It was a good week here. Kinda slow based on what we are used to, summer is here too and people are starting to disappear to dacha and computer games. So we've got some work to do on that front. Tuesday was good. We had a district meeting with Novgorod over Skype from the branch building, it was good but it's hard to do a meeting like that over skype. There is a new Sister missionary in Novgorod, from the great city of South Jordan! We just pump out Russian speaking missionaries I guess. Her name is Sister Davis, don't know her first name, she graduated in 2014. I asked her who her friends were and I didn't know any. So that's interesting. That morning before district meeting my comp took 2 of his suits to get refitted, they're both a little too big. He's kinda a skinny guy. The evening was tough though... the less-active that we've been meeting with most frequently came to ping-pong and was in a weird mood, so my comp (who is also the Branch President) took him into another room and had an interview with him. It was a tough one. The member laid down everything that he wasn't doing right, said the church was too boring, said he doesn't care anymore and that it's easier for him to be in the world and do what they do. That crushed my companion and I don't know exactly what happened, but I don't think my companion said much. The member came to me, said goodbye, then left. When I found my companion, his face was red and he was crying. That was the first time on my mission I saw a russian man who was not under the influence of some substance cry. It was a pretty intense evening trying to say the right things and make him feel better. The next day we went to some addresses of people we'd never seen before and found some grumpy moms who didn't want to tell us how to get in contact with their children. That night we had kinda a family home evening at a members house for the members who don't have anybody with them (so all but our one couple). It was fun. We played a russian version of bingo, I was the caller and I tried to go as fast as I could until the babushki were confused. Then I had to slow down. Thursday was good as well. We put some branch business in order and tried to organize the records. The more I dive into the calling of a branch clerk, the more I realize how intense it is and how long it hasn't been done here. This week alone I've found multiple members who have moved (the hard part is getting their new address), that we're way over budget already this year and I was the first one to actually look at the budget, and that we've got an audit this week of member records... joy. That was during the day, at night we had a lesson with a former investigator who liked the missionaries who started teaching him, but hasn't wanted to meet since. It was a good meeting, and we'll meet with him again. He likes us. Friday was another branch day. That morning I also learned that when Listerine comes through your nose, it really really hurts. We had planned on branch presidency meeting at 11, and when we got there the first counselor said that he was busy and for us to wait... so we waited for 30 minutes. Then he came and said it wouldn't work out and that he had to reconfigure the internet in the branch and didn't know what to do. So we went home to have some lunch. Then he called and said "jk guys, that was easy. Come back now!" so we again hopped on the bus for the 30 minute ride to the church. It was a good meeting and we got a lot done. That night again we went to addresses, but nobody answered. Saturday we cleaned the branch building and had a good time doing that. That night we again hit up some addresses. We need to know the status of every member before the audit this week. Sunday was interesting. During sacrament meeting, one of the talks was given by a babushka who basically just read a sermon from some baptist pastor and said a lot of things that weren't right. I was very grateful for the Book of Mormon and the Bible together so that we can understand the teachings of Christ and our testimony can grow based on true principles. My companion also gave a talk on the Sermon on the Mount and there was not one reference in sacrament meeting to the Book of Mormon... yo my yo. After that I taught the second hour lesson from the Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson about the power of the word... a wonderful time to testify about the Book of Mormon! Then we had a great branch council. Yesterday we found all the books and Liahonas that that member with whom there was a bad interview laid on the steps of the church. So my companion called him up and had another interview with him last night. This one went a lot better and ended with "I still don't want to come to church, but we can meet and I'll come to activities." Sweet! Great end to the week.
I thought a lot about what he said about living in the world and how it's easier for him... it's really easier for all of us! But as my wise Dad always tells me, "When it hurts, that's when you have to keep going and then the growth will come." I may have paraphrased that and it may be about sports, but it applies here too! If it's easy, we don't get any lasting results from it. We need to put effort into something to get a result. It will be hard, but it is worth it. "There no growth in the comfort zone, and there in no comfort in the growth zone." Have a great week!
Elder Gwilliam
We're at the library today and I can't send pictures :(
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