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