Valentine's Lunch... February 21, 2012

Hello Family and Friends!

Happy Valentine's Day!  We decided that it would be a perfect opportunity to go and visit our friend Brat Dmitri!  We couldn't find his house, so we called him and he said that he was on his way to find us.  He's like 65 or so and had a stroke a couple years ago so he only mumbles when he talks! Super hard to understand!  We finally saw him after we actually found his house doing his "Brat Dmitri" run where he doesn't move any part of his body but his legs. (I think that he has chi running down dad!)  Well, he insisted on feeding us... and IT WAS NASTY!  He got these really old sticky noodles out of his fridge and put them in an old frying pan covered inch thick with black... who knows what, that had about 1/4 inch thick of oil that had sat in there for who knows how long.  He then opened this can of creamed meat and put it over half the noodles and sister Whitaker is a vegetarian.  After warming it up he set the pan in front of us and gave us each a fork.  Mine had some kind of yellow dried something on it.... yes, we prayed and ate as much as we had to not to be rude.  And we DID NOT get food poisoning!! Thank goodness!  We gave Brat Dmitri a valentine heart that said, "i love you, love God" on it and talked about the love of God!  He's fun!

We had a good time contacting this week too.  We had a lesson with a member and so just knocked one of the buildings around where they live.  We had a couple lessons and gave away a Book of Mormon!  They can't run because we know where they live!! haha :)  This week we really focused on asking for referrals.  We got to meet with a friend of one of our members.  She wasn't really interested but took a "Finding Faith in Christ" video and enjoyed talking with us.

WE also had Zone Conference this week.  As President didn't come to the Zone Conference's this transfer Sister LeBaron and I got to talk!  We spent most of Wednesday and then Thursday preparing.  We talked about the role of the spirit in conversion.  We really enjoyed Elder Yamoshita's talk from General Conference.  None of our parents have served in Russia so we didn't inherit their coat or love for Russia, but we wear the name of Jesus Christ on our tags.  He knows each of the people here and what they need! We can inherit His love for them and then we can feel it!  As we worked on testifying more when we talk to people instead of just talking with people I felt the spirit more strongly and a stronger love for the Russian people!

Our Zone Leaders did a great presentation about the doctrine of Christ and re-enacted the steps with the help of an Elder and a dirty sheet, representing sin. They had to carry him at first, then he worked to clean himself and then as he committed to be baptized was baptized he got a new clean sheet, could see again, and got a cell phone (like the Holy Ghost) a txt said that if he remained clean he could have constant contact with our Heavenly Father!  IT was cool!

Zulya, the girl we met at pavel's house last week, was sick this week.  But she is planning on meeting us this week.  Pavel himself is not interested in changing, but it's interesting to see how God puts people into our paths so that we can then meet other people through them.  She said that she has been reading the Book of Mormon!

Sister Yulya's granddaughter came to church this week.  She is turning 13 this week and wants to be baptized but her parents won't let her be baptized but let her come to church with her grandmother.  We wanted to ask her parents and get permission to teach her.  I know that her parents may not be open to her getting baptized at this point, but as we talked with her I felt that we should teach her the basic principles of the gospel so that she has the tools and knowledge to stay close to God through her teenage years and hopefully make the choice to be baptized when she comes of age.  She is very smart and has a deep understanding of the gospel already.  Yulya just gave her her very own copy of her Book of Mormon.  We don't want to waste time teaching her but both felt it would be something good to do.  We came to center today so that we can see the Mamaev Korgan, a super famous statue here in Volgagrad! I'm really excited! 

I love you All!!

Cectpa Cunningham