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Monday, August 15, 2011

Good times in Krasnodar! August 15, 2011

Krasnodar... oh HOW I LOVE KRASNODAR!!!

So many way awesome things have happened this week!!!  Here we go!! This one day we were coming back to the city on a marshytka and I helped this old lady on.  She opened up her purse and she had a bowl full of blackberries.  She made Sister Zamorina and I eat SO many! haha!  lucky we didn't get sick!! :)  It was so funny this week also!  We were sitting on a bench waiting for a couple minutes for our lady to meet us for a lesson.  There was a lady in the apartment building nearby and she just sat there watching us out of her window on the 3rd floor.  Sister Zamorina said hello and we talked a little bit too her.  She went and got some paper and a pen and even wrote down our number! haha! I haven't ever really talked to people through windows, but it has happened serveral times while I've been here in Russia!! haha! LOVE IT!!  On Thursday we were on our way to the church building and this drunk man asked if we could call a taxi for him.  He wasn't dangerous, just sitting there wanting a taxi to get home.  So, Sister Zamorina called like 3 times to try to explain to the taxi where we were.  We had to wait for the taxi to come, as we had called on our phone.  It was bad because we were meeting up with sister Potter that day so that she could come work with us.  The elders and elder and sister potter were all waiting for us!! :)  Well, we waited, and waited adn then finally the man just said, oh well... I'll just walk home!  I couldn't help but laugh!  He could have just said he'd walk home in the first place! haha  We also started several new traditions this week!  The two girls that live next to us have these little beach cruising bikes, so every other day Sister Zamorina and I ride them on this really pretty path here in Krasnodar!  It is SO pretty and looks like Europe!  And it's just fun to cruise on their bikes!  The other tradition that we started is a little more serious.... So, I have a horrible time fully waking my brain up in the morning.  this week we read Alma 37:37 in a lesson.  It says "and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God."  I decided that that was for me.  So every morning we have to say at least one thing that we're thankful for!  Sometimes they're kind of wierd as we may be half a sleep... for example, this week Sister Zamorina said, "I am glad that it's almost breakfast time." But it has really helped make our mornings... well, for me at least, so much better! Also at night we have started saying one or more things that made us laugh, or that we found funny during the day!  It's great to go to bed laughing with smiles on our faces and wake up with thankfulness!! you should try it!!

This week on Thursday we worked all day with Sister Potter.  she is the Senior sister here in Krasnodar! It was SO great to work with her, but i have to tell you... wow!! I was SO tired at the end of the day because I had to translate for her all day!  I had to translate what everyone else was saying, what she was saying, and then also try to talk and participate in the lessons myself!! haha!  So ya... I basically talked ALL DAY LONG!! And my brain hurt so badly from having to really stretch to try to understand EVERYTHING, but it was really good as I had to always be REALLY paying attention and REALLY trying to understand everything that people were saying!

We also got stuck in an elevator! haha  the doors had started to close on me so Sister Zamorina tried to jump in by pushing the doors open.  Well, they closed most of the way, but then stopped.  Elder Potter came and try to man handle the doors open as he peeked in at us through our small crack, but in the end, after about 15 minutes maitenance came and got us out! haha!  It was rather comical! :)  We also had a music night this week! Wow!!  They enjoyed the american fiddle tune i played, but wow There is SO much talent here in Krasnodar!  Everyone who performed did a FANTASTIC job!!  We had plays, singing, dancing, etc!  ANd one of the highlights... haha... Larissa and Sergie were M.C.ing and they got up to announce the next song.  In the dead silence their little daughter yelled, "Mom! I have to go pee!!!"  we all laughed!

I also saw a picture of Brother Porter, my MTC teacher, at Denis's home! haha Denis and our Branch President (ammon and joseph will really enjoy this story) were in a band together.  They had long hair and wore all kinds of punk clothes.  When we visited Bishop's house this week we knew that we had to hear the whole story of how he joined the church.  After bringing out enough cakes, candies, and soda to feed 6 elders... we asked him to tell us his story.  He had actually been a satanist! ya! cool huh!  After he had decided to turn his back on Jesus Christ, he had a dream!  In his dream he saw the Savior.  The Savior looked at him and waved goodbye with tears running down his cheeks.  After this his son ended up in the hospital and his wife got sick and they ended up meeting the missionaries, etc.  I didn't understand all that he said, but I want to hear more details!  They are SO amazing!  the elders also gave us a new investigator Amy this week!  Her brother and mom were baptized just a couple weeks ago and she has already talked to us about wanting to get baptized soon! so many miracles are happening!  We didn't have a lot of time to teach or contact at all this week pretty much as we worked A TON on the music night, but things are going AMAZING here!  I hope that you all are doing well! I LOV EYOU TONS!!
love,
cectpa Cunningham

 The rinok where we bought our fruit and vegetables

  I taught them how to play pictionary at FHE and at first they just walked and didn't really get it... but then they got WAY into it and were running and having a BLAST!!

 Riding bikes in the morning

 our day with Sister Potter

 Started making popsicles in plastic cups by freezing yogurt and fruit... great on a hot day!! or hot all the time apartment!

typical night... eating lots of watermelon.. this is what's left

 Ulya, my comp, katya, and amy!! :) I love them!!

 our investigator Ekaterina who invited all of her friends to church also!! :)

 sister zamorina on our bike ride!!

this is a family picture of the family we live with... i hope it was ok I took this pic. of their picture... but I couldn't help it... so I was wrong that they don't have a son... but notice the Book of Mormon in their family picture!! I LOVE THEM!! ;)

Me and Amy.

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