Sunday, November 28, 2010

Happy Turkey..I mean...Thanksgiving Day! :)

 Hello Hello my dear family and friends!

Whoa... way to steal my thunder... no surprise for you about my transfer calls!  Sister McCauley is so sneaky.  Yes, I will be staying in Novo for my last couple of transfers.  SO SO SO sad to leave Barnaul!!  This has really become my home.  I did see it coming, though, and I have peace about going to Novo.  I will have another Russian companion, so that will be awesome to get back into some hard core practice before I come home!  And I've met my future companion already, and she's way cool so it should be great.

This week has been busy so far with meeting with lots of people to say goodbye.  On Saturday, there was this musical salon at the branch. A lot of the members participated,and it was really cool.  However, it stunk for us because NO ONE could meet that day because they were all getting ready for it. And of course they have to prepare all day. haha  So me and Sister Fronk took our shot at tracting.  We tracted into the apartment building right next to the branch.  Of course it was interesting and kinda funny- people crack me up.  But the coolest part was when this woman let us in!!  We were able to talk with her about the Book of Mormon and give her one.  She agreed to meet again!! Her name is Tatiana, and she has a little baby boy, and maybe another child. Her husband is away a lot for work so she's kinda lonely.  :(  But we were way excited!  We set up a meeting with her for yesterday, but she got sick and could not meet. :(  I hope the sisters can meet with her in the future-- she seems really great.

Yesterday we met with Olga for the last time, and that was sad.  I hope that in the near future she will be baptized.  Perhaps it will take just reading the Book of Mormon, and she will receive her answer.  But at this rate, it will take her forever to finish it.  We have been giving her assignments and reading with her where she left off at each lesson.  But I think that things will work out for her.

Coming out of her house, it was dark and cold.  Winter is really here!  It snowed a lot, and then of course people walk on the snow and pack it down... then in the night it gets really cold and freezes the snow. So it's pretty slippery. Anyway, I did my first big fall for the season.  Hooray.  Haha.  I fell flat on my backside- it took me by surprise. All of a sudden, my legs were in front of me and I was on the ground.  But oh my goodness, it hurt so bad!  I felt like I broke my bum.  Hah- I had to tell Sis Fronk to give me a second before I could start walking again.  oof.  That night I iced my backside with our frozen veggies... haha.  It still hurts a bit- but only really when I walk.  

But anyway, seems like Mom and Dad, you know more about me coming home than I do.  Bummer that it will be midnight. yuck.  But that will be nice to just get a fresh night's sleep and relax after a nice long flight.  :)
Hey, is there any kind of souvenirs (sp?) you are going to want before I go home?  Just let me know!

Mom- I will be happy to go right after I get home on a trip with you.  Sounds way fun!  :)  Hope you have a fabulous Thansgiving!  We will be here in Barney for Thansgiving, so it should be interesting w/o having a senior couple!  Haha.  I love you so much!

Dad- Glad that you're enjoying your bus rides.  Sounds relaxing.  Does that mean that you have to leave earlier in the morning to ride the bus?  Are there ever weirdies on the bus?  heh.  You are great!  I hope you have a great week!  Take pics at Thanksgiving, ok?  :)  I love you!!

Good luck with the cold weather!  Doesn't sound too fun!  But I understand you!!

I love you all!  Stay happy!!

Love,
Sister Reed  :)


                  1) us at the famous Barnaul letters.  Very dirty day

                              2) Natalia and Djenna

                          3) Mmmm yummy fishy sandwiches....

4) Me in front of Baba Tatiana's house  (p.s.Mom- I hope you don't care that your grandkids will be calling you "baba" :) )

                                        5) Slick streets

6) haha... me with the Myromsev family.  Like that outfit they dressed me up in?

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Хелло Америка!! :)

Hello!

Well thanks to those of you who wrote me!  You're the best!  Getting letters really makes my day!  :)

This week has been super rainy.  So the streets are FILTHY and there's muddy-nasty puddles everywhere.  I kinda just wish that it would SNOW already to cover up it all!  We'll see when that happens.  I remember last year this time it was FREEZING outside and there was snow everywhere!  I guess that means that it'll be a warm winter!  :)  Hope so!

This week we had a cool meeting with our investigator, Natalia.  Her daughter is actually a member.  We talked with her about prayer.  I love talking about prayer because it's one of my favorite things.  :)  She all growing up never really had much of a belief on God or prayer.  But she really has a desire to know if all of this that we are teaching her is true.  I really felt the spirit as we taught her about prayer and used the scriptures and our testimonies.  She promised that she and Djenna (her daughter) would pray together every night.  I just know that Heavenly Father would be so willing to answer her prayer if she would just turn to Him.  We pray that she will.

On Friday we find out transfers already!  And then when Pres calls, he should tell us when our actual release date is.  So we'll find out in a few days hopefully.  

Mom-  I like those ideas. :)  I would LOVE to go to the San Diego temple and the Salt Lake temple.... Hmmm.... That's a hard choice!!!  That would be fun too to go to the beach or something in Cali.  :)  What do you think?  Would it be warm there in the winter?  Maybe we can even stop by the Oregon Coast or something.... Hmm....
Sad about Joslyn.  :(  What are you feeding the girl, anyway to get all those cavities?!?  ;)  Hope not too many more come soon!  What have you been doing lately to keep yourself busy?  How are you feeling?  I hope all is super good and you're feeling a lot better!  What's Thanksgiving going to be like this year?  Do Shon and Kimberlee go over to visit often?
I love you!!!  I hope you have a great week!  Thanks for the prayers!  They help so much!!!  :)

Dad- I don't know if we will do a Thanksgiving party.  :)  But I sure do miss cranberry sauce!  AND G-ma's sweet potatoes!!!  MMMMMMM!!!!  Do enjoy that for me, k?  :)
Look at you taking the bus to work... now you know how I feel everyday.  I might even miss it a little bit when I get home.  :)  I hope you have a wonderful week and keep up being awesome!!!  I love you!!


Have a great week everyone!

с любовью,
Сестра Рид  :)


p.s.- If Blayre Maynes reads this: You crack me up... thanks for the song. hahahaha!  *elbows up, side to side!*

Don't go wasting your emotion... spend all your love on me!!

Hey!

We had our first snow yesterday... but the snow didn't stick!  I personally think it's pretty cool that it's not snowing yet... hehe... the sooner snow comes, the sooner the dangerously extreme iciness comes!!  :)  Crazy Siberian winter!!

So times have been good... hard, but good.  I am learning more and more how threatening this work is to Satan because he is working hard on all sides.  It just shows me how amazing these people are here, because he is trying to destroy their progress in coming unto their Heavenly Father.  It must mean that they have a pretty great potential.  :)  I do love these people so much, and I am trying to fight this war, along with all the missionaries around the world.  Good thing this is God's work.  There's no way we can fail with Him on our side!  :)

I'm so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I know that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  I know that there is no way we can return to live with God again, except through the atonement.  When we repent, we are made clean and worthy to enter His presence.  I know that there is a loving Father in Heaven who knows us perfectly.  I know that we can never feel like no one understands us or what we're going through because Jesus Christ knows.  He suffered for us and He felt all of those unpleasant feelings.  We can turn to Him and feel complete peace and comfort that we can not get from anywhere else.  I am eternally grateful for that.
I'm so grateful for the power of prayer.  A free, unlimited source of communication to our loving Heavenly Father.  Always remember to pray.  Even when you don't feel like praying, get on your knees and pray.  It is amazing.

I love you all!  You are so wonderful!!  I'm so grateful for all the people I've met in my life!  I know that I've met each one for a reason!

Mom- Thanks for the e-mail and pics!!  You look beautiful!  And Grandma, too!  :)
I am SO excited to go on a trip for you!!  It will be GREAT!!!  You're the best!  I love you so much!!!  :)

Dad- Thank you for all that you do/have done for me!
The Halloween party was a bust... haha... we decided to just do it in 3rd group.  Only one guy ended up coming to class that day.  Lol.  OH WELL!  I love you!!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!

Much love,
Sister Reed


                        1) Jack our Halloween pumpkin!

                                 2) Me and Masha

3) Us with Lilia.  They had this "Fall Ball" and she danced in it... our beautiful friend :)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Another day for a daydream...

Hello everyone!

Well, I just got back from another trip to Finland... I will be happy if I never get on a plane for the rest of my life!  Haha.  The traveling just takes a big toll on ya.  unfortunently we weren't able to go to the temple because we went on Monday and it was closed.  But we were able to go into Moscow again on the way back and roam around some more so that was pretty cool.   Weird that we won't be going back again....

It's weird that my mission is already coming to a winddown.... it's already depressing, and my mission hasn't even ended!  Haha.  But that means that I just have 3 months to work as hard as I can!

We are still meeting with Lilia. she came to church so that was awesome!  
We have these investigators, Elivira and Natalia who are "eternal' investigators.  We have really been trying to help these people progress.  Elvira expressed her desire to be baptized!  We talked a lot about temples and work for the dead, and she said that she wants to be with her family forever.  Her parents and grandparents are already dead.  I think that that is the key to her desire to be baptized.  So we are working hard with her to reteach her everything.  She doesn't really understand/remember too much of what the sisters have taugt her.  So that's been cool.  And Natalia, we see, is finally starting to come around and have a desire to change.  It's great to see the changes.

Me and Sister Fronk had a scary experience.  Haha- okay, not so scary. But we got stuck in our elevator for about 30 minutes, until the grandmas who work there let us out.  haha- it was crazy.

Mom- You're awesome, thanks for the letter!
Dad- Thanks for everything!  You are great!

I love you all so much!

Love,
Sister Reed :)

Hallo Amereeka!!

Hi!  Wow you people are hilarious.  Thanks so much for the letters!  :)  It made my day!

http://www.mormon22.ru/missioner.htm

Go there and you can see me.  It's a site that a member did for our branch.  Pretty sweet!  We already got a phone call from it!

Well this week has been super great.  I love being a missionary!!  We met with Lilia...  She is so cool!!

We also had a meeting with Olga, the "non-progressing" investigator.  It was... kinda awkward.  The first time I ever cried on a meeting.  And not because I felt the Spirit or anything.  We decided to have a good "heart to heart" with her.  Find out what she wants to do to really progress and come unto the waters of baptism so she can recieve eternal life.  She said that she is still not ready- she prayed to know the truth (which was AWESOME to find out), but hadn't received an answer yet.  We encouraged her to keep trying.  We explained what her responsibilities are as far as really changing her life for the better.  She explained that she might sometime in the future get baptized, but she really doesn't have a desire to do that.  We were at the point in the conversation that I was just really getting upset and discouraged and hurt because I had been meeting with this woman for almost 7 months... I had really come to love her and her 2 little girls.  And I want so much to help her change and really make these steps in her life for the better.  I began to cry and explain my love for her- and how we really want to help her.  I was embarrassed, but I think she felt the sincereness of it because at the next lesson, she had been reading the Book of Mormon and praying.  We together made the next goal for her, and she willingly accepted it and promised to do it.  I don't know how long it will be until she finally decides to get baptized, but she is very slowly moving in the right direction, and some lucky sisters will be able to help her enter the saving waters of baptism.  I pray for it.

I am about to go on another visa trip on Monday ( my last one!!!), and me and Sis Fronk are pretty excited for it.  SO next time I should have some cool pics.

We finally watched Conference on Sat and Sun and it was way good!  Lilia came too, which was sweet!  I really enjoyed Pres Uchtdorf's talk (he's so funny.... "you're probably thinking, 'Wow, that's a cool story, Pres Uchtdorf... but what does it have to do with airplanes?'.... Well... let me tell you...."  hahaha.  So cool.  I think that I will be home by the time I can read it again in English... haha.

Still no snow... but perhaps it will be coming soon.  I busted out my big ol coat today.... ugh.

Mom- Thanks for your funny stories... I laughed out loud here... hahaha!  You are so funny!  :)  I love you so much and so glad that you are my Mom!!!  :)

Dayton- I am excited to practice too when I get back!!!  Man, I just know how much my Russian is going to stink if I don't practice it.... You gotta help me, ok?  Thanks.  :)  I'm cool with a v6 firebird... will you get that set up also for me in this new life-after-mish you've got going?  :)  Thanks.  :)  Love yuuur guts!!!  Keep being cool, k?  You're the best!!!  :)


I love you all!!!!  Keep studying the scriptures and praying EVERY DAY!!!  :)

Love,
Sister Reed :)