week 4

Dear Family and Friends,

I love and miss you all! This week has just been amazing. To start off I have a little story. So yesterday, Monday the tenth we were supposed to have a St. Petersburg missionary meeting where Elder Ballard was going to come and speak to us. Also President Lawrence from the 70, who is the 70 over Eastern Europe. It turns out that Elder Ballard's papers weren't in order so he had to land in London, not being able to make the meeting. Yes, it was really sad, but I know everything happens for a reason so I hope London is loving Elder Ballard:) We had President and Sister Clark (our mission president) speak and also President and Sister Lawrence (of the 70) speak, and the meeting was really incredible. When President Lawrence got up to speak he decided to tell us the real story of how he came to have the opportunity to speak. So last conference just in April, President Monson (yes, the prophet), called President Lawrence into his office and told him that he wanted to visit the missionaries and members of St. Petersburg!!!!!! (WHAT). Anyways so they started to plan their trip to Russia. And President Monson was sure this would work out, but the only thing that would keep it from not working, was if Sister Monson's condition got worse. And as we all hear, she died just last month. (honestly the saddest thing I've ever heard). So President Monson had Elder Ballard take his place in coming to St. Petersburg, but made it known that he really wanted to still come here someday. How amazing is that! we almost had the prophet, and then an apostle come and speak to us! I was pretty excited. And I'm confident that they will try again to come. The members here, especially in выьорг (vweborg, or vyborg), are just incredible and would love that opportunity. They are actually converts from over 20 years ago, the first in Russia are in our ward here in my area. They are all seriously wonderful.

Well as you could tell I am just loving my area. My companion and I are striving to be strictly obedient, and I can't even explain the blessings that come from it. We had the opportunity to go to TWO dachas (summer homes) this week! One where we hauled water from a well, up to a dacha using buckets and a makeshift hand cart. I was definitely sore after that. Then we went to this family's house and chopped wood for three hours! Service is probably my most favorite thing to do. Not only do we get to relax a bit, but we get to do something new, change things up a bit. Which is always nice and our service of five missionaries saves the little old babushkas at their dachas honestly days of work. So I love it!

Our investigators are doing well. They, like most people, are always very busy. No matter how many times we call them and stop by their house. People start getting annoyed, and probably wonder if we have anything better to do. But they don't understand that this IS the better thing to be doing. We want to do this, and It's our lives now, we go throughout our day planning lessons, finding less actives, meeting with members, contacting, our entire goal in life right now is to find people to come unto Christ. It's so funny, but completely true. And I love being a missionary:)

So to answer some questions the cars here are normal (well like the US) and they drive on that side of the road. But there are also cars with the opposite side steering wheel, that I think are shipped from the UK, so there are both here. Transportation wise Sister Boud and I usually walk everywhere, if we need to we take the bus, but very rarely. We take a train to the city when there are meetings and such, and then the Metro (which is crazy in and of itself)! I did ride in a van, on the way to someone's dacha. It had no seats in it but the front, the doors were ductaped shut, and the entire car framed shook while we drove along the road. There are no speed limits or stop signs here, just lights on the more busy streets. The roads are all brick, which gives everything a really cool look, but they just started to pave here and there where there were huge holes in the roads. We do drink a lot of tea here, (herbal tea of course). And so we've had it all, from grass tea (not recommended) to spearment and berry the TESS brand that I'm pretty sure is in America too. There is also something called tvorg, which is super good. It is cottage cheese. And they bake it in everything! Putting jam over it or sour cream (which they also eat a TON of). I really like the food here. There are lots of fruits and veggies here, and they eat a lot of rice and palmoni which are like ravoli.

There is a little about what has been happening in Russia. I'm doing well and loving it, yes of course it is hard, but there is always lessons to learn and ways to improve!

I love you all and love hearing from you! Dear Elders I receive every time I go to st.petersburg (the city). because i am so far out they have no way to get to me until i go into the city. So I do get them, just not as often as the MTC. And I do love getting those as well :) Emails, I usually print them out the week I get them and then respond the next week:) also please send me your addresses and I will write letters every once in a while.

Love you!

Sister Yeates