Hello Family!
So first off KEVIN GIOT BAPTIZED! So great! He's already such a great member and he wants to share the gospel with everyone! He just needs to learn Russian now... haha! I think it is so cool that he has felt the spirit in our church meetings, because he doesn't understand any of it, and I know that none of us are the best of translators, (there are five missionaries who have been out for over a year, other than that, we all came in within a few months of each other. because of the Russian Visas, we all jump into Russia at the same time...) because we're all relatively young in the mission. Regardless of our terrible translating, he still feels the spirit and knows this church is true! So great! I know a lot of that is because of everyone's prayers, (Especially Matt! I baptized him for you after all! [Cousin, not uncle. {Your prayers don't work Uncle Matt. haha! Just kidding!}])
So yesterday my companion and I were knocking and this guy answered the door. He said he was Pravaslavnie (Russian Orthodox) and that he wasn't interested. But I wasn't going to take that excuse. I noticed children running around and in an attempt to keep the door open I said "It seems to me you're a family man?" I thought I could provoke a conversation about family and get him interested, but he rose his eyebrows as if I had said something rude and said "I have no doubts, thank you." and shut the door in my face. So apparently because of the cold, my lips weren't as nimble and also apparently the word for "Family" when used as an adjective sounds unfortunately similar to the word "Doubting". I essentially told him I didn't think he felt his religion was true. My companion and I had a good laugh about that one and I learned a better word to use for "Family Man".
I went on splits with a member of the seventy the other day. He's in our branch and apparently he really liked the spiritual thought I came up with when we were visiting an inactive because he couldn't stop talking about it and he based his whole talk on church about it... haha! But whatever, it's not like I'm gloating.
Dad, I appreciated your email! I'm always happy about getting them! The baptism was so great! I love Kevin so much! He is soo great! I liked your analogy of spring to the resurrection, it was nice. It really is already starting to warm up here. It's enough that I don't die. haha! The people are always in a better mood to talk to you as well right now because the sun is out for the first time in a long time!
My companionship is going well. I really haven't had a bad companionship since my first cycle! I love you all! I have no time! bye!
Love Elder Swartz!
Elder Swartz
Monday, February 20, 2012
Letter #20 from Russia
Hello Everyone! I love you all!
So Kevin didn't get baptized this week!!! He said he wanted nothing to do with us!!... Just kidding. He didn't get baptized, but it was just because we hadn't finished teaching him everything in time... haha! He's such a stud! I love him! I forget sometimes that he's 21. He's like a little kid, and looks a lot younger than he is. But He's humble like a kid to and so willing to listen to the subtle promptings of the Lord. He knows this Gospel is true and it is so cool that we got to watch The Lord make this incredible change within one of our investigators! You can totally see the light in his eyes now!
It. Is. So. Cold. Here. This past week my companion and I were walking around all day in minus 35 Celsius trying to get people to listen to us... We still manage to get one new investigator everyday. That is the promise the Lord has given us and we know that if we don't find excuses because of the cold we will be able to see the fruits of that promise. Just like it says in proverbs 20: 4.
The other day, we dropped into this store to warm up and talk to the employees that work there about the gospel and the lady thought that I was my companion's Russian translator. Haha! He's way better at Russian than me, but his accent is so bad they couldn't tell what he was saying, so I was translating for him... haha! It's so strange, sometimes people here tell you you speak without an accent at all, they think you're a Russki chelovek (russian person) and are so surprised when you say you're from America, but then other times people can't even understand what you're saying when you are just saying hi. I really don't understand it sometimes. I Love the Russians!
So I'm way curious to know who Heather Christensen (second cousin) married! Seriously! Rachel! Figure it out! Get on facebook and ask her! I want to know if I know who he is! Also! Christy doesn't answer my emails when I send them to her! I could just be presumptuous thinking that I deserve a response... but I totally deserve a response! I think I just have the wrong email address or something...
I'm loving everything about my area. I'm loving my mission! I'm loving everything I'm doing! And I've realized that I'm not even close to what I could be as a missionary! haha! You try so hard to forget yourself, but you realize that you never really do. Well, I don't at least. I feel like it is the commandment for us all to be perfect. We all try to do it, but we always fall so embarrassingly short. I am doing what I can every day to become better, but Dear Elder, it's frustrating. I love not being perfect though, if that's not weird. I think if I were perfect, living here would just be boring. I think that's why Jesus died when he was so young. I wouldn't want to have to live here in a state of perfection for 80 years either!
Mother, I noticed we have a Central Perk (cafe/restaurant where FRIENDS all hang out) here in my area that I pass on the way to church... and since I used to call my companion Gunther before I knew him, I suddenly felt like I was in the TV show. I thought you would think that's funny.
I love you all! I'm out of time!
Love Elder Svortz!
So Kevin didn't get baptized this week!!! He said he wanted nothing to do with us!!... Just kidding. He didn't get baptized, but it was just because we hadn't finished teaching him everything in time... haha! He's such a stud! I love him! I forget sometimes that he's 21. He's like a little kid, and looks a lot younger than he is. But He's humble like a kid to and so willing to listen to the subtle promptings of the Lord. He knows this Gospel is true and it is so cool that we got to watch The Lord make this incredible change within one of our investigators! You can totally see the light in his eyes now!
It. Is. So. Cold. Here. This past week my companion and I were walking around all day in minus 35 Celsius trying to get people to listen to us... We still manage to get one new investigator everyday. That is the promise the Lord has given us and we know that if we don't find excuses because of the cold we will be able to see the fruits of that promise. Just like it says in proverbs 20: 4.
The other day, we dropped into this store to warm up and talk to the employees that work there about the gospel and the lady thought that I was my companion's Russian translator. Haha! He's way better at Russian than me, but his accent is so bad they couldn't tell what he was saying, so I was translating for him... haha! It's so strange, sometimes people here tell you you speak without an accent at all, they think you're a Russki chelovek (russian person) and are so surprised when you say you're from America, but then other times people can't even understand what you're saying when you are just saying hi. I really don't understand it sometimes. I Love the Russians!
So I'm way curious to know who Heather Christensen (second cousin) married! Seriously! Rachel! Figure it out! Get on facebook and ask her! I want to know if I know who he is! Also! Christy doesn't answer my emails when I send them to her! I could just be presumptuous thinking that I deserve a response... but I totally deserve a response! I think I just have the wrong email address or something...
I'm loving everything about my area. I'm loving my mission! I'm loving everything I'm doing! And I've realized that I'm not even close to what I could be as a missionary! haha! You try so hard to forget yourself, but you realize that you never really do. Well, I don't at least. I feel like it is the commandment for us all to be perfect. We all try to do it, but we always fall so embarrassingly short. I am doing what I can every day to become better, but Dear Elder, it's frustrating. I love not being perfect though, if that's not weird. I think if I were perfect, living here would just be boring. I think that's why Jesus died when he was so young. I wouldn't want to have to live here in a state of perfection for 80 years either!
Mother, I noticed we have a Central Perk (cafe/restaurant where FRIENDS all hang out) here in my area that I pass on the way to church... and since I used to call my companion Gunther before I knew him, I suddenly felt like I was in the TV show. I thought you would think that's funny.
I love you all! I'm out of time!
Love Elder Svortz!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Letter #19 from Russia
Hello Family and Friends!!
So this week has been sooo great! We have been workign soo hard! We went on splits with the Assistants this past week and this next week I'll be going on splits with the zone leaders, leaving Russia for our Visa trip, and with the help of the Lord, baptizing our good friend Kevin! He's a black African who is sooo spiritual and knows no Russian. But He's learning. Pray for him so that he doesn't change his mind! Especially Matt Rowe (My cousin, not uncle). You need to pray for him so that I can baptize him just for you, just like I promised!
So this week, we were walking and I talked to this guy named AbnormallyAngryRussian and he yelled at me and called me a sectante (The best word for that would be cultist) and pushed me as hard as he could. My comp and I just laughed. Another lady who was walking with her grandkids started screaming at us: "I'M AN ATHEIST!!!!" I feel like that wouldn't be normal in America... but I'm really forgetting what America was like anyways, so whatver.
This next part is sad, so just a warning.
This past friday a member of our prehod (branch) hung himself. He was 24 years old and his name was Viktor. I'd never met him. Four years ago he was completely normal, a genius even. Way talented. (warning: gruesome info ahead) But there was an accident where a branch went through the cavity of his eye, not puncturing it, but going in and messing up his brain. After that he went schizophrenic and had all sorts of problems. He was still able to function, but totally changed. Apparently it was too much for him to handle. God will be the judge of that situation. It was so sad. But his family has seemed to take it okay and the mother was even smiling at the funeral luncheon.
Also, yesterday we had a meeting with an apartment full of... men oriented toward other males. However, a few of them were very intrigued in our message and I could feel like maybe they saw some light through all the darkness they lived in. However the other part of the lesson felt like being a missionary in Sodom and Gomorrah. They were good people, they just didn't see a lot of hope.
It is getting Very cold here. Very. Cold. But, whatevs! It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be though... ish. so that's cool right!? Also, I got a late Christmas present from Ashley, Lindsey, that other one, Liza, and Chelsie that I loved so much! So great! I wanted to say thanks for that! Russian mail is so slow! haha! It was from November. Hey! Also, I can't really take pictures very easily because my second camera got fried from a bad converter... so sad. I've been able to use other peoples cameras at times using my card, but I don't really get to take pictures of my areas that way. It's certainly better having your own camera... Hint.
I love you all! I found a shapka (fur hat) in the snow. I am not dead.
Loves, Elder Svortz.
So this week has been sooo great! We have been workign soo hard! We went on splits with the Assistants this past week and this next week I'll be going on splits with the zone leaders, leaving Russia for our Visa trip, and with the help of the Lord, baptizing our good friend Kevin! He's a black African who is sooo spiritual and knows no Russian. But He's learning. Pray for him so that he doesn't change his mind! Especially Matt Rowe (My cousin, not uncle). You need to pray for him so that I can baptize him just for you, just like I promised!
So this week, we were walking and I talked to this guy named AbnormallyAngryRussian and he yelled at me and called me a sectante (The best word for that would be cultist) and pushed me as hard as he could. My comp and I just laughed. Another lady who was walking with her grandkids started screaming at us: "I'M AN ATHEIST!!!!" I feel like that wouldn't be normal in America... but I'm really forgetting what America was like anyways, so whatver.
This next part is sad, so just a warning.
This past friday a member of our prehod (branch) hung himself. He was 24 years old and his name was Viktor. I'd never met him. Four years ago he was completely normal, a genius even. Way talented. (warning: gruesome info ahead) But there was an accident where a branch went through the cavity of his eye, not puncturing it, but going in and messing up his brain. After that he went schizophrenic and had all sorts of problems. He was still able to function, but totally changed. Apparently it was too much for him to handle. God will be the judge of that situation. It was so sad. But his family has seemed to take it okay and the mother was even smiling at the funeral luncheon.
Also, yesterday we had a meeting with an apartment full of... men oriented toward other males. However, a few of them were very intrigued in our message and I could feel like maybe they saw some light through all the darkness they lived in. However the other part of the lesson felt like being a missionary in Sodom and Gomorrah. They were good people, they just didn't see a lot of hope.
It is getting Very cold here. Very. Cold. But, whatevs! It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be though... ish. so that's cool right!? Also, I got a late Christmas present from Ashley, Lindsey, that other one, Liza, and Chelsie that I loved so much! So great! I wanted to say thanks for that! Russian mail is so slow! haha! It was from November. Hey! Also, I can't really take pictures very easily because my second camera got fried from a bad converter... so sad. I've been able to use other peoples cameras at times using my card, but I don't really get to take pictures of my areas that way. It's certainly better having your own camera... Hint.
I love you all! I found a shapka (fur hat) in the snow. I am not dead.
Loves, Elder Svortz.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Letter #18 from Russia.
Hello Cemya!
So this week has been sooooo long! It's been fun, but being in such a new atmosphere makes it seem like forever ago when I last wrote home. So much has happened!! I can't even start to describe everything!
So I feel like I'm in Russia now. Before, in Penza, I felt as if I were in America with only some very bizarre changes, like everyone speaking Russian... But now, my apartment is a piece of junk, the buildings are much more Russian looking... okay, so maybe that's all that's really different... I love my apartment though! The sink fell off the wall in the bathroom the other day and the kitchen is about the size of our bathroom at home. There is no room! It's really old looking and smelling and it has carpets on the walls for decoration! I really do enjoy it! My new companion is elder Doherty and he is wonderful so far! A lot of energy and willingness. Really nice and a good sociable person. Really has a love for the people here. He is from Alexandria, Virginia. "Really close to DC and all that Jazz" - Elder Doherty.
We have two investigators right now who are pretty good. Kevin and Tidzine. They are from Ethiopia (SP?) and they are very much Black African. So great! They both don't know Russian really at all and they have been here the same amount of time as I have... so that is cool that I can see the difference between someone with the gift of tounges and someone without it... haha! Just kidding... but seriously. We have another investigator Andrei, who is really cool. He is Armenian and is was nice... He kind of thinks the Book of Mormon is blasphemy... but we'll fix that. haha! He keeps reading Wikipedia articles about the church and finding all this stupid stuff about it. He doesn't believe any of it, but he finds it interesting. Go on to wikipedia for me and fix the Russian version because people are messing with it to make people not like our church!
I decided I don't like the word "Sect" anymore...
Holy Pelmeni... It is almost February!!! I can't believe that!!! That's impossible! It didn't hit me until just now! I've been on my mission for so long already, but it seems like I'm still one fo the newest in the field! I feel like such a greenie still! Our meeting house is nice here as well. Lucked out again. It is surrounded by bars and pubs and billiards though... yeah! The branch is big. We are so close to getting a stake here in Saratov!! The goal is to get one here before the end of my mission. I leave at the same time the Mission President and his wife do, so we are working hard to get a stake here before we leave! My Russian isn't a big hinderance anymore. Yes, it is still sooooo far from being fluent. I make SOO many grammar mistakes and have no idea how to say so many words. I don't understand about fifty percent of what people are saying, but I can usually piece it together. Russians are chatter boxes, so I usually get about five explanations of the same thing, which really helps me not miss what they are talking about. The other day, I translated our district meeting from Russian into English for our senior couple living here in Saratov. I really surprised myself. Then later, I translated an entire lesson from english to Russian in real time... which further surprised me. I didn't think I would be able to do it that fluidly, but it just came. It really wasn't that hard to listen and translate and speak all at the same time. I know my grammar was worse than normal while doing it though and I made the most simple of mistakes, but I was rather impressed. I also have no problems speaking in Russian twenty four seven now. Before you get all impressed, I'm telling you that I don't do that with my companion right now. It's better to fluidly understand your companion and have open communication between the two of you so that there aren't any problems, but I have spent days with Native Russians and got along just fine without any problems communicating with them.
So I was reading in Matthew 25 andI really liked where it says the people didn't understand what Jesus meant when he said thy had fed him and clothed him and stuff and he says inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my bretheren, you have done it unto me. I've always thought of that like "You're not REALLY doing it unto me, I'm just telling you that to emphasize that you need to serve your bretheren." But today it hit me that that scripture gives us a lot more information about the atonement than we realize. He walked with Every person through life and knows EVERYTHING. Maybe even experienced it just like we did. When we do something to someone, we are literally doing it to Jesus as He is walking along life with them. Anyway! I have no time! I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here! I love you all and I hope you are all doing well!
Love Elder Swartz!
So this week has been sooooo long! It's been fun, but being in such a new atmosphere makes it seem like forever ago when I last wrote home. So much has happened!! I can't even start to describe everything!
So I feel like I'm in Russia now. Before, in Penza, I felt as if I were in America with only some very bizarre changes, like everyone speaking Russian... But now, my apartment is a piece of junk, the buildings are much more Russian looking... okay, so maybe that's all that's really different... I love my apartment though! The sink fell off the wall in the bathroom the other day and the kitchen is about the size of our bathroom at home. There is no room! It's really old looking and smelling and it has carpets on the walls for decoration! I really do enjoy it! My new companion is elder Doherty and he is wonderful so far! A lot of energy and willingness. Really nice and a good sociable person. Really has a love for the people here. He is from Alexandria, Virginia. "Really close to DC and all that Jazz" - Elder Doherty.
We have two investigators right now who are pretty good. Kevin and Tidzine. They are from Ethiopia (SP?) and they are very much Black African. So great! They both don't know Russian really at all and they have been here the same amount of time as I have... so that is cool that I can see the difference between someone with the gift of tounges and someone without it... haha! Just kidding... but seriously. We have another investigator Andrei, who is really cool. He is Armenian and is was nice... He kind of thinks the Book of Mormon is blasphemy... but we'll fix that. haha! He keeps reading Wikipedia articles about the church and finding all this stupid stuff about it. He doesn't believe any of it, but he finds it interesting. Go on to wikipedia for me and fix the Russian version because people are messing with it to make people not like our church!
I decided I don't like the word "Sect" anymore...
Holy Pelmeni... It is almost February!!! I can't believe that!!! That's impossible! It didn't hit me until just now! I've been on my mission for so long already, but it seems like I'm still one fo the newest in the field! I feel like such a greenie still! Our meeting house is nice here as well. Lucked out again. It is surrounded by bars and pubs and billiards though... yeah! The branch is big. We are so close to getting a stake here in Saratov!! The goal is to get one here before the end of my mission. I leave at the same time the Mission President and his wife do, so we are working hard to get a stake here before we leave! My Russian isn't a big hinderance anymore. Yes, it is still sooooo far from being fluent. I make SOO many grammar mistakes and have no idea how to say so many words. I don't understand about fifty percent of what people are saying, but I can usually piece it together. Russians are chatter boxes, so I usually get about five explanations of the same thing, which really helps me not miss what they are talking about. The other day, I translated our district meeting from Russian into English for our senior couple living here in Saratov. I really surprised myself. Then later, I translated an entire lesson from english to Russian in real time... which further surprised me. I didn't think I would be able to do it that fluidly, but it just came. It really wasn't that hard to listen and translate and speak all at the same time. I know my grammar was worse than normal while doing it though and I made the most simple of mistakes, but I was rather impressed. I also have no problems speaking in Russian twenty four seven now. Before you get all impressed, I'm telling you that I don't do that with my companion right now. It's better to fluidly understand your companion and have open communication between the two of you so that there aren't any problems, but I have spent days with Native Russians and got along just fine without any problems communicating with them.
So I was reading in Matthew 25 andI really liked where it says the people didn't understand what Jesus meant when he said thy had fed him and clothed him and stuff and he says inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my bretheren, you have done it unto me. I've always thought of that like "You're not REALLY doing it unto me, I'm just telling you that to emphasize that you need to serve your bretheren." But today it hit me that that scripture gives us a lot more information about the atonement than we realize. He walked with Every person through life and knows EVERYTHING. Maybe even experienced it just like we did. When we do something to someone, we are literally doing it to Jesus as He is walking along life with them. Anyway! I have no time! I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here! I love you all and I hope you are all doing well!
Love Elder Swartz!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Letter #17 from Russia!
Hello Family!
I Got Transferred!!! So Sad!!! I knew it was coming, I just really didn't want it to happen! I'm leaving Penza!! A lot of the members were all mad and said that I should just tell them "no." I really love the members in Penza and I will miss them all soo much! I'll be living in a area called Volvzhki and although I'm sad to be leaving Penza, I'm way excited about this new area! My new companion is Elder Doherty or something... In the MTC, Elder Michaelis and I would call him Gunther because we thought he looked like Gunther from Friends. haha!
So I'm really sad I won't get to see Anya and Cergei and German and Jane get baptized... It's soo sad! They are all so close and I can tell they all are so ready! I love them all and am sad to be leaving. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Anya cuz she wouldn't anwer her dang phone!
Last night on the train an 18 year old kid knocked on our door. He spoke a bit of english and said he heard us speaking in English and he wanted to practice with us. We invited him in to our cabin and spoke a long time with him. He has a prosthetic arm, an earing in his left ear and is hired out by clubs all over Russia as a very popular beatboxer. He is one of the top ten beatboxers in Russia and he's friends with all the world champion beatboxers... and he loves God. He thinks smoking is junk and people who drink are trying to hide their problems from theirselves. We talked with him for a long time and he beat boxed for us... Holy Cow... it was incredible! He sounded like a radio just playing dance club music. haha! I love him already! He was totally up or meeting with missionaries again! I don't think I'll get to teach him, but if he gets baptised, I'd be so happy! Even if he doesn't I'm totally looking him up when I get home! He was really just a really sweet kid who was totally genuine and sincere. Although he was "famous" I guess you could say, he was just a fun normal person.
I love you all! thanks for the addresses! I'm really excited for this next cycle! Elder Brouckdskdkhousin is my Assistant to the President now... yeah!!
Loves, Elder Swartz!
I Got Transferred!!! So Sad!!! I knew it was coming, I just really didn't want it to happen! I'm leaving Penza!! A lot of the members were all mad and said that I should just tell them "no." I really love the members in Penza and I will miss them all soo much! I'll be living in a area called Volvzhki and although I'm sad to be leaving Penza, I'm way excited about this new area! My new companion is Elder Doherty or something... In the MTC, Elder Michaelis and I would call him Gunther because we thought he looked like Gunther from Friends. haha!
So I'm really sad I won't get to see Anya and Cergei and German and Jane get baptized... It's soo sad! They are all so close and I can tell they all are so ready! I love them all and am sad to be leaving. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Anya cuz she wouldn't anwer her dang phone!
Last night on the train an 18 year old kid knocked on our door. He spoke a bit of english and said he heard us speaking in English and he wanted to practice with us. We invited him in to our cabin and spoke a long time with him. He has a prosthetic arm, an earing in his left ear and is hired out by clubs all over Russia as a very popular beatboxer. He is one of the top ten beatboxers in Russia and he's friends with all the world champion beatboxers... and he loves God. He thinks smoking is junk and people who drink are trying to hide their problems from theirselves. We talked with him for a long time and he beat boxed for us... Holy Cow... it was incredible! He sounded like a radio just playing dance club music. haha! I love him already! He was totally up or meeting with missionaries again! I don't think I'll get to teach him, but if he gets baptised, I'd be so happy! Even if he doesn't I'm totally looking him up when I get home! He was really just a really sweet kid who was totally genuine and sincere. Although he was "famous" I guess you could say, he was just a fun normal person.
I love you all! thanks for the addresses! I'm really excited for this next cycle! Elder Brouckdskdkhousin is my Assistant to the President now... yeah!!
Loves, Elder Swartz!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Letter #16 from Russia
Hello Family!!!
So First off, I just want to say that I LOVED the Christmas package that I just got like three days ago! haha! A little late, but it's Russia... haha! And Christmas here isn't until January 7th anyway, so it was almost right on time! haha! I really loved hearing from everyone! It seemed to me like Christy and Matt didn't get the emails I sent them or something! I sent them emails a long time ago, but I don't know if they got them... can you send me their emails so that I have them for sure?
I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures! When I opened them, I was with all the native elders and sisters in a van coming back from Kazakstan, and they all looked at Mary and said "Who is that beautiful girl? That is your sister? Why is everyone in America so beautiful?" It was so funny. Also, mom, when ever I show pictures of youto people, they think you are thirty. haha!
So this week we were meeting with a member and her ex husband, not a member. He went into the the kitchen and we started our lesson with a prayer. However, during the prayer, we heard a dish break in the kitchen and we heard a grunt and someone hit the ground. We ran into the kitchen to find that he was having a Preestoop (Seizure) and we had to hold him down so he didn't hit anything. Needless to say, my medical vocabulary is expanding weekly... haha!
Happy Birthday Steph!
So I didn't even know Christy was in Taiwan! I thought she was in China! That's a big difference! China isn't where some of my friends live! China doesn't have a temple! Cool!! Does she live near the temple? I hope she gets to go to it often, I'm so grateful for the blessings of the temple here in Russia! I don't know what I would do without it!
So this week, Jane came to church and invited her friend. She's a chatter box in sunday school and likes to argue her point a bit... but once we teach her everything... hopefully there will be less contention... haha! She really loves it though! Her friend was a bit less warm to the idea of... well... Mormon. But I was talking to him and Jane said in english (so he wouldn't understand) "He's just uncomfortable right now! We'll keep meeting with him and he'll get baptised for sure!" Again, this is coming from Jane, who up until this point we had not met with other than on a bus and talked to at church. She is so funny and so excited to be baptised! ...We just have to teach her everything first... But She loves the book of Mormon and can't stop talking about how incredible it is that there was such a book and it's not world famous! "It should be as famous as the bible! Maybe more if you look at how it was discovered!"
She could be crazy though.
Hey, I have to go! I love you all and I hope you are all doing well! And I loved the little story about the Shepherd that I got from sister Arnold! Give her a big thanks for me!!
I love you all! Fur Realz.
Loves, Elder Swartz!
So First off, I just want to say that I LOVED the Christmas package that I just got like three days ago! haha! A little late, but it's Russia... haha! And Christmas here isn't until January 7th anyway, so it was almost right on time! haha! I really loved hearing from everyone! It seemed to me like Christy and Matt didn't get the emails I sent them or something! I sent them emails a long time ago, but I don't know if they got them... can you send me their emails so that I have them for sure?
I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures! When I opened them, I was with all the native elders and sisters in a van coming back from Kazakstan, and they all looked at Mary and said "Who is that beautiful girl? That is your sister? Why is everyone in America so beautiful?" It was so funny. Also, mom, when ever I show pictures of youto people, they think you are thirty. haha!
So this week we were meeting with a member and her ex husband, not a member. He went into the the kitchen and we started our lesson with a prayer. However, during the prayer, we heard a dish break in the kitchen and we heard a grunt and someone hit the ground. We ran into the kitchen to find that he was having a Preestoop (Seizure) and we had to hold him down so he didn't hit anything. Needless to say, my medical vocabulary is expanding weekly... haha!
Happy Birthday Steph!
So I didn't even know Christy was in Taiwan! I thought she was in China! That's a big difference! China isn't where some of my friends live! China doesn't have a temple! Cool!! Does she live near the temple? I hope she gets to go to it often, I'm so grateful for the blessings of the temple here in Russia! I don't know what I would do without it!
So this week, Jane came to church and invited her friend. She's a chatter box in sunday school and likes to argue her point a bit... but once we teach her everything... hopefully there will be less contention... haha! She really loves it though! Her friend was a bit less warm to the idea of... well... Mormon. But I was talking to him and Jane said in english (so he wouldn't understand) "He's just uncomfortable right now! We'll keep meeting with him and he'll get baptised for sure!" Again, this is coming from Jane, who up until this point we had not met with other than on a bus and talked to at church. She is so funny and so excited to be baptised! ...We just have to teach her everything first... But She loves the book of Mormon and can't stop talking about how incredible it is that there was such a book and it's not world famous! "It should be as famous as the bible! Maybe more if you look at how it was discovered!"
She could be crazy though.
Hey, I have to go! I love you all and I hope you are all doing well! And I loved the little story about the Shepherd that I got from sister Arnold! Give her a big thanks for me!!
I love you all! Fur Realz.
Loves, Elder Swartz!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Letter #15 From Russia
Hello Family!
So I should be back to the regular email schedule... So please don't procrastinate your emails if you want me to read them in time. The last two weeks were just odd circumstances. Mother, thank you so much for the stories you sent! They were so great to read! I've already used a few of them in my lessons! The spirit is really strong when I am able to relay to them an experience that affected someone I know personally, instead of just me telling them a principle and hoping they can understand how it could apply. SEND MORE! I am always looking for them! Tell Grandma and all the aunts and uncles to send me stuff! I would love to hear from them and their experiences that may have strengthed their testimonies! That goes for any friends who are reading this as well!
So Everything is going well with my companion! We get along really well, and even tough we are really different, we are both pretty chill about stuff, so we never have arguments or anything! Which I really like. haha! He still can't eat human food... But he's been getting more creative with what he can eat. I have as well actually, which has been fun. Mother, please send me recipes! Chicken Broccolli Casserole sounds really good, and your soups! Hamburger, broccolli, chicken noodle! Missionary work has definitely picked back up! My companion can walk long distances again, so we are excited about that. We can go tracting again!! I love it! I don't know why people don't like tracting... I do it all the time! Contacting outside is fun and all, but nothing beats getting invited inside to someone's christmas party and them trying to force you to drink vodka and then them getting all interested when you say you don't drink. I really love it!
So the other day, Penza had this big youth conference for youth all over the mission! It was really cool to see different youth all finding strength in each other's example! So cool! I met one kid from Moscow who asked me if I knew Robbie Olsen, Mark Harris, and Andrew Wadsworth. I kind of got really excited and we just talked about how they were all doing. haha!
Jane is doing well! She's been in the hospital for the past two weeks... Russians and their hospital vacations... She's been reading the Book of Mormon though and she says she's loving it! So hopefully she'll be getting baptised this month! Anya is such a pain! I love her, but she just will not come to church! I really am praying she doesn't turn into an eternal investigator... Sergei is wonderful, but he's been an eternal investigator for some time now, so it is really difficult to get him moving... but I really feel like he is moving closer to baptism! I'm really falling in love with Penza. Especially the investigators. At first, I felt that I probably loved them, but I didn't feel like I felt the same way that RM's say they loved their investigators... well now I do! I have really been blessed with a love for these people and what they have to bring! You can see such potential in every person, even when they can't see it in themselves because they feel their is no hope for them! I never want to leave Penza! I know that if the Lord wants me to go, obviously that is what I should want too... but I don't!!
Okay, one last story before I go! So I was talking to some missionaries and they that said in one of our branches here about a year ago or something, these missionaries had the craziest miracle. So apparently, thirty five years ago asked this guy for a cigarette and he gave her a whole pack to be nice and walked away. She opened it up and instead of finding cigarettes, she found these little pieces of paper rolled up to look like cigarettes. The papers were the account of Joseph Smith and the first vision. The spirit bore testimony of the truth of the little papers and she kept it a secret that this is what she believed for thirty five years. Well a year a ago, a member invited her to come to church, and for the thousandth time, the woman said "Trust me, what you and I believe is very different!" The member asked her to just tell her what she actually believed, so the woman decided to tell her as long as she didn't tell anyone. People would think she was crazy! The woman told the member the story about the cigarettes and the first vision. Obiously the member was like "Lady... you have to come to one of our church meetings..." and the woman was baptized two weeks later. Crazy! I don't know if that is just a legend floating around every mission, or if it's true to our mission... but I thought it was cool!
Got to go! Love you all!
Elder Swartz!
So I should be back to the regular email schedule... So please don't procrastinate your emails if you want me to read them in time. The last two weeks were just odd circumstances. Mother, thank you so much for the stories you sent! They were so great to read! I've already used a few of them in my lessons! The spirit is really strong when I am able to relay to them an experience that affected someone I know personally, instead of just me telling them a principle and hoping they can understand how it could apply. SEND MORE! I am always looking for them! Tell Grandma and all the aunts and uncles to send me stuff! I would love to hear from them and their experiences that may have strengthed their testimonies! That goes for any friends who are reading this as well!
So Everything is going well with my companion! We get along really well, and even tough we are really different, we are both pretty chill about stuff, so we never have arguments or anything! Which I really like. haha! He still can't eat human food... But he's been getting more creative with what he can eat. I have as well actually, which has been fun. Mother, please send me recipes! Chicken Broccolli Casserole sounds really good, and your soups! Hamburger, broccolli, chicken noodle! Missionary work has definitely picked back up! My companion can walk long distances again, so we are excited about that. We can go tracting again!! I love it! I don't know why people don't like tracting... I do it all the time! Contacting outside is fun and all, but nothing beats getting invited inside to someone's christmas party and them trying to force you to drink vodka and then them getting all interested when you say you don't drink. I really love it!
So the other day, Penza had this big youth conference for youth all over the mission! It was really cool to see different youth all finding strength in each other's example! So cool! I met one kid from Moscow who asked me if I knew Robbie Olsen, Mark Harris, and Andrew Wadsworth. I kind of got really excited and we just talked about how they were all doing. haha!
Jane is doing well! She's been in the hospital for the past two weeks... Russians and their hospital vacations... She's been reading the Book of Mormon though and she says she's loving it! So hopefully she'll be getting baptised this month! Anya is such a pain! I love her, but she just will not come to church! I really am praying she doesn't turn into an eternal investigator... Sergei is wonderful, but he's been an eternal investigator for some time now, so it is really difficult to get him moving... but I really feel like he is moving closer to baptism! I'm really falling in love with Penza. Especially the investigators. At first, I felt that I probably loved them, but I didn't feel like I felt the same way that RM's say they loved their investigators... well now I do! I have really been blessed with a love for these people and what they have to bring! You can see such potential in every person, even when they can't see it in themselves because they feel their is no hope for them! I never want to leave Penza! I know that if the Lord wants me to go, obviously that is what I should want too... but I don't!!
Okay, one last story before I go! So I was talking to some missionaries and they that said in one of our branches here about a year ago or something, these missionaries had the craziest miracle. So apparently, thirty five years ago asked this guy for a cigarette and he gave her a whole pack to be nice and walked away. She opened it up and instead of finding cigarettes, she found these little pieces of paper rolled up to look like cigarettes. The papers were the account of Joseph Smith and the first vision. The spirit bore testimony of the truth of the little papers and she kept it a secret that this is what she believed for thirty five years. Well a year a ago, a member invited her to come to church, and for the thousandth time, the woman said "Trust me, what you and I believe is very different!" The member asked her to just tell her what she actually believed, so the woman decided to tell her as long as she didn't tell anyone. People would think she was crazy! The woman told the member the story about the cigarettes and the first vision. Obiously the member was like "Lady... you have to come to one of our church meetings..." and the woman was baptized two weeks later. Crazy! I don't know if that is just a legend floating around every mission, or if it's true to our mission... but I thought it was cool!
Got to go! Love you all!
Elder Swartz!
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