Hailey in Russia: Wrestling

So many things happened this week, I honestly don't even know where to begin!

So yeah Zone Conference was just the best. Sister Wilson came down and we got to work together she and I and go on a date with each other. We went and got bleeni and it was just a magical time to be had. We were so sick of the sass of the people by the end of the day. People were being really sassy on the marshrutkas but we decided to just go our and push hard for the last hour of the night. And we ended up finding two people that are really interested in hearing from us about the Church! One of them is this muslim DIME named "AF". She is SO kind, a 40 year old women with two young daughters. Well, she accepted us and invited us to celebrate the HUGE muslim holiday with her and her family which was on Thursday. We accepted the invitation, and she took the book of mormon and so it was just so awesome. So we went over to the house of her close friend named "GL". Dang... i've never seen so much FOOD AT ONCE! It was so tasty too. Each year in the summer time muslims fast for two months. hey can't eat or drink all day long, but at 2 am they can wake up and eat and drink anything they want just as long as they fast all day and all evening. That is their life for two months, in the heat of the summer. They do it to show their love and gratitude to God, It's that awesome? They told us all about it as we ate together and this holiday we celebrated with them is when they break their fast. After testifying about how fasting also blesses our lives and allows us to all receive blessings from God, we gave them the Book of Mormon and they were really excited to read it. They invited us to not be shy and to come back any time! We will. It is going to be sweet.

I am really so grateful for the zone training conference that we were able to have last week. We talked about how we should "wrestle with God" in our prayers just like we read in the book of Enos 1:2-5 and praying more earnestly like in Alma 8:5.

I really left that meeting feeling inspired to do better and really excited to have more fervent prayers. And guess what? It's been amazing. I feel like I can really actually talk with God rather than just nag Him with my repetitive questions. On Saturday night I asked the Lord to bless that at least one investigator would come to church, and if it was none of our investigators, then just any investigators at all. The Lord really pulled through and just showed us His mighty miracles by giving the desire to TWO RANDOM WOMEN to come to church! And they were there, and they loved it. One of them was a woman named "V", who apparently was a forever investigator who hasn't been to church in over a year. And she was just the nicest lady of all! And then the friend of a family from the branch. She came for her first time and really enjoyed it. But... the best part of all is when a woman in relief society walked in late after we had all started the lesson.. and her skirt was down at her knees and she didn't notice hahahahahahhahaa good times in Tolyatti.

Sweet sweet miracles. We met with "KT" last week. We found out the whole story with her. In august we were up in Kazan on exchanges with the sisters there. We got a phone call while there from a member named "VT". Long story short, "KT" called the branch phone number and usually nobody is at the branch at the time of day that she called, but for some reason “VT” was there at the right time doing some maintenance on the building. . Anyway, she said that she wanted to meet with us and practIce her english. Anyway, we met with her on Saturday night and asked her where she got the number for the church. She explained to us that she knows this boy from her english classes at the university named "BR", and apparently he spoke english VERY well. She asked him how he knew english so well, and he said "I practice with the mormons from America." She said that this happened a long time ago, and that with time she forgot that "BR" told her about us. She said "One day after my classes I felt so defeated and sad and I really didn't know what to do. I really needed help, so I prayed to God and when I prayed, God reminded me of that memory when "BR" told me about you, so I searched online, found your branch here in Tolyatti with the phone number and the second I called a young man answered (VT) and told me he'd give my number to you. And he did! Because 10 minutes later you two called me!

Isn't that crazy? God's timing is perfect. Well, we ended up trying to teach her the restoration but we were only able to talk about God is our long Heavenly Father because she asks SO many awesome questions! At the end of the lesson we felt inspired to invite her to be baptized once she comes to feel that this message is true through prayer and she looked at us and said the greatest answer I've ever heard. "Well, that's a huge decision! Surely I must pray about it." YES "KT"!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SHOULD PRAY ABOUT IT! It was an awesome answer. It wasn't yes, but it wasn't no, and it was so great to see that she understands the importance of asking God. We promised her that she will receive an answer. We have faith that God will tell her what she needs to do. So that was just a sweet highlight from the week.

I am really grateful to be here on a mission. I can't believe it ends in a few weeks! I am really excited to go home, honestly. BUT I am also still excited about this work, just as I was when I first got here. I feel very blessed to be here, serving with Sister Hullinger, and serving with the amazing members here in Tolyatti. I love it here and I thank the Lord for calling me here at this time. Sister Hullinger is doing great. I have been very impressed with her this last week as she had full on conversations with people without my help! GUESS WHAT? I got drawn this week by the one... the only..... Nikolai Bleenov.... yeah, his last name is pancake. Such a great guy, I'll include photos.

I invite you to all "wrestle" with God in prayer, and to turn everything you have to Him. You will feel your burdens lifted, and you will see and come to know that we really do, in fact, talk WITH God as we pray. I love prayer, it is a blessing in my life! A HUGE ONE.

I love you and I can't wait to see you so soon! Miissing you all like crazy. See you soon pals n gals. LOVE YOU! Especially you Hayd. ^.^

Love Sister T