Hailey in Russia: A good week for reals. I even ate at McDonalds!

Some news for you all... Transfer calls are next week so I might not be able to email next monday.. I hope sister mckell and I get to serve another cycle and it's a big dream! I hope it'll happen. She's the best. We are both going on our visa trip together and we are probably going to Prauge! AHHH how sweet is that? It'll be really awesome and I'm really excited. But not excited for transfer calls. Always so terrifying!

So when President Klebingat came to our mission, he gave us instruction/advice to ask the Lord which Christ-like qualities we need to adapt into our lives. Well, I did this this morning, and the first word that came into my mind was "humility." That's always 'humbling' to be told you need to be more humble haha. AM I RIGHT?! anyway, as I was reading about Humility, there was a sentence that really stood out to me in Preach My Gospel. "When you are humble, you are confident that you can do WHATEVER the Lord requires of you if you rely on Him." Everything that we strive for really comes down to our hard work, casting out our doubts and fears, being full of faith, and being humble so that we can do WHATEVER the Lord requires of us if we fully rely on Him. Never forget that folks. I know it's true!

So last night we went to a member's house named "LD". She is literally a nut. But she has become one of my best friends on my mission. She is 67 and she studied psychology and she showed us this theory that she came up with that proves that our moods are a chemical reaction from our cells? She's a nut, see? haha Anyway, we brought this game that we made based on revelation from the book of mormon. We have written on little scrolls of paper, different verses, and we put all the scroll papers into a bag. And so we just ask questions out loud that can be silly or spiritual, and then draw a scroll from the bag and the scroll answers the question 100% every time! It's a really fun game and a fun way to teach that we can receieve revelation from the book of mormon.

We had exchanges, and sister coleman came. IT WAS SO GOOD! REUNITED AND IT FEEEEEEELS SO GOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!! It was SO fun to just kill it with her for a day. We worked so dang hard, I have never felt so dang tired! Anyway, guess who we went to see? "L" and "M". When we got there, it was really sad to see how closed off their hearts were to us. They told us that they met with a psychologist and that she told them that all churches were sects, and that the Proveslovni church here in russia is the only true church, and that nobody has to follow the commandments, and that it's enough to just believe in God to be saved. I was SO appauled when I heard this! Anyway, long story short, they met with the Jdubs, and they told them that they had been meeting with the mormons and they got super defensive and said all these bad things about our church. Well, what really hurt the most was when "L" looked me in the eye and said "the Book of Mormon is a lie and it's not true." I then said, "Oh really... hmm... well, then explain to me that feeling you had when you received a blessing from "A"!" (our branch mission leader. which was a way spiritual experience by the way.) she said "I faked it. I didn't feel anything." Well...... then, sister coleman and I felt the spirit tell us to ask "How did you feel the first time you met with us and when we sang for you?" they said good... then we asked.. "alright, and how has your life improved from when you first met us?" She said that they don't drink anymore and that all their bad friends who were really bad influences never come around anymore because they didn't want to be their friends. Then it was sooo cool to see the spirit just touch their hearts, and help them to realize that their lives really have improved from when they started meeting with us, and they knew it, and God knows it. Anyway, she said we could go back soon. She's just really hung up on the fact that we didn't give her money when they were in need back in september. We made sure to tell her loud and clear that our church isn't a bank, and that their situation was soooo different because they have a nice tv and computer and all nice things, but somehow they had no money for groceries. I am not judging but they just need to get their priorities straight. I just love them so much though. anyway, Then "L" went off about how tithing is stupid and how the prophet just gets all the money. Haha it was really pretty funny because I know that's just not true at all, so basically.... we will help them feel the spirit and help them to know that they will only find the truth in our church.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! It's always the best when we get to see the Spirit really touch people's hearts, just as I saw in "L" and "M". This church is true, even Satan has a testimony that it's true which is why he works SOOOO hard against us and this work. BECAUSE IT'S ALL TRUE!

So Sissy M and I set a goal for this week to have on baptism/confirmation this week. Our mission has a goal to baptize 140 people by the end of the year, not our goal, but one that was really inspired by the Lord. At planning on thursday, we currently had no investigators. We really didn't know how it would be possible, but we put it in the Lord's hands. We said a prayer, asking the Lord to send us in the path of somebody who has been to church enough times who could be baptizzzed this week, and who is really ready for baptism. We asked that this person would come to church too, and that just one person form our efforts of inviting everyone would come to church. We prayed, did our fast, and...... nobody came to sacrament meeting. We didn't lost faith though, and as we walked into sunday school, who did we see? "A"'s (the boy that just got baptized in August) Mom "T"! "T" used to come to church quite often. She has been to many activities, and she was on our lesson when we explained the doctrine of baptism prior to "A's" baptism. She really understood and accepted it all really willingly. She came to his baptism, but following his baptism, went back home and didn't stay for church.

We once had a lesson just with her a long time ago, and it really backfired because the spirit wasn't there on the lesson because all our member help wanted to do was argue and prove her wrong. It was really rough, and we haven't seen her since August at "A's" baptism. Well, back to the story. We walk into sunday school and see "T". It was SO great to see her again! What was even cooler was to see her being really receptive to the lesson being taught, and sharing her comments. Following sunday school, we went to relief soceity with her. She was sharing her ideas with the other women in class, and both Sister Mckell and I realized, that she has NEVER been invited to be baptized. We made a quick game plan to meet with her after church for 10 minutes to just talk aout the blessings that we have seen come to "A's" life following his baptism, testifying about how baptism will change her life and bless her life, and then invite her to be baptized. We were so ready, and at the end of relief society, we asked if she had ten minutes to just talk with us and..... she said no. She was really in a hurry, but she told us to call her Monday (today) and set up a time to meet. This really was a miracle, and I know that when we set goals, Heavenly Father blesses us and makes our goals happen if they are according to his will. Sure, if she isn't baptized necessarily this week, I have NO doubt that she is one of these 140 elect people who are ready for baptism and it is SO exciting to witness these miracles!

Thing are going really great. I am grateful to be here in Penza, it is definitely a special place. I am feeling a lot better after having received a blessing, and after fasting as well. I feel renewed and re-excited about the work and I know that all I have to do is just trust the Lord and know that things will happen. I am simply his instrument.

Always trust in the Lord. He knows you and loves you so much, and he just wants so that you turn to Him. I love him, and I am so grateful for this opportunity i have to get to know Him even better. I love my Savior and he love you!

Love sissy T, Hayster.