Wow

It was a week. I'll just jump right into it. It's going to be a long email this week. So after we emailed, we got on a plane and went to Kaliningrad. I like it there a lot. It's really pretty. So we got in about 8 at night and had to drive an hour to the city, so it was pretty late. The Porters and Childs decided to have us eat with them, it was awesome! We ate at this really nice little restaraunt and had a great time. We were super late that night, but it's ok. We had permission. Tuesday morning we had a meeting with the missionaries there in Kaliningrad that went well. we got to talk in a really small group which made it more fun. After that we split up into a few groups and went out and made some visits, I went to meet the branch president there and give him a blessing. It was fun, my comp served in Kaliningrad for 9 months and he was just in heaven the whole time! It was fun. After that we all met up and said our goodbyes and we drove to the airport. The Porters flew back to Moscow straight from there, and we had our flight about an hour later. I sat by this young guy on the plane, he was really cool! He works off of the coast of Norway on an oil rig, he's the only Russian and so he had to learn english while he was on the rig. He loves america, the only problem is that he lives in Murmansk, so I gave him my email and told him that I'd email him in english if he wants to practice. That was a really fun time. Wednesday was the day of meetings. we had district meeting (without our district leader, who was on a visa trip) and we all just got to know each other. Then we had staff meeting, which is a meeting with the office elders, couple and the Childs to organize and get the logistics of the mission all worked out. Then we (the assistants) had a meeting with the Childs and talked about some things. We finished the next transfer already, which will be on my birthday. Then we had a few other things we had to take care of to organize Christmas things, so we were in the office for a while and then went to get some groceries. Thursday was good, we had Hermitage service in the morning. Nothing too exciting. Went on splits with the north zone leaders and had a good time. Friday was kinda our p-day. I got another pair of pants for my suit and a new white shirt. My companion got a whole new suit. Then we found some skippy's peanut butter for $1.50!!!!! We're going back today to find more, usually it costs about ten dollars here. We were so happy. that night we had english group. We just changed our english program to have it more effective, now we basically just teach the lessons in english. It's fun and it went really well! There was a woman there who had never prayed before, but she did and she actually started to cry! Saturdayy we drove down to Pskov and it took 8 HOURS. A guy that was driving with us forgot his passport so we had to go back and get it for him. Then the weather was bad and we were an hour late for the 7 pm fireside. It was ok though, all was well in the end. The whole mission presidency came down with us and it was fun to meet them. I'd never met any of them before, but now I know them. Sunday was good, I loved being back in Pskov for church. That was great! It was fun to be in a small atmosphere again. I loved it. We had lunch at the senior couple's house and then we came back and got here at 9 pm. It was a crazy crazy week and we did so much, but this email is shorter than I thought it would be. I guess maybe it just seemed busy, but whatever. 

We learned a lot of cool things from our time with Elder Porter. He's great. One of the things that stuck out to me the most was when he taught us the gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially about agency... we knew that agency would bring all the bad into this world and that by other people's choices we would be hurt... yet we fought for agency and we shouted for joy when we leared about this life. There were a lot of other things that he taught us too, but I don't have time to type them all out. Love ya! Have a good week!

Andrew

For the Christmas card :)

Church building in Kaliningrad

Hey...Awkward

So here goes I guess. Monday was good. we played floorball, I don't know if you already knew that, but there ya go. It was really fun, there were lots of us there and we had a good time. That night we met with the less-active guy who we've been seeing for a long time. It was a good lesson, I hope that all goes well there and that his life gets better. On Tuesday we had service in the Hermitage in the morning then headed straight for our final district meeting. It was a good meeting, kinda boring because the other companionship just told my companion about their area and about what they should do there, because there is now only one companionship in Nevsky. That night we met with an investigator that will be passed off to Elder Castleton and his new companion. It was a really fun meeting and there were some great testimonies. Wednesday was a crazy day. We woke up at the normal time and we were just up and running all day long! We didn't have any extra time to spare. We had a meeting for all of the people who have never been leaders in a mission setting to help them know what to do. We started that meeting an hour later than it was planned to be started. We then had transfer meeting. It was a good one, this is the point in my mission when everybody that goes home I knew pretty well. And let me say, it was so weird to get emails from some of them. Just crazy. After transfers we were just going around like crazy doing all sorts of things in the office. I honestly don't even remember what.. It was just crazy. That night we had a meeting with an investigator who claims to be of the royal line of King Nikolai who was killed at the beginning of the revolution, and his dream is to one day become the King of Russia. So we'll see about that. But he's really interested in the Gospel, he just won't get baptized because the Russian king cannot be a mormon. Strange. Thursday was good. We had a slower, more relaxed day in order to prepare for the craziness of the weekend. We had weekly planning and got a few things done in the office that we needed to, then went out for a lesson at night. The man didn't show up, so we just ended up going contacting. It was fun. There were actually a few people who approached us and we got some phone numbers. It was a good night. Ok. Here goes. Friday. At 8:30 we were at the stake center, got in a car and picked up Elder and Sister Porter from their hotel. We then drove to Novgorod. It was a really cool experience getting to talk to them in the car and just have a good time. We got to Novgorod and had some lunch before meeting up with the missionaries from Novgorod and Pskov for a small Zone Conference. We had a great time there, Elder Porter is a really smart man. We then had a nice dinner of Hawaiian Haystacks and had a member fireside at the church. Saturday morning we drove back to the city and got some things done that we needed to, including cleaning our apartment so that it didn't get so so messy. Then that night we had a Mission Leadership Council and that was great. I'm sorry I haven't given any details about what was said, there was so much to do. Sunday was great. We got to do a full round of studies, that was the first time of my mission. Then church was good. We don't spend too much time in our own ward, so my companion and I were both meeting people at the same time. That night was a stake fireside. It was good. This morning we also had a good meeting with Elder Porter and the missionaries in the city, and now we're going to Kaliningrad. It's going to be really fun. 

It's been really cool so spend time with Elder Porter and to hear his stories. It's also really cool to see how hard he works. He has really bad health, and he's an older guy, but when he's speaking to a group of missionaries, he's all animated and it's really cool to see that happen! It's really like night and day. One of the coolest things of the week. 

Have a great time! Love ya!

Andrew

hello hello!

So it was a good week. On Monday night we had a good lesson with the less active that we've been working with FOREVER and nothing seemed to be helping him too much. He is still having a really hard time with work and so that's kinda a killer. Tuesday we had a good district meeting and right after that we ran to the same less active's house to pick him up for our WARD ACTIVITY! It was national unity day in Russia, so we had a day of Russian Folk Songs. It was really really fun, President Childs even came up and participated with us. There is a guy in our ward who used to play in a rock band and was voted the best guitarist in St. Petersburg in 1990, so it was cool to hear him just jam. I liked it a lot. After that we went on splits with our district leader and his companion, it was fun. I was with the older of the two who is actually going home this week. The other is a brand new missionary who has been here just as long as my companion, but we put them together to see what would happen... and there was a huge miracle! They were all alone without somebody who spoke good Russian, but they managed to find a man who spoke English, who also happened to be interested, who also happened to be free that night and they got a lesson with him and set up the next one! I still haven't met this man, but I soon will. That was crazy crazy! We couldn't believe it. Huge miracle and huge confidence boost for them. On Wednesday morning, still on the split, we went to the Hermitage. Nothing too crazy. Then we met up with our companions that night at english group, and we left to go to a stake coordination meeting for missionaries. It was a good meeting and we made some good decisions. Thursday we went to the Hermitage again, and we took a survey for President Porter, who is coming in next week right after transfers. Friday we went to Novgorod and had another Zone Training. It was really fun, the Assistants were down there with us and it was fun to have a bigger group. We left early in the morning and came home that night. Saturday we had some TRANSFER NEWS. I'm going to the Center ward, I'll be an assistant to the President. I'm really excited to get to spend lots of time with and learn from President Childs, but at the same time there will be lots of new responsibilities and it will be GO GO GO from day one. We are picking up the area president Thursday, Friday in Novgorod to do a training, Saturday MLC, Sunday church, Monday a missionary conference with him then we fly with him to Kaliningrad for 2 days. I'm so excited! It's going to be great! That night we had another really big miracle. So remember the less active, the one who is tough to get to do much? We got him to come to the opening of the Family History Center in our stake center AND HE BROUGHT A NEIGHBOR, WHO HAPPENS TO BE INTERESTED! It was really really cool! We showed him the building and taught him a quick lesson. It was great! Sunday we had church and a great ward council. All missionaries but my companion are leaving, so we didn't all have time to say goodbye. The one who is going home is the only one who was able to speak. 

This week I read in Galatians and something that was really cool was in chapters 2 and 3. We can't just go through the motions! If we do, we will be wasting the greatest gift that we have all been given. Elder Packer once said something along the lines of "we need to be active in the Gospel, not active in the church." These few chapters really drive this point home. I love you all! Thanks for the love!

Andrew

I'm Bad at Choosing a Subject

Hello everybody! I am so glad that you had fun at disneyland! That sounded like a great trip, and I'm happy all went well. Here's my week! Tuesday was intense... we had Hermitage service in the morning, then we went right to a meeting with Brother Ridd from the YM Presidency, and Elder Kleibengat from the seventy. It was a really good meeting, really inspiring. Elder Kleibengat used to be the Mission President in Kiev. He's awesome! He taught us some great principles that my companion and I started applying right away. We then went to pick up a less active to take to a fireside being put on by those brethren. It was a really good fireside, and it was about families. Kinda awkward that our member is single... but that's ok. The spirit was there and we all learned good things. On Wednesday we had weekly planning, and we started to apply the things that we learned and all has been going great so far! I've loved it. We are just more focused on helping the people rather than hitting the goals I guess.. I don't know how to describe it all that well. We had english group that night. A few people came and it was a fun time. Thursday we had another MLC from morning til afternoon. It was mostly to hand out new materials that we will be using and to explain how to use them. The two big ones were a new english program, where we teach the missionary lessons in english. The other was the beginning of family history work in our stake. We now have a family history center (kinda) and we'll be able to take people there. After the meeting, I was with one of the office elders on a split. It was a really intense split, because the transfers were finished that day and the other elder had my fate in his pocket. So that was fun, trying to weasel it out of him. We finished up our split on friday and then we went less active hunting that night. On Saturday, we had zone training for the missionaries in the city. That was fun. We all had a good time and we got all the information out. Good stuff. That night we went to the local clinic to get our flu vaccinations, under the orders of the area doctor. So cool. Hooray for flu shots. Sunday was ok. We had a good church time, but our bishop is just too nice to say no or to take control of situations! It's kinda frustrating. I got to see a return missionary who served here who came back from Ukraine for a week or so. It was fun to talk to him. Then we broke our fast with the senior couple, it was really nice of them to make us a great dinner of chicken and mashed potatoes and other goodies. Then our lesson fell through... lame.

I thought a lot this week after the meetings on tuesday... I'm in the best place that I could be! I am where I need to be, and I need to take advantage of every single second of it! So that as my big thing of the week. I hope I can give it my all on my mission, and in everything else. Love you all!

Andrew