Hey hey hey! It's Elder Gwilliam! Here's another recap of another good week! The week started out really interesting and never really died down. On Monday night at family home evening, President Childs decided to give us a call. So we answered with shaky, sweaty hands (as you do when the President calls). He informed us that my companion's registration was running out in Pskov the very next day and that we had to leave. The landlord did not want to register him again, so we had to wait it out in St. Petersburg while the negotiations were taking place. So he just told us that we had two possible situations: 1. We get the go from the landlord, we go back. 2. She refuses, I go back with a new companion. So that was pretty intense. Tuesday morning we hopped on a bus and went to the city! I was in Shuvalovo, the northern part of the city. When we got to the bus stop, the other elders met us and I was separated from my companion. He went to Avtovo. I went straight to their district meeting, which was good. Kinda all over the place, but good. That night we had a really cool lesson with their investigator who is really close to baptism. He even commited softly to a baptism on June 20. He's a really quiet, humble guy. I liked talking with him. He's a really cool guy! We taught him about the gospel of Jesus Christ with a member family and it went sweet. He told us that he'd drive us home, so we went with him. And I heard this funny song "Don't you worry child" that the other two very young elders belted while I just sat and enjoyed. Wednesday we were in the Hermitage, it was fun to be back. That night we took some tasty cinabon sorta thing to their bishop... but he wasn't home. So one of the Elders ate it. That night we got the go to return to Pskov. So Thursday we had interviews and we met up at the office to head back to Pskov. We had some time before the bus, so we went and visited the former Pskov Branch president at work there in the city. Then we took the bus home, it traffic and were 2 hours late. Friday we went and got the registration done, which is a very long and annoying process, but we got it done. While we were in the city we had a random phone call from a Ukrainian who knows missionaries in other cities and found our church in Pskov. HE's a really cool young kid, a hipster one may say, The bummer of the story is that he's only here until Wednesday this next week. HE's going to Turkey to work. But we had a good lesson with him and the Carters. Saturday was service day! We cleaned the brach with one of the members and the carters, then went with the carters to the babushka that we serve and did the standard service for her. Windows, floors, dusting. This time we cleaned some of the kitchen too. Sunday was good. I gave a talk on Fasting and I think it went well. I really like that topic, and used some quotes from President Eyring's talk from this last conference. I really like his talks. We had a good Sunday school lesson about the life of Christ that got everybody asking questions and thinking. Then we had dinner at the Carters with the Ukrainian fellow and said goodbye, left him with our testimonies, etc. I gave him some CTR rings because his grandma likes to throw them away when he takes them off. So yeah.
I had a cool realization this morning while reading the Fourth section of D and C. Verse four reads: For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; I don't know why I always thought this, but I always thought that what we lay up in store is baptisms. Well, I'm sure that's one of the things that we lay up in store. But the thought came that we're not only putting up baptisms in store, but all of the spiritual experiences that we have, especially on missions. The quesiton also came "Well what if my field wasn't white and ready to harvest?" Yes it's true, some missionaries do the harvesting and some the planing and some the watering (see Corinthians) or the "offensive lineman missionary work" as I like to call it. But then I got to thinking.... everything about my mission is white and already to harvest for ME. My mission president, my companions, the members, the areas, everything was ready when I came. It's my job to thrust in my sickle with my might and I'll lay up in store. Maybe not baptisms, but in friendships, experiences, and conversion. That's the miracle of a mission in my eyes... everything was personalized for me just as it was for all my companions and all missionaries. I don't know if these thoughts make sense to you, but it was really cool for me to think about my mission like that this morning during studies.
Have a good week! Love ya bye!
Andrew
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