels of heaven are walking beside us,
we'll share our glad message with all who will hear.
The heavens have spoken and truth is restored.
I
got chills just remembering how cool that was and how it was exactly
what we all needed to hear. Later that night we had a district review
where we all just talked about the day and what we had learned.
President Craney, our branch president who was actually the mission
president in Moscow three years ago came to ours and talked with us. One
of the first things he said was, "They don't send no junk to Russia."
And it was perfect. Being a missionary is crazy. You learn so much and a
lot is expected of you so it's easy to get upset and want to throw
things. But it really hit me when President Craney said that. They don't
send no junk to Russia. We have all been called and we are going to
Russia for a reason. Also, in Sacrament meeting one of the branch
counselors said that he ran into Elder Ballard on Saturday
and asked him what he would have the missionaries going to Russia do
and know. Elder Ballard said, "Teach them to teach with the Spirit."
Cool, huh? (I say cool a lot. Sorry.) That's probably the number one
lesson I've learned this week: listen to the Spirit and have faith that
Heavenly Father will help you with the rest. When I focus more on what I
want to say and what the investigator needs the language comes
585754898 times easier. Some random lady from Salt Lake sent my
companion Russian names to do in the temple so we got to go and do that
today. The names on the cards and all the information was actually in
Russian and the crazy thing was that I could read it and understand a
good part of it! I felt like a pro because the ladies helping me in the
temple had no idea how to say it and I was just rattled it off like it
was nothing. Holler. Haha. I continue to see a lot of people that I know
which is great. I can think of no better place to run into people than
at the MTC! I ran into Charity Suttner which was cool because she knows
Jill and Ben and everyone and because she's going to the Georgia Armenia
mission so I told her my grandparents were some of the first
missionaries there. She was really excited. I have seen Elder Neely a
couple more times and he seems to be doing really well. If Karen is
reading this and if the letters he sends home were anything like the
letters he sent to the Unit (as in very brief with no detail) then know
he is doing good! I met his companion and a few people from his district
and they were all so, so nice and all kind of jabbering away in
broken Hungarian. He always looks way happy whenever I see him so that
should be a good sign! I have also seen Peter Fuller a few times and
he's the greatest. We totes reminisce about SCHS and all the people we
see in the MTC. And the fact that we are both learning Russian and will
totes be recruited to be Russian interpretators when we get home. My
district continues to be the best ever. They are so funny. We are all
going to Moscow except for two of the Sisters and they're going to
Yekaternberg which is a little more towards Siberia. Anyways, I'm almost
out of time! I love you all so much and am so grateful for all the
letters and packages and DearElders. You're the best friends and family I
could ever ask for. Have a most fabulous week.
Love,
Cectpa Harris
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