Spring? Psych! Snow!

Dear Everyone,

Well, despite the fact that I have been walking around in flats and a light jacket lately, Friday we had a blizzard. A full out blizzard. Two and a half feet of snow in one day. It literally snowed all day long. We woke up and were getting ready to go outside to run when Sister Blau says "um....is that snow on the ground? Sister Brown, I love you, but not enough to go outside in this...." I was in shock that it snowed again. They closed down all the transportation in the city, so it was pretty crazy. I even had to pull out my gigantic sleeping-bag coat out of the space bag, so I've been wearing that the last couple of days. I feel bad for Sister Blau because she's from Hawaii and is definitely NOT used to this weather. Yay Russia! It's been gradually melting since Friday, so that's good at least. 

We had a family home evening at the senior couple's house this week and two of our investigators came to that! We watched the Restoration and Sister Blau and I taught the first lesson. It went really well and Sister Blau is really good at explaining things. We both bore some pretty powerful testimonies about the Restoration. It was so fun! We had Russian candy as the refreshments. :)

Tuesday we had a service project in a member's garden. We helped her clear up the debris from winter (ironic since winter returned later that week....). It was really fun and took a couple of hours. She's actually flying to Utah soon to visit her daughter in West Jordan, and she said that she'll pass along some stuff from me. I'll send you a fridge magnet probably. I love those things. :)

Wednesday we did weekly planning and then had our English group. English group is way different here than in Ufa (far fewer people come), but it's still great. Sister Blau and I were in charge of the advanced group, and we talked about surprises. It was really fun. Then....Wednesday after English the sister trainers came for splits!

We had splits on Thursday, and that was great. Both the sister trainers had served in Chelyabinsk and were able to set up some meetings with us to kind of do a "handover" (introduce their old investigators to us so that it's more comfortable for us to meet with the investigators). That was really fun, and I always enjoy splits with the sister trainers.

Friday was the (infamous) blizzard. I'm just trying to forget that it ever happened. Definitely the worst snow and wind that I've ever seen at one time in Russia. It was....awful. :)

Saturday we had some more meetings with investigators, and we had a really good lesson about the Plan of Salvation with this nice retired couple. The wife really believes the church is true but won't act on that if her husband won't because she believes that she needs to follow the head of the house. Complicated. :/

Sunday was church, and all the new missionaries in Chelyabinsk got to bear their testimonies (all the missionaries except our district leader are new here). Our church meets on the 4th and 5th floors of a huge office building. It's kind of an unusual set up for a church (I'm just used to Ufa's beautiful church building....), but I'm gradually getting used to it. 

We got an internet referral this week for a town outside of the city, but we couldn't find it on a map because it was outside of our map boundaries, so we called up the senior couple and asked about it. Well, we found out maybe a little too much about it. Over 20 times the radiation of Chernobyl and the city's existance was denied for a long time. It's a "closed city" meaning that there is too much nuclear contamination for anyone to go into it, but the 80,000 inhabitants still live there. During the cold war, that's where they produced plutonium for nuclear warheads. Also, according to mom's research, "No one there was told what was going on. It was an underground city and there was much death due to cancer; doctors were not allowed to mention radiation in their diagnoses or on death certificates. It is the most contaminated place on earth, all top secret for years." Kind of scary, but safe to say, we are not going to be going there. We have decided to mail the Book of Mormon to this lady instead. :) Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a strange post-apocalyptic world.

Well, that's all I have for you this week. I love you. The church is true, and I'm so glad to be out on a mission right now. It's crazy that I'm on the downhill, but I still have a lot of work ahead of me here. Keep praying for me, and I'll keep praying for you. I love you!

All the best,
Sister Brown

Spring, spring, spring!!

What a week it has been. After surviving a 16 hour train ride from 3:00 in the morning to 6:00 pm on Tuesday, I thought this week would never end. I didn't sleep too well on the train since we were right next to the room where everyone goes to smoke. We played UNO with the elders for several hours as well as some other good card games (one of the Elders had Star Wars cards, pretty cool, huh?) so that kept us entertained pretty well.

Training for trainers was fun..... I found out where I'll be serving-- a city called Chelyabinsk. My companion is Sister Blau from Hawaii. It's funny because when we met, I knew her face looked really familiar. Turns out we had a couple classes together at BYU! It's going to be quite a challenge to whitewash and train, but I really think it's doable. 

Mission conference in Ekat was awesome. All the missionaries in the mission were there (very unusual). President Christensen revealed some changes in the organization of the leadership in the mission. We had never had district leaders before (only zone leaders) but now we will be having both district leaders and zone leaders. We also talked about lots of changes that President would like us to support him in. He's very big on a "culture of consecration." They did lots of training on how to have unawkward conversations with people on transport and such. They also had a couple come in (both RMS and Russians) and talk about how we can be more respectful of members here and their culture. 

It was a really spiritual conference and right after, our whole district got on a bus (four hours) and drove to Chelyabinsk. I was really exhausted and kind of reeling from the events of the day. I was really missing one of my good Russian friends (and Ufa....) and just wishing I had someone to talk to on the bus.I even said a silent prayer about it. My whole district was talking super loudly in English, and I was pretty embarrassed by them. I turned to the lady across the aisle at one of the stops and apologized for our loudness. It led to a really good conversation with her. I learned she's from Ufa (from my old area, actually) and she was going from Ekat to Chely to pick up her daughter from being at grandma's. We talked a lot about families and religion, and I was able to talk to her about our church and what we believe. I taught her about the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. I got her number and sent it to the sisters in Ufa later. It was a really tender mercy of the Lord that I was able to meet her. I consider it a miracle because we were really able to connect due to the fact that I knew Ufa so well and had been there for so long. If I had had a Book of Mormon with me in Russian, I would have given it to her. I explained what it was and shared some verses with her, and she said she'll go pick one up for herself in Ufa when she goes home. 

This week was kind of a struggle after we got to Chelyabinsk though. When we got to the apartment, a lot of things having to do with plumbing were broken, but they're being fixed as we speak-- such a relief. The apartment is wayyyyy worse than my one in Ufa, but my apartment in Ufa was super nice (we had a concierge...doesn't get nicer than that!)-- such a shame that I only was able to live there for one week. 

Other than that, Chelyabinsk seems super nice. It's way smaller geographically than Ufa, and it looks way more European. It's hard to describe the difference in architecture, but there is one. People here are also way more "white" than in Ufa, where the majority of the population is Muslim heritage and religion. I feel like I'm almost serving in a different country than "my" Russia!

It's been super interesting to whitewash. I have no preconceived misconceptions about people or my area, so I'm kind of on my own! It's been cool to figure things out for myself, but it's pretty hard. I'm hoping this week will be a little easier. 

We had a great lesson here with a less-active lady and her non-member daughter. The daughter was super interested on the lesson and even committed to read the Book of Mormon, so we gave her some concrete chapters to read. She became a new investigator because she agreed to have us over on Thursday. It's cool that we've only been here a couple of days, but we already have a new investigator. :) 

Don't think that I'm depressed or anything, it's just understandably been kind of a hard week. I'm excited for this week because I know a lot more will get accomplished since I'm already learning our area and working with people here. 

I hope Easter was great. We celebrated it by eating at the Huntsman's (a senior couple serving here). They made us some great chicken and rice-- but not quite as good as mom's. ;) It felt so nice to be in a "home" environment with people that love us. 

Have a wonderful week. I love you so much!!!

Love,

Sister Brown

Lots of Pictures!

Transfer

Well, that's it. I finally got a transfer call, but for some reason all transfers assignments are on wraps until Wednesday. All I know is that I'm leaving Ufa (after nine months), and that I'll also be training a new sister in the area where I am going.

I'm in shock that I'm leaving Ufa. I was told yesterday that I was leaving today, and it's crazy. Because we watched conference yesterday at the church and the English started slightly later than the Russian, I literally didn't get any time to say goodbye to anyone. What a crazy day. Everything is packed and ready to go, and I haven't quite gotten used to the idea. Especially because we moved apartments less than a week ago....

This week was great, and our investigator is set to be baptized this weekend. It's too bad that I'm leaving and won't be here for the baptism, but I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to teach her and get to know her. 

Like I said, this week we moved apartments, and our new apartment it beautiful. It's very modern (more modern than a traditional Russian apartment anyway) and kind of craftsman style. It's very big and spacious. I love it! Lots of daylight and we have a wonderful building. Kind of a shame that I won't be here, but it was nice to at least feel at home for a week!

Conference was great. In between the Saturday sessions, we did an American pancake breakfast for the ward members. It was so fun. I think my favorite talks were Lawrence Corbridge's on Joseph Smith and also L. Tom Perry's on Obedience. Of course Gary E. Stevenson's was really great, but I felt a little left out since I didn't see the Olympics this year. 

Conference is great, and it's especially great being a missionary and watching conference. I only have one more conference left on my mission-- how weird! I'm feeling a little old especially since this will now be my third time training.....crazy! Time flies when you're having fun. :)

I feel really at peace about leaving Ufa. I've done all that I can in my area, and I really feel that I did all I could to leave my area "stronger than [I] found it" (PMG 137). I've worked super hard here, and it's been nice to see the longer term results just nine months later. I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to serve here among these people. The members here are incredible examples of perseverance. They're all so strong here, and it's really inspirational. 

Well, I love Russia. I'm so glad to have been called here. I've learned so much from all the people and all the experiences that I've had. Being a missionary is dang hard, but it's so worth it. I've had the most spiritual experiences on my mission, and I really feel that I've been changed in so many ways. It's hard to explain all the changes, hardships, challenges, and struggles that I've experienced so far, but I'm so excited to continue on this adventure in a different city. Whitewashing is going to be so fun!

I know the Lord knows I can handle this but please keep me in your prayers this week a little more than usual. :)

I love you all!!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Brown

2 Nephi 5:10-11

"And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things.... and the Lord was with us"

So close to spring!

Well, other than the blizzard that we woke up to today....it's been feeling almost like spring here in Ufa! Sunny enough that people have cranked out the sun glasses (but they're still tromping around in the fur coats).

The most dramatic part of our week this week: the electricity in our apartment exploded. I won't get into too much details, but we made a mid-transfer move...into the elder's apartment! (They obviously moved in with one of the other sets of elders-- we are not living with elders.) That was exciting but also really annoying because now it takes us about an hour/hour-and-a-half by bus to just GET to our area, not including traveling by bus around our area. (Remember-- our area is the biggest in the mission-- IT'S HUGE). That's made missionary work be more complicated than usual.

So, in short, we've been having lots of fun getting lost on unfamiliar forms of transportation and spending exorbitant amounts of money to fix those mistakes. Missionary struggles. Also, we're living out of carry-on suitcases for now until the problem either gets fixed or we can find a new apartment (I pray the solution comes to pass shortly....). I really miss my study materials. I have sooooo many books with me on my mission, but that's because I use them all! I've had to resort to my old form of studying, just straight memorizing vocabulary. It's probably a blessing because that's something that I've been avoiding doing for a really long time, and now that's the only way that I have to study! Wahoo!

Things are going really well with our new investigator. She's really receptive to the lessons and has a sincere desire to change her life. She's 100% in accordance with the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom so that was a relief. We had to move her baptismal date back a few weeks because she couldn't get work off on Sunday and General Conference/Zone Conference are coming up, so we have to do it after those things. But she will be getting baptized this month if everything goes well! Keep praying for us over here. :)

We have done a LOT of work on the branch list this week such as calling people that don't have listed addresses or stopping by people that for some reason were not marked as being in our area. It's a lot of tedious work, but it's worth it. And we are improving our area 1000% for the next missionaries who will serve here. There's a sentence in PMG Chapter 8 that says "leave your area stronger than you found it" (kind of like the Boy Scout saying about leaving your camping place better than you found it...haha). President Christensen says that Chapter 8 is the guide to being a consecrated missionary, and he's totally right. How you spend your time is a huge indicator of if you're consecrated or not. We've done a lot of "consecrating" this week in that aspect. :)

Even though I've served in this area eight months, I am STILL meeting less-actives whom I have never met before. Isn't it cool how that keeps happening? This week we had a meeting with a lady who is in and out of hospitals in various parts of the world because she was severely hit by a car several years ago and has been recovering ever since. I finally got to meet her, and it was such a great meeting. Her 8 year old son and husband are not members....so we've got some work to do on that part, but I'm expecting them to get baptized sometime this year since they're both so wonderful and receptive. Miracles are seriously happening in this side of the world!

We had two less-actives come to church that we've been working with, so that was a really good day. Of course some of the other less actives whom we've been working with didn't come.... so that was too bad :(

This last week I've really gained a testimony about how Sister Williams and I are serving here, in this area, for a reason. We are supposed to be here, with these people, at this time. But on the flip side, the work we have to do is so overwhelming, and we can't do it alone. We're the only ones that can do it, but we can only do it with the Lord's help. 

That's what missionary work is. Some days you think "oh, I got this!" and the next day people are making fun of your Russian, your religion, your skirt, your shirt, your hair, your country, and basically everything that makes you, you. 

You have to stand up and say "No, this is correct. Yes, God does exist. Yes, He loves you even if you don't want Him to. Yes, Jesus was the Christ. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. Read the Book of Mormon. Read the Bible. Change your life." It's those moments of pure testimony that really touch people. You have to be bold. 

I'm reading through the Book of Mormon (again) and marking:

yellow:missionary work/gathering of Israel/Restoration

green: promises/covenants

red: Christ's name, inspiration to me

orange: obedience

It's really cool to see the themes of the verses clearly laid out in front of me, and it's actually really helping me apply the scriptures and "liken" them unto myself since I'm looking for these themes more and more. The Book of Mormon is truly a great literary work. Seriously. I'm in Jacob right now (definitely my favorite writer, especially what he wrote in 2 Nephi). 

Have a great week at General Conference and send me the total missionary count. :)

I love you all!!! :)

Love,

Sister Brown