Hello Everyone!
So life is going well! I'm enjoying my mission very much so. First off I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER!! I meant to say that last week, but I was seriously in such a hurry I forgot to mention it! Thank you for all your birthday wishes that I have received! They have been much appreciated! So really this week has been a roller coaster of emotions! Like every week... First off, my whole mission I've felt totally fine about the language, but ever since we've been meeting with a certain investigator, I've felt so inadequate! She speaks so quickly and uses such big words, I can barely understand what she's saying. My companion is very good at the language so they communicate just fine, but whenever I talk, she just looks around as if wondering if anyone else is noticing how bad I'm speaking, or she'll try super hard not to burst out laughing when I speak because my grammar isn't perfect. After an outburst of laughter from her last night I asked her why she kept doing that and she said that it seemed I was just trying so hard to prove that I could speak well when in reality I couldn't speak the language at all. I wanted to punch her in the face. After that, I couldn't speak at all around her without stumbling because she kept putting her hand up to her mouth to keep from laughing. Man! People like that just irritate me! Then later we were walking her home she asked if she could link arms with me because it was slippery. I told her I had no idea what she said and turned and started talking to our member who was with us. What a punk.
haha! I still have a lot of growing to do.
Also the other way we were contacting outside and we asked this lady how she was doing. She raised her eyebrows in this manner like "This mere mortal dares speak with me?" And then she said "Vui yesho Zheevoi? Co Bcyem Uzhastna..." Which means "You two are still living...? That is simply disgusting..." and she walked away, totally serious. We just kept shouting blessings of health and love and joy to her as she walked down the block. I find it interesting how the Lord doesn't really let that bother us even though it's probably the most threatening thing I've heard in this city. It's important to keep your attitude up while people are tearing it down. There is such a big contrast in my fruitfulness as a missionary when I let things bounce off me like that rather than if I let them get to me, like with the girl who kept laughing at me. Missionary work is so much easier when you are in a better mood and your confidence is high...
My time is up... haha!
I love you all!
Loves, Elder Svortz!
Elder Swartz
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Letter #23 From Russia
Okay. I have seven minutes. And I forgot my notebook of stuff that I wanted to tell you.
We met with Kevin this week. Thank you all for praying for him. He met with us and he was NOT in a good mood. We started the lesson and we knew something was up so we really pushed at him and he told us that he didn't believe in the Book of Mormon and that he didn't want to do this whole Mormon thing anymore. My comp and I were both panicking like crazy inside and just pouring our hearts out to God to help us and help Kevin. We didn't know what to do, but we really just listened to him and let him get all his thoughts out. But then somehow, God, in his Infinite Mercy guided our discussion and it slid perfectly into us being able to calm him down and get the whole story out of him. Someone had said something to him that really tore him apart and he stopped praying and reading and he was just angry at himself. He didn't know how to handle it and so he decided to give up. But after talking he understood that Satan was really just attacking him and he came out of the lesson beaming and with new resolve. The next day he came to church totally happy and even brought a friend! I am so grateful to the Lord and his guiding hand in this work! I could not do anything without His spirit!
Congratulations Amber!! I'm so happy for you! I have to go now! I love you all!
Elder Swerasdf
We met with Kevin this week. Thank you all for praying for him. He met with us and he was NOT in a good mood. We started the lesson and we knew something was up so we really pushed at him and he told us that he didn't believe in the Book of Mormon and that he didn't want to do this whole Mormon thing anymore. My comp and I were both panicking like crazy inside and just pouring our hearts out to God to help us and help Kevin. We didn't know what to do, but we really just listened to him and let him get all his thoughts out. But then somehow, God, in his Infinite Mercy guided our discussion and it slid perfectly into us being able to calm him down and get the whole story out of him. Someone had said something to him that really tore him apart and he stopped praying and reading and he was just angry at himself. He didn't know how to handle it and so he decided to give up. But after talking he understood that Satan was really just attacking him and he came out of the lesson beaming and with new resolve. The next day he came to church totally happy and even brought a friend! I am so grateful to the Lord and his guiding hand in this work! I could not do anything without His spirit!
Congratulations Amber!! I'm so happy for you! I have to go now! I love you all!
Elder Swerasdf
Monday, March 5, 2012
Letter #22 From Russia
Hello Family!
I'm glad you guys got the pictures! This next week you should be getting all the pictures that I've taken on my mission so far, so that will be good I guess... What you saw with me and the cups was not anything spiritual... it was a party... haha! An Allowed party! I promise! It was a branch activity to celebrate men or something because it was some sort of holiday that day that celebrated... well... men. We got an investigator to come, so we were allowed to come as well. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on, they just gave me a whole bunch of cups, so I made a cup tower! Apparently that is what I was supposed to do because I won. haha!
So It's been a week since Kevin was baptized and we're already worried about him. haha! He's still amazing and everything, but he didn't come to church this sunday and we found out that he had gone to his other church instead. Also, he has some hesitancies about getting the priesthood and it seems that he's still a bit attached to his other church. We're talking to him about it today. Make sure to keep him in your prayers! It's about 3 degrees Celsius today. Really warming up fast! So wet everywhere. I hate it! I'd so much rather have minus 20 weather! Then your not wet at least! But whatevs, this is what I signed up for! haha!
Also, I have been having some problems with my toe, it's been hurting and Sister Sartori said it's probably a problem with my arch. I need to figure out where to get inserts here in Russia... which will be difficult to find. Oh well, it doesn't hurt that bad. Too much work to do.
I feel like I get tired more and more every day. 8 hours of sleep is never enough. but it is so worth it! We're working with a girl named Anya right now, different Anya, and she's really accepting of everything. Hopefully she'll turn into something! Also, we found a guy who already has a copy of the Book of mormon in French and he reads it as often as he can. French is his native tongue, and he is from Africa as well! Apparently he met with missionaries a long time ago, but now he is ready to be baptized! He just wants to get his families support first. Which may be difficult.
Anyway, I'm out of time, Today was crazy and my email time got cut a bit! I love you all! Bye!
Elder Svortz!
I'm glad you guys got the pictures! This next week you should be getting all the pictures that I've taken on my mission so far, so that will be good I guess... What you saw with me and the cups was not anything spiritual... it was a party... haha! An Allowed party! I promise! It was a branch activity to celebrate men or something because it was some sort of holiday that day that celebrated... well... men. We got an investigator to come, so we were allowed to come as well. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on, they just gave me a whole bunch of cups, so I made a cup tower! Apparently that is what I was supposed to do because I won. haha!
So It's been a week since Kevin was baptized and we're already worried about him. haha! He's still amazing and everything, but he didn't come to church this sunday and we found out that he had gone to his other church instead. Also, he has some hesitancies about getting the priesthood and it seems that he's still a bit attached to his other church. We're talking to him about it today. Make sure to keep him in your prayers! It's about 3 degrees Celsius today. Really warming up fast! So wet everywhere. I hate it! I'd so much rather have minus 20 weather! Then your not wet at least! But whatevs, this is what I signed up for! haha!
Also, I have been having some problems with my toe, it's been hurting and Sister Sartori said it's probably a problem with my arch. I need to figure out where to get inserts here in Russia... which will be difficult to find. Oh well, it doesn't hurt that bad. Too much work to do.
I feel like I get tired more and more every day. 8 hours of sleep is never enough. but it is so worth it! We're working with a girl named Anya right now, different Anya, and she's really accepting of everything. Hopefully she'll turn into something! Also, we found a guy who already has a copy of the Book of mormon in French and he reads it as often as he can. French is his native tongue, and he is from Africa as well! Apparently he met with missionaries a long time ago, but now he is ready to be baptized! He just wants to get his families support first. Which may be difficult.
Anyway, I'm out of time, Today was crazy and my email time got cut a bit! I love you all! Bye!
Elder Svortz!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Letter #21 from Russia
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!
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!
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!
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