Hailey in Russia: MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!!

I love you and this time of year. Christmas is the best and Christ is the best!

This week was interesting and SO FILLED with miracles! We had one lesson with a girl who is 18 named "KS". "KS" met the missionaries about two years ago. I have known her my whole time that I have served in Penza. She has been really busy with work and school so we haven't been able to meet for about 3 or 4 months. Well, we finally got a meeting with her. It was really interesting because going into the lesson, we were going to talk about baptism and really push her toward being baptized. "KS" reads the Book of Mormon every day and knows that it is true. She lives with her boyfriend, and has a couple issues with the word of wisdom. We have invited her to be baptized in the past, but she declined the invitation saying that she didn't feel that she was ready. Well, we had a lesson with her last week for the first time in several months and felt to talk about baptism.We again talked about baptism with her, and she declined the invitation again, with the same answer "I'm not ready." Well, this was really heart breaking to hear because she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and our church! We explained to her that the longer she puts off baptism, the longer that Satan will work on her and the harder and harder it will be to get baptized. Something that she told us was that she is moving to the Crim with her family and her boyfriend in about a month. She was on a vacation there about two weeks ago, and said that while she was there, she met missionaries there! She told us she met with them and talked with them and told them how she is going to be moving to the Crim. Well, it was interesting because she told us "When I get baptized, I want to get baptized once I move to the Crim." She also told us that she wants so start meeting with the missionaries there often. The spirit confirmed to me that she will be baptized, I don't know when, but I know that she will. So I am practicing my faith in my prayers and asking the Lord to make that baptism happen for her. This Gospel is exactly what she needs and I have faith that she WILL be baptized! I just love "KS" so much though. She and I will be friends forever, which means that you two will be friends forever too. She's so great. I can't wait for you to meet her!

NEXT MIRACLE! There is a Babushka in our branch named baba "K". Remember her? I talk about her a lot. She's the one with the one eye. Okay well funniest story. She tells us that she has a boyfriend who she used to live with 10 years ago before she got baptized, but when she decided to be baptized, she kicked out her boyfriend. Well, this man's name is "O". She tells us that she tells him all the time ""O" you gotta get baptized so we can get married because if we don't get married we can't make it to the celestial kingdom." HAHAHA bless her dang soul. She's just the funniest. Anyway, We had a meeting with the two of them at her house several days ago, and we just introduced the Book of Mormon to him. This man is a talker! Very intelligent and well spoken which makes it incredibly difficult to understand him, and also to get a word in. He told us that "K" gave him a Book of Mormon a while ago, and that they read together when he comes over to visit. Well, we invited him to begin reading the Book of Mormon and he said, "No. I won't read this book.......... I'll study it." He then explained to us how reading and studying are very different. We were amazed! He didn't just tell us that he would read, but that he would study it! It was so cool. After that meeting, a couple of days passed by. Then, while we were at church yesterday, baba "K" tells us ""O" told me that he wants to get baptized." WHAT!?! such a miracle! The next miracle is this: we had a meeting with a member scheduled for the evening yesterday night, but it didn't go through. Our back up plan also didn't go through. Then, sister Mckell and I had a thought to go see baba "K". We went, and guess who is at her house? "O"! So cool! We asked him if he has started reading the Book of Mormon and he said he hasn't had time to yet, so what did we do? We read it together. He is very interested in it and the history of the Book of Mormon. I don't understand a single thing he says, but he's just a character. He will totally be baptized I have noooo doubts. All these people coming closer to Christ makes my feet tingle ^.^

Next miracle: Last night just before bed, we got a text message. It was from "J", the boy from Nicaragua who is a member of the church. I don't know if I told you, but we called him last month, and his girlfriend answered the phone, got mad at us, and told us to NEVER call him back again. We explained to her that we are just church girls and she was like "OH SO YOU'RE CHURCH GIRLS ARE YOU?!?! WHY ARE YOU CALLING MY BOYFRIEND!" it was bad. So... we kept calling him anyway, obviously. She has no control of our "J" friend. So we would call him and his number wasn't working for about a month and a half, maybe two months. He texted us last night and told us that he has been really really busy with his finals in school and that he now has time and that he wants to meet with us and even come to church! He isn't able to come to church because his hostel where he lives, doesn't let him leave the building until after 12 in the afternoon. Student housing here is really crazy. It's literally like a prison. Well, it's a Christmas miracle and we are so excited to him to come to church.

Next miracle: "I", BLESS HER SOUL! We had a meeting with her and her husband and two sons on Saturday night.... it was a 4 hour long lesson. That's what happens when the dad is a kook! He just talks so much. We taught the restoration and it was so spiritual and you could tell that "I" was just soaking it all in. Well, She had lots of questions that our friend/member help "A" could help answer which was way sweet, We all just came to the conclusion that she just needs to read to book of mormon everyday and pray about it and gain a testimony of it. Well, we also gave her sons a kids book of mormon with pictures and they were way stoked about it. Anyway we invited them to church and they said they'll try. When russians say they'll try, it never works out. So we told "I" we would come to their house and get them and she said you don't have to, because I promise that I'll come. I forgot to say that at the end of the lesson, we invited her to pray, and it was the first time in her life that she prayed her own words and just didn't read prayers or say a recited prayer. It was so beautiful and the spirit was so strong!!! She's just the best. I am so obsessed with her. Anyway....

Well Sunday comes and...... came to church all by herself! It really was such a testimony builder to me. Sister Mckell and our district have made a goal to fast together every sunday of this cycle. While we were in sacrament meeting yesterday, "I" wasn't there. We partook of the sacrament, and she still wasn't there. Well, we heard the doorbell ring and in came "I"! It was so great! Sister Mckell and I were just praying our hearts out and hoping and fasting and having faith that she would come to church. It was really cool because we know that once she gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon, then she will be well ready for baptism. Well, it was really cool because she has a testimony of the Bible, and the talks during sacrament meeting were all about how the Bible and the Book of Mormon support each other. It was exactly what she needed to hear, and we just hope that she felt the Spirit testify to her that all the words spoken there were true. SO MANY MIRACLES! It just was amazing that she came, and she came alone! Even though her husband is a less active member, she came. It was really so great and God really did answer our prayers. He's just the best!

Well, I gotta wrap this up. I just want to say that I love you and that you are all my favorite friends and family. I am so grateful for the Savior. He IS the gift, and because of him all things are made right. I love him and he loves you. DON'T FORGET HIM THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON! think of what gift you can give the Savior this year.

I love you all! Love sissy T

Editor's Note: Sorry about the blurred faces. It's the rules.