Hailey in Russia: Chihuahuas

This week we almost got a pet chihuahua! While out contacting, we see these two jolly old men, both of which were walking their tiny chuhuahuas. One dog was black, the other one was white. So of course after these men found out we're american, they tell us their dogs names are Obama, and Putin (real original.) but this is where the story gets good: we gave both these 70 year old men books of mormon and then all of the sudden, Putin's owner started trying to take little Obama's leash against his owners will. Next thing we know they're just yelling and hitting each other like kids. "WE HAVE TO GIVE THESE GIRLS A GIFT!" - Putin's owner "GIVE ME YOUR DOG AND WE'LL GIVE IT TO THEM." Obama's owner: "YOU IDIOT THIS IS MY WIFE'S DOG! I'M NOT GIVING HIM AWAY!!!"

At this point they're literally about to get into a full on fight, so we just walked about, obviously laughing at everything that's been happening. Then when we got about 11 feet away, we hear little dog feet and man feet running up behind us. We turned around only to see little Obama the Chihuahua and his owner, who was the one saying that lil Obama was his wife's dog. He says to us "GIRLS! It's only fair that you accept my dog as a gift. Here, he's yours." We busted up laughing and told him we're not allowed to have petes, but he didn't care. He started grabbing my arms to put the leash in my hand, so we finally had to lie and say "WE HATE DOGS!" Which ended up not being a complete lie.......... seeing as there's a dog for president right now with the same name. hahahaha that joke though. Anyway, it was a good time. Russians are just so generous, they'll even give you their wive's dog if you aren't careful.

Okay my favorite part! The miracles. I have realized a lot this week how big of a role the Spirit has in EVERYTHING, but especially in this work. I'll try to keep this story as short and as simple as I can. I don't know if you've noticed but I have a reeeeeally hard time writing things simply. I love the details! Alright. So we had something super amazing happen this past week. We met this 30 year old girl on a bus a couple weeks ago. We were on our way home from english group and so we had some time to talk to people on the bus. Every person who sat immediately around us wasn't too into what we had to say, but a few rows back was this woman who looks JUST like the corpse bride (google that if you don't know what I'm talking about. Ps I may or may not be judging you if you don't know who/what the corpse bride is) and she's just listening to us intently. After a couple more conversations that went nowhere, I couldn't shake the impression and thought "Get up and go talk to her right now." So I listened, and there just so happened to be an empty seat next to hers. So I got up and went over to her. Her name is "OL". We had a nice chat! She has 2 daughters age 11 and 6 and she has been divorced twice. The most awkward part about our whole encouter was before finding out she's been divorced twice, I looked at the screen of her phone and her background was a photo of a shirtless man laying on his side. I asked "OOOOH is that your husband?" and she said "....no..... it's my uncle." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA So Bubba,Todd, Dallis, Don, Lorin, Evan, you best send me those selfies so I have a good background on my phone when I get home. It was SOOOO dang funny She is very believing and was really excited to get the book of mormon. We exchanged numbers and like that, it was time for us to get off the bus.

We ended up meeting her a few days later, and we felt impressed to talk about the restoration. At our meeting, she said "I've already read 1/2 of the book of mormon, and my 11 year old daughter is also reading too." WOW! This has only happened one other time my whole mission. So dang cool. So we taught her the restoration and she asked us "Why is it... that when I go to the proveslovni church that I feel worse after being there then before I ever felt going in?" We taught her and then explained to her that she felt that way because that church doesn't have the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We invited her to be baptized and she agreed! It was really so spiritual and special. But the best part of the whole lesson was when after she committed to be baptized, she said "That night we met on the bus, I was SO mesmerized with you sisters. I wanted to talk to you so bad, but I just didn't know how beacuse I didn't want to get up and change seats. I really just couldn't help but long to talk with you, and then I began to worry, fearing that you would get off the bus soon. Right when I feared, I had this thought come into my head "Don't worry. They're going to come and talk to you." I didn't want to get up and change my own seat. I didn't want to freak this lady out, but the prompting from the Spirit that I received was loud and clear "go talk to her right now." In the moment I thought this, was the moment that "OL" was told that we would go and talk to her. And now, this darling lady has agreed to be baptized and it's honestly super incredible. I really was reminded of my testimony to NEVER delay a prompting. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if I didn't get up. If I chose to "fear man more than God." as the scriptures put it. Because I acted on that prompting, I was an instrument in the Lord's hands to answer His cute little corpse bride daughter "OL"'s desire to talk with us. We were able to teach her and now she wants to be baptized. It's so radical! The mission is so rad.

I remember a time in Penza my first area sitting on a bus with Sissy Mckell, and looking at the woman sitting across from me. I had this really random prompting "ask her if she has a son you can pray for." I remember thinking "that's literally ridiculous. I will NOT ask her because that's just dumb, especially if she doesn't have a son. She doesn't even know me." I remember I had that prompting about 3 more times, but I was selfish and I didn't act on it, and the woman finally ended up getting off the bus at her stop without me saying a word. I remember crying right after she got off, because I knew, and God knew that I didn't act on that prompting. I really felt in that moment that I destroyed God's trust in me. Good thing we have the atonement in our lives so I was able to repent realllll quick but that memory still is scarred in my heart. I from that point have tried my very hardest to never delay a prompting from the Spirit again. I really do try, but obviously I am not perfect, and we are not perfect, so all we can do is just try and repent when we fail. I am really grateful for the Spirit. He plays a huge key in this work and I know without the Spirit we truly would be wandering around without any direction. But maybe no direction is better than one direction.... (get it? the boy band one direction....)

Anyway, I remember a period in my life when the Spirit seemed to me too abstract and unreachable which is dumb because I can name many many experiences in my life where I felt the Spirit and received promptings from the spirit. I know that something I've really come to learn on my mission is that the Spirit really and truly is the third member of the Godhead. We talk so often about Heavenly Father's part, Christ's part, and our part of the work, but we often forget or don't focus enough on the Spirit's part.

There is a cool verse in Moses 6:61 which talks about the Spirit.

"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of Heaven; the comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things; which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgement."

The Spirit knoweth ALL things. I forget that every day! He too is a member of the Godhead and He too knows all things. So who are we, to reject a prompting from the Spirit? Who are we to reject feelings from our wise, merciful, just, and truthful Heavenly Father? This is SOOOO important!!!!!!! We serve each other and we serve God when we act on the teeny sometimes tiny impressions that come to our heart by the Spirit.

I experienced this a lot this week. It was crazy, we saw this lady smile at us as we were talking to another woman, and then she walked past about 3 times, and she was with her little daughter, and then we FINALLY ended the conversation we had with the one lady. Anyway, what ended up happening long story short is sister Hullinger said "We need to go find that lady and her daughter." It really seemed impossible because she was by us about 10 minutes earlier. So we said a prayer, and we crossed the street and turned right. We both didn't feel good about going right, and honestly felt this force motivate us to turning left instead. So we listened! We went left, and walk for quite a ways until we see this grocery store. We both stopped in our tracks, looks at each other, and said "They're in there." We go into the grocery store, go up an down a couple aisles, and the last asile..... THERE IS THE LADY AND HER DAUGHTER. Standing in front of the yogurts. We were so amazed that we actually were led to them by the Spirit that we were there, and we quickly realized we didn't have anything to say. So the dummy inside me looks for clues and see the yogurt, which is called Miracle (in russian) and so I said "IT'S A MIRACLE! WE FOUND YOU!" hahahhahaha so stupid but the lady wasn't weirded out at all. It turns out that this lady is a less active and hasn't been to church in a long time, and her daughter is almost 8 and should be getting baptized soon. I am really grateful for the Spirit and that He really and truly did lead us to this woman and her daughter. There is NO possible way we could have come up with where they were. BUT the Spirit helped us out and really did lead us and I KNOW without a doubt that it was all Him under instruction from Heavenly Father and the Lord that we were able to find them. It was soooo sweet.

I am afraid that's all for the week. I gotta go buy a new camera ^.^ thanks mom n dad. xoxoxo But here is a quick thought about my siiiiiiick companion.

Sister Hullinger is just the dang FRIEND! I really love serving with her, and am really grateful to the Lord for letting us to serve together at this time. I can't imagine serving with anyone else right now at this time. I am learning so much about loving missionary work from her and so much about the atonement of Christ. She is very very good at recognizing when she makes mistakes, taking it to the Lord in prayer, and then moving forward. I really need to learn that, and I know that is one of the many many reasons that we were called to serve together right now at this time together in this city. I love her so much and I am really grateful for all that she teaches me. She's also the dang sass which I love so that's just a dang plus.

Anyway, I love YOU ALL. Have the happiest week! NEXT MONDEE IT'LL BE MY CLAIREY'S BDAY!!! YAY 2!!!! I love you so much little clairence. You are just the little babe. I love you all! But I miiiiight love Claire the most. :) hahaha

HAVE A HAPPY WEEK!

Love Sissy Hayster

OMG almost forgot. We saw SISTER! the dog this week! I'll attach photos:)