Ariel's Mission in Russia: Service Week! April 23, 2012

Well, We're back in V-grad!

Sister Whitaker and I had an AMAZING ride up to Rostov! We got to ride on a double Decker bus, and even though our seats weren't in the very front on the second level... (they were close) we sat there!! So, the whole ride we had an AMAZING view of the green fields and rivers!! and the sunset!! it was AMAZING! We also occupied our 8 hour bus ride by writing "These are a few of the best mission things." to the tune of "My favorite things" from Sound of music. It's pretty amazing if I say so myself. We were kind of cramped up after sitting for that long, especially because we had just played soccer and Frisbee with the elders in center on P-day.. and let me tell you... it took all of us almost a whole week to recover! gotta love being out of shape on the mission! :)

We got the best treat of all, getting to stay with the Potter's in Rostov! LOVE IT!!!! We switched up companions on Wednesday, after a super yummy breakfast with the Potter's (papa Potter's home-made southern biscuits, eggs, and potatoes beats all) and a fun morning for Mama Potter's birthday! We had a little time to talk with the other missionaries before Sister Ivanova and I were shipped off on another 8 hour bus ride back to V-grad! So, since we only had like 3 days here this week, we didn't get a lot done, especially because we ended up doing service on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! But our branch has finally moved into their new building!! We were just renting the upper level of a school. It wasn't a very nice building and now we have a basement part of a building, but it actually looks like a ward building in the inside!!! it's SO beautiful! On Friday most of the ward gathered to clean and set up the new building. Vika (a young girl in our branch) and I mopped the sacrament rooms floor. Her little sister Masha kept sneaking in and skipping laughing and running all over our wet and already clean floor!! She thought it was great fun running from us! Then Brat Dmitri kept trying to set up chairs on our wet floor!! We finally got everyone kicked out and Masha held under a close watch, and quickly mopped the floor for like the billionth time and then locked the doors to no one could go in!!!

We all gathered on Sunday and the spirit was SO strong to see us all in such a beautiful building! It was so great! President Lesitzen, the second counselor in the District Presidency spoke. He started out his talk by saying, "you know..... God loves us!" It was so powerful and I could feel the spirit SO strong! They've waited for this day! and we finally have a good building!

Our lesson was a little bit about Genealogy in Relief Society this week and Sister Ivanova made a point that I had never thought of. There is the scripture.. I don't know where it is and I don't remember it perfectly, but it says that our ancestors without us cannot be made perfect/saved and we without them cannot be made perfect. When Sister Ivanova went to the temple the first time she asked why we can't be made perfect without them. She understood that they couldn't without us as we do the work for them. The patron in the temple explained that without our ancestors, we wouldn't be able to go back to the temple and keep learning there! Thanks to them we can go to the temple often and continue to grow and learn more!! That was SUCH a cool thought! I'd never thought of it like that before!

We had an amazing fireside about Family History work and I heard SO many wonderful stories! i wish that I could tell them... but alas... my time is up!! I love you all SO much and hope that all is well with you! Sister Ivanova and I are back to work this week! It will be a good one!

love you all
Cectpa Cunningham

Me with easter cakes. Kulichi.

Nikolai gave us this flower for easter. with one of the lesitzen girls!

We LOVE natasha!

Me and President Einer (branch president) with an easter egg he gave us.

Kulichi again! they're pretty yummy...! :) just like sweet bread.

We were playing sports and these 4 little boys came along, so we played soccer with them! ( be sure to send this to Elder jacobson's mom please! :)

We all got way sunburned! but it was fun! we realized how out of shape we all were after running around for like 10 minutes and feeling like we needed to throw up! :)

Last FHE with SIster Whitaker. Brat Sergei kommonarov, our investigator Sergei, sister yulya, sister whitaker, ludmila, brat dmitri, brat komo and me and brat valerie! doesn't brat komo look like dad? sorry... i don't think I wrote it in the right order.