Conference inspiration

Last week when i said it was cold... i lied. it's FREEZING! Sure it was 3 degrees C, but i didn't take wind chill into factor. I don't know how much of a diff it makes, but later last Thursday we were outside the Hermitage and I had my puny little CA jacket on, zipped all the way up so it covered half of my face. Yea, my lips stuck to the zipper, it was so cold. And the whole city is on water (like Venice, i love it!) so it's freaking arctic.

The Hermitage...LOVED it! I only got to see part of one floor cuz we had an investigator to teach, but i LOVED it! For some reason I turned into a psycho tour guide and started telling my comps about the artists and the topics of the paintings like i was some old pro or something. Something happens to me when i hit art museums, i get so passionate and crazy. I give you full permission to make fun of me right now. I shrieked when i was cruising through one of the rooms and saw a DaVinci I recognized immediately. Then I almost died when I saw a statue by Michelangelo... oh man, so fun! I took a couple of pics. But i didn't see my fave piece by Rafael, so I'll have to go back.

Transfers were this week and so it was a crazy fest as usual. my comps and i stayed, so I'm happy. My AP Silver (short for his crazy Russian name) is down in Pskov now, but i still have Y and i love his new comp. Last night they asked so many questions about what they should do with their hair, what kind of products they should use, and stuff. They're so fun, I love them! And I think I told you about my phone call from Elder silver about not being allowed to do the elders' hair. Well, i guess that was HIS rule! haha! The office told me that now that he's gone, it's fine. (he's the one who yelled at me about the porn pics way back when, remember?) We were hanging with the APs on Monday and on the way home on the bus that night, a drunk guy came and sat by me, right before they were getting off at their stop. Silver told the sisters to "Watch her" in Russian, indicating me. I was like "I'm not a child, i can understand you!" haha I've never done anything wrong and silver acts like I'm some kind of problem sister or something. Anyways, the drunk guy confessed his love for me after a really funny convo as he was hopping off the bus and i was like "hmm... thanks." We'll see if he shows up to English or something, i gave him invites.

I finally experienced a BANYA! EVERYONE talks about them because everyone here thinks that banyas are a normal past time and the elders have funny stories about going to them. They're like public bath houses. My comps grew up going to them. Well, on Tuesday, I experienced one for the first time ever. What a psycho experience that was! We went with Ira, (our investigator who i love and is getting baptized on Sat.) to this ghetto alley and had the option of going in one of two doors. We walked into one and found ourselves in the middle of 150 Russian soldiers... Um! So we went to the other door... GHETTO! I was like, what have i gotten myself into?!?!?!?!


We paid and then climbed 9 flights of stairs to the top floor. We had our own banya to ourselves instead of going to the public one. We walked into the most scary, ghetto room I've ever seen and i just started laughing. It was unfathomable. There was a black, dirty Jacuzzi type thing, two showers, leather seats, a bathroom, a sauna, etc. So yea, we went into the sauna and put honey on our whole bods, which was actually pretty cool, cuz it just melted off and wasn't sticky at all. We did face and body muds and then beat each other with branches of hot leaves....don't ask me why...they say it's healthy for you... All in all, it was so weird. But I'm not gonna lie, KINDA fun! hahaha i was like "my mom is going to get on a plane to come and get me when she hears about this."

So, how awesome was conference!? It was weird that we got it a week later, and the audio and visual kept going out, so it took a bit longer than usual and we would just end up listening to the audio of each session. But i loved it! Okay, first off, it was a total party with like, 50 missionaries! So fun! Second, I don't think I've ever loved and appreciated conference so much! I needed it. isn't it funny how it always seems to be specifically for you... but everyone thinks the same thing too! haha! Well, it was for me. :) I thought the Sat. session was rad and really emphasized letting the world know who we are! I loved how the speakers totally hit on all the hard questions people have about our church and they just answered them all so matter-of-factly and confidently, i loved it! The gospel is simple, we can just be confident and comfortable in telling it how it is.

I LOVED Elder Holland's SMACKDOWN talk! He's such a freaking stud. I felt the spirit so strong during it. He was just so forward and honest.

I loved loved LOVED Sunday's session! Elder Eyring talked about how "quickly people are lifted up in the pride of their hearts and forget their God." It's so easy to do, to think that I'm responsible for my accomplishments instead of Heavenly Father. I've been reading about it time and time again in the Book of Mormon! I've been thinking about this lately as I've been reading and seeing how the Book of Mormon is for our benefit and for us to learn for our time.. Over and over again, nations were established on righteousness and in the ways of God. Then they become prideful and wealthy and everything and forget about God. It just sounds awfully familiar. America was established on God and he's been worked out of everything! It just scared me, because these nations were destroyed no matter how powerful they were. I don't know. I just don't want to see my rad country that I love so much go down in flames, you know.

I loved Elder Cook's (new Apostle!) talk! Live by faith and not fear. Well, you know I swallowed that right up because I'm all about Batman and facing fears. ;) A lot of the talks hit on this, how we need to not be scared, and how we should be comfortable bearing witness of our Savior. I loved it, because you KNOW I'm not scared to share the gospel, but sharing it in Russian terrifies me! This conference showed me that i need to get over that. As long as I'm confident in what i say, instead of stuttering and wincing as i try to remember the right words, people respond way more positively.


On Monday, I don't know what was going on, but i was on a major happy high and I just started going up to people and saying "hey, do you speak English?" in English, then chatting it up in Russian and inviting them to English practice. This is exciting because I've had a hard time contacting people in the city. But I just did it thinking, "hello! This church is TRUE! I know it. God knows it. There's no reason to hesitate!" I can honestly tell you that Monday might have been one of the most fun days I've had since I've been here. The more people i talked to, the happier i became, ESPECIALLY if they responded well. Which shockingly, MOST of them did!

My mission is so fun! Elder Eyring also talked about how the Holy Ghost will bring things to our remembrance if we keep his spirit with us. It was in a different context than this, but i took it for myself that I will remember the things i study in Russian. it's a promise we have, so I'm taking full advantage! :)

One of the times i was at Medem for a shot, I picked up a Time magazine and started reading an article about moms that i thought looked good... well it wasn't. it started off by asking where all the working women in the world had gone then disgustedly stated that they were all at home taking care of children. it said that children were being too pampered and that it's good for children to have things like daycare and such... basically the article blew me away and said everything opposite to what was said about women in conference. so now i get to one of my fave talks, by sister Julie Beck! "mothers who know," all about wanting to be a mom and how mothers are influence. Mothers are power. They are truly the leaders of the world, they affect it all! The spirit was SO SO crazy during her talk! I loved everything she said about how to raise kids in the home (the pre-missionary training center.) :) AH, I'm going off, sorry.

Anyways, i just loved conference. i loved hearing the voice of the prophet of the Lord. I love him. My heart jumped when President HInckley mentioned the gospel being in Russia. And how we're the 4th largest church , but he said "This is only the beginning." After hearing this conference i just want to invite EVERYONE we know to watch conference every year, because the messages are always amazing.

Thank you so much mom and dad for raising me with good standards and expecting good things out of me! I feel so lucky to already know what the heck I'm doing here, what need to be done and what i have to look forward to! I'm so thankful for our family! Its my fave topic to talk about in Russian. :) When sister cook said that "brothers and sisters can be best friends," i was like, duh. Mine ARE! I'm just so thankful our family will be together forEVER! I'm not ashamed to say, we're pretty rock death, our fam. ;)

I pray for you all, ALL the time and i miss you so much! i love how Elder Uchtdorf said how Jesus Christ wants us to succeed. He gave his life just for this purpose. And we need to endure JOYFULLY to the end! Well, I plan to, on my mission and in this life. :) Please tell Dad that I'm striving to represent his name as best as i can, and I'm proud i can wear it everyday next to that of my Saviors. I love you so much! (written on Oct 18, 2007)