HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADOO!!!!

HAPPY BIRT-DAY (as mom would say) DAD!!! haha jk mom i love you I love the way you say birthday. It's the cutest. DAD i hope you had the happiest day. You're the best friend of all and I miss you so much. I hope you had the most radical time skiing with Steve boy. What a fun prize! LOVE YOU DAD! Thanks for all you do for me, I look up to you in every way. You're the prince!

Happy BDAY to Ruby too!!!!! You're just such a sweet angel and I am so grateful to have you in my life. My other mother. Have the best time in hawaii getting your TAN ON! LOVE YOU RUBY!!!!! You don't look a day over 30 :)

HAPPY BDAY TO ANYONE ELSE I MISSED! You're just all the best. and I love you all.

It's ALWAYS  a bummer for me when my pdays get freaky so I am so sorry that I couldn't write home yesterday. I didn't even know, but they were like "surrprise zone conference in 4 days!" It was such a great zone conference though. Really inspired and really uplifting and super hilarious. I love my mission and all the missionaries here because we're all such close friends and we're all just trying our best and we all enjoy a good laugh and a good time. 

I went on my visa trip to Latvia like I mentioned last week, and guess who got detained.... again.  NOT ME! FIRST TIME EVER! They built a new airport in samara and it is sooo swanky and nice. OOOOH my. Everything is so new there, it was really col. Anway, hahaha it was a miracle i didn't get detained. None of us had problems this time. It was a success. It was ACTUALLY a fun visa trip! It was so fun because I got to hang out with my pals. They're all nuts and you best believe that there was the best surprise in the Moscow airprort.... FRO YO!!! I got it twice. You know I love my sweets! It's funny because there's a burger king there, and we all ate there for lunch, and there was this black kid waiting in line and he was just on his cell phone the whole time and he was speaking english and didn't know all us missionaries spoke english and while he was on the phone he was talking to his girlfriend and was like "Hode up honey I gotta orderrrrrr. Have yew been a guuuuud girrrrrrrl?" hahaha I almost peed. then he said "Honey I need yo help orderain'. Then I just said, "What do you want? I'll order for you." haha he was surprised when he realized that we spoke english, and he was grateful for the help. Turns out he is from new york and his girlfriend lives in DUBAI and he was just waiting for his connecting flight to go to Dubai. the best part is that he told us his girlfriend is korean. hahaha what the.... Don't really know but it was cool. He was a nice kid and I was really happy to help him out. A MAN'S GOTTA EAT!

Funny story real quick. We had a lesson with a members non member mom named "aunt S” and she always makes us food. She made us bleeni this last time which are like crepes but SO MUCH TASTIER!! Anyway, she made us watch this music video of russian folk music. It's this band called white day and it's all pretty terrible but it's all reaaaaally catchy and I would be lying if I didn't say that I liked the music.... 

GUESS WHAT I DID ON SUNDAY!?? I gave a talk. My first talk in Russian. The topic was "How can I show gratitude to God and to loved ones?" It was really rough, but everyone just smiled at me when I spoke. I don't think that it was understandable, but I hope that it was. I read the verse from Mosiah 4:17 ( i think that's the chapter) about "When you serve others you serve God." I changed the words a little and said "When you show gratitude to others, you show gratitude to God." It turned out okay and I felt really good after. 

Our Zone conference was really good. We talked a lot about Christ and making our testimonies stronger in Him. We also talked about getting out on time and just the importance of a thing we call flow in my mission. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Love, Obedience with exactness, and Work with unwearingess. It was really good, and I got to see sister coleman and that was just the best. I love my sissy C! I sure missed that GAL!

SO many amazing miracles it blows my mind! This week we met with the new convert, 15 year old “SH”. We had planned to just talk with her and find out what has been going on because of the message that she sent to “N”, a member in our branch saying that she "stopped reading her scriptures and praying." We really didn't know what was up. We went to her house to pick her up, and just planned on walking with her outside and talking with her, because meeting at her house usually isn't allowed because her dad is against our church. Well, we waited for her, and after waiting for a few minutes, she came down to us and said "C'mon I want to have you as guests!" Well..... you best believe that we were stoked out of our minds to hear that! We went to her house, and her mom was home with “SH’s” 1 year old baby brother. The story about how the sisters found, taught, and baptized “SH” is really great. Long story short, Sister Martinez and Sister Wilson were contacting, and started talking to this woman about our message we share. She said, "Y'know, I'm not too interested, I have a baby and I"m really busy, but I think that my 15 year old daughter would be really interested." They got her number, started meeting with her, and “SH” was baptized 3 weeks later. Really such an amazing story. 

Well, it was of course devastating to us when last week we heard that she stopped reading her scriptures and praying. We hadn't really planned a specific lesson to have with "SH" because we were just planning to get down to the problem and find out how we can help "SH" come back. Well, when we met with her nothing had changed! She was still spunky positive "SH". We ended up sitting in her bedroom and her mom "L" came in to sit with us. We just listened to the Spirit, and he did his work. We came to find out that "SH" really didn't have any desire to go to church, so she chose not to go. She told us that because of that decision she felt really sad and down knowing that she hadn't been to church. She was really honest, and told us that she didn't even want to read her scriptures or pray, but monday she decided to because she felt really bad and sad, and said that after reading and praying she instantly felt better. We testified that is true. Then guess what? "L" PIPED IN! She said "Yeah, there have been a lot of days when I just feel really bad and really overwhelmed, and I'm having a problem with whatever problem it is i'm having at that time, then I just open the Book of Mormon to a random page and my answer is there and I instantly feel better." WHAT?!?!?!?! It was sooooo great! We just testifed that, that is true and that because the Book of Mormon is the word of God, it is how he speaks to/with us in our day. She then expressed to us her desire to come to church with "SH". She told us "Each week I want to go to church, but then I get afraid because my husband will get mad at me for leaving "J"(the 1 year old baby) with him while I go to church." She told us that she wants to go every week but she also doesn't want to have havoc in her home or contention with her husband. We read 3 Nephi 17:17 about how the Savior prays for US, and that he will pray for her always and that only he can soften her husbands heart. We promised her that if she read a chapter from the Book of Mormon and prayed with "SH" after we left, that her husband's heart would be softened and that she would be able to come to church. She was really doubtful and then "SH" piped in and said "C'mon mom, let's just try it! Let's just try!" It was so great. Well, sunday came, and "SH" ended up coming to church alone, without her mom, but I have so much faith that "L" will be able to come soon. We plan on making sacrifying a lot of ourselves to show the Lord that we really want "L" to have this. We have no doubt that she really is ready for baptism, and she often tells us about the light that she sees in "SH" following her baptism, and how much the gospel has blessed "SH"'s life. We always tell her that their family will be blessed at "L" begins coming to church, and that eventually her husband will come around as well. It was an amazing lesson and they even invited us to come back this saturday while her husband is at work! 

I had the FAAAABULOUS opportunity to sit in primary with little "VK" on sunday. During primary, we talked about Alma the younger, and the importance of being kind and always serving the Lord. The teacher sister "VA" asked the class a question. "What is the necessary step we need to make in order to live with God and Jesus Christ after this life?" Then "VK" said "Baptism!" It is unbelievable to me how prepared she is. She even said the opening prayer and said as she prayed "I am so grateful that I got to come to church with my brother "VL" today." We set up a meeting with them for this week and we are SOOOO EXCITED to invite "VK" to be baptized. "VL" told us that sunday morning before church, his mom "O" woke up "VK" and said "GET READY FOR CHURCH!" and then said "If you don't go to them they'll come to us!" hahaha I laughed pretty hard but I was also scared what that meant, but then "VL" told me that she was joking of course. We don't know why "O" doesn't come with them, I think she works but we'll find that out when we meet with them this week. She was on date for baptism in December but wasn't baptized because she has a drinking problem. "VK" was also on date and we don't really know what happened. We have some digging to do. "VK" is going to get baptized, and she's going to get baptized soon, and her brother "VL" gets to baptize her! SOOOO CUTE!

Well, I hate to say it but I am out of time. I love you all. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and that it is a POWERFUL powerful testimony. I know she's a true book, and I know that if she wasn't, I wouldn't be here right now. Don't forget to read tonight. I know all the questions that you have in life can be answered there on every page. Just try it.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Love sissy T

FRO YO with sissy Leavitt the cutes. It was so tasty I wanted to cry

Latvia with the homies (me elder weber elder jorgenson and sister leavitt)

a shot from the taxi window in samara

stopped in the tiniest town to pee on the week home from samara... 

and this little temple said hi. So pretty huh?

SISSY C! reunited and it felt soooo gooooood

I borrowed sister palmers glasses because everyone thinks that me and sister coleman are twins and we wanted to trick people that we were each other.

New samara airport so swanky

saying goodbye to sister bussmann! she was headed home to sweden. I love her

Love this lady

My lil' "VK"

Wild week over here..... But before any of that.....

ERIN AND DYLAN I LOVE YOU GUYS! I can't believe you're getting married. I just want to squeeze you both! I'm super stoked for you both. 

This week... where to begin..... Me and sister Martinez got transfer calls, and we will be together another 6 weeks in balakova! And Sissy M is now a sister training leader, so we get to go on exchanges with the sisters in Saratov which means.... I'LL GET TO SEE MY MOM SISTER COLEMAN and work with her one last time before she heads home!!! SOOO stoked. I miss that lady. 

So we had a lesson this week with the new convert “SV’s” parents. Their names are “L” and “G”. They are so dang funny and so dang old. We knew that we were going to their house for the lesson, but somehow we just "forgot" that we were walking to their house. We took the long way, and when we realized it we were like... "Well... alright let's just go the long way." We went the long way, and we saw this lady watching us from a really far distance. We get closer and say hi, and then she gestures to us that she is deaf. The first thing she said to us was "I believe in God!" She spoke really well for being a deaf woman. So, what did we do? We just wrote down what we wanted to say to her. We said that we are from our church and that the Book of mormon is true and that Jesus Christ loves us and that we can learn more about Christ as we read the Book of Mormon. She smiled and said thank you soooo much. She took the book, and then just went back into her apartment door. We asked her if we could come over and see her sometime, and she said no. But that's just too bad because now we know where she lives and she even told us which floor she lives on, just not the door. Her name is “T”.  She was a little miracle and it was really so cool just to know that we didn't just "coincidentally forget" that we were wakling to ”L” and “’G”s house, but that it really was directed by the Spirit, because the Lord really needed her to have the book of mormon. I just love when that happens it's just the best.

SOMETHING SAD: Ugh my heart. Such a bummer. Yesterday we were at branch council after church. “SH”, the 15 year old new convert hasn't been to church in quite a while as well. We texted her and she just wouldn't answer us. We were at church, and a young member named “N” was talking to "SH" on facebook. ("N" is the biggest brat but it's hilarious and i love her.) Then, "N" showed us her conversation she was having with "SH". "SH" sent a message to "N" that she stopped reading her scriptures and praying, and she didn't give a reason why. We were really heart broken. We feel really bad because we feel that there was so much more that we could have done to prevent this from happening. The worst part is, is after church we called "SH" and she acted like everything is fine over the phone. We don't know what is going on, but we know it's just Satan and he's REALLY getting annoying. I don't really know what it is we can to do help "SH". We have set up meetings to teach the following baptism lessons, but they always fall through, or she just can't make it. So we will just keep hoping on, having faith that it'll all work out. 

SOMETHING COOL: Guess whose back in the picture? THAT'S RIGHT! "O" AND "VK"! Do you remember when I told you about the new convert named "V", his family? "VK" his little sister who prayed for the first time when we were with her and it was just really amazing? Well..... they're back!!! So "V"..He is the 23 year old who lives with his mom and his little 12 year old sister. He stopped answering our phone calls. It's really sad and we're worried about him a little bit because he hasn't been at church lately. It's been frustrating because he is our only way to meeting with his mom and his little sister "VK". Both His mom "O" and his sister, "VK", were on date for baptism in December. "O" never gave us her number, just told us to call "V" to get a hold of her. Well, we tried that so many times but "V" had a new excuse every time as to why we couldn't go meet with his mom. A while ago, sister martinez and I made "VK" a prayer calendar and asked her to pray every day, and she did so. So we promised her a prize and so we wanted to take it to her! Sister Martinez and I finally decided to just go over anyway without talking to "V", just to see how they were doing and to take them a treat and "VK"'s prize. We went over last night, and "O" invited us in! It was really cool. We followed up on prayer, and the Spirit just took over. "O" opened up to us and told us about the problem that is going on in their family. She told us that the apartment in which they live right now, is owned by her husband and they are currently going through a divorce and it's just been really hard for them. We read 3 nephi 17:17 with them, and explained to them that Christ prays for them. We testified of how Christ is completely aware of our lives and all of our situations, then we were bold with them. We said, ""O", we know that when we come over you feel lighter and you feel happier." (she nodded in agreement) then we continued "So we want to come over, and we want to come over often, and we want to share our message with you which will bring you more joy than you com comprehend in this moment." She then said "let me give you my number." It was such a miracle! Especially because "VK" is just ready for baptism. When she comes to church she just gets it and is so mature and attentive for an 11 year old. One of our members who teaches primary, told us that once at church when "VK" came, she answered every question really spiritually and she just really is prone to spiritual things. Isn't that amazing? We are STOKED so so so so so so stoked to start teaching them on a frequent basis.  AHH my little "VK" is just the best I just want to squeeze her! 

SOMETHING FUNNY: We were contacting on a bus, and every SINGLE PERSON just shut us down. Haha it's always really funny when that happens, but of course it kinda hurts too. Well, there were these two 25 year old (ish) boys sitting across from us on their phones. When they got off at their bus stop, we gave them mormon.org cards and told them to look up our churc's website. They said thanks, then got off the bus. Well, this is the funniest part. The next night, saturday, we had our english group. Following english group, we got on a bus to go home and two of the boys that come to our english group too got on the bus with us. Well, guess what? We were all on the bus, and there were just people everywhere, and then “D” (the one who has me on his screensaver) just started laughing sooooo hard. We asked him what what what what!? So then, he gave us his phone, and showed us what he was laughing at. So it was on this site called contacti... the russian facebook. And guess what he was laughing at? SOMEBODY TOOK A PICTURE OF US WHILE WE WERE CONTACTING ON THE BUS AND GUESS WHAT?! It was those two 25 year old punks. hahahahahahahaha the caption was the best part though "Has anybody else seen these american girls? Every babushka runs away from them." hahaha it was hilarious. The picture of us is sooo ugly hahaha oh my word. But the best part is that they took another picture of our mormon.org card which has the address to our branch building on the back of it, so we were like.... "SWEET!" Now all the people that see that can come to our branch. hahaha it was so awesome and so strange and I felt violated and spied on but also flattered and stoked all at the same time haha. 

I hate to end there, but I gotta jet. Headed to Samara then to Latvia. Vis trips woooo! Let's all cross our fingers that I don't get detained again.... SO much anxiety, amiright? Well, I hope that you have the best week! LOVE YOU ALL!

Love, Sissy T

A little goodie from last monday

Also.. Russians nail creepy stuffed animals in their trees aaaaaallll the time. 

And they paint cute things on their domes

This building said forbidden territory so of course i just had to get a photo there. RIOT

Me with "N" a new member. She's just a treat

Looking at old photos drinking chai cookies and treats

District photo. Saying goodbye to edler Garlick! (far right) Such a pal. He's headed home to America. Also, that guy with the glasses is "V", "VK"'s brother.

Had a fun night working with our cute "VL" last night! She's so solid. 

Love her. She's a member here in Balakova

HAHAHA oh my gosh. This new investigator we have named "A". She and I have the same mole. Well, she gave us this comic book of bible stories... and this one is HILARIOUS. It says "Glory to God, I can walk!" Funnier in Russian though. Also, Jesus has red hair.

Me petting the cutest little friend named Golden look at her little ears!

Guess who made it onto a screensaver.... this gal.

HAPPY VALENTINES TO ALL MY FAVORITE PEOPLE THIS SATURDAY! Have a happy day and go out to dinner with the one you love most. Well, that's just too bad because the one you love most is here in Russia. Haha stupidest joke. But really, have the happiest day.

Zella I got your package! Thanks you SOOO much for the beautiful calendar! I love it so much. I immediately put it up on my wall, and I just think of you each time I see it! And the Savior too, of course. You're just so thoughtful, I am so grateful to have you as a best friend!!! SHAUNA McConkie! Thanks for the card! You're just so thoughtful. I always love to hear from you, thanks for being just so dang thoughtful.

Guess who emailed me this week and updated me on her life finally.... ERIN BERG! THANKS for that my little Miriam. 

Guess who came to Balakova this week? That's right brothers and sisters... Sister Mckell!!!!!! Oh my. You have no idea how happy I was to see her. It was so fun to be reunited with her. She really is one of my very best friends and it's just so sad that next cycle is her last cycle. But we had a great time tearing it up together. We even ate at Carls Jr together and that was just a jolly jolly time. I didn't realize how much I really did miss her. We had fun working together. There is a member here named “V” and she has a sister in law named "L". Me and Sister Mckell had a lesson with "L". Get this.... "L" is evangelist and she is definitely pretty prideful because she doesn't listen to us really at all, but I still love her. It was really cool though, because she asked if we could pray together and so we just sat down still in her chairs and she stood and said "can we pray standing up? I just think it's more respectful." So we all stood and prayed together, and she just started bawwwwwling. She was praying for her sons who are severe alcoholics. She really does have a sincere desire to follow Jesus Christ and she just wants her sons to find joy which comes from Christ! As she prayed I definitely felt how much love he had for her. She even closed her prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, so that was good! I just hope that one day she will just listen to us with an open heart. It was cool. We saw some other really cool miracles too as we worked together. We gave out 8 books of mormon during our day together which really was a miracle because these ruski's don't want anything to do with the book of mormon sometimes. Yesterday on a bus, this lady was like "I DON'T LIKE YOU MORMON FOLK. I don't like that you said that Jesus was born in America." We just laughed and said... yeah.... no He was born in jerusalem. He appeared to the people in America after His resurrection. It's okay though, because the word born and appeared sound pretty similiar in Russian, so i'll let it slide. 

So we were on exchanges and Sister Mckell is training this new sister named Sister Thomas. I made a goal to focus on talking to everyone last  week. While hurrying home to meet the other sisters for dinner, Sister Thomas and I handed a woman an invitation, which she immediately turned down. We almost walked away, but the spirit really did stop me. We just began speaking with her, and we saw her hard shell just crumble as she really opened up to us. She is from Moscow and is here visiting her friends. We had a really nice talk about our message and about our church, we told her our church is all around the world as well as in Moscow, and the conversation ended as she ran to get on her bus. Before she got on, we basically threw the Book of Mormon at her and just testified loud and proud and fast, and she smiled and said "Thank you soooo much I'm going to read it!" I really gained a testimony from that experience that sometimes, we just need to keep digging and digging and pushing the conversation because you never know what could happen from it. She went from being really hard shelled and scabby, and turning down the invitation, to being really soft and open and accepting the Book of Mormon. That really was a miracle to me. Shortly after that, we got placed in the path of the sweetest young mom named “LA”. We instantly talked about the Book of Mormon and she really wanted it, so of course we gave it to her. She then asked us if we could come over to her house some time to talk about it. WELL, YES WE CAN! It was so cool. It's really rare here for people to ask us to come over. Following that moment in time, there was a woman walking behind us, who saw the whole thing happen. We talked with her, and she just kept asking us about the Book of Mormon. We gave her her own book as well, and she was really grateful for it, and immediately gave us her number following giving her the book. These are just little miracles leading up to the big miracles that are just around the corner once we meet with these awesome people. We gave out soooo many Books of Mormon last week, that we literally gave all that we have out... and all of the books at the branch building.. and we have no books left. It's pretty terrible though, because we live sooooooo far away from Samara and we rarely rarely get supplies, so we're just going to have to improvise haha.

Lately I have been feeling pretty good. I feel that I am receiving help from the Lord to understand these people, and someway, somehow, they understand me. I see my language improving in the tiniest tiniest bit, and it is nothing I am doing seriously. It's amazing because it really is the Lord and I'm terrified that I'm going to forget all the russian that I know now when I get home because the Spirit is the one that does the talking and helps me to understand. I am such a bad studier, and I have such a hard time which is how I know that it is not me at all! It's pretty cool. Anyway, I have come to know that the gift of tongues isn't speaking gramatically correct, it's being able to speak enough that the spirit can testify to what we say. Of course we should strive to master the language, but sometimes it's really tooooooo difficult and can get really discouraging. I would say it's one of the more difficult things on my mission, but I really know that the Lord is constantly helping me out, and constantly sending the Spirit to testify to these people who so desperately need the Gospel.  Lately I have been trying to refocus my efforts on having faith in Jesus Christ. I find that when I read about the temple, I really come to feel so much peace and I feel that my testimony of the Savior grows as I do so. You should all do some readings about it, it's really incredible how EVERY principle which we talk about really does lead back to Jesus Christ. Every single time! It just makes it so clear to me that this really is His church. This is His Church and He leads it today!

So Today I read a couple of conference talks (october 2014) during personal study. I read the talk by Robert D. Hales, about the Savior and Heavenly Father, and how they are, in fact, two separate beings, and how in the scriptures they are constantly testifying of each other. (You should all go and re read it  So cool, I never realized that they really do support each other just like father and son. He also in his talk stressed the importance of gaining a strong testimony of Joseph Smith.  I then read Neil L. Andersen's talk all about the prophet Joseph Smith. I love that he based his talk on the several visits Joseph Smith had with the angel Moroni. And that Moroni warned Joseph Smith that his name would be spoken both for good, and for evil in the latter days. He urges each of us in his talk to read Joseph Smith's experience in Joseph Smith history and fulfill that prophecy and spread his name to be good in these last days. I  began to read JS's experience when he saw Moroni and as I did so, it just became so real to me that Joseph Smith really was called of God, and that through him, Heavenly Father restored the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's SOOOO COOL!   Man, it's so cool to be a member of Christ's Church. He's just the best!

So in a whole, this week was pretty normal, but the highlight would definitely have to be when after english club on saturday, we went sledding down this hill on plastic bags. It was hilarious. But the most hilarious part is that this kid named “D”, the 16 year old that comes to english who wears the suit to match the elders, well guess who is the background on his screen saver. You guessed right. This gal. It was really uncomfortable, especially because it was a picture that he took on his phone that I was in with some other missionaries but he cropped them out. I don't think he knows I saw it, but I saw it and sister martinez saw it and it was just really funny. Another highlight of the week: just kidding it was kinda scary and really sad. After english club we come home and walk up the stairs and the most drunk man i have EVER SEEN was just passed out in front of our door. It was scary because lately people have been knocking on our door really scarily and we didn't know if it had been him and especially didn't know if he was pretending to be asleep then just pull a quick one on us, so we called our friend “S” who lives by us, and he came and walked us up the stairs. All turned out okay but it was pretty funny. But mostly sad. I always get so sad when I see drunk people. He smelled SO strongly of alcohol, and i really wouldn't have been surprised if he just died while trying to go up the stairs because of how drunk he smelled and was. Pretty sad. Another one of my favorite moments this week was contacting and then this lady started barking at us and kept yelling mean things but the funniest part was when she told us "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU GIRLS." Hahaha it really was so dang funny. So you bet that I said "Okay, do it then, c'mon!" There are some mean bullies here but it's pretty funny. I mean c'mon we're two harmless gals in some homely skirts, what's scary about that? I guess that lady is right though.. I think homely skirts are pretty terrifying too. HAHHA but really these clothes though.

I love you all so much, you all make me the happiest! I hope you have a happy happy week and do something nice for somebody you don't know. Kind acts go a loooooooooooong long way.  I love you all, thanks for your love! I love Russia and I can't believe that I am here sometimes. It's such an incredible place. The best place! anyway, Happy Valentines day to all! Wanna know a secret? I think it might be one of my favorite holidays.

Love you!

Love Sissy Hayster

Walking by some chastni domes 

REUNITED AND IT WAS THE BEST!

How would you like a piece of this manmeat? 

all four of us in the podezd

cool living

:)

And one with our little teeny tiny russian mom “CV”

I fell really hard on a metal pole and this happened

I'm stoked that's not my car 

Ghetto sledding

my district, elder Peterson elder Garlick (he goes back to the US on monday) 

me and sissy Martine

The snow really isn't too deep as I thought it would be haha

Dang.

Dang.

I love you all so much.

Dang. This was the craziest week of all i am sooo exhausted! 

Sunday The president of the eastern Europe area named President Porter came to Saratov for a HUGE conference to see if Saratov is ready to have a stake. So, in order to do so, there had to be a number of people to attend so that he could discern if they were ready or not. Well, there is a HUGE church building in Saratov, and that is where we all go for all the conferences that we have in the Saratov Zone. We have been working for about two months to round people up and get them excited to go to Saratov for the conference and it was sweet because they ordered a bus for us all so it was free so people just couldn't say no. Well, Satan has just been stepping up his game soooo much because guess what happened? Everything bad. 

Apparently they were announcing every 15 minutes on the radio in Saratov the night before our conference that they needed protestors to protest our church and was telling the people that we are the most violent people. The police went and shut down our branch building and put up baracades so that we couldn't meet there on sunday. Jokes on them though because we have two branches in Saratov, but the protestors went to the main big building where we were planning on meeting and so our leaders and the branches met at the little building. But the government shut off the power there so that we couldn't meet there... but they met there anyway and guess what? Luckily someone had their laptop all charged up so we were able to skype in. It's just ridiculous the things satan does. We still had the bus ordered, and so instead of going to Saratov we went to this little city that is close to Balakova called Marks. And on our way to Marks to skype in with that branch there, OUR BUS BROKE DOWN. Hahaha literally one thing after another I just had to laugh. But then we ordered a mini bus that had not enough room so we were all sitting on laps. It was ridiculous and it was all just evidence to me that Satan is stepping up his game because just before good things happen, all the bad stuff happens from Satan because he is trying sooo hard to get this work to stop. Well, it won't stop, it's just going to explode because this is the Lord's work. Haha oh my gosh it was just so much at once, we ended up getting to Marks late so we missed a bit of the conference, but it's all good. It's all just evidence that there will be a stake here soon and nobody can do anything about it. Once Saratov gets a stake, that will be the third stake in Russia which means that's enough to build a temple someday! AHHH SO EXCITING and so exhausting.When we got home last night after all the madness, I wanted to sleep for days haha it was exhausting but very worth it. 

Want to know something CRAZY? My trainer Sister Coleman is companions right now with my MTC companion Sister Gerritsen. Guess what? Sister Gerritsen slipped on ice and just broke her ankle suuuuper bad. So she has to go home. She went home today. When I found out that she was going home I really did get sad about it. I really do love Sister Gerritsen so much. But, it's a big blessing in disguise it's all in the Lord's hands and he just blesses and blesses and blesses. I can't wait to take Sister Gerritsen out to lunch when I get home! 

Miracles are happening left and right though.There is a new convert here in Balakova named “N”. She's handicapped and has the most goldenest of hearts. She has a mom named "S" and from time to time as we go to meet with "N", her mom will listen through the door. We invite her in to hear our lesson, but she just says no and just listens through the door. As the date of conference grew closer and closer, we tried harder and harder to get "S" to sit in on our lessons with us. Well, she finally did, just for a little bit, and felt really touched. As we asked for permission to bring "N" with us to the conference, "S"'s answer surprised us. She said "Well of course.... but what if I want to come too?" Long story short, they both ended up coming to the conference, we called "S" after the conference to ask how she enjoyed the conference, and she told us she LOVED it! She then invited us to come back during the week. SO cool dang. You would just squeeze her if you knew her. Two other investigators came to the conference, two of which are two guys who attend our english group. Get this. The 16 year old named "D", he has been coming every week for about a month to our group. Well, just on saturday he came wearing a suit! We asked him why he was dressed up, and for what occasion, and his reply was "The elders wear suits, so I want to too." How cool is that? He's basically a missionary already.

Having faith in Jesus Christ has been the only thing keeping me going. We had a zone conference on saturday in Saratov with President Porter. He's so great it was a great conference. I realized after our zone conference  how much his message was needed for me to hear. I have really felt Satan step up his game in trying to discourage me. It really lifted me up, and I just love how much it helped me to remember the Savior. So many unfortunate events happened on Sunday as we were trying to get to the conference, all evidence of Satan trying to slow this work, but nothing stopped the determination of our branch from getting to that conference. They have such great faith in Jesus Christ. Their faith strengthens my faith! I really feel so blessed to serve with them here. They're just the silliest.

Right now I feel really afraid if i'm being honest. I feel really afraid of Satan. I am trying to cast out my doubts and my fears so that I can remember the Lord and just focus on serving Him. While we were on the streets last night contacting, I thought of our Savior.  In that moment when I thought of Him, I didn't feel that it was just me and sister martinez alone on the streets, the Lord was there along with us, and it took a lot of the fear away. That really just is the key to life my friends and family, just remembering Christ to cast out our doubts and our fears. The other key is just taking each day a day at a time.  Something really cool President Porter promised us that as we study the Savior more in our lives, our hearts will break because of how much we will love the Savior as we learn more about Him. I look forward to that day, and I pray for a stronger testimony always. 

FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY thing happened. We ordered a taxi, and long story short he waited forever as we were trying to get all of our things put together.... that he just left. It was pretty funny but maybe you had to be there. Literally.. we hadn't paid him his 170 rubles ($2.50) and he just took off without another word. Oh my gosh something is wrong with me! All the dumb stuff is funny! Hahaha YOU JUST HAD TO BE THERE, OKAY?!?. 

I love you all. I FINALLY got all my letters from christmas and packages too. Thank you all for your support and for helping me feel your love! You know who you are. Nelsons, Plehns, Brooks, GrandmaGrandpa, Grandma, Bonae, Hayd, Whit, Halpins, family friends. I love you all so much and appreciate all you do. 

I hope you have the best week of your lives. Be happy and if you have a bad day just remember that the Lord love you.... and THIS gal loves you. If that's not enough, then go treat yourself to some sweets because that's what I would do. I love you all more than you know!

Love Sissy 

We just looooove pizza

Opening prizes on the marshytka OH HAPPPPPPY DAY!

You have no idea how crazy she is. I LOVE her ahhh man what a dream