Hey!!  Thanks so much for all the e-mails I got!!  It was great to hear from everyone!  Even the little, "Hey, I'm alive!" notes are super great!  And I got a way super great e-mail from Krystine... glad to hear you're doing well in Vegas!!  I can't wait to get your other letter too!

SO!  Life is good!  I'll tell you what.. we did a ton of service this past week again.  We've been doing a lot of physical labor lately- my arms are going to be so buff!  Last week we helped a girl Anna carry a ton of wood (like fire wood before it's chopped up).  And we have helped a couple бабушки clean their houses, carry and deliver groceries, pick up medicine for people, and so on.  It's always fun to do service.  I love it.  But one thing Sister Southam has been trying to do and I am destined to help her, is get VT set up.  People need to help each other out, and in turn it will help us do more missionary work during the day.  And it will create more friendships in the branch, which everyone says is a problem here.  It seems to be a never-ending battle, but we'll see if anything happens this week with that.  

Sorry I forgot to respond to the food question.  Food here is super good!  I actually really enjoy beets and potatoes.  Beets just boiled for a while and eaten are super tasty.  (and really beneficial for the body, haha.)  And I enjoy a lot гречка.  It's like a substitute for rice... really good.  And of course, пелмены.  It's like bread with either meat or potatoes or something else on the inside.  It's really common here, and you can buy a bag with a bunch of them frozen.  I haven't eaten anything really weird yet..... but I've heard of weird things.  Usually if we go to a member's house for any reason, they generally feed us a dessert.  The cakes here are super good.  And the juice is SO good.  And the ice cream.... way amazing.  But yeah, generally at home, we just eat meat and rice or something, or soup.  Nothing too weird.  :)

Things have pretty much stopped with Nastya for now.  It is really sad, but some times, people give in to temptation and find a reason to stop meeting with us.  Often it is... "no time"... or they just don't show up to appointments... or something.  It's really hard, but it's often.  But we haven't given up on her, we still call her and keep up on her.  Thanks for your prayers and everything!!  Maybe she won't get baptized when she's with us, but I feel like she will sometime in her life.  The good news is.... our Mongolian friends are back in town from the holiday!  And one of them... Жаргалтогтох (I have no idea how to spell that in english) wants to get baptized!  This girl knew nothing about Jesus Christ before she started meeting with us.  And the thing is, she still doesn't really because she speaks less Russian than I do!  But she recognizes the Spirit and has those good feelings, and has a desire to be baptized!  So we're working with her right now.  It's super slow, but she has a date for Jan 30th.  Hooray!  We just love our Mongolian girls!  And it's super cool because they brought back with them 4 Books of Mormon in Mongolian as well as a bunch of brochures in Mongolian!  And before that we had 1 Book of Mormon.  So that's super great!  

No, I haven't bought anything yet for Christmas.  I will for sure send pictures though when I do!!  :)  Time.... it's an interesting thing....  :)

Tell Pres Pitcher Hi for me, ok?  :)  Thanks!  

And sounds like a cool thing to be studying the Sermon on the Mount again.  I should do that too!  I also want to read all of Joseph Smith History again.  But Mom, you're right, you can pick something up each time you read the scriptures!  I can testify of that!  Aren't the scriptures great?!?!  You should keep me updated on what you learn from the Sermon on the Mount.  I'd be interested to hear!  And yes, I'm super excited to have the BEST Visiting Teachers EVER!!  :)  

My Russian... is coming.  I hope.  It's hard for me to tell.  I think it would be easier for someone on the outside to tell me how I'm doing, because sometimes it feels like I'm at the same level.  But I'm still working on it!!  :) 

Well, I do love you all and I hope you have a super great week!!  I hope I answered all of your questions!  

Don't worry about your letters, they are great.  I always love getting them!  And thanks again for the pictures, Dad!!    

I love you!!

Love, Sister Reed :) 

For Ashley  :)

One of my favs!  HAHAHA

Irkutsk, Angara River

Angara River

Angara River

Yes, I heard that song today in the store. Good times.

Hello everyone!! How goes it? Good, I hope!!

Dayton- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Yay!!! I hope it's super great! P.s.- There's something coming for you.... ;)

Well here I am living the life in Russia. I still can't believe I'm here. Crazy. But it's super great!! This week we talked to this girl from English Club.. her name is Hastya. She is about 21 ish I think. We gave her the first lesson a couple days later and it was so great. The things that she said just brought me to the true realization that Heavenly Father prepares people to hear the gospel. Throughout her life, she has had experiences where it was one step closer for her heart to be open to God. Or where she just thought of those questions in her life that can be answered with the gospel. On Sunday we watched the Restoration video (love it! Yes, it is in another language, but I feel the spirit every time. :) ) And she really enjoyed it. Later she got to talking and said that she cries every time someone prays. And she began to cry. You can tell she had a special connection with our Heavenly Father. And at that moment I saw the love Heavenly Father has for her. However, she was frightened to pray herself because she'd never done it before. As you know, Satan is really mean sometimes and likes to attack good people who try to make good choices. So we're praying for her that she will stay strong in this time that she is investigating the church.

I do feel blessed to have a Russian companion. It does help for sure! I know Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he put us together! :)

Thanks so much for your e-mails. And I really appreciate your words of encouragement and your prayers. It's always so helpful. Mom, thanks for everything. You really are the best of the best. Dad, thanks for the pictures and everything!

And Grandma-- thanks for the e-mail!!! It was super great to hear from you! Yes, I LOVED the pants! They are so super warm and comfy! I love you! Keep being wonderful!! :)

Well I hope you all have the best week ever!!! I love you all so much! Keep being happy and healthy and everything! I'm so grateful for you all!!

Love,

Sister Reed :)

Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. This year to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone speeeeeecial... Would you believe that I heard that song recently?  And my favorite version too..... hahaha

Hello all!  THANKS THANKS THANKS for your e-mails and pictures and all that fun stuff!  It was really super awesome!  Hey Dad, I thought of some pictures I would like.  Would you mind sending me some of the pictures I've taken for photography?  I'm really not sure, since there's nothing too interesting... eh.  My most intersting ones are not on the computer.  Maybe if it's possible to scan, one or two from my room?  And maybe a wedding one if you can?  Thanks!!  

So as far as a Christmas gift, I think I've decided on something!  A Bible!  And maybe a scarf- like a fancy one, not really one for warmth... or maybe one for warmth... or maybe one that does both!  But probably just a bible for now.  And yes, I did buy a new pair of gloves (hooray!)  and I got a new BoM. Ура!!!  

So New Years was super crazy.  Well for everyone else except us, haha.  We went home and cleaned all night.  And then we woke up around 12 when all the fireworks went off like crazy!  EVERYWHERE.  And it probably went until 3 am. New Years is CRAZY.  It's like their Christmas here where they give gifts and all that stuff.  So it was really cool to see that.  Yes, we went over to the Southams again.  :)  Did they send you pictures, by the way?  And it was pretty fun there like always.  :)  

Thanks for your concern and love for me.  I do feel your prayers.  I'm so grateful for my wonderful family!  And friends!  

It has been so COLD here this past week!  Sometimes I wonder why my eyeballs don't turn into ice.  We talk about that sometimes.  Kinda gruesome, huh?

So our goal as a mission is to have 20 meetings every week.  Hard.  So we have been planning like crazy to meet with more people, and have quality meetings.  Sadly, our Mongolian girls are home for the holidays (yeah Mom, lots of people travel for the holiday season, which is Jan 1-10th and Christmas is Jan 7th :) ) and we really only have 2 people we're meeting with.  That one guy that sounded really interested in the church never came and won't answer our phone calls.  Sadly, that's typical.  So we are trying to have lots of meetings, but also have time to find people to meet with.  It'll be a tricky week.  But lately, I've had a strong resolution to try my hardest to talk with everyone.  It's hard and scary because I don't know what to say, or how to say it in Russian, or what to say if they answer me.. haha!  But I know that if I show God that I am willing to try, He will put more people in our path.  So that's my goal!

Wow Krystal's already married?  Cool!  And no, I didn't know that Marissa was engaged.  Хулигантга! 

Well, I better get going, but I love you all very much and Have a happy week!  You're all the best!  Here are some pictures- 

we walk by these buildings every day almost on our way to the branch building.  It's so pretty.  

And I feel like I'm in Charlie and The Chocolate factory with that church.  It was a particularly smokey day that day.  

                            And that's us in the back of the bus.  :)

LOVE YOU!  

С Любовью, 

Сестра Рид  :)

Happy New Year!!

Hello everyone!  It was super great to talk to you all on Christmas!  Thanks so much for all of your support and happiness.  I needed it!  I hope all of your Christmases were super great!  Thanks for the pictures!!  It was like I was there!  Okay... maybe not quite, but still it was super cool.

And it was super great to receive lots of mail on Christmas eve after a long, lonely transfer... :)  Lindsay, Krystine, Blayre, Brianne, Aunt Barbara, Heather, Steve, Kurtis, Zeke, Jennifer... Thank you!!!!  Gosh, you're all the best.

Well Christmas was great!  We went over to the Southams and had roast for dinner (yes, I enjoyed it :) ) and had a little gift exchange like at home!  I got a cool flashlight that's all camoflaugey.  Then we watched Pete's Dragon... first time I ever watched it, and I gotta say, probably the last.  Hahaha!

The coolest part of Christmas though, was the little service we did.  There are these people that live by the dumpster that Pres and Sis Southam use.  They have no home, just 3 brick walls and they have a little fire going.  The Southams think that they might use this abandoned place nearby for more shelter.  I hope so.  But we went there and gave them the extra food we had from Christmas dinner.  The woman's hands were black from filth and cold.  Then we sang them a hymn.  It was so sad to see.  More and more I am becoming more and more grateful for what I have.

Last night on the tramvai there was this man sleeping on the floor, passed out from drunkeness.  It is not uncommon to see people on the tramvai sleeping, and when people try to wake them they won't because they're so out of it from being drunk.  It's becoming more apparent how much people here need the gospel in their lives.

On a happier note, CONGRATULATIONS Shon and Kimberlee!  Wow, I want details!  And pictures!  I am so happy for you- you deserve the most happiness- you're such a great brother!

Things this week were pretty good!  Here are some pictures for y'all....

                                Happy New Year!

                                   This is in the renok

                         Yay!  I love the pants Grandma gave me!

These are sweet camoflauge aprons Sis Southam made for all of us- watch out! :)

               It's pretty cold here-- frost on the eyelashes

                     It's true- I love Russia!

English club is good- little people there because of the holiday- hopefully after it will pick up!  But besides that, just working!  We haven't tracted much; it feels like an odd week because of all the holidays.  Sometimes I don't feel like a missionary because we're at the Southams often lately eating and celebrating.  I think after the New Year I will feel better about that.  And on Monday we planned our whole transfer which takes a big chunk of the day... I dunno.. just a weird week.  We helped this old lady clean her house yesterday, tho.  That was pretty fun!  :)

Oh dad remember those pictures you asked about?  One is of a skunk and armadillo together... what the heck?  And the one for Dayton.. spell it out.  :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Well I hope you all have a WONDERFUL week and I'll be looking forward to talking to you next week!

с любвю,

Сестра Рид  :)

(Two letters from Sister Reed back-to-back, newest first)

Hello!!  Thanks so much to all those who wrote me!  I LOVE IT!!

 

Mom and Dad, I am still here in Irkutsk... is everything understandable with how to call me?  I sure hope so!  And I will be waiting for a phone call on my Christmas Morning, right?  at 8 am?  Ooorah!!  I am so excited!  

 

Well I don't want to talk about too much right now because we will be talking soon!  But all is good here.. I read all your questions, don't worry!  Glad to hear that everyone is dong well!  I love you all so much- and am so grateful to have you as my family!! 

 

I've learned so much about the atonement lately.  I just know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know each of us individually.  They know all our concerns, our cares, and worries.  How we feel all the time- when we're sad, upset, dissapointed.  Like it says in Alma 7:11-12, Christ suffered for our infirmities.  Not only our sins, which is HUGE, but also all those other negative feelings.  I'm so grateful for the atonement.  I know that there is no other way that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father than through Jesus Christ.  Through his sacrifice, we can be made clean when we repent.  It's a perfect plan- and a plan of immense LOVE.   

 

Well, I guess I will be talking to you soon!  Mom- I can't wait to have a chat session with you again.  You don't know how much I miss those! 

 

Oh, and the package- I'm pretty sure it's been sitting in the office for months, I really only get mail once a transfer unless someone goes to Novo for some reason and brings back mail.  So I should get it today or tomorrow!!! ahh!  mERRY cHRISTMAS! 

 

I love you all!!!! :) :)

 

с любовью

сестра рид  :)

Hello!  Thanks for the letters!  You don't know how nice it is to get them.

Glad to hear that everyone is happy and healthy.  I guess that swine flu finally made it to Siberia... but no worries we're all doing good so far.  :)

The concert went well!  It's funny because when you think of concert (myself included) you might think of the chapel with pretty decorations everywhere and stuff, and little handouts and whatnot.  But here they really don't have any of that to work with.  It was small and humble, but many people showed up so I think it got the point across.  They played a clip from President Monson at the end about Christmas but of course I didn't understand it. haha.  

The baptisms went well!  I can't believe I've been here for 5 weeks and there has already been 2 baptisms.  I really can't take any credit in either beacuse they both had baptisimal dates before I got here, but it was fun to be here for the process.  :)  

          Baptism of Zyla and Aruna.  Zyla is mongolian, Aruna is Russian

Yes, tracting is hard.  It's different because there are so many doors to guard us from seeing them... like, sometimes there's the 1st door you need to get past with the code.  Then you walk up to another door once you're in and behind that door is 2 or 3 apts, which you buzz someone.  And then the person comes out of their apt and up to the door with a peep hole and says "кто там?"  And we say our shpeal, and if they want to hear they open that door.  But if not they yell something at us (haha not always yell) and go back to their apt.  So it's pretty redonk.  EXCEPT, last Sunday Sis Gorlova and I tracted into this guy who is a "believer" and was totally interested in everything!  He said he wanted to come to church and talk to us and all that stuff!  So we'll see if he's for real when we call him on Sat.  

When I talk to people, most of the time they say, huh?  And then I repeat and sometimes they still say, huh?  And Then they either wait for my companion to say it again or respond.  Most of the time they're just shocked to hear my accent but they don't act interested by the fact that I'm American or really turned off.  Some people say, "oh she's American.."  but that's really it.  I'm not sure if Russians really like Americans or not.  I can't tell.  

Классно, well I am excited to talk to you all soon!!  I will be speaking to you after I find out about transfers and all that good stuff next week.  

Here are some sweet pictures- I hope you enjoy!  Thanks for everything you do!   

я люблю вас!!  Be good!  Oh and Папичка, thanks for the photos!!  

Love, 

Сестра Рид

 Hastya and me.  She speaks english really well.  Oh yeah- I cut my hair!  I know, right??

Me and Oyuuna ( I have no idea how to spell it in english) .  She's my bud

                     Haha.  The awesome ice car

                    Me, Sis Gorlova, and Sister Southam on the slide!

                                    Icey stuff

 The smaller slide... cool, yeah?  It's all ice from Lake Baikal I believe.

Last but not least.... oh the beloved Bro Raimans (VERY strange man, haha!) and his collection.  That's also Elder MacKonnehey and Elder Player

HEY!!!

Wow- thanks for the e-mails!! I do love hearing from you all! :)

I hope you're staying warm! I bet the new house looks way pretty with the Christmas
lights up! I believe that I will really miss Christmas because here people
don't really understand the meaning of Christmas. Almost everyone is
Christian, but that doesn't mean much all the time. So I hope to bring them
some real Christmas cheer this year and maybe they'll catch on!! We have a
little concert going on this week for Christmas and we're trying to invite
as many investigators as we can. I think it'll be super cool!

Thanksgiving was super great. We ate tons. I think Sis Gorlova liked the holiday. But we talked
in English most of the time which she doesn't enjoy too much. I can understand.

We did some tracting last week, and some contacting. It's pretty cold, yes! But, tracting is different sorta because almost everyone lives in a дом which is like a big apartment complex. And the hardest part is getting
in the first door. You have to punch in some numbers... it's tricky. Or we can page someone random and ask them to let us in, haha. Yeah, good luck.  :) But once you get past that, we just go to each door. It's really hard to find people that way...Contacting and tracting here is hard. It's hard when people deny us before we even have the chance to tell them anything.  They don't know what they're missing!

You can send any kind of pictures that you want! :) I always enjoy it! :)

So cool about the first presidency message! I am sure I will read it in the Liahona, if I can.... the Liahona is always in Russian. haha. Go figure.  But maybe I can find a way to get my hands on a English one. English
classes are good- I'm having fun with it. :) Yeah it's of all ages, but mainly college student age, and we have some older peeps too. So it's fun!

Yesterday we talked about sports, and we all went around saying what kind of sports we like. This lady- maybe 60 something, said, "I like arm wrestling." And so she challenged someone to a duel and this girl went up and armwrestled her! The older lady was holding strong for a long time! But finally they called it a tie. It was so intense! haha! So you never know what can happen in English class. The best part about english club is that after we have gospel english where we have a spiritual thought. A lot of people stay, so it's pretty good. We usually have high hopes of findng someone new at english club.

So last week we went to the зоо парк (zoo)!! It was cool, but ghetto! hahahaha.  I have never seen a crazier group of animals ready to break out!! They were all insane, I'll tell you what. But it was fun. Today we are going on this giant SLIDE! It's all ice, and people build it with pretty ice castles and stuff, so I'm excited! I'll give you pics next week. :)

We have 2 baptisms this week- Zula and Aruna. It's pretty exciting. So we're getting all ready for that. I want to see someone get baptized in a river. Maybe someday. :)

But yeah, life is good! This week I've been reading in Mosiah about Abinadi. He is so cool. I wonder how many of us would be that bold in sharing what they know to be right. I am learning here what it means to be
bold. And often times it is very necessary. But would I die for the gospel? I think so.

Well I better get going, but I love you all and I hope all is well this week! I will be speaking with you soon, yes?? я вас люблю!! очень сильно!!

сестра рид :)





1) what the...? (the zoo)

2) Angarsk- city next to Irkutsk, we have an investigator there. Cool, yeah?

3) Also Angarsk. HAHA. Lenin.

4) Irkutsk village- this is how I imagined russia.

5) This is for Dayton (Domino's Pizza!)

6) Long Day! :)

We have a new investigator, her name is Marina.. she'll be baptized soon we all know it! :)

I'll write more in the next e-mail, sorry!!

I'm excited for the package, not here yet maybe soon! :) Thanks for sending it!!!!

Have a good sleep! I love you!! :)

Sister Reed :)

(Side note from the parents!)
The temperature in Irkutsk has been around single digits during the day and up to minus double digits at night.  This next week the temperature could be even colder.  It's a good thing she bought her "Russian" coat, hat, gloves and boots!