Letter #10 from Russia

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey, so a member of my branch said that he found Rachel on Facebook and gave her pictures. At least... I think that's what he said... anyway, just wanted to check on that and see if you guys got them. Also! I found out that dearelders are free for the Russia Samara Mission, or at least they should be... so if you want to save money, just send me a dearelder instead! It's not like I really care though, I'm here to be a missionary, not to get letters... but seriously... send letters. haha!
So this Stephanie lady! When she was a young wife with a good son, good husband, and a good life, her husband left the country for work and after a few months of not hearing from him, the government sent her back an earn (spellcheck?) saying it was her husbands ashes. Apparently the government didn't like something he did or knew so they got rid of him. She doesn't believe it was really his ashes, but Vsyo Ravno (nonetheless) her husband was gone. Then later, her son got beat to the point of being permanently brain damaged for the rest of his life and never recovered physically either. She doesn't receive any sort of money from the government because she's not Russian. Finally, she found this church and really liked it, but when she was walking home from a branch activity these guys broke her arm and her hip and told her never to go to our church again. She hasn't been able to come to church anymore because now her health is too poor! She has a crazy tough life... And a lot of people here have lives just like hers.
There's one lady, Larisa, I don't know much about her but apparently her mother killed her father, or maybe it was her brother who killed her mother... anyways, her family is all dead now and her life is really hard... People here are so scarred and battered. They have been chewed up and spit out time and time again. It reminds me of a talk I read in the MTC by Boyd K. Packer, Touch of the Master's Hand. You should read it. There was a poem at the end I really felt applied to the people of Russia more than it may to other people. If there was anything I could do for these people, it would be to help them remember who they really are. That they are worth more than the 30 rubles of material their bodies are made up of, but rather the infinite value of their own magnificence. If they could only see who they could be when touched by the master's hand, this people, the people of Russia could have exponentially better lives! They wouldn't even have to change much. Just their perspective! Everything else would follow naturally!
Russian fun fact: Graffiti is rampant! it's insane... All these little russian Gangs running around tagging their "English" Gang Names on stuff like "TickleMustaЯd" or the "Dragon Stabbers!" seriously... it's worse than the Cedar Hills Jads. haha! Actually there are a lot of really good taggings though. There is some true talent, too bad it's wasted.

I have to go bye!!

Love elder sdfjldasf