Hailey in Russia: Miracle Week

Happy birthday this week to.... CLAUD BAUD! CLAUD MY MA!! I love you mom and I hope you have the most magical day because YOU are magical!

It was a really incredible week over here in Balakova. Yesterday me and Sister Martinez fasted for the investigators that would come to church, and fasted that they would be enlightened and that they would feel the spirit, and desire to be baptized. It was amazing because 6 investigators came to church, and 6 less actives! It really was a miracle, especially because our branch is soo soooo tiny. Really, about 22 people each week, maybe less, and yesterday there were 30 people there! It was a riot, i loved it.

MIRACLES: It was an interesting week. We were supposed to go on exchanges this last week with the sisters in Dachney Saratov, but one of the sisters is sick and ended up having to go home. Really sad, I loved her. Sister James is her name, but it's okay because she is also from Utah so we will play when I go home. Anyway, with her abrupt going home, we stayed in Balakova instead. We were really bummed. We really looked forward to getting out of our area for a change, but then quickly got over being bummed because we realized that the Lord probably had something else in mind and needed us in our area. The Lord works in miraculous ways, and I know for a fact that we actually did need to be in our area this week.

#1 "ND"- This 19 year old girl who works at a photo center. We went to get some baptism photos printed some weeks ago to give to new converts. We went to this little shop, and gave her the Book of Mormon. It was interesting, because the man that she works with, "S" (54) took out his video camera, and recorded us as we taught them the restoration. (I was NOT against that! I told them to go back and watch it over and over hahaha I'm so sneaky.) Then, "ND" said, "I will read this!" We went back 3 days later to ask her how her readings were coming. To our surprise she said "I haven't started yet." JUST KIDDING she said "I have been reading and reading and right now I'm in the book of..... MORONI." MORONI. She was in the book of MORONI after three days! It was rad. She told us, "Yeah, it's such a sad book. So many sad things, but so many incredible things!" We agreed, and then a bunch of customers rushed into their shop so we had to leave. We decided to go back in a couple of days. So the timeframe now at this point in the story is just this past week, on thursday. We go to see her, and were stoked to hear that she finished the Book of Mormon. Then you know what she said next? "Moroni 10 is my favorite chapter. I really felt so much love when I read it. I felt so warm and good as I read it." We then told her those feelings came from the Holy Ghost, testifying to her that the book of mormon is true and good. Then she said "I was athiest before I read this book.... Now I know God lives. There is just no way that anybody couldn't NOT believe in God after reading the Book of Mormon." My jaw dropped to the floor. It was INCREDIBLE. What an SWEEEET miracle! We then reread with her the promise that Moroni gives to us all in moroni 10 that if we read the book of mormon, and then ask Heavenly Father with sincere hearts and true intentions if it's true, then he'll give us an answer that yes, in fact it is true. She then said "I feel that same feeling again right now as you talk. I feel so warm it's the Holy Ghost." We said YES! Then we asked her if she has ever prayed, and she said no because she doesn't know how and that she feels awkward when she does. We explained to her that it's a conversation with God, and that he will answer her. We taught her how to pray, and she was grateful. We invited her to pray about the Book of Mormon and she said she will. Then, she asked US to meet with us some time soon when she isn't at work to ask us questions that she has from when she read. She unfortunately hasn't had time yet, but we know that soon she will. In fact, she told us "After I read the book of mormon, I just looked up to the sky and started talking to God and asked him if it was right for me to marry "SL" (her fiance). She then said she felt the same warm feeling from the Spirit when she did that. How amazing is that? An incredible miracle. The Lord truly is amazing. It strengthened my testimony that the Book of mormon IS in fact true. I think that sometimes I forget about that, it is really easy to do so, but it really strengthened my testimony and we are so so so so sooooo excited to meet with her this upcoming week.

#2 We met with an investigator this week named "NN". Sister Coleman and I met her on the streets while we were on exchanges a couple of weeks ago. She believes in God, and is the one with many jehovahs witnesses friends. We met with her, taught the restoration, and invited her to be baptized. She agreed to being baptized on the 4th of April! It was really amazing! It was a really great lesson and the Spirit really was strong. Our Branch President "JY" was on the lesson with us. We went back for another lesson on Saturday with "JY" again, to do a restoration review. "JY" told us that "NN" called him and started talking and talking and talking to a man named ""VC"?" Apparently she tried to call a man named "VC", but accidentally called "JY" without noticing, and just talked on and on, and she was telling this man named "VC" all about our lesson that we had with her... "JY" told us that it was really really weird, and that it sounded like she was reporting to this man the meeting that we had with her? Super weird.... So we went back for the second lesson, and asked her what she remembered about Joseph Smith, and she didn't remember anything, and didn't remember anything about the priesthood. We reviewed that with her.. and when we talked about baptism again, she was weird about it, so we invited her to pray about her being baptized. Well, she was supposed to come to church yesterday, but she ended up going to the Rinok (market) with her friends... it was a big bummer. BUT on the bright side, she told us "Today I ACTUALLY started reading the Book of Mormon! So far so good." It was good news, but we are just going to listen to the spirit as far as working with her goes. She is about 62ish years old, so she might have a bad memory, but we will just play it by ear and listen to the Spirit, he will tell us what to do. "JY" thinks that maybe she is autistic, but I am not too sure about that. We will see.

#3 We were out contacting one night, when we saw these two young 17 year old girls named "NC" and "KS". "KS" said to us "HEY I know you! My grandma went to your church all the time when I was young." Turns out that her grandma is a less active who hasn't been for a number of years. We gave "KS" her own book of mormon, and exchanged numbers with her. The next day, she called US and wanted to meet. We went to this sweet woman member's home and got to know one another, and learned that she believes, and that she used to read the kid's book of mormon all of the time as a kid. She then told us that when she took her book of mormon home after we had given it to her, her little 13 year old sister started reading it and said that she just LOVES it. Isn't that something?! We invited her to pray about the book of mormon, and to begin reading. She agreed that she would, and it was just another miracle.

#4 Remember when I told you about the miracle about the former investigator "VS" and her boyfriend "VL"? They came to english group on saturday and just LOVED it! "VS" has been doing so well. She comes to family home evening every week, and she even came to church last week which was a miracle. Guess who came to church yesterday? "VS"! Guess who she brought with her? "VL" her boyfriend! Guess who stayed for all three hours? Both of them. "VL" said that he didn't really understand sacrament meeting. It was awesome though, because one of the members spoke about the sacrament and about what it sybolizes and what it means and why we partake of it weekly. Then sunday school we talked about service, and in relief society we spoke about repentance. In elders chorum (is that what they even call it?) haha basically, the third hour when all the men get together and stink up the room. They spoke about the atonement there. Then, church ended, and they just told us that they really enjoyed it a lot, and then asked us "So what's next hour of church?" hahahaha unfortunately, church is only 3 hours. It was really funny. "VS" got a young womens pink manual too, and she said she wants to do it. We are going to invite them to start meeting with us and we will pray and fast for the Lord to soften their hearts.

I'm freaked out that soon I only have 6 months left on my mission. I know this is really silly, but I have a lot of dreams of me walking down the escalator in SLC as I come home from my mission. Usually it's just the best dream because I miss you all, but guess what? This last week, in my dream as I was coming down the escalator, I cried when I saw my family and friends, not tears of joy, I cried and cried because I didn't want to leave Russia, and all the friends and family and beautiful people here. I really am starting to love my mission more and more every day, and I know it's because I really am trying to forget myself. I'm not perfect, I can be more consecrated, I can be more obedient, more patient, more loving, but I am trying and I know that the Lord sees that. I love Him.

Things are a lot better lately. I really start to love this work more and more every day. I noticed something about myself this week. I feel that at the beginning of my mission, I had a lot of patience. I would even say it was one of my strongest points.. But now I think that it's one of my weakest points. It's so hard not to get frustrated with people on the streets. It's so hard to be patient with my companion, and even with myself. I don't really know why it's become such a problem. The coolest part to me about the weaknesses which I have, and which we ALL have, is that we can overcome them! All we have to do is just turn it over the Christ. I have found out that is the answer to EVERYTHING in life. You have a question? Turn it over to Christ. You feeling lonely? Turn it over to Christ. Have heartbreak? Turn it over to Christ. Are you SO happy and life is going so well? Turn it over to Christ. I know that we can't overcome things alone, but with Christ who has done ALL things, ALL things are possible.

Ruby and Jon sent me a thought that I LOVED.

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature. Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world."

Turn to Him. HE is the answer to ALL things. Have the happiest week! LOVE YOU!!

Love sissy Hayster