Sunday, July 24, 2016

4 Days and Another P-Day можно

Salutations from Russia!

I could really get used to this early p-day thing.  Only problem is that the emails I sent to my friends on their missions (4 days ago) have not yet reached their eyes.  Therefore not many emails.  I did really good this week and wrote down what happened so that I don't forget.  But I did forget to look at that paper....  I'll try to remember.  Here goes nothing.

Might as well start out with our good friend K.  We spent a lot of time with him this week but I'll get into that later.  We went over for service hoping to chop wood but ready to do whatever.  His wood supply is at 0 but he does have quite a lot of grass that he wants to cut down and move to a central location in hopes that cows or horses or some kind of animal will come and eat it.  It started off good, we were working and doing what he wanted.  Although within minutes my allergies, reacting to the tall grass caused my eyes to water so bad that it looked like I just got dumped and was bawling.  He made a video out of the whole service project on his vimeo page and put in a clip of my crying haha.  And then on Sunday after church he wanted to talk to us about permaculture and how it would help build the church.  We went home after church to eat lunch while the other elders stayed with K there and when we got back he stayed and talked to us for 3-4 hours.  It is pretty amazing how much he can talk.  His ideas are sincere and he really wants to help grow the church but sometimes they are a little out there.  It is great Russian practice!  

We and the other elders held a part of our weekly planning session together in order to plan who has what and at what times we will be at the church respectively.  We have to move out of our apartment by Thursday of this week to the other elders apartment and are completely busy with that and they want to cut the grass at the green island (name of the field where we play soccer on sports night) so that it is actually nice and playable.  We actually bought a spin trimmer for the branch, the other elders went down to the Reenik and bought it.  Reenik stuff isn't always the most reliable but it is always the cheapest.  Within the first minutes of cutting the grass the guard  broke off and they said that holding it shakes you to the core.  Besides that it works great and the field is in the process of becoming a soccer field again and not some farmer's pasture.  

Our soccer game with those guys that came in the church never worked out.  They called us back later that night saying that something came up and they had to go to Vlad or something unexpected or something like that.  Elder Staiger talked to them on the phone and I don't really remember the reason.  They apologized and said they want to play with us again sometime this next week.  We pray that it happens!  

On  p-day I bought a couple of ties.  Mom is going to be so happy, I bought a beautiful purple one that is way Russian.  Russia has the coolest ties.  They usually aren't one piece of material or fabric but you'll have red stripes going down the middle of the tie and then near the bottom it will turn into paisley pattern, or the border with be different or it will be split down the middle.  There are so many variations that I didn't even know existed before I got here.  

Next time I write you I should know where my destiny lies (transfers) and will be out of my home for the last 4 transfers.

I love you all thanks for you examples!

Elder Wilding[?]

Thursday, July 21, 2016

I'm a Volunteer

Привет Привет Привет!

It is so good to write home again.  Having a normal workday on Monday was the weirdest feeling ever.  And not writing until today got us all mixed up.  Therefore I am happy to end the confusion.  

My new suit is........... BLUE!  She is beautiful,  I had to get the legs tailored a little shorter because apparently my legs don't agree with my arms.  I was hoping to grow a few inches out here but for as much as i can tell it is not happening.  This transfer has gone faster than any one I have ever experienced.  It feels like I have been with Elder Staiger for 1 day tops.  As of now the prophecy that the last year goes immensely faster is being fulfilled.  We have to move out of the apartment that I have called home for 5+ months.  7 new sisters come in (or 6 I don't know) and they get our apartment and we get to go live with the other elders in their apartment in Slabada.  The changes are to a much smaller apartment and about 20 more minutes away from the church.  But that is a small sacrifice to make to be able to live with 4 elders again.  It is a blast!

Mr. W.  I am so blessed to be able to teach him.  He loves the gospel and reminds me of why I am out here and that I truly do bring glorious news of happiness.  He believes and is happy.  Every time I talk to him he says something in his Chinese accent in broken English very profound and simple about the gospel and I can't help but laugh and smile.  The gospel is joy and he understands that.

We had splits again in Vlad.  I was with Elder Grey and Elder Memmott.  We met with a kid who knows English and can hear any song and then play it on the guitar or piano right after or that is how it seemed.  The next day multiple districts came up to Vlad for a joint district meeting where we talked about the new law and what we could do and what we couldn't do.  We are going to be spending more time in the church now.  Yesterday me and Elder Staiger started to organize the library while we waited to see if anyone would come in.  It was such a mess and we are still not finished.  3 guys came in and we played ping pong with them because for 2 weeks we can't talk about the gospel with anyone besides members.  That is of course unless they sign a paper stating that they are a "follower" interested in learning more about our church.  We set up a soccer game with them on Friday.

I called Vl who me and Elder Lyman taught in Angarsk haha... he is super funny.  He always yells when he gets excited "OOOH OOOH" haha.  He knows some English but usually a word or two and then the rest is all in Russian. In Angarsk I could not understand anything he was saying but when I called him it all was clear.  But that's not saying much because I knew like no Russian when I first got in country it feels like.

We found a big set up poster of Joseph Smith while cleaning out the library.  We put it out in the front where people can see him when they pass by the church.  I'll send a picture of me by it!  

I love you all and am very grateful for all you do!  If you have any questions or more stuff you want me to include in my email just let me know.

Elder Wilding

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Change is in the Wind

Дорогая моя семья и друзья
It is good to write to you again!  Many exciting things and changes have taken place this week.  As for the Siberian tiger watch, none have yet been spotted, and we are starting to believe they are not out here.  I was informed last week that America celebrated Shark Week, to all those who were able to watch that consider yourselves lucky.   

A few facts were learned this week as well:

1) My hair should not be cut to 1/2 inch
2) Some German chocolate contains alcohol
3) President Zagorpodnee is an Italian at heart
4) It is possible to sneeze all your energy away
5) Hair takes a lot longer to grow back than I thought


We played some soccer with a bunch of big Russians.  By the velocity of their voice and the look on their faces you would have thought they all hated each other.  That is how they show their love for each other I guess.  After the game we met one of their brothers who lived in Illinois for a year as an exchange student.  He said when he first got there everybody thought he was and because he wasn't always smiling.  Haha completely different cultures.  We got his number and planned to go take a tour of the fire station in town with him.  Turns out it is not allowed so we didn't end up going.  

Me and Elder Hess were on splits on Tuesday.  We made it over to K's.  He has the nicest and was wearing way nice flannel.  He always has some kind of idea of how we can grow the church.  Then he pulled out his accordion and went to work!  He didn't really know how to play but we loved watching him.  

I had a cool experience while teaching a lady who wants to quit smoking and drinking.  Her name is O.  Previous to this experience I was reading about light and how people can see it in your eyes and we talked a little bit about it at zone conference.  I heard tons of stories about other missionaries having people saying that they see light in their eyes.  But that has never happened to me.  And then when we were teaching her she told us she didn't know what it was but we just have something in our eyes.  It was a big testimony builder to me that the church is true and people can see our light.

On Saturday we played soccer and my allergies overtook me and I couldn't stop sneezing the whole time.  It got so bad that my face was covered in sweat and tears.  Sweat from the soccer and tears from the allergies.   I couldn't do anything about it, it was awful.  I think i am going to get rid of my allergies when I get home even if that means I have to get a ton of shots.

As most of you have probably already heard, Russia just passed a new law that makes it illegal to talk about the gospel outside of the church building.  We received instruction from President to get as many new investigators as we can before the 20th when it becomes official law.  But besides that we don't know what we are going to do.  Me and Elder Staiger think we will go around serving people like crazy and play soccer with a ton of people and then somehow try to get them in the church so that we can talk about the gospel.  Basically my whole mission as I knew it is going to change I think.  But I am excited!  It has got to be the better path or else the Lord wouldn't have let this happen.  We'll see how this goes but until then pray for the members over here so that they can stay strong.  Russia in general could really use your prayers.

I am going to buy a new suit today! I don't know what color yet but I'm think gray or blue.   Love you all,

Elder Wilding

Letter from Pres. Perkinson:

Dear Loved Ones,

As we continue to assist the Lord in his Work and Hastening, I request your assistance as follows as it relates to your support of the young and valiant volunteers from your families who are here in Far East Russia.

GOING FORWARD:

In ALL of your correspondence please refer to your sons, daughters, grandchildren, friends, nieces, nephews and cousins as a VOLUNTEER. That designation will be their full time assignment until the end of their service when they return home to you. This also applies to all of your Social Media involvement including private Blogs. Again, remember VOLUNTEER! Volunteer Service, Volunteer Efforts. They will be designated as a Volunteer so please refer to them as a Volunteer, which is different than you have referred to them to this point. Please eliminate Missionary and Proselyting from your methods of communications and posts.

Please, as I have requested before with limited success. Be only positive in your posts in social media and your communication. The Russian People are wonderful, and your sons daughters and loved ones are doing every thing possible to serve and help them in their Volunteer services.

All will be Well! The Lord is in Charge. You should all be proud of your sons and daughters. We love serving with them and love them dearly. Please encourage them to be obedient with exactness.
There is no need for fear, we will bring to pass great miracles through our faith, diligence and hard work!

Sincerely,
John William Perkinson, Vladivostok President

Monday, July 4, 2016

Happy Fourth!

Grand Greetings from Ussuriysk,

Big packed week that went faster than seems possible.  It feels like I was just writing you yesterday but it feels like I was in Korea 3 months ago.  A lot of good happened this week!  Mr. W is back!

Elder Staiger is molding me into a more refined person.  Since he claims Germany for his home country he does things very proper and right.  For one thing he is teaching all these rules about eating that I never knew about.  I probably heard them all before but never cared enough to pay any attention to them.  I now eat in a dignified manner and slower with a fork and a knife and I feel like a new person haha.  

We didn't get to go to do baptisms in the temple unfortunately.  We didn't have enough time but Korea was sick as always!  We got back and went to Zone Conference and we learned a lot about how to be better missionaries and went over the law of chastity, the law of tithing and how to make commitments.  It is always fun to be around president.

We got home late to Ussuriysk and I hit the sack as soon as I got in.  A day earlier Mr. W called us and told us he was back and wanted to meet..  We met with him and mostly got him acquainted with Elder Staiger and we talked about the Book of Mormon.  He loves it!  He reads everyday!  The only problem is that he returns to a different city in Russia in 3 days for 15 days so it will be hard to meet with him.  O our other investigator is progressing and has a baptismal date!  July 30th.  He is loving the gospel as well!

We have been really busy this past week but I have somehow forgot most of everything we have done.  Next week I will make a list in order to remember.  I hope the long list of pictures makes up for the short email.  I love you all and I'm doing great!

Elder Wilding
With Elder Roosa

 KOREA VISA TRIP
 Korea Temple

With Elder Staiger
 At Ashleys

With Elder Hess * Saying Goodbye * Elevator
 Storm
Cool building
After sports night
German Kitchen
 Trip to Borisifskia (?) forest
With Elder Roosa

 With Elder Roosa
 With Elder Roosa at the Styfoon (?) River