Hailey in Russia: 1 YEAR IN RUSSIA

TIME JUST FLIES! And I just can't believe that I get to still be here in Russia. In one week I will have spent a year of my life in this beautiful country. Dang it's just the best. It's the best place in all the earth my friends. I love it here and I love all these silly dang people more and more every day.

You know who else I love? WHITNEY!!! Happy birthday to you! 25!!!! I LOVE IT. Your hair is lookin real good too and I'm a big fan of your white chucks. JEWWEY you are looking fab too happy brithday to you! You don't even look 27! Love you two.

ERIN BERG... that won't be your name for long. Happy birthday my miriam. I hope you have a magical day and that you get all stoked for your precious wedding! Loved the invite by the way!

Mike and Spenc I think you'll appreciate this: Today when I was on a tramvai, it was sooo hot (a good 90 degrees) and so I was fanning myself with the fans that we got at the opera house when I went and saw that play a few weeks ago, and then guess what I heard in my head? That slapping sound from super smash bro's that the white fan makes. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA I got so dang trunky to play smash.

This week was a lot lot lot lot lot better than weeks previous. I really feel grateful for the Lord. I have found myself really inclining my mind towards Christ a lot more lately. On lessons I sometimes feel that I have nothing really to say, but then I get outside myself and incline my mind to Christ, recognizing that I really can't do anything without Him. It's just so true. I love thinking of myself as dust of the earth, because it's true! I am no better than the dust of the earth. I love it that way because I know that just as God moves the dust wherever He needs it to be, He will do the same with me and with all of us. I have really profoundly felt the Lord and Heavenly Father work through me, and it was so nice to have some super spiritual experiences this past week.

Lots of miracles this week it's just been amazing. To start off, we had a live broadcast conference with Elder Nelson from Moscow. He talked about the history of the church in Russia. Did you know that he is 90? He looks like he's 72 haha. Anyway, it was so awesome. He shared with all of us 10 things that he has learned in his life and I'll tell you those ten things:

1)God is our Father, we are His children, and we take this knowledge for granted.

2) Jesus Christ is our Savior. This is HIS church, and we get to celebrate His atonement when we take the sacrament each week. The atonement brings eternal life.

3)God and Christ DID appear to Joseph Smith. And they sent Heavenly messengers to him.

4)Because of those visits to Joseph Smith, the Church has been restored. 3 reasons for the restoration were one, Israel is scattered and needs to be gathered. Two, because Israel is scattered they need to be brought together. Three, The book of mormon is the instrument to gather Israel.

5)The Holy Priesthood has been restored. By Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, to John the Baptist, to Peter, James and John, then to Joseph.

6)This IS the last dispensation.

7)Satan is allowed to function. He is the author of war and contention. This ability for him to funcrion allows us to make choices. We are free to choose livery and eternal life or endless torment and death. God never gives us commandments that aren't possible to live. and... Don't worry about things! The perfection we can receive with Christ is out of this world.

8) Joy comes from keeping the commandments. Disobedience to God's commandments brings misery EVERY TIME. And obedience to God's commandments brings blessings and joy, EVERY TIME.

9) All blessings come from obedience to the law. Not even for the Son of God could the law be broken. THAT is why we have the atonement. Then he said "Do what you need to do to make your blessings that you've been promised a reality." isn't that profound?

10)The youth of Zion are a choiced people. The Lord reserved us and we are choiced!

Then he gave us all an apostalic blessing. He said "I bless you to feast upon the word of Christ, for they will tell you all the things which you should do. I bless you to apply the teachings of Christ in your lives. I bless you to be good examples with kindness, love, and patience that will lead people to you. I bless you to become good missionaries. I bless you with a blessing of healing and health consistent with the will of the Lord.

It was really such an awesome conference, and I was so stoked to share with you all those points that he shared. I think that the coolest part was that "DM" came to it and ALL of his concerns were addressed. It was just incredible. "DM" has had problems with remembering what he once believed, that being that he is a son of God. Then, Elder Halstrom spoke about our true identity as being sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. Me and sister mckell looked at each other as we heard this talk and in our eyes we both said "THIS IS JUST WHAT "DM" NEEDS TO HEAR!" It was just a great conference and I feel really blessed that I had the opportunity to be there. Then, the next day we met with "DM". And what he told us made me smile from ear to ear and never want to stop smiling. He said "You know, I really remember now what my true identity is after that conference. I know that I am a son of God." THIS WAS HUGE!!! He has spent so much time worrying that he isn't a son of God and that he really isn't worthy to be His son. Then, "DM" shared a really neat experience with us. He said "I had this really weird feeling that I needed to go into my grandpa's bedroom which was weird because I never ever go in there. (his grandpa passed away while he was at sea during the fall.) But I went anyway. While I was in there, I found the first bible that I ever bought. I opened up the front cover and look what I found" Then, he showed us what he found. There on a tiny sticky note was written a quote which said "The main evidence found that comes from reading the Bible is that God is our Father." BUT it gets better. Then he said "I really just couldn't believe it, and then I opened up that Bible to a random page and I opened straight up the the story of the Prodigal Son." He went on to tell us all about how the father of the prodigal son spent his days watching for his son, and upon seeing his son coming home from a distance, even though his son really was in the wrong, the father lifted up the skirt of his dress, and ran to his son." "DM" then explained to us that this was really significant because in those times of history, it was a big sin for one to have their ankles showing, especially one of high rank. But the fact that the father was willing to risk his standing in the city at that time, he threw down his pride and ran to his son because he was so filled with love for his son. Then "DM" just told us "That is the same with God. He is our Father, and even though we are terrible sometimes and don't remember Him and really are in the wrong, all the same He loves us and is just waiting to run to us just as this father ran to his prodigal son." ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?!?!??!?!?!?! It was just amazing. He is making huge progress. He also has told us "If I join this church then I have to quit coffee and give a tenth of my money to the church." We told him that we will talk about why the word of wisdom is important and why tithing is so significant.

Next miracle. This former investigator named "IR" who has been investigating for 2 years FINALLY MET WITH US! She actually called us and told us that she gave away her book of mormon and that she really wanted another one. She struggles with being bipolar and so usually when we go to see her even when she sounds excited on the phone for us to go over, she won't answer the door when we get there. Well, her heart has really been softening and it is amazing to see. We went to her house to take her the book of mormon, and she was just sooooooo peaceful and the Spirit was so strong and prompted us to inivte her to be baptized. We did so, and she agreed instantly and is now on date for the 13th of June!!! She came to church with us yesterday and stayed for all three hours, and after church had ended, she really thanked us for going to pick her up for church. Something really cool though, was that sister mckell overheard "IR" talking to "EL", the elder's investigator about "EL"'s upcoming baptism this saturday. She heard them talking about their baptisms and how excited they both were, and how they promise to be at each other's baptisms. How cute is that? The Lord is amazing, softening the hearts of all these people! Also we went to "IR"'s and guess what? Subway is by her house so we ate there.... and it was the best. I didn't know that i really did like subway so much until I came here to Russia! Also... we went to her house to have a lesson and her house was just a MESS. We helped her clean it and we rearranged the furniture too so it was just a blast! Then we had a lesson and she told us on that lesson "Sisters... i am sooooo ready to be baptized!" It just made my heart melt like the tuna melt that sister mckell ate at subway.

I am sorry that's all for now. I love you all so much and I invite you to review those 10 points I shared. I know that all those things are true too. The church really has been restored and I know it because I feel the Spirit bare witness to me that it's true everyday that I get to share this joyful message with my cute bro's and sissy's here in Russia. I love this place and I love the Gospel.

Love, ya'll!

Love Hayster SISSY

baby kitten friends and their mama

Us with "IR" 's baby "LA". She's just so dang cute and sassy

They are "IR" 's young daughters. SOO dang cute.

creeping on baby klavdia as she sleeps. Mom you best believe i told this baby's mom that you two have the same name hahaha

Babyshka friends sitting on a PINKYEH

At the health clinic.

me before the massage spying on the patient before us.

Sissy M getting her massages.

This is the best photo ever. CANE FRIENDS!

also last night we made the yummiest sweet and sour pineapple sauce for our rice...... with the help of sister dunn over the phone.. we had no chicken but it was still good.