Hailey in Russia: First Christmas away from home

I was SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU MY CUTE FAMILY ON SKYPE! Shortest hour of my life. I love you all so much and I am so stoked to hear you had a magical Christmas. All the festivities are just about to begin here in russia with their big holiday new years coming up. So we're pretty excited to go and teach all the drunk people on the streets. Just kidding. We have to be inside on new years so that we'll be safe. Russians drink and drink and drink and just keep drinking so you can best believe me and sister mckell have a hot date planned to write in our journals! hahaha ringing in the new years right.

I hope you, fam, know that the “C” the family whose house i skyped at just loooooved you all, and especially “M”. He LOVES us missionaries. He is from penza and got called to the samara mission... so he served in penza hahahaha in his home town, and baptized his wife. Way funny. Anyway, he learned really funny english slang on his mission that he never forgot, so that's where he learned that HILARIOUS phrase he told you over skype. hahaha we love him he's great. Don't be sad because I only cried for two minutes after and those were all the tears I cried. So you can just award me with the gold medal for least tears! Just kidding, because I've been crying all week when I think about when I got to see you all. ESPECIALLY MY LITTLE CLAIRANCE!!

At the branch activity we danced around the Christmas tree! it was great. I forgot to tell you that in Samara we had a Christmas dinner fed to us by Sister Schwab and the senior missionaries. It was so tasty! Ham and potatoes and carrots and jello and brownies! SUCH A DREAM!!! It was a really Christ centered Christmas. Well, we actually had our mission Christmas conference in Tolyatti, which is a 2 hour bus ride away from Samara, so it was way fun because on the way back to samara from Tolyatti we all sang hymns in russian on the whole bus ride home. Normally I hate the kids that sang on busses, but this was the best because it helped us all to feel the Christmas spirit! We even had some sweet beat boxing in the Christmas hymns. It was a great time. I really loved my Christmas experience in Russia, and They always say that the most memorable Christmas is the first one you spend away from home. It's the truth. I really loved it and I just love Russia and all these silly people. AND I love the Savior. He's the real reason for Christmas and I am forever grateful for all he did for us and continues to do for us. He's the best gift God gave us! I LOVE HIM!

Our week...We had a lesson with “I” and her sons on Saturday night. It was really interesting, because we talked about prayer and it was exactly what "I" needed to hear. Her sons were in and out of the room, and her husband (the less active member/hilarious kook ‘E’) left with the youngest son after listening to us for about 30 minutes or so. We asked them to come to church with us, and "I" said she was taking her sons to the little proveslovni temple by their house. It was really sad, but then "E" the dad piped in and said "I'll be at church tomorrow!" and then after that Irinia said, "we'll come too after the temple, I promise." It's great because "I" always keeps her promises like last week when she promised that she would come, and she ended up coming alone. Well, sunday came and they weren't there. I really felt sad about it because she promised, but instead of feeling discouraged and down, I chose to be positive and just pray my hardest and hope that they would still come. Well, "E", the dad ended up coming to church right before the sacrament was administered. It was really great! And sad, because "I" wasn't there. During the sacrament I just prayed and asked the Lord to help "I" come to church, even if she came late. Well, about 45 minutes into church, "I" came with her 5 year old son! It really was a miracle. She kept her promise! And we practiced our faith in Christ and got to see a way sweet miracle.

Another half to the story about “I” which is a miracle. So while we were at church with "I", she came to church really sad. She told us she was sad because she tried to get her older sons, ages 12 and 10 to come but they didn't want to. In relief society, it was really great because she voiced her feelings to all the women, and just explained how she felt that it's too late to be their mom and direct them toward good because they're old enough to choose for themselves. It was a miracle because all the women in the relief society all supported her and lifted her spirits and gave her some really great advice. It was really spiritual and I loved every minute of it, and I know that “I” did too, because we could see very clearly that she was feeling God's love. It was cool too because she invited us to go over to their house on monday (tonight) to do a family home evening before they leave the city for a couple of weeks for the new year. She is feeling the spirit and she really has a sincere desire to follow Christ. It's great, and it really is a miracle. OH, ANDDDDD i neglected to mention that "I" read the whole kids Book of Mormon by herself, and is continuing to read the blue big kid's Book of Mormon too. SO COOL! I have no doubt that she is on her way to finding the truth which can only be found in our Church. What better way to follow Christ than to follow his example and be baptized into HIS church! I have no doubt that she's well on her way. Just keep her in your prayers, that'd be sweet.

I read an article this passed week by the President Monson in an old Liahona, and he said "In those moments when you feel really distanced from our Creator, I urge you to pray." So this is my counsel to you all this week. Just PRAY. Heavenly Father is aware of you, he loves you, and Christ loves you, even when you feel the farthest away from them. Just turn to them in prayer and you will feel their love for you! It just goes to show that even the prophet in these latter days sometimes feels distanced from Christ. But we can always feel close to Him when we pray. I know this is true.

I love you all so much .I pray for you all and I just can't wait to squeeze you all again in nine months! miss you and love you all!!!

love Hayster :)