Hailey in Russia: как мы можем помочь вам?

We're laying in bed and it's 11pm. When all of the sudden we hear............как мы можем помочь вам? (how can we help you?) in the CREEEEEPIEST robotic voice and it just started repeating itself after 6 second intervals. And by this point, sister Reed is on my bed and we're sitting there super creeped out. We got up cautiously, and went into the kitchen only to find the fire detector talking. HAHAHAHA Shoot dang we were freaked out for reals. Why did it start to talk? Because sister Reed decided it was a good idea to light a piece of paper on fire while I was showering. hahah She's a funny one, but I'm glad she did it because earlier that day our water was turned off all day.......... on my shower day. I went 3 days without smelling like a normal person. But long story short, they turned the water on just in time for me to shower before bed. But the smell..... probably the 2nd worst smell I've smelt in my life. That's why sissy Reed lit the paper on fire. haha it was really funny because we ended up getting spooked by the dumb smoke detector.

This week went by really quick and slow too. Not too much happened unfortunately. We do NOT know what to do about "IR" right now. "IR" is the one woman that is 45 and she has the two young daughters "ZL" (7) and "LZ" (3). She had a baptismal date in june, but she got freaky and then stopped answering our phone calls etc. Well, on tuesday evening, "IR" called us and told us that she wants to be baptized soon! That was so awesome. It was a huge miracle. We got to meet with her a couple times last week. I had a lot of faith that she was ready this time (she has had several baptismal dates, but then she gets spooked out and then gets all freaky and weird and then won't talk to us, and won't answer her phone or let us into her home when we call on the doma phone outside her apartment. Anyway, on Friday we had planned to run over to her house and have a lesson. It was a great lesson, and we talked about fasting. She told us that she wants us to go over every single day in order to help her get ready for baptism. So we called her on saturday, and she sounded SOOOO nice on the phone and said "okay! See you soon, take your time, we'll be here." We got there a tiny bit late due to traffic and such, and when we got there, her 7 year old daughter "ZL" was outside on the street. She then opened the door for us, and then walked up all the flights of stairs and "IR" opened the door, looked at us, and then turned her back to us. We walked in the door, thinking that we were welcome to be there, and all of the sudden, "IR" starts shoving me out of the door and saying "I have SO much to do right now! Leave!" Then she slammed the door. We called after her through the door, and then we heard the volume of the TV blasting, so that she wouldn't hear us. It was really frustrating because she had asked us to come over every day in order to help her get ready toward baptism, and we were there to do so, and it was just a bummer because we had even called beforehand and she actually answered which she usually never does! It was hard not to be discouraged, but I chose to have faith in Christ and know that everything would be okay. We are not giving up hope on her, we just really don't know what to do because she really is bipolar or something. We are praying for her that she will still be able to be baptized on the 1st of August. No.... being the creeps that we are, me and sister reed went over to stalk "IR" (okay not stalk, we just wanted to see if she was home or not.) We went, and she wasn't home, but her 7 year old "ZL" was outside playing with her little friend "PL". We got to play with them for a little bit and it was just so fun they're just the preciouses. "IR" didn't show up, but we were able to meet THE COOLEST family of another faith. A dad named "TC", a mom named "GL", and their young kids “R”, and “Z”. I think they're some of the nicest people here in the city. We were able to get to know them and they accepted the Book of Mormon!

Not too many days before that we were on the streets talking with as many people as we could (i love contacting) When we approached this woman also of the same faith as that young family. Because we didn't have a lot of time, we were just walking home really quick and passing out family history website cards. We walked up to this lady, and tried to offer her a card, and then she just started snippin n snappin at us like a little pup saying "THIS IS JUST NO PRETY, YOU GOING UP TO PEOPLE AND JUST DEMANDING THEY TAKE STUFF FROM YOU... THAT'S JUST NOOOOOT PRETTY." Things got a little heated when I told her that we aren't here to be pretty. She and I both were mad, and it was just bad. I tell you this because some people are just really funny here and they say the funniest things, like this one time a teenage boy was looking us up and down and up and down and then he said "Ew. What are you, from the 18th century?" YEAH WE ARE! It was great. I love the homely skirt life #homelyskirts4lyfebrothezandsisterz.

On the other hand, people are just the dang sweetest. Last monday evening me and sister Reed were having a rough time and I was frustrated and she was too so we took a time out on a cement block. By the end of our chat, we only have an hour and a few minutes to work. But while we were sitting on this cement block, not in the best of moods, Heavenly Father is just the BEST and sent to us this little bohemian angel named "NT". She walked up to us, and after we said hello, she started speaking to us in english! It was really cool. She is 20 years old and she was just in the neighborhood waiting for her boyfriend to meet her there. While she waited, we talked with her. She really enjoys other religions and studying about them. We told her all about the Book of Mormon, and she looked us in the eyes, and told us "That is really amazing. I really respect you for sharing your beliefs with us Russians." Then we gave her the Book of Mormon and she said that she would start reading. It was just a tender little mercy from the Lord letting us know that it's all going to be okay! Ps she hand made her purse and it was divine and she said she would make us purses too. So we're stoked for that.

Later that night we went over to this kooky woman that we met named "VL". We met her in front of her house as she was just sitting with her friends. She is 63 and is super cute and fun. We turned the corner and saw "VL" walking into her apartment after finishing up a heated conversation with one of her neighbors. We called her name several times, and she heard us! And she ushered us into her apartment along with her. We walked into her bedroom with her, and we saw the book of Mormon just lying open on her bed that we all sat on. She turned to us "Girls. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet and Moroni another prophet guided him to the hill Cumorah to get the gold plates and with Gods help, Joseph was able to translate the Book of Mormon, and then there were several people who got to be witnesses of the gold plates and now we have the Book of Mormon." ...................................................My jaw fell out of my head. I couldn't believe what I heard!!!!! Isn't that crazy? We were able to teach her the restoration that night and invited her to be baptized. She declined because she's proveslavni, and doesn't understand quite yet that the authority to baptize is only in this Church. But, we have faith that her heart will be softened as she continues to read the Book of Mormon and that she'll get that desire to be baptized. She's such a treasure.

We ended up going back there to see her a few days later, but she wasn't home. But guess who was on the street? "LD", "VL"'s friend! The other kooky lady with the crazy decked out garden. She said "Girls I've been reading the book of mormon and all about Nephi and his family." OKAY so many miracles. We were able to go into her house too and look at her photos (old russian photos are the dang coolest!) and she told us that she wants to quit smoking, so we will be helping her with that. She's a gem, and it turns out that dog of hers..... Lucia..... yeah she found her in the woods last year. hahhaha what a gem, am I right?

Quick story. We were on a bus to district meeting in downtown samara. We were talking to some people about how we are here as missionaries and then get this: this one woman who was listening actively to our conversation but wasn't engaged in the conversation threw her business card at us and said "Please call me soon!" THAT NEVER EVER HAPPENS! So of course we gave her the book of mormon and her face lit up and she was grateful for it. And guess what? We are meeting with her tonight! We're stoked. He name is "VT".

Have you ever made a really really stupid mistake like me? The other day I went into the bathroom to pray (in privacy) and while I was in there praying, I fell asleep and woke up an hour later. This seems really harmless, I know. But as missionaries we have a really strict schedule we follow and I just wasted an hour because I fell asleep. I felt really bad so I called president Schwab and told him all about it. He laughed at me because I was crying about it (I felt bad, okay?!) And then we had a great chat about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

A verse I love from Matthew 11:28,30 where the Savior calls to us saying "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Sometimes, all I want is rest... if that's not obvious enough by me falling asleep on the bathroom floor. President Schwab discussed with me how man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. He looks at our desires, and judges us from that. I realized "okay, I went to the bathroom to pray" that's the desire of my heart, to talk with God. But because I'm not perfect I accidentally made the mistake of falling asleep. I won't be judged for that! Because God knows the desires on my heart, and He knows the desires of yours too. And though we make mistakes at times, sometimes our mistakes are more serious than falling asleep when we should be studying russian. But no matter the mistake, we can be understood by our Savior. And as we turn to Him not only with our sins, but also our inadequacies, our weaknesses, our discomforts, though His infinite grace and mercy we can be forgiven, we can become adequate, strong, and comforted because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I love Christ and I know he compensates for all the times we fall.

I really love what Elder Bruce C. Hafen said in 1997 in his talk "Beauty for Ashes". He said "Because we lack the power to compensate fully for the effects of our transgressions, we are utterly dependent on Christ for ultimate restitution, no matter how earnest our repentance."

We really are dependent on Christ. We can only do so much, and we have the tiniest puniest effort that is so insignificant in comparison to the divinity, and power of Christ's atonement. I know this is true. I know that the Atonement covers not only sin, but also mistakes, disappointments, adversity, heart-ache, and misunderstanding. Christ can purify and sweeten and strengthen our hearts IF we let him.

Call to him! He hears you. He loves you.

In the end, President Schwab said "Alright sister Twede... I have a favor to ask of you. Next time you go to pray, pick somewhere comfier than the bathroom floor so if you fall asleep it'll be comfier." hahahaha I LOVE him. I love my mission, I love Christ, I love Russia, and I love you!

Love you all.

Love, sissy T (or as my pal elder peterson calls me "SIST.")

mmmmmmm sist.