Letter from Russia #7

Hey hey hey!

Whoa boy... this week has been tough... but good. First: Muslims are tough to convert... their religion is so similar to ours that all of our little explanations about why we need the book of Mormon or prophets and stuff apply to the Koran! haha! Not only that, but they have no faith in Jesus Christ, so there's nothing to build off of there... it's tough. You really just have to bring everything down to the spirit testifying to them of the truth of your message. With my Russian abilities thus far, I can't do anything else to explain. But I know that I have the power of the Lord on my side.

God does not love eloquence, He loves His children.
Also: An elevator broke down while my companion and I were in it. He got all mad, but I stayed cheerful and somehow he cheered up as well. It actually became funny... Finally, after probably 20 minutes, this guy came and got us out. We talked to him as he was on top of the elevator prying the door open with his crow bar and by the end, he said he'd come to church! haha! We couldn't get his number or anything though, so we'll see how that turns out.

So I was reading Mosiah 21: 14 and I felt like it totally described my pleadings with the Lord about my companion. I was scared that verse 15 was going to apply to me as well, but the Lord answered my prayers. My companion got transferred. He's not even in my zone anymore... I feel bad for praying so hard for that very thing to happen, because he did so much work here and now he has to leave it all behind. As happy as I am, I certainly understand him being sad to leave. But honestly it is good that it is happening. It got to the point where I was giving in everytime he was disobedient for the sake of not starting an argument. I feel so bad for wasting that time, for it was not mine to waste, but I really didn't know what to do anymore. However, just the other day during my language study, I came across a quote from a Russian book "Doctor Zhivago" by Pasternak that says

"The root of all evil to come was the loss of confidence in the value of one's own opinion. People imagined that it was out of date to follow their own moral sense, that they must all sing in chorus, and live other people's notions."

I decided at that time that, new companion or not, this upcoming transfer, I would rather please the Lord than get along with my companion. I will obviously try to do both, but I will not give in the fight to be obedient when my companion will not be. It's a hard thing when you're the new one, you're companion is the District Leader, and you have to be the one to say no or that we should be doing something else, especially when you know he will get mad at you. It sounds so easy to do (It always did to me at least), but I know from experience that it can seem impossible when it is actually happening. Luckily, I'm starting fresh with new companions, and I won't feel so uncomfortable if I establish it at the beginning. It's definitely harder to get out of the groove when you are already in it instead of staying out of it in the first place.

I'm getting put with the new district leader for Penza and one other Elder as well. Yeah, I'm in a tripanionship. I've never met Elder Glad, I will later today though. But I'm already good friends with Elder Anderson because we were in the same district before. I'm so excited. I really don't know what to expect, but I'm praying that I wll have the right set of attributes to get along with both of them well. Both of them were in the military before the mission, so I'm excited about that... haha!

Hey, well I have to go! I love you all and I love getting your letters! I promise I'll write back! It just takes forever to respond!

Love, Elder Swartz!