Grand Week

Dear всe,

Grand week it has been!  I got burnt pretty bad at our branch picnic but now it is turning into a way nice tan.  I cut so much wood this week!!!!!!  And went on splits with Elder Sieboch. The weather keeps on being nice and we even went to sleep to a rain storm last night with thunder and lightning!  It was wonderful!

Last Monday after finishing up with the weekly email service we went to a Russian Orthodox temple or a храм.  We had to change out of our missionary clothes into our street clothes.  They were having some kind of service when we went in.  Three men singing praises and a few people in there.  The priests kept on coming out and reading the scriptures but singing them!  It was really cool!  They have beautiful voices and the art in there is very interesting.  All the women have to cover their head with a towel or something when they go in but other than that most of the people in there besides the priests were just wearing normal clothes. 

We met with Mr. W our Chinese investigator who is trying to learn English about everyday this week until Friday when he had to go back to renew his visa.  He is starting to believe in God and he loves to study the gospel!  We go through the restoration pamphlet with him in English and he studies it before our lessons and then we go over it with him and after he has us quiz him to see if he understands!  Since we knew he was going to be leaving soon we gave him a Book of Mormon in Chinese.  If is a really really slow process to teach him so we hadn't even got to the Book of Mormon.  When we gave it to him he said, "No I don't want it I need to study the gospel" haha!  And then we explained what it was and he said he would read and pray everyday!  His prayers get better and better every time we meet with him.  His prayers are very simple but so very sincere.  He is amazing!  It is so sad that his visa had to run out and now he is going to be gone for a month.  

On Sunday we had a man named B attend.  He said we called him but I don't remember it.  He wants to become a member of the church he said and he really liked sacrament meeting.  When I was talking to him I learned that he has 3 sisters.  All of them are doctors haha.  And one of them lives in Australia and has forgotten many Russian words he says.  He speaks faster than anyone I have ever talked to but I am excited for the challenge!  We are going to meet with him tonight after family home evening.

Like I already said in the introduction, I chopped so much wood at C's!  I don't know what was up but I was on fire and was one swing splitting almost everything!  It is a day to be remembered!

Yesterday while on our way to a lesson, this little boy about 5 years old came running toward us screaming as if someone was chasing him.  He ran right past us and kept on going until he was out of sight.  Haha no one ever came chasing him, he was just running and screaming.  Earlier in the week we had a picnic near a big blue lake.  We roasted shishkabobs.  They were marinated to perfection!  And we had more than enough!  We had a really good time relaxing near the water skipping rocks and playing soccer.  President Z even took a swim and grabbed the soccer ball when it got kicked in the water.

On Tuesday night Ussirysk might as well had been called America.  We met more people who speak English than I have ever met in my life.  P and his brother A, we just met outside the church and Peter spoke perfect with no accent at all.  I had to keep on questioning if it was Taylor or not because they were twins.  But I guess that isn't anything new.  Coach Funk, Uncle Scott and Taylor that covers about 60% of Russia's population.

Love you all!  Thanks for all the love and strength given to me through you letters and prayers!  

Elder Wilding