Hailey in Russia: English group was a dang success this week

Hey all my family and friends. I just love you all so dang much!

I don't know about you, but I HAVE THE WORST ALLERGIES IN THE WORLD! Even claritin doesn't help! That's okay though. Because summers in Russia make it all worth it. So dang pretty. And I am so stoked that it's just around the corner!

There is this member here in Samara named "O", and she actually just got baptized not too long ago back in 2012, or 2013. Anyway, she has a daughter named Alissa and she is just the dang cutes, 6 years old. Well, "O" has been having a really hard time lately. She is really depressed and alone. I don't really know her story about what happened with her ex husband but it's okay, I don't really need to know. What I do know is that "O" made an internet dating profile on an LDS site, and she met this man named Eric from Arizona, and he is also LDS but doesn't speak russian and so he would use google translate and it just didn't translate correctly and "O" was pretty frustrated about it. Haha I couldn't help but laugh though, I just love the internet relationships.

Guess what?

Miracles, that's what! GET THIS: So we had our Gospel english discussion group on Tuesday night. It really was SO amazing. Sister Mckell and I had planned to teach the group that didn't know very much english at all, and the elders were going to teach those that knew english better and those that knew it very well. What ended up happening, is that more people that didn't speak very much english at all came than those who know english well. We ended up combining the groups which turned out to be REALLY amazing. So what we did, is we wrote out the alphabet on half-sized pieces of paper. Underneath every letter, we wrote the sound that it makes in Russian, so that they knew which sound to make. We all went through the alphabet together and practiced the sounds. Then, We then played this really fun game. Sister Mckell would play the piano, and I would move my hand all over the board which had the alphabet on it. The english-clubbers who were seated, would then pass this stuffed animal dog around as fast as they could, and then when the music stopped, I would stop moving my arms, and the person holding the dog had to give an example (a word) according to the letter where my hand stopped on. It was such a great practice, and really fun. After playing that game, we pulled the letter "h" off of the board, and we asked everyone to give an example of a word that went with this letter. They all said things like "hope, hangers, hill, hand, help, hippy, handle, high, hello, etc.." Nobody said the word happy! So we said "WHAT ABOUT HAPPY?!" Then we tied that into the discussion which we had for that night, which was about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We said "Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us things that we need to do in order to live the happiest that we can, because they just want us to be happy!" We then talked about all those points. Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. We had photos to go with each of those points, which we cut out from the Liahonas. When we talked about baptism, I just looked at "TT". (and the Spirit is really strong in this moment) and I said to the group with my eyes fixated on hers, "Baptism is the ONLY way we can live the happiest that we can live. It is the only way we can get back to God because it is done by the right authority." Her eyes just lit up and a smile swept across her face. We made an emphasis about the receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit was just SO strong. We ended the lesson with watching the film "because of Him." And that just brought tears to my eyes. You best believe I cried in front of all those people. I don't remember the last time I cried in front of people before that moment. We closed with our testimonies, and promised them that they will have the desire to be baptized the longer they come to these discussions, and also as they pray to know for themselves if these things are true. It was just amazing because what happened after the closing prayer was the best part. NOBODY wanted to leave! They were feeling the Spirit so strong they just wanted to stay and feel it for as long as they could. One of the good speakers of English even said "Can we come back tomorrow too? and then next day?" The funniest part was when everyone was like "WHY DID YOU CRY STOP CRYING IT'S JUST SO SAD!" Russians just aren't too emotional about churchy stuff, it's the truth. But this gal on the other hand........

But wait, there's more. We spoke with "TT" after the discussion, and she was still just grinning from ear to ear. She said to us "AHHH I just want to believe all of the things you talked about tonight because I just see how much you love it and believe it and know it and live it." I looked her in the eyes and said "You can, "TT". And, you will." and she just nodded her head and said "Yeah, I know." CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!? And then she asked US when we could meet to have a lesson next! We told her monday night (tonight) but unfortunately she works tonight. She is a wedding planner, and it's just getting to be that wedding season. It is bad to say we've been praying that not so many people book her to plan their weddings so that she can meet with us? Haha we're evil. We then rode a taxi together to our apartment, because she doesn't really live too far from where we live, maybe a 10 minute walking distance. When we got out of the taxi, "TT" just hugged us both and just told us how much she loves us and how she is so grateful to God for sending us into her life, and how we are angels. It was truly amazing. I am just SO grateful that the Spirit was able to testify to her the truth of these things. Before we even asked her to read and to pray that night, she said to us "I will read the Book of Mormon tonight and pray." It really was just the best and we just can't wait to meet with her next. She said that she is for sure coming to english group tomorrow night, so we are really stoked for that. But in all honesty SHE'S the real angel. Gash I just wanna squeeeeze her.

We had a cool lesson with this less active that looks like a little trollds with the gems for belly buttons.) named "UE". Really, TANNEST skin, and white white hair. He even has a belly button gem! He is just the dang greatest though! He was baptized in 2001 and just hasn't come to church a lot because he has a lot of stuff to do.... he is about 60 and we got to meet with him. It was awesome beacuse we did that recipe of happiness with him from 2 nephi 5. I am so happy you love it as much as I do it's just the best! It was awesome because when we got to the priesthood recipe, the Spirit just took it away and we just ended up talking to him about getting the melkhezidek priesthood. It was so cool because we helped him set goals so that he can receive that. It was so awesome and we are stoked for him. He's a silly guy.

"ML". She's still just the dang sweetest prettiest nicest.As far as "ML" goes, she has also been too busy with work to meet. She is a nanny, so her schedule is really unpredictable. We are not losing hope though! All the taxi drivers are making their progress! We call them often to check up on their readings. Some have started, and some haven't. But it's just the best because all of these drivers are taking the Book of Mormon and it has been a huge blessing. A blessing indeeeeeed.

I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I LEARNED TODAY! So I was reading in John today chapter 4. and I just loooove verses 46-54. It's the story about the noble man and his great faith in Christ.

49)the nobleman saith unto him (Christ) come down ere my child die.

50)"Jesus saith unto him, go thy way; thy son liveth, and the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."

51)and that man's servants said "THY SON LIVETH!!!"

52)Then the man asked when exactly his son began to heal, and the servants said "Yesterday at the 7th hours the fever left him."

53) "So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, thy son liveth. And he himself believed, and his whole house."

Such a cool story. I love how much faith that man had in Christ, that he even believed His words! I want to always make sure that I never have doubts in the promptings that Christ gives to me. I want to just act on my faith always just as that man because I know when Christ says something, He means it. ahhh He is just the best! I loved that story today. Never ever forget that we are capable of this great faith! I hope we can all strive toward it.

I gotta go, but I love you. MOM SEE YOU ON MOTHERS DAY!!!! I LOVE YOU can't wait to see you all my fam. You're all just the cutes.

люблю люблю люблю люблю люблю люблю! (love love love love love love!)

с любовью, (with love,)

Sissy T