email received February 17, 2013

Happy Valentines Day! And happy mens day!!

On the 23rd of Feb in Russia is Protectors Day or something like that, which I think started as celebrating veterans kind of but turned into man's day basically like fathers day i would guess. Fun fact for you. This week was pretty uneventful. 2 of the investigators we were excited about have kind of pittled out:( Which seems to be happening more often than I would like and we're not sure how to change it. My 2 second diagnosis of Russia. There really aren't many other options besides Russian Orthodox and its all very political so most people aren't super religious and don't question things and don't care much. So a lot of times they meet with us and they seem interested but then not really. I know there are so many people here ready for the gospel who need it and we are just trying to find them! We did stop by a potential last night who was super cool and was talking all about things that she has seen that are wrong in religion, basically which the Restoration answers so we are meeting with her next weekend. Send a prayer our way:) We did have 9 ladies at relief society yesterday, which is the most since I've been here! Our RS pres has always had the goal of 10, so almost there!   Some things we are trying to implement here are using mormon.org more, we may even get cards eventually! But we showed I'm a Mormon messages to a less active and her mom and the mom loved it so maybe we'll just start our own media campaign here in Russia! Friday we are having pancake night at the church haha (sometimes i feel like I'm a singles ward activity committee) and gave fliers to everyone to pass out. Really we are just trying to be creative to get the work going here! 2 cities are opening back up in our mission this week which is a lot sooner than we thought which is sweet. Enough about my random thoughts on missionary work in Xab. This week has just been a super evaluative (not a word) week as there was just a zone leader conference and we're all brainstorming ideas of how to get the ball rolling! 

I did end up buying a new coat last pday. no pics since we're emailing from a library but its beige with fur on the hood. I look Russian now basically. Definitely not as warm i dont think as crystals, it's a little shorter but its cute and should work so i don't stick out when it starts warming up a bit too. 

Anyway, sorry this is a super random email but I love you all and you are all awesome! In the Liahona last month there was an awesome quote from Elder Maxwell about how God would have planned the star in orbit for Christ birth thousands of years before and how he would know each of us and how each of us are in our family for a reason. It's true. You all are such examples and help me everyday, even all the way in Russia:) I love you all! And happy mens day boys!

Sister Allison

email received February 10, 2013

Hello!

Pic of me wearing a hat one of our kind of investigators made for me. Sister Huber says I look like one of the babushkas who works at the market, maybe not appropriate for tracting...
And mom, as far as sisters I'm confused too. My friend Terrance in Englad wrote me saying they are getting 17 new missionaries next transfer and 70 by summer. I was told we were getting 4 new sisters next transfer March 20 when Sister Huber goes home but Elder Cruise just arrived in Xab. ( i met him right before i left for russia in the mtc) and he said there is only one more elder coming in the next group...So maybe there are 4 russian sisters? No idea. And I don't think we will increase as much as others because Sister Brinton talked about how we can "over run"our branches. Like if we have 15 active members and 6 missionaries, our area can't really handle more missionaries. But we are opening 2 cities in the summer that used to be open so that is exciting news and I'm excited to see how the Church literally is growing. Crazy to think there are still big cities here in Russia without any missionaries, members, priesthood, etc. Anyway..

This week has been a week of miracles. We have been trying hard to increase the number of lessons we teach each week to get the mission standard of 15. And each week plans fall through etc. But this week we taught 17 lessons!!! And we have met a few times with a friend of a 14 yr old in the ward who we are working with and were meeting with them before English Club when a new lady walked in early. We said she could join us if she wanted so she sat in on the lesson and understood everything! We watched the Restoration movie and after she was like "Oh so its like a fullness." How I wish everyone could understand it this plainly. At the end of the lesson, we were setting up a next meeting with the girl and asked her to read 2 Nephi 2 and the lady double checked to make sure she got the right chapter. Awesome! Then after English Club I got the chance to talk to her again and asked if she would be able to meet sometime to talk more and she said "Well you're meeting tomorrow, right? I can just come then and we can talk about the chapter". She already understands commitments. Its beautiful. The next day didnt work out but we met Saturday and are meeting again on Wednesday. So far, she seems to think its interesting without grasping the personal significance it can have for her so we are trying to figure out how to help her understand this and feel the Spirit and know how awesome this is! 

We also stopped by a former investigator this week and she let us come back and we talked with her and her daughter. Her daughter is 11 and soaks everything up and remembers what missionaries before talked about. I know we are going to have to help the mom get just as excited about it but it was definitely a testimony builder of how we all need to become as little children.  Anyway, this week definitely turned out differently than planned, as we lost contact with the new investigator from last week, but I know that if we keep trying our hardest, the Lord will always make up the rest and help us to accomplish our goals in helping His work move forth. Everyday brings a different challange but I love it!  Missions are the best. I miss you all but I'm trying to make you proud! Love you all!!

Sister Allison

Amber and Sister Huber with the Mironikas family.  Brother Mironikas had been the Branch President in Khabarovsk.

email received February 3, 2013

Last week I forgot to mention, that there were 5 baptisms in our
mission, one with Sister Christensen and one with Elder Schneider!

It is hard at times when I feel like we
haven't made much progress since we've been here but Heavenly Father
always gives us miracles each and every day. Saturday I started a fast
to find a progressing investigator. We have a few people we meet with,
but none of them are really progressing and we got on a bus and some
girl came up to Sister Huber and said she looked cool. She wasnt fully
sober so we couldnt do much but she did talk about how she knew she
needed to change, etc. We couldnt get a hold of her Sunday but she
called us back at night and said she was super sorry and we could meet
up today or tonight. So I'm praying that everything works out and that
she really is interested. It's obvious that she needs the gospel so we
just need to help her see this! Regardless of whether she is ready and
will accept the gospel, I'm grateful that I can see the Lord's hand in
our work everyday here and He always reassures me that we aren't doing
this alone.

We also had another cool experience with an inactive who we visited
who was so much warmer than usual and when we asked her if she was
reading the Book of Mormon she said yes!! She still has to deal with
work but said she could at least come half the Sundays this month and
asked if she could plan a RS activity. What?! I have seen how the Book 

of Mormon literally changes people and if we read everyday, even just 

a chapter or 5 minutes, our lives are so much better!

Oh and I dont know if I mentioned that our branch pres and wife moved
to Vlad so our new pres is Pres. Karus, the dad of the boy who got
baptized. Hes been in the branch for awhile and even all the inactives
know who he is so i think it will be really good. Oh another miracle,
we bought a new phone and put our sim card in, which is the same card
that's been in the city forever, and there was an inactive's cell number
in the phone who had moved and we had no idea where she was. And she
answered and lives super close to us, like a few blocks away! She was
super nice and young and is going to Moscow for work but i have high
hopes for her. But miracle that we randomly had her number again!!

I know Heavenly Father is aware of each and every one of us every
single day and He really does hear all of our prayers!! I love you
all!

Sister Allison

A typical door in Russia.  They don't care about the outside, but inside it's usually much nicer

January in Khabarovsk

8 year old boy about to be baptized standing with his family. See January 20 email.

A pool is used for the baptismal font.  The father baptized his son.  The water was COLD!!!

email received January 27, 2013

1st Zone conference ever! And it was awesome! 6 elders flew in from Salkhalin island and the Assistants to the President and President and Sister Brinton from Vladivostok. The day before I had my first ever borsche with Sister Brinton since Sis Huber helped her translate to get her hair done:) It was delicious! And I tried pizza with cow tongue on it. Also delicious! In my interview with President my fears were confirmed. He basically told me I would serve with a mini missionary after Sister Huber left...Which is awesome and my Russian will improve a lot obviously. Besides that, I seriously need to learn street names and bus routes. I'm usually like the puppy following. After Sister Huber the next sister has only been out since May or June so he told me that I really need to use this opportunity to progress as much as I can in the language. It was definitely a wake up call to compare my situation to other sisters in the mission. So I'm excited about the next month and a half with her and have rededicated myself to speaking more Russian. 

During Zone Conference President really stressed teaching a lot of lessons each week, which is now a key indicator. So for study, I've done a lot of work going back through the 1st and 2nd lesson and the pamphlets we have and the language material we have, finding what they put in each, etc and figuring out different ways to put the info together. It's been fun. After zone conference we are spending a lot of time with less actives now. President really wants us to get sacrament meeting attendance up and then start working with their families. So we're going to hit it hard this week and see what happens! I'll keep you posted!!

Love you all! Sorry this was kinda random but here's an excerpt from letter to President. Love you!

From letter to Pres: it was Sister Irina's -the lady we came with- first time to church in 5 years! Throughout the day, I had to keep reminding myself of that. It may seem like not that big of a deal to get an inactive to church but 5 years! Sister Huber and I are talking about how we can do this every Sunday, maybe even going on splits with members to hit up more people. Also, the inactive we stopped by yesterday for the first time let us in and then unloaded about how she just quit her job on Friday and she was in a bad mood from it but talking to us helped. And that she would have more time for Book of Mormon and church now! Im so excited to see the branch grow as we get more and more members coming, and their families too! I've rededicated myself to speaking more Russian and using this last bit of time with Sister Huber as effectively as possible. We are excited about the Branch Retention Plan and I know this will make a difference here in Khabarovsk. 

email received January 20, 2013
This week has brought some cool miracles. Here's a quick run down:

-We had a lady at church yesterday whose daughters had talked to the elders on the street. She could only stay for sacrament but said she liked it and loved how everything was understandable as opposed to Russian Orthodox and she wanted to come again. Awesome! So hopefully we can start teaching her for realsy.

-Saturday we had a baptism of an 8 yr old whose whole family are members. I wanted to send pics, but my camera is weird. The baptism was in a sauna in a cold pool. It was actually kind of painful to watch as it was too deep so the dad was in up to his shoulder and then the boy like clung to him but it all went smoothly and then he was confirmed sunday (again awesome since the non-member came). It was so neat to witness the baptism and confimation (and we also had the elders give a blessing to a sick less-active this week) so it was definitely one of those testimony builders of the cliche idea of the church being the same everywhere no matter what language. And that the priesthood is awesome. 

-One of our less actives has literally changed. She is super successful professionally and we didnt know how to help her. But..enter the Book of Mormon. We met this week and after our lesson, SHE asked US if we could read from the Book of Mormon together. And she picked 2 Nephi 32. It was awesome. I love the book of Mormon. It literally brings people closer to Christ like the Introduction says. 

-An investigator (kind of) came back to town after a few weeks and said my Russian has gotten better. not to sound prideful but it was a tender mercy:)


Sorry this is rather short but I love you all!  And the Book of Mormon is true and the best book ever. 

Sister Allison!