"I will take you home"....NOT!

It's super rainy here, as it has been of late. No fun, but today we're going to go hang out at the branch, so should be fun. I don't mind the rain, it's kind of cool.

Okay, what to tell you about this week? SOOOO many cool experiences! Yes, after the weekend from AD we're back safely in Pskov. We're back in business and the spirit has been so strong and amazing this week! It's been awesome! We had a meeting with our cute investigator Anya last night. I cut her hair SO hot, and then we watched the Testaments, which I love! And she loved it too! She cried! She loves reading the Book of Mormon, and she said she will come to church on Sunday! Yay! I love her.

A couple of days ago, we were riding on the bus to District Meeting, and this woman sitting across from us started asking about our tags. I told her who we are and about the gospel a little bit. She started going off on how she believes in God, but that's it, because nobody has the answers. Let me tell you, those words get you super excited when you KNOW you have the answers someone is looking for! So we were talking, and the spirit was just feeding the words B. and I needed to say. I love working with her because I've really had a whole knew world of understanding open up to me, and because we're both American and not so good at the language, we get to explain things simply, which I see is the best when talking to people on the streets.

But the cool part of this experience was that everyone on the bus seemed to be listening. The provaslovic women started getting into it with our woman and were DEFENDING us! That's huge, cuz first, we're American, and everyone hates us right now. Second, we're MORMON, so everyone hates us ALWAYS. It started a little tiff, but I loved it cuz the whole time I felt just so calm and happy, and so did B. There were some other people listening too, including some guys in their 20’s and the bus conductor. But the words just came so perfectly, and we testified, so real and so spiritual. We accidentally missed our stop because of it all.

When we got off, we were just like, that was AMAZING! SOOO RAD! And we just talked about the amazing spirit that was just so TANGIBLE there. I loved it. :)

That day we had district meeting and I made a KILLER scotch cake and sadly, ate a lot of it, but it was divine. I like our DM, because our district is so tight and we always get into really deep life and gospel discussions. It's so fun.

Oh, mafia man story: My comp and I had just gone through the most stressful weekend EVER, rushing up to St. Pete's and back. We had finally made it to the bus station to get tix back to Pskov. Long story, short, B needed an ATM, so she asked this really nicely dressed man. We're like, okay, he's for sure mafia. You can just spot them here so easily. We went back an hour later to wait the last couple hours before our bus arrived in a bistro right outside the station. We were starving. Well, that guy was in there, and suddenly, as we were looking at the things to choose from to eat, he ordered for us! And was PAYING for us! I was like, um, NO! So weird! We didn't know him, he was a man, we were missionaries, I was just like AHHH!

But it all happened so fast, and the cashiers wouldn't listen to us, they thought it was all very funny that the rich mafia man was going after the dumb California girls. So, I was like, what do we do?! And I just decided, fine, we'll talk about the gospel, duh! Haha, so we did, and found out he was Muslim, named Abu. It was all very awkward and such, but we finished eating and he was like, what bus are you taking? HE was going to Pskov TOO! Dangit! We made excuses to get away from him the last hour before the bus got there. He was very nice and dignified, but I just didn't like the situation.

On the bus he was super into us, it was more obvious. Gross. So then, because the buses weren't going to be running by the time we got in, he said, "I'll take you home." Blah blah blah. I frantically called our elders, told them to meet us at the station, and they said the word had to go up through zone leaders, APs, and prez, (HORRIFIC! I WAS MORTIFIED! But prez had just that day given us a lecture on safety issues, so it wasn't so bad).

I guess the elders RAN from their apt to meet us. I'm so glad they did, cuz when we got off the bus and the elders ran up, Abu who had been so gentlemanly and nice and was insisting we go with him, took off! Like a predator! We watched as he met ANOTHER big man, and they hopped in a car with ANOTHER man! Oh man, both B and I felt the spirit so strong like, AHHHH! That could have been horrible! We weren't planning on going with him no matter what, but I was just so thankful the elders came to our rescue, cuz afterwards, the spirit was just SINGING to us we did the right thing.

Okay, that wasn't all the details, but it was too long anyways. :) I love my family so much and miss you all DESPERATELY! I'm so happy I'm finishing up my rockin' mission so I can come home and attack you all, I miss you so much! I love the spirit, I LOVE the priesthood, I love the people here, I love my mission! And most of all, I love you!!!! (written Aug 28, 2008)