Letter #42 from Russia

Hey Family!!

So this week has not been my favorite on the mission. It's fine, I'm still
happy and having fun with my companions, but Stas didn't show up to church,
and because of that he can't get baptized this cycle. So if I get
transferred, I won't get to be there for him. I'm really bummed about that.
He's one of my favorite people I've ever met and I'm frustrated at him for
being so unreliable! However, when I think about his life, I calm down.
He's going through a lot of changes and I can't expect him to come along
perfectly. That's actually the fun part about being a missionary. Each
investigator has their own specific challenges and concerns that can only
be resolved if YOU work hard and YOU work effectively.

Dad, thanks for your advice. I knew it all along, of course. But sometimes
you need someone to remind you of it. In my companionship we've really been
talking a lot about how we can be the most effective in our companionship.
As we kept digging to find the source of the problem, slash find the
solution, it went through a lot of things, ranging from poor circumstances,
personality traits, and desire. Honestly, we worked it down to simply
understanding the atonement. If you understand the atonement and it is real
to you in your heart, you won't be worried about if you are doing enough
because you will automatically be moving forward in the work in the best
way you can to help these people. The atonement is all about other people.
there was no thought in Christ's mind in regards to himself. He didn't try
to take the load off a bit because he felt tired. He didn't skip every
other hundredth person because he felt like "They probably won't accept
this anyway." He did it for every person, with out rest. That needs to be
our attitude as missionaries. We need to do everything we can in this work,
because if we don't then who will?  If you find yourself remembering
yourself too much, that's when you get lazy. You realize how tired you are.
You focus on how much you've already done and how you feel about what's all
happening. If you don't do that, then you'll keep going. It's a lot like a
headache. It's when you focus on it that it gets worse. Only when you
forget about it and move forward does it calm down a bit.

Sorry about the monologue... haha! So this week it has been about 42
Celcius. We are outside all day and my companions come home burned and I
come home whiter. I don't understand.  In our apartment it's been about 35
degrees on average. It's pretty satanic in our apartment. The Sartori's
were appalled at how hot it was. This is with our curtains drawn and a fan
on. We don't know what to do. Oh well, it's coolling down, so we'll live.
 I've got to go. I love you all I hope you are all doing well! Keep the
people of Russia in your prayers! Especially MY investigators because they
are the best! haha!

Love, Elder Skvortz!