Hailey in Russia: Poetry

I have 7 weeks left.

I am going to cry.

I love my mission.

I might just die.

I love this Gospel.

I have 48 days.

I love Russia.

I'm living my life the Russian way.

I am SO grateful to be here!

This week was wild. I had a fever for three days and it was just awful. Cute sister Hullinger told me that one night as she went to sleep (i went to sleep 2 hours earlier than her) she told me "I couldn't fall asleep until I went over to your bed to touch your forehead." hahaha i love her. She touched my forehead and I didn't know it even happened. Bless her dang ginger soul.

So I was sick this past week, right? I had a fever for 3 days like I said, and it sucked. But it just made me grateful for the days that I do have good health! I just slept all week. It made the week go by so slow, but somehow we managed to give out a whole box of Books of Mormon. It really is a huge miracle! Anyway,I have some miracles to share with you that maaaaaaaaaaaaaaay or may not seem a little silly. So we sleep every night with the window cracked a little bit open. Well, I woke up and was freezing cold when I had a fever, so I got up and went to shut the window which usually ALWAYS shuts so smoothly like butter. But for some unknown reason, it was stuck. I tried and tried and tried to get it to shut but it just wouldn't budge. So I prayed, and I told Heavenly Father that I had faith in Christ that He would help me to shut the window. When I said, "amen" I took a deep breath, looked at the window, and it shut so easily. haha don't you just love that? Heavenly Father gives you opportunities to strenghten your testimony. It's just the dang best.

Honestly I feel like not a lot happened this last week. But a few little gem things happened. We found a lady in the area book named "AN" who is 76 years old. She met with the elders a year ago, and so we went over with the SILLIEST couple from the branch named "TM" and “NT”. She's half Russian half Korean. And she’s just a dang dream. So we went over to "AN"s house for a lesson, and she ... is just.... FABULOUS! She's an actress and she taught all her grandkids about the art of acting, and now they too are actors. They LOVE the theatre. We taught her the restoration, or rather, tried to, because every seven minutes she would burst out in a theatrical burst and just recite poetry. FOR EVER....... it was great. But the best part is that we hadn't eaten dinner yet, and she brought out a fresh watermelon. THEY are wayyyy better here in Russia! And silly sister Hullinger hates fruit, but she HAD to eat it in order to no offend this woman "AN". So dang funny.

We've been meeting with this way sweet 30 year old named "KT". She speaks english and is studying it currently at the university. Fun fact about her/ She called our branch building one fine day. Usually no body is t the branch building but that day she called this member named "V" was at the building. He answered, and it was "KT" and she told him that she was interested in meeting with us! SWEET! So we called her and met with her and we gave her the book of mormon in english and promised her that as she reads it, she'll learn new words, and her english will improve, and she'll feel power and love from God as she reads it. Well, we met again this last week and she started reading and she asked inspired questions and it's awesome. She is moving along and she's a HUGE miracle!

I learned a very significant lesson yesterday at church. We as a mission did a mission wide fast for specific blessings that we are seeking to obtain from Heavenly Father. As I sat in sacrament meeting while fasting, along with all the missionaries in our mission, I read preach my gospel, under the Christ-like attributes, specifically under Faith in Jesus Christ. It was as if the whole section just jumped out at me in a way that it has never jumped out at me before. I learned that we really CAN obtain Christ's attributes. I love what it says in the Faith in Jesus Christ section" With faith in Jesus Christ you accomplish what the Lord wants you to accomplish. And then later in the paragraph it goes on the say "Faith is a principle of power. God works by power, but his power is usually exercised in response to faith." GOD WORKS BY POWER! But He can't exercise His power unless we give something in return to see His mighty arm in our lives, in this work. Unless we exercise faith in Him and in His son Jesus Christ, we will not see the miracles which we pray for.

Something really sweet: We had a training this week during district meeting and we all felt that we really haven't been doing our part on talking with 3X as many people. (something that we've been requested to do in order to see miracles) We have set that goal as a district now, and we are really excited to see the miracles from doing so. We have already seen some sweet ones too. Like Sunday! Yesterday were on our way to church yesterday, and this young girl about age 22 was watching us, and then when the seat across from us was free, she got up, sat down and said "What is that book?" We were able to give her the Book of Mormon and exchange numbers. I just love the sweet miracles and I know that exact obedience brings miracles. If we hadn't talked to the cranky lady who originally sat across from us, then maybe “YA”, the 22 year old girl wouldn't have come over to talk to us.

I have some miracles to share with you that maaaaaaaaaaaaaaay or may not seem a little silly. So we sleep every night with the window cracked a little bit open. Well, I woke up and was freezing cold when I had a fever, so I got up and went to shut the window which usually ALWAYS shuts so smoothly like butter. But for some unknown reason, it was stuck. I tried and tried and tried to get it to shut but it just wouldn't budge. So I prayed, and I told Heavenly Father that I had faith in Christ that He would help me to shut the window. When I said, "amen" I took a deep breath, looked at the window, and it shut so easily. haha don't you just love that? Heavenly Father gives you opportunites to strenghten your testimony. It's just the dang best.

We have been calling that woman “NN”, but she hasn't been answering our phone calls. We got a hold of "OL" the corpse bride lady with the daughter reading the Book of Mormon, and it turns out that she's just been really sick and she's trying to get better. We haven't been able to see Tatyana this week a whole lot because I was so sick. But, the times that we did see he, she just was talking to us and then she went all King Benjamin on us and started talking about how much she LOVES the book of Mosiah. It was such a miracle! We felt prompted to invite her to be baptized right then and there on the street, and she said "Let me read the book all the way through first, and then I'll get back to you on that invitation." It's been really amazing. Such a sweet miracle.

I am feeling really good right now. I learned a valuable lesson last night. We met with a less active and did a scripture study activity. We all asked questions that have been weighing down on our hearts, then we prayed for inspiration, and took about 20 minutes reading the book of mormon to find the answer to our question that we needed. It was a neat experience and the less active LOVED it and she committed to reading the book of mormon every day now. I learned something very great too. My question was "Is the Lord satisfied with the efforts that I've been given thus far on my mission?" and then, I opened up the book of mormon to 2 Nephi chapter 33 verse 4. "I know the Lord God will consecrate my [efforts] for the gain of His children. All the [efforts] I've given in my weakness WILL be made strong [because of Christ] for His children. It was really cool and it just strengthened my testimony in knowing that yes! I am not perfect! And NO! No effort I give is ever 100% because I am not perfect. BUT the Savior is perfect, and His atonement will make up the rest. It's just amazing. I am grateful to be here!

Don't you dare forget, that The Lord makes up the difference. We aren't perfect, and we aren't expected to be. BUT, we are expected to give our best effort and do what we can, and Christ will make up the rest. I know this is true.

I love you all and wish you the best week EVER! Have a good time and don't forget to read your scriptures! Seriously. I will hunt you down if you forget. LOVE YOU ALL.

Love sissy T

Cat friend

The pals at english group.

DS is the cute sass standing by me. She's such a riot

me and my fever

me and my fever and my companion

the dang tastiest burger of your LIIIIFE

carving watermelons the way we carve pumpkins.

Halloween booties. so stinkin cute. This woman Sveta made them

more cat pals

me and "ND". She is just the pal. She's a member here in Tolyatti

and that is ND's roomate VL. He's a character to say the least.

This is a member named Vasya. He is 12.

He is the cutest little friend! His mom is less active.

He begs her to go to church with him, but she never wants to go, so he rides a long bus all alone so that he can come to church. I really look up to him for that!

SUCH A CUTE LITTLE FRIEND! we are both double jointed.

our branch building.

After church I was stalking "LB" and her family from the other side of the road. This Canon has a dang good zoom if you know what I mean! "LB" is the one that took us to Lenta.

She's like our mama here in Tolyatti.