A Watermelon Night!

HEY YALL

Today during personal study, i learned a very valuable lesson from Alma 32. When Alma is talking to the Zoramites who were cast out because they were poor, his testimony to them really taught me something important. We must plant the seed of faith within ourselves, and even when we have a hard time having faith, just believe and hoping that faith will come and once it does, the seed will grow. However, that's not enough, just to simply have faith. We need to "exercise" our faith and nurture it and help it to grow. I know that this time in "L" and "M"'s progression in the gospel, is one where all four of us need to exercise our faith; we need to keep the seeds that the spirit has planted in them, and help nurture and care for them. We do this by prayer, and we do this by casting out the doubts and the fears. I will be reading this chapter everytime that the doubts and the fears creep into my mind. 

We had a funny miracle last night. While we were out contacting, we walked passed this 20 year old girl, and said "hello!" she stopped in her place and said, "Oh my! Hi! I know this is probably weird but I have been dreaming about meeting you girls for a really long time. I see you walking on the streets all the time but I haven't had the opportunity to talk with you." Can you say, miracle!? She was short for time because she was on her way to work, but we got her number and we are SO excited to contact her during the week. I know that these elect people are out here in Penza, and this week we will be focusing on finding these elect people. 

This week we are in charge of district training.  Sister Mckell and I are doing ours on finding, and we are going to have a scavenger hunt and hide chocolate in the branch building and tell them to find it. But we'll hide the big candy bars really good and give them instructions how to find them and then once they find them, relate the instructions to the holy ghost and host important it is to have instruction from the holy ghost so that we can find the big russians.. haha it sounds lame but I hope it's good because every training i've been to is reading out of the book and soooooo boring so look. Look at us spicing things up! i hope.

This week we had an activity at the branch and guess what it was called.... "a watermelon night!" and we went, and they had these skits about the history of the watermelon and they had this reeeeeeally terrible song about watermelons. The crowning event was when everyone started dancing... even the babyshik.. it was quite the sight to behold. Our branch president is hilarious and in his prayer he said " please bless that we won't have to pee too much after we eat so much watermelon." Russians, having no shame even when they talk to God! It was fun and it was a great turn out. 

So I told you how we gave up chocolate while "L" and "M" quit smoking... well... something terrible happened. They didn't come to church for a third time before their baptism.. so now we have to reschedule their baptism. It's really sad beacuse they really were looking forward to it... but it's also really sad because now sister mckell and I can't eat chocolate this saturday. haha but that's not even the worst part. The worst part is that they can't get baptized this week... and it's also bad because they haven't been answering our phone calls and last time this happened, we couldn't get in contact with them fro 2 weeks. So I'm just praying for a miracle over here. I know that with God they can do all things. I know that it's impossible for them to quit smoking without the help of the Lord. I have been being taught by the lord lately that we really can't do anything without his help. I can't learn this language without his help: I can't find his elect children without his help. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that he is ALWAYS here and there for us. Never forget to rely on him... because you literally can't do anything without him. HE IS THERE! I know this is true. 

I pray for you all and miss you and love you all the most!!!

love sissy hayster :) 

 Fancy train ride food

Life is like a box... without chocolate - because I gave it up!

So... i'm not eating chocolate and it's the HARDEST THING EVER because russian chocolate is outta this world delicious. More of that story later. 

Hayd's aunt Shauna passed away this week.  I really felt sad when I heard that she passed away. However: if there's one thing I learned from coping with Harry's passing and from recovering from going to a russian morgue it's this: GOD LIVES. He has a plan for EACH one of us, and this life is not the end. Like Harry, Shauna can now get the help that she needs to mend her broken spirit without having the distractions of addictions and the pain that come from living on earth. I know that she is in loving arms in the spirit world, and that she is getting retaught the gospel right now and that all will be well with her. I don't know if anyone knows this, but I really had a hard time with the plan of salvation before coming on my mission. I felt like it was such an abstract idea and I really didn't know if it was true. I believed that it was, and hoped that it was, but I really didn't know that it was. I know that Heavenly Father gives us trials to stregthen us, or in my case, specifically to strengthen my testimony. I now know, that the plan of salvation is REAL. It is TRUE. the Sprit confirmed the truth of it to me as I testified of it to our investigators whose friend died. I know that all is well with shauna and that she is now free from her sick frail body and can focus of all things spiritual. I love D&C 112:13 which just talks about after temptations and the trial of our faith, we can be healed through jesus christ. It's so true. I know we can overcome all things, but only when the savior is involved!

This week we met with the lady who thinks that her mom is a white cat. She owns a cafe and she insisted on us coming so that she could feed us for free. We went, and it was such a cute little dainty place... but the food was so bad. AHAHA  Russian food is so gross... like the food at restaurants. Russian cuisine really isn't special, but it's really good when you can prepare it yourself. She brought out this beet salad that was just straight up beets, SMOTHERED in sour cream. I ate all the sour cream because it's DELICIOUS here, but the rest was just too beety. Then, she brought out the unthinkable: A RAW FISH! hahaha I wanted to gag. It looked like it just got done swimming! The scales were on it and everything. It's a blessing that one of the rules in our mission is that we can't eat the fish in russia (because germs) so we just told her we are allergic. What a blessing!

The other day we were on a bus coming home, and this man just started arguing with us. He was like "YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN ICONS, (they pray to icons and the icons deliver their prayers to Jesus who they also think is heavenly father aka one being.) and I said, you're right. We don't believe in icons because it's a commandment from God." and he was like "AND WHAT COMMANDMENT IS THAT?!" and we told him thou shalt have no other god's before me. We stumped him pretty good. I love those "gotcha" moments though, they really are the best. All the people on the bus were listening, so we got to give out some pamphlets which was pretty dang cool.

Our investigators "L" and "M" are doing SO well. It's CRAZY to see their progress. They stopped drinking about four weeks ago, and haven't drunk since. We committed them to stop smoking too. It's just crazy because the DAY that we met them the first time, is the day they bought electronic cigarettes to quit smoking. They already had the desire. Well, we committed them to stop smoking and sister Mckell and I wanted to do something to show the Lord that we want to help them quit.. so what did we decide to sacrifice? CHOCOLATE. haha it sounds ridiculous, but it's the best in russia! like I mentioned earlier. I swear. All the chocolate tastes just like it would in Willie Wonka. It's soooo delicious, Haha it was funny though. We said to "M" "we are going to give up chocolate while you give up smoking." and then he said "wait..... so chocolate is against the word of wisdom too?" hahaha no way. If it was, I'd be the biggest sinner in the world. It was way funny. We explained to him that no, it's not against the word of wisdom, it's just something that we are doing to help them quit too. It's been good so far, They went from one day, smoking 2 packs, to the next day, smoking half of 1 pack, and then they went to smoking 8, and then they're still at 8 so far. They went out of town though, so I hope that they didn't fall back into old habits. They get baptized on the 27th so I hope that they can be ready by that point. 

Yesterday I woke up with 100 degree fever.. but all was well because sissy Mckell took good care of me! (love that lady.)  But I am feeling better now. I didn't get to go to church or anything which really was a  bummer. We just watched all the church movies in our apartment and then I slept and then read my scriptures. Good time I tell you what. It's the worst being sick on the mission, butt it's also the best because I caught up on sleep that I will be losing when we take another train to Samara tomorrow night. We have another zone conference there... which I'm so stoked because I LOVE my mission president and we get interviews with him! I can't wait for you to meet him someday. We will most definitely take them out to dinner when they get home! 

Well i gotta jet but I love you all the most and I am so blessed to have you all in my life. I miss you all more than I can explain but I know that the Lord is looking after you all. PLEASE don't forget him, he never forgets you. He loves you, and you can always rely on him for help. I know this is true. I love you all! bye!

love sissy T

the nasty beet salad

love sissy mckell

A Trip to Latvia

Soooo let me just take a second to thank...

RY GUY AND KATH! (Ryan Relyea and Kath Pendleton) Thanks for your letter you sent me! I miss you angels soooo much! I love you both and Ry, i read the concecrated missionary talk and, it's pretty much the best so THANKS! I pray for you both everyday. 

Thanks Charlene duncan for the card, it means a lot to me to know that you and all my lovely people from the ward didn't forget about me when I left! ALSO Thank you my singles ward for sending me the card. hhaha too funny.

I HAVE A NEW COMPANION! Sister Mckell who lives in spanish fork. well.... her family does. Whenever people on the streets here ask us where she's from she says washington since she grew up there.. GOT SOMETHIN AGAINST UTAH I GUESS! haha i love her. She's such a little humble sweet gal and she's a lot like you WHITNEY (ps whit you should WRITE ME. and you too, cami. I miss my sisters!) Anway she's the best and I'm the luckiest to have her as my companion.

So I was in lativa the other day. We had to renew our visas, and NOBODY told me I had a visa trip so I had no clothes, nothing. I was preeeetyyy smelly at the end of the week. Anyway, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL IN LATVIA! Their airport s something straight out of Portlandia. Hahaha seriously. BUt it was the cutest thing I ever saw. It's way nice. 

We had the scariest thing happen. We were at the Moscow airport after having been in Latvia and there wasn't a stamp on our passports proving that we had been in Latvia apparently?? Super confusing and I really am the worst at explaining things haha. Well, the people at the airport took our passports and had a bunch of questions. We waited almost an hour to find out if everything was okay. I was scared to death. I prayed so hard the whole time that everything would be okay and that we wouldn't get kicked out of Russia. It was really scary because just the thought of having to leave really made me so sad and sick. Here's the cool part- it really was an answer to my prayers though because lately I have been praying to love this work; to love being a missionary; to love being here in Russia. Well, after all the stress of not knowing whether or not we would make it back to samara, heavenly father answered my prayers once I found out everything was clear with our passports. I felt the spirit tell me, "you don't need to be told you love your mission, because you know you already do." And I realized it: I love being here. It is just sooooo difficult sometimes to do what we do day after day but I came to realize from this experience, that heavenly father hears our prayers, he knows our hearts, and he knew that that crazy experience would really strengthen my love and desire to be here. 

Moral of the story. YOU GUYS. HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS YOU. YOU, SPECIFICALLY. He knows your doubts and concerns and the best part is, is that you don't need to feel those because christ already did. He has felt it all so just rely on him and his atonement and turn to him when like gets hard. Even when it doesn't get hard and when it's easy. PRAY, because he hears you and he loves you.

Anway, It was super scary to be detained at the airport.. BUT hey now I have a cool story to tell my grandkids "GRANDKIDS, GATHER AROUND. BABA HAILEY HAS A STORY TO TELL." But really. I'm going to be full of stories by the time I'm done herer. 

 Now, something to make you all laugh. Last night we talked to this lady on the streets and she was telling us about how her mom who had passed away visited her in a dream and told her to buy milk. So she buys milk and goes to her moms grave to visit that next day, and she had a feeling to bring the milk with her, so she did. THEN, at her moms grave this FAT ALLLLL white cat comes out of NOWHERE and so the woman gave it the milk and it ate it. Then she said, "I know that cat was my mom." hahahahahahahaha Russians, for you. SO hilarious I almost died laughing BUT instead I was like "WOW! Do you feel that was god talking to you?" and she said yes, then I said, "Well God still speaks to his children today, and he speaks to his prophet on the earth!" then talked about the restoration. I guess you could say I'm pretty smooth at transitioning disscussions about cats into the gospel.... haha but it's cool because she wants to meet with us to know more later this week.

I love you all, my beautiful friends and neighbors. I even love you too, people who read my blog who don't really know me... this shout out is for you. YOU'RE THE BEST! haha but really. fam, friends, i love you and miss you most. I can't believe erin berg gets home from her mission so soon! and madi bernson! DANG where does the time go! I can't wait to see those gals again, i sure miss them. Just like I miss you all. You're the best! LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTTY! HAVE THE BEST DAY BROTHER! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BONNIE AND BRENNA! My two B gals! Love/miss you like CRAZY and I hope you have the happiest birthday! 

love sissy hayster 

latvia from the sky

 me and sister mckell

she's the cutes!

sister g. sister mckell just finished training her and.. she's so different now. IN THE BEST WAY! she's way happier. it's cool because we got along great during the visa trip. she even wrote me the sweetest note about how i have charity! she's doing great

Crazy, Scary Week!

Oh my heck this is the craziest week. Nobody told me that my visa trip is this week so i didn't pack any clothes, thinking that I would only be in samara for one day but.... no. I will be here til friday. my visa trip is to latvia on wednesday and I have no underwear, hahaha but the sister training leaders gave me some of their extras. (they were new)! angels i tell ya

The scariest/ funniest thing happened the other day. Sister C and I were out contacting, and we were having a really meaningful conversation with a lady about the book of mormon when all of the sudden.... this russian guy comes out of nowhere and interrupts the conversation by saying "you're mormons!" so of course we turn our attention to him, because not very many people in russia know about mormons. We asked him how he knew, and he said "south park." GREAT, just what I wanted to hear. NOT! But we turn around and the lady left into the building we were infront of. Anyway, we start talking with this guy whose name is "J" who is 26 years old. He was so annoying and thought he was hot stuff and made us follow him home. So, we were walking with this guy because he kept asking really thought provoking questions about our church. Then, we got to his flat and he said "come in!" and we said we're not allowed unless there was another woman with us. He started asking about other rules we have in our church, and sissy C told him "oh we don't smoke, we don't drink etc etc and we don't have sex until we're married." and then he said... "let's get married then." K BYE! creepiest. Sister Coleman and I had a glimpse of hope though because he had so many good questions, so we told him we would return in the hour with our member friend, "I".

We return to his house, and he starts making tea. We open with a prayer, and just start talking about the restoration and he was being so rude and kept saying "Da da da da da da da da" (yeah yeah yeah) over and over as if he was listening. He would change the subject and it was getting really late at this point. I got so filled with the spirit and said VERY sternly, "DO YOU EVEN WANT TO FIND TRUTH IN YOUR LIFE?!" ANd he said, well da of course I do. So then we continued talking. We got up to prophets and how they have authority from God to do ordinances correctly like baptism. Then, his dimeanor changed. I saw this evil darkness fill his eyes as he started talking about the provoslovni religion here in russia and how we are a "Sect" etc.. It was really scary, especially because it was 9:15 and we have to be home between 9:20 and 9:30. Well, we closed with a prayer and hurried to get out of the but the front door was locked. And he wouldn't let us out. SO SCARY! and then he started pelvic thrusting the air and it was getting so creepy in there. He finally opened up the door and we RAN down then stairs.

And then the unthinkable happens. HE STARTS CHASING AFTER US! It was funny at first because he started jogging alongside us, but then he started saying things like "I need to know where you live." Sorry, you really don't you creepidy creep! Anyway... long story short... this guy followed us ALL the way by where our house is. We decided we were going to be late getting in rather than having him know where we live. So, we were with that member "I" and we were out until almost 9:50 because this guy wouldn't leave us alone. He was saying things about how our church is a lie and how it's evil and I got soooo welled up with the spirit and I prayed the most sincere prayer and said, "heavenly father. This man NEEDS to leave, and I pray that with your priesthood to demand him to leave." and when I closed my prayer, "J" just started walking away, without saying another word.

It was a testimony to me that Heavenly Father hears our prayers, and he will send us help INSTANTLY as we ask for it and as we have faith. I know that I am protected here from evil and from danger, and I am so grateful to heavenly Father for keeping me safe!

Now, the miracle for the week: "A" GOT BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!! I never thought that I would feel so much joy seeing others come back to the fold of christ. He is 14 years old so it's way awesome. As he was getting the gift of the holy ghost, in his blessing he was told "Heavenly Father wants you to know that he sent you here to earth to preach his gospel. To serve a mission.." and then other things I didn't understand (russian, it's crazy I tell you what.) It was just such a blessing. We asked him how he felt, and he said "my knees feel weird. They're tingling" There you have it brothers and sisters.... the holy ghost can make your knees have tingles! haha. It was a great day, and it strengthened my testimony that this gospel is true. I just want everyone to know this message of truth! ahhhhhh

love you all i am so sorry this email is kinda short but I have a lot to do today i love you all so much. Thanks for writing me always and showing me love!!

love hayster

I have never had a crazier week in my life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY CUTE GRANDMA JANE!!! OH BOY DO I LOVE YOU CUTESSSS!!! I love you grandma jane, i think you're a gem and a doll and i can't wait to squeeeeeeze you! I hope you had the best birthday!!! ps tell grandpa i love him:)

and grandma lee i love you too! you're the precious!

AND CLAIRE! I LOVE YOU MY BABY PRECIOUS!!! YOU'RE A DREAM!!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE TURNING ONE!!! Ah you're the best. I miss you all the time. I can't wait to squeeze you my lil squishy! I hope you have the best birthday!

Alright so this week...

This week sissy c and I set a goal to have 5 member present lessons during the week. We prayed really hard and with the Lord's help, we were able to exceed that goal! We got 12 member lessons and it was such a blessing! I have never had a crazier week in my life, but I know that when I rely on Christ when times get crazy, I can do all that which is required of me. I know that this work is the Lord's work and I am beginning to really understand how big his role is in all of it. I have been having so many fears about the language. But I just really feel like I just can't get it. And I try so hard to rely on Christ and to have faith that I'll be able to communicate some day. I just need to continue to pour all my worries on him! I know he listens, and he has all power and with his help I can do all things. AND YOU TOO CAN DO ALL THINGS WITH HIS HELP!

We have bee praying for miracles like crazy. "A" the 14 year old boy getting baptized has his baptism on saturday. We have been able to meet with him basically every day and teach him all that he needs in order to be ready for baptism. It's been a miracle to see him gain a testimony for himself and it will be such a miracle to see him enter the waters of baptism! You guys it's the coolest. It feels like christmas morning! We also have literally given out all of our  books of mormons and everything except a few brochures and cards.  It's been such a miracle to pray for strength even when I have none towards the end of the day, and to see the Lord really help and give me strength to carry on through the day. 

Transfers are next week, so we are going to samara again tonight to have zone conference. I have a feeling that sister coleman and I are getting separated and I had a dream that I was trainging..... oh dear I hope that's not the case because I cannot speak Russian! hahah Okay but yeah the miracle. So I told you about "L" and "M" our investigators and how their friend misha died. Well, we went over to their house last Monday for the first time in a while because they were really concernced about the word of wisdom. Well, we gave misha the man that died a book of Mormon. and we were at "L" and "M's" house just testifying about the word of wisdom when "M", "L's" husband said, holding the book of Mormon that we gave his friend, and staring at it, "i hope you and sister coleman know that the day misha died, he wanted to come to your church. He felt so much light around you just as me and "L" do." It was so spiritual! I really feel that one of the main reasons we met "L" and "M" was to save their friend, so that he could hve the opportunity to learn the gospel in the next life. He died with a knowledge of the book of Mormon, and he died with knowing the light of Christ. It was such a testimony to me that this work we are engaged in is god's work. I know it's true. THEN ON SUNDAY "L" AND "M" CAME TO CHURCH!!! SOOOOO COOOL! ahhh the church is true my people. 

so....I heard from my friend sister kline who is in rostov russia (that borders ukraine) they aren't allowed to wear their nametags in public, or even contact on the streets. There is so much anti american stuff going on here in Russia, it's freaky. It's really scary and I have a lot of worries that I'm going to get booted out of russia and to some crazy country like turkey or kahzikstan because there is so much anti american stuff going on here. They even closed down mcdonalds in moscow! And they are getting rid of all the coke machines here and coke products.... it's really crazy. I hope that everything will be okay. The world is just getting scary, but we know that jesus is coming which is pretty dang great! I can't wait to see him again.

Sorry this is all over the place. Life is crazy today but I love you all so much. Thanks for all you do and for all your love and light! never forget that you CAN rely on christ for anything, and everything. LOVE YA'LL!!

love hayster

 a foggy morning at 5am

 me and sister bussmann taeching together it was a secret photo taken of us haha

 DELICIOUS DUMPLINGS!

soups soups

Blessin's, lessons and... we went to a morgue.

First of all..... 2 years ago today I met Hayden and it was the best day ever! Love that человек! This week was one filled with miracles. We surpassed most of the goals which we set as a companionship and really came to see that Heavenly Father is just waiting to shower down his miracles upon us and our area.

Also.... it was horrifying. Why? I"ll tell you why!

SO. Remember hearing about "L" and "M"? Our investigators who we found who really wanted to be baptized? Well, everytime we were at their house, two of their alcoholic friends were always there. One's name is "S" who used to call us 20 times in the middle of the night, and then the other is named Misha. I swear every time I saw Misha he looked so beat. Like, his spirit looked tatterred because his body was tattered from years of alcohol and drugs. Well, one lesson we had a couple weeks ago, the tattered Misha sat in on the lesson. He didn't say much because honestly I don't think he was all the way there. BUT both sister Coleman and I felt like we needed to give him a book of mormon and we did. It just so happened that the lesson that we wanted to teach "L" and her husband fell through because they didn't keep their committment of reading mosiah 18 together, so we had to read that together and drop our lesson plan. Well, I know that they all felt the spirit, and they asked us to sing two songs at the end because it really brings the spirit and it sounds SO beautiful (thanks to sister Coleman's amazing voice.) 

ANYWAY, we got a phonecall from "L" telling us that MISHA, the one that sat in on the lesson who we gave the book of mormon to passed away. Turns out he drank himself to death. Really tragic. It's so tragic because these russian people don't have a knowledge that this stuff is bad because it's the traditions of their fathers. YOU GUYS. Heavenly Father gives us commandments to keep us safe! I know that the word of wisdom is a commandment from him because he knows just as I know that harmful things really do tatter your body and your spirit. He gives us commandments to help us grow! Anway, and then "L" asked us to go to the funeral. We said yes once we asked our mission president for permission. We figured it would be the perfect opportunity to testify about how when we die, our spirits leave our bodies and that death really isn't the end and that people are very much alive after they die, their bodies are just unoccupied for a time and that we will see those we love after a time. Well, we went to the funeral.. and guess where the funeral was held? At a morgue.It was one of the most horrific moments of my whole life.

I will leave out the details because I really don't want to remember what I experienced. BUT i will tell you the whole story when I get back home in a few lots of months. Anway, it was crazy because the spirit was not there at all. These Russian people praise and worship icons. They believe that Christ is our Savior, but really they just praise icons instead of Jesus Christ. But it's all twisted. It's a blessing to me because I get to help introduce them to jesus christ! I get to help them realize that icons aren't necessary and that Jesus Christ still lives! I think they forget that a lot that he lives. Anyway, crazy because the spirit wasn't there. So It's russian tradition to go to a cafe after a funeral and so we went to that. We didn't eat, because neither of us had an appetite. PLUS we wanted to get outside and get back to work and find people! But yeah we sang abide with me tis' eventide in russian and it was the only time I felt the spirit all day. We brought some people to tears but it wasn't us it was the spirit. It was worth all the crazy stuff I experienced that day to help people feel something they have never ever felt before: the spirit.

Sorry I feel really bad I really want to give you all the details and I know it's eating you up but just imagine a scary movie and then you know what it was like! 

OH AND JARED LANCASTER, thank you so much for the email you sent last week. It really uplifted me a lot. I really look up to you a ton.  Thanks for your love and support and tell Bonnie i miss her and please give her a squeeze from me! 

Sorry for that interruption, i didn't want to forget to tell him. 

Okay okay we reeeeeeeealu really are seeing tremendous blessings in our area. 

One of those tremendous blessings/miracles that we saw this week was with a boy named "A" and his mom "T". "A" is a 14 year old boy who has been coming to activites at our branch for a very very long time. He was found by Sister Coleman and her last companion and they decided to pass him over to the Elders because they thought that they could get through to him.. because "A" has a crush on sissy C hahahaha but who doesn't? she's a babe! 

Well, they passed him over to the Elders and they would say that whenever they tried to teach him, he would just change the subject. Sister Coleman and I got an impression to take "A" back because we really felt like we could begin teaching him and that he would listen to both of us. Well, that is exactly what we did. We talked about the restoration one day. The next day we talked about the plan of salvation. We invited him to be baptized and he was weirded out by the question. He told us he knew the book of mormon is true! So then we told him "A", if the book of mormon is true then baptism is true and then you can know that you should be baptized." His committment that night was to pray to ask if he should be baptized. On sunday, he came to church! He intently listened to the speakers it was so great to see. His mom came to church later TOO! It was such a miracle! We had a lesson with he and his mom after church. We asked "A" about baptism and he said "I know for myself that I need to be baptized." It was such a miracle to see that God answered his prayers! His mom gave permission easily. She has been coming to activities too, and all the branch members know her. We invited her to start meeting with us and eventually be baptized too. She agreed after we taught our lesson which was on the doctrine of baptism. IT WAS SUCH A MIRACLE!!!! I know that the Lord sees mine and sister colemans hard work and increase in being consecrated all day long and is showering his blessings upon us to help us discern who needs to be taught. "T" and "A" have been around for a while, like I mentioned earlier, and nobody has invited them to be baptized!!! It was a testimony to me to what President Bennett of the 70 told us last zone conference "When you don't talk to people or invite them to baptism, they will feel bad because in their minds they won't think that they're qualified." Well, I see the truth to this statement and I know that as we fulfill our purpose as missionaries to help people come unto christ through repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end, THEN the Lord will give us the blessings in store for us!

Things are really smooth right now. I have been working harder than I have ever worked in my life. I am soaking wet with sweat all throughout the day, my feet are sore at the end of the night, and I pass out immediately when I lie my head down at night. I know that my hard work and dedication to losing myself in it all, as well as sister Coleman's dedication to doing these things also, we really are seeing amazing things happen. We have been working every night with members and we are seeing the benefits of that! Now, I just wanna talk about sister Coleman for a sec. You guys, I love her. She's my best pal out here in russia. I know that Sister Coleman is exactly who I needed to train me. From having her as my trainer, I have come to learn what it means to be obedient, and why it's important. I have come to know what working hard really means. I have come to know christ's character because she reflects it every single day. I love her so much and I am so grateful to have her as my trainer/companion.She's a gem.

My favorite lesson that I learned this week comes from Mosiah 24. You should go and read it tonight! I think it's one of my favorite chapters from the книга мормона. It just talks about how the lord delivered Limhi's people out of bondage. I came to know from reading this that the Lord is the ONLY one that can deliver us from bondage. Bondage can be anything. Bondage to addictions, bondage to bad habits, bondage to debt, sin, anything. BUT we have the Lord to deliver us out of bondage. I know this is true because the times on my mission that I have had a really rough time, and where the thought of being home was just so tempting, I prayed to Heavenly Father, and threw all my sorrows and stresses and worries on the Lord and I felt/feel him deliver me from my personal bondages. Verse 16 is the Lord speaking to Limhi's people " Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." We have to remember that the Lord will deliver us ACCORDING to his own timing. He chastens us to help us submit to him and to help us grow. BUT he will always deliever us out of bondage. I am so grateful for this principle and I can't WAIT for you to read that chapter tonight!!! haha DO IT! It'll take not even ten minutes!

You're all gems! Thank you for all writing me all the time. You have no idea how much it means to me. YOu have no idea how much I miss you all and please don't ever forget how much I LOVE YOU AHHHH I LOVE YOU!!!! 

xoxoxo sissy hayster

 ps all the babyshki wear these dresses. We couldn't resist so we bought them

chillin on a marshrytka in 107 degree weather

president of our branch is the best. I really think he's my russian dad. 

He and his wife had us over for lunch after we did language tests at his office 

a taste of russia for you all. I sent this to hayd and said "thanks for not dumping me." haha get it?

 Penza

abandoned mirrors

 we found the most american bathroom and we were so stoked about it!

sunny sets

I ate it... hard.

So the STUPIDIST thing just happened. I was leaning on the keyboard here in the library as I was writing this email and then guess what.My arm hit the keyboard and made the text on the screen MICROSCOPIC!! hahaha someone get me GLASSES PLEASE! 

Pretty funny especially because that really only would happen to me. OH my. OH but wait! Sissy C just showed me how to fix it so now it is big again. LIfe is allll better. 

DAD THANKS FOR THE WEDDING PHOTOS OF MY TWO BEST GALS!!! MOST BEAUTIFUL BRIDES EVER!!! MOM THANKS FOR STAYING UP LATE I LOVE YOU!

THANKS MARY KNAPHUS FOR THE WEDDING INVITE! i JUST LOVE MY RIA AND BRENTON! HAYLEY MCDONALD AND BRADEN, YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL COUPLE AND YOUR WEDDING DAY LOOKED MAGNIFICENT AND PERFECT!! So did your ria and b :) 

Thanks nellies for the letter!!! seriously THANKS FOR THE SNAIL MAIL! I got it yesterday. I loved it so much. You're the best and cato and moags you are beautiful GARRGEOUS and perry is so big! what the!

Thanks skyler for the letter! Also, can someone please make sure Skyler Ryser reads this email? He's Wht's friend. SKYLER THANKS FOR THE LETTER YOU SENT ME! Of course I remember who you are ya nut! I actually forgot that you served in ukraine but it's all coming back to me now. Seriously your letter really lifted me up, i have been going through some rough things right now so thank you! And yes, I am in LOVE with these russian peopel. Some of the best people ever huh? It'll be a blast to speak russian to you when I get home. But I am scared because you have been studying for years now. I won't be surprised if you never understand my russian haha. Most people don't. Anyway, thanks so much! You're a pal!!! And good luck with work and I really am sorry about what has been happening with your life. Just know heavenly father has a different plan and that you can ALWAYS trust him!

Alright folks, being a missionary is so different, but I also love it, but I am trying to learn how to REEEEALLY love it. It's been getting easier to love because we have been working with members on the streets a lot more and oh my gosh I LOVE the members. They're so great here! Working with the members has been awesome. We had a member with us basically every night this past week and we met some really cool people and also visited with less actives and guess what? WE GOT 4 LESS ACTIVES TO COME TO CHURCH! It was such a miracle so cool. That may not seem like much, but that's so much in russia!

 We had a pretty cool day yesterday. Our mission president came to our city and oh my gosh he's a spiritual giant. Like,,,,, i seriously don't think he has ever done a foolish thing in his life. and he is a master of the scriptures! Anyway, it was just such a great thing. I learned a lot from him. mom n dad  I can't wait for you to meet him and sister schwab! Angel dream puffs i tell you what. 

We had a cool miracle yesterday though. We were contacting and were looking at the ground, looked up and saw this lady with sunglasses on and we were like "HI!" and she stopped walking (which is so rare here) and said "hi!" Anyway, turns out that this lady prays in the name of jesus Christ, like us. She believes in the god head, like us. She told us she has read the bible inside out several times and that she loves it so much. We ended up teaching her the restoration on the street! It was so cool. We gave her the book of mormon and testified of it, and she promised us she would read it. I wish you could've seen the light in her eyes, it truly was amazing. She was really weird about giving us her number, but we have faith that she will call us soon. She better... or else i will pounce on her and step on her sunglasses. haha not really, but maybe.

We were out contacting after a lesson that we had with our investigators. OKAY so our investigators "L" "M" and their 7 year old daughter "K" have a baptismal date for august 23. well, they have to come to church twice in order to be baptized on that date and they didn't show up yesterday so now they can't get baptized on that date. We tried to call them and even dropped by their house and they were gone and their neighbors were telling us things like "they're NOT good people. They are severe alcoholics and they neglect their daughters." We have been giving them the benefit of the doubt but... it is true. They are alcoholics and they do neglect their babies. We just want to help them so much but I just don't know if they can keep comittments. super sad but we will pray to know what to do. 

This email is called I ate it... hard... and here is the story:

The other night we were running so late. It was 9:26pm and it was so dark because the street lights here are like soviet age! And I couldn't see. And we are literally sprinting home because we were far away and then the unthinkable happened. I fell. Flat. On. My FACE!!! so hialrious!!!! but not because i started crying because it reeeeally hurt. HAha go ahead and laugh i know I'm a big baby! I Bruised my elbow and beat up both my knees, so I can't kneel and pray (how disobdedient of me!) haha it's all good though, because they're healing so nicely and I have some cool wounds to show everyone.

That's all folks. Love you all so much. Thanks for you love and support you're all dreams. Miss you and I am so happy to have you all in my life. I pray for you, and never forget that you can ALWAYS pray too!!

love sissy T

 working with sissy bussmann in saratov!

 elelvator selfies

 fun nights in saratov

 love her

 place called prokrov

 i ate it haha see?

 we ordered a pizza! so tasty.

 me + cat = it's true love

 russian gardens in the shaaade

 scary russian illustration on the bus 

 cat hat. I AM NOT ALLERGIC TO THIS CAT CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!??!?!?!? 

 funniest cat 

 cami i took this creepy photo for you

 look at  those eyes. ps this cats name is alyssa hahahaha

good times