A Letter by Sister LeBaron, who now serves with Ariel's former companion, Sister Ivanova

 "One time this week when we got on a bus, Sister Ivanova started talking to this lady and invited her to church.  I was further toward the back of the bus, but all of a sudden I heard this old lady start YELLING and SCREAMING at Sister Ivanova.  There was this old babushka just like taking it out on my companion about how we shouldn't bother people.  But it was so loud and people don't usually talk in buses so EVERYONE was just watching.  The old babushka hit Sister Ivanova's papers out of her hands and continued to yell and yell.  Then this old babushka that was sitting right next to where I was standing (because I gave her my seat!) started yelling at me!  She asked me the name of our church and I told her and then I told her we read the Book of Mormon, a second witness for Christ, and she said, "Oh, I know about the Mormons!  They're an EVIL sect and they do terrible things to children and they oppress their women!  Everyone should run away from the Mormons..."  Etc.  And everyone around us was just watching and listening as I, in my very poor Russian, bore my testimony about Jesus Christ.  I told her that we believe in Jesus Christ just the same as she does and she was like "Oh, don't try to pull that on me.  I know what you believe."  I showed her Jesus Christ's name on my badge, and that quieted her  for just long enough for the lady sitting next to her (a woman maybe in her late 20's), to ask for information about our Church.  I was holding several brochures and she wanted to read them.  She took one of each and then asked more about what we believe.  I told her about what our church believes about families and the whole back half of the bus was listening....  it was crazy.  We had to get off the bus before I got the chance to get the woman's phone number :(  But I was grateful for her sincere inquiries about our church to make me feel better about being attacked by an old babushka."