What? No email?...

What? No email?... Oh well. That just means next week I get 2, right?

Oh and Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

 

This last week has been a really crazy week! So Russia came out with a new law that changed how we have to register where we live with the landlords here. Some landlords haven't agreed to do this with us, and the Pushkin Elders lost there apartment because of it and so this past week Elder Gillette has been on a split with me and Elder Svirskiy as a triple companionship. Elder Punderson and him are companions, so it was crazy working with them so they could meet up and go to their area. Elder Gillette has to leave today from our apartment because they were only able to register him at a different apartment. He was just staying with us until they got him registered. So that was kind of busy/stressful this week, but it wasn't so bad.

 

We had a REALLY good meeting with a former investigator who is interested in the church again. He is an African from Nigeria named John, and he wants to get baptized. He wasn't able to because he isn't married legally yet, and had to wait to get some documents from Nigeria which took about a year to get to him. He just got them last week, so they are working on doing the documents to get married legally so he can get baptized. He said that his soon-to-be wife wants to hear the lessons too, but hasn't yet. She is Russian and doesn't know any English, so John speaks Russian, English, and 3 other tribal languages in Nigeria. He taught us how to say some stuff in a language called Eboo? It's a cool sounding language. He is an awesome guy! He said that sometime in June they should have everything worked out with the documents, so I hope I can be in the city then to see his baptism! :)

On Wednesday, President took all the missionaries to see a play- Prince and the Pauper. He said it was because of our hard work last year. It was very interesting and partly a musical, but mostly just acting. I even understood most of what was said. Some parts were kind of different but I got to experience some different culture though. Nice of the president to take us. 

 

The branch here in Avtovo is a lot bigger than in Petergof. Maybe 60-70 active members here. Brother Igor Balashov who Mom knows, lives in my area. His son is the only active young man here in Avtovo, and is a really cool kid! He said he is will to always go to a meeting with us in the afternoons and he likes to help the missionaries.

 

There was a visitor and recent convert here from another branch, and I was teaching Sunday School about the gifts of the Holy Ghost when the visitor said he had the gifts of tounges and started yelling giberish. Luckily one sister missionary stepped in and talked to him about how that wasn't the gift of tounges... Most eventful Sunday School lesson in a while...

 

Well, I hope all is going well with you all at home. I miss you all and Love you very much. I'm Happy to be on my mission. I know this church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know that God loves us. I know that we are blessed when we repent and follow the commandments.

 

Keep Smiling, Be of Good Cheer, Peace be with You!

 

Love,

Blake

New Assignment~

Hello! Lots has happened this last week and I don't even know where to start.  Transfers happened and I have been called to serve in the city! I'm serving in the southern west area of St. Petersburg, which they call the Avtovo area. This area has been closed for a while, and has been opened up off and on, and me and my new companion are opening it up again. Our area is about 30 minutes by metro from the mission office.  I'm senior companion to Elder Andrei Svirskii from Ukraine.  This is only his second transfer here on the mission. He seems like he is a really nice, humble guy. He's pretty shy but he's cool though, and I look forward to serving with him. We live on the 13th floor of an apartment building and you can see pretty far. I've never realized how big St. Petersburg is until now.

Elder Berven is still in Petergof as our district leader, so I still will be talking with him every night and can tell him to say hi to people there in Petergof, so that's good. His new companion is Elder Wilde from St. George, Utah. Will miss Elder Berven. Great friend, great missionary! Before I left Petergof, I was able to make it around to all the members to say goodbye except for one.  I'm going to miss Petergof alot!  All the members are so nice and friendly, and since the branch is so small it just feels more like a little family meeting every week than a sacrament meeting, but I like that.  We also were able to meet with Vladimir and Sergey. Sergey was pretty sad to see me go, and we took some funny pictures because he wanted me to remember him as a fun person. I'm glad to have become his friend! When I met with Brother Silva who is from Cuba, that was the first time I was at his house, and he has a Lab named Nika who looks just like Shelby but black instead of chocolate color. I played with her while I was there and got my "dog fix" satisfied for a day. Ha ha. After that she wouldn't leave me alone and keep putting her head on my knee like Shelby used to do, and then when she realized I wasn't going to pet her anymore because we were busy talking, she laid down on my feet.  Brother Silva is a cool guy! He knows the Gospel like a General Authority would, and speaks English, Russian, and Spanish. He has some birds too at his house, all very bright colors that like to sing.

It's been really cold lately. REALLY COLD! A couple days ago during the evening it got down to -30, and President didn't want us to be on the streets... I've been living in a freezer for the past 3 months. Add the humidity and the wind factor, and that -30 feels like NEGATIVE DEATH sometimes. Bitter!

Did you get my letter yet, Dad? I sent one for your birthday, and it should be arriving there soon.  I just barely got a letter from Bishop Rose that was sent on my birthday. Tell him thank you! It was really nice of him to send that. Yes, I know that chapter well, Dad. "Oh, if I were an angel..." One of my favorites, after Alma 26 or 3 Nephi 17-20, especially the part when Christ is praying to Heavenly Father for us.

Today for P- day we are going to go play Floorball again. Maybe by the time I get home I will be able to play Hockey like a Russian?! ( they are pretty good, really good! )

I feel very blessed, as I already notice that I can talk better with Elder Svirskii better than I could back with Elder Domanksy. Somehow, I'm slowly learning this language... And that Somehow is the Lord. I couldn't do it without His help. I've realized that I can't do anything without His help. He's always willing to help me out, even though I have my weaknesses and inabilities and problems. I can't even describe it. I'm just happy that He is there.

Well, Love ya! Miss ya! I'll write again next week, but until then, BE HAPPY! Be of Good Cheer ( I have to give credit of this saying to Liz, since I stole it from her letters ha ha) Keep smiling! (from Grandpa Clifford)

Love,

Blake

One Year Mark~ Hump Day Today!!!!

Yellow!!!!!!
So I have now been on my mission for a year now!! I'm a "middle-aged missionary"! Ha ha. Weird to think about. It doesn't feel like it has been a year... I think that a year sounds like a long time, but before I know it it will be another year and I will be on my way home. You really don't need to send me anything for it, Mom but if you are going to send stuff, send music! I miss music, and I need some new stuff other than what I have. You know the allowed kind of music of course. Ha ha. Really though, you don't need to send me anything.

It's almost Valentine's Day, and as far as I know they don't have it in Russia. That's okay though. Valentine's Day is kind of a weird holiday.  Everyone calls it "a day of love," but isn't everyday supposed to be a day of love?

Yep, That's me and Elder Kyle Berven from Tampa, Florida in that picture from Zone Conference.  He's been a really good companion!  He acts just like Nate Booth, so I laughed when you sent me a picture of him. (By the way thanks for that picture! Nate does look older! And he's uber tan... I guess it is summer in Chile right now. It takes a month and a half to send letters to him... :( )

Thanks for your experience that you shared with me, Mom. That is really cool. That's one thing that I have learned on my mission is that he veil between us and those have gone on before us is a lot thinner than we think it is. I'm sure Uncle Bob has been teaching Nick for a while now and that's why he couldn't come see me when grandma and grandpa did. Still at the river.  When I read that I started crying right here in the library.

Tell Kels thanks for the pictures of her, Liz, and their new boyfriends. Ha ha. She sent me some pictures today and they both look so different. I'm sure I look different too though!

Well right now, I'm in St. Petersburg doing internet and afterwards a bunch of the missionaries are meeting at the office to play Floorball. (Hockey without the skates) I'm so excited because I haven't played a sport in who knows how long!!!!  I'm out of shape! I think I've lost so much weight because I've lost muscle. Yesterday Elder Berven and I had to run home because we had a late meeting and didn't want to be late getting home and I just realized how out of shape I'm in. Before my mission I could run for MILES with Millie-girl and yesterday I was tired after maybe 3/4 mile.  I miss running, but I'm definitely going ot do it when I get back!

This week in the branch Arseni Aumeister (the branch president's son) turned 12 and will be getting the Priesthood on Sunday. He is the first person in this branch to have been born in the church and receive the Priesthood! Awesome! Elder Berven and I made him a cake and I gave him a yo-yo for his birthday. He's a cool kid! Next year his little brother Klim, will be getting it too, so it's really exciting to see!

Other than that this, last week was kinda slow which is unusual. LOTS of people dogged us on our meetings, or just plain didn't want to meet with us... We're really trying hard though, and we're happy because we are doing the work of the Lord. :) Things will work out. Sergei found me on Facebook? He wasn't able to meet this week, but he did tell me over the phone, which is good so we did not miss an appointment. I'm sure he would be glad to talk to you, Mom, but he doesn't know English, so you will need a translator. Ha ha.

Transfers are next week. I have a feeling that I'm being transfered.... I'd love to stay in Petergof if I could, but I'll be fine wherever I go! I've really come to love the branch here, even if it is so tiny. It just means I can get to know everyone better. I'm happy to have met Sergei and Vladimir here too. They are both really close to accepting the Gospel, and I know that one day they will be baptized.

I sent Dad's birthday letter off yesterday (that was the soonest I could do it) so hopefully it makes it soon. I actually sent some pictures!!

Tell "Howdy" to Kiddo for me and give Millie and Forest a rub behind the ears for me. You can give it to Meleea and Cole, too, but I don't think they would appreciate it as much as Millie and Forest. Ha ha. Side note: I ALWAYS contact people if they have a dog, just so I can talk with them about their dog and play with it a little bit. I'm going through dog withdrawals!

Gotta run. Thanks for your love, your support, and your examples to me back home. I hope that I can be half of the example for others that my friends and family have been for me.

Be of Good Cheer and Keep Smiling!!

Love you tons!
Blake

Miracles don't bring faith...Faith Brings Miracles.

Well Hello There!
How is everything at home? Sounds like things have been pretty quiet back there other than blizzard's/ weddings and stuff. That's super weird that Brock and Maddie are getting married. I did not know that they were even dating? I just barely got Steph's wedding invite in the mail after 2 months because it had a big stamp on the envelope that said  "MISSENT TO SIERRE LIONE." The guy is either really tall, or Steph is standing on a lower step than he is in their picture? ha ha.  Tell her thank you and a big Congratualtions from me, and also to Brock and Maddie. Marty is in Houston? Isn't that were Ricky is? Maybe I'm confused. Either way, that is really cool that he is out on is mission now.

I pray for you all back home, and my friends on missions often. I know that things will work out, we just need to show our patience and faith in the Lord so He can bless us. God will not bless us if we don't show faith. Christ himself said among the people of Nazareth that he could not do any miracle among them because of the lack of their faith, and we learn in the Book of Ether that miracles come after the trial of your faith. Miracles don't bring faith, Faith Brings Miracles.

Keep on plugging with those resumes, Dad. I'm really sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well, Mom. Wish I could help more than just my prayers. How's news with everyone else? Meleea? Cole? KB? How's Forest Gump doing? Is his hip feeling a little better? How's my Millie? I'm REALLY glad to hear that Kelsey's mom is doing better! I was really worried for there for a second.

This last week was a busy week. We had a really good meeting with Sergei about baptism, what it means, why we do it, etc. He told us that he has a desire to be baptized, but doesn't want to rush in to things quite yet. He wants to gain a testimony that is strong first, because he still doesn't quite know for sure yet if this church is true. He asked us how we know, and we shared our testimonies about the Book of Mormon, living propehts and personal revelation that comes through prayer with our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. He said he will read more and pray, and he is already reading it, so we are excited. I know that SOMEDAY he will come to the knowledge of the Gospel. I Know It.  Also an investigator who has been having problems with alcohol, has finally made a plan to quit and is working with us to do so. We are really excited about that! I'm glad to be serving with Elder Bervan. He is pretty much my clone because we like all the same things and have the same personality. Good team we are.

On Tuesday, we couldn't get a meeting, so we were contacting and trying to find members of the Church that hadn't been there in a while when an little old lady came up to us asking us where an address was? We soon found out that she had a bad memory (maybe Alzheimers or something), her name was Katia and had wandered away from home and was looking for it. We helped her find her house, but it took about an hour. She kept getting confused and wanting to turn back, even though we knew exactly the address were she said she lived. Her neighbor saw her coming and helped her the rest of the way home. I worry what would have happened to that grandma if we hadn't helped her, as it was getting dark by the time we brought her home and that night was really cold... I'm sure that wasn't an accident, and I thank the Lord for showing me that He remembers every one of His children, from the youngest baby to the oldest grandma Babushka, and wants us to help Him bless them and keep them safe.

On Wednesday we had a great Zone Conference, and we had President Manjas (don't know how to spell his name in English) come and talk to us about the importance of working with the members to of the wards to do missionary work. It was really good! I want to invite everyone at home to work with the missionaries in your wards and branches, because you are all very big assets to the missionaries, and I know I that I want to help the missionaries after my mission. I know the importance of it now.

What else is new here?  Elder Berven and I successfully made carrort cake the other day, along with tacos and pizza. I'll be sending Dad's birthday letter in the mail today, so be looking for it!

I've got to wrap it up. I love you all! Stay safe! Peace be unto you! Keep smiling! Be of Good Cheer!

GOD BE WITH YOU TIL WE MEET AGAIN.

Love,
BLake