Many Are Called But Few Are Frozen: In the Hollow of my Hand

Monday, October 3, 2016

In the Hollow of my Hand

My beloved family and friends,

Life on a mission is like a train that takes a long time to get going but once it picks up speed there is no stopping it. But time on Sakhalin (I have been spelling it wrong this whole time) is like that train except that train grew space ship wings and is now moving at the speed of light. I love it here!!!

"What even happened this week?" is what me and King always ask each other before we come. I hope I can remember more this week. So Monday we bought groceries, wrote home and then we went home and cleaned our house. You might say it was revelation because our landlords came over and told us we have to move. Their house is getting repaired or redone and they are going to live in our house. We spent a good chunk of time on the internet searching for new apartments. We are hoping to be out in 2 weeks.

We had Russian practice and I learned that in English we used to have the ты (informal word for you) which is thee but the language changed and nobody uses it anymore. Who knew? We also got interviewed by one of our local Russian leaders and the whole thing was in Russian. Speaking of Russian we traveled to a Russian Orthodox temple to see if we could serve with them. We got the number of Father V, but due to one thing or another we haven't got to call him yet.

We had the chance to do a little home teaching. We found like 10 museums we could go to and ask for service. We also found a chess club and even some volleyball courts. We went to one of the museums. They didn't really have service but we might come back with a member and it will go better. Then we had institute and I was the object lesson. I was tied to a chair to represent the fall. During the lesson however I managed to untie myself unawares to the others. Plus our teacher made cinnamon rolls after!

On Friday we went on a beautiful hike with a investigator and some of the members. We hike up a ski resort that had a gondola. Even though there is no snow they still ran it but we didn't take it on the way up. We hiked passed it and almost got lost in the forest that had many fallen trees until we reached the top of a different mountain then we had originally planned haha. The peak was amazing! We sat at the top and ate sunflower seeds because Russians love them. We ended the day with sport's night.

We had a great fast Sunday and strengthened our relationships with the members. Conference will be shown next week but I was able to hear about half of the women's general session including Elder Uchtdorf's talk.

It was a good week! I love it on the island!

Love

Elder Wilding

Temple in Sakhalin

The hike

With Elder King

Gondola

In the cabin you can get fresh clean water. Gondola

The hike

A Sobaka, the temple

Giant nesting doll

Possible new apartment for you mom

1 comment:

TatyanaOctober 28, 2016 at 11:31 PM
You could always use Вы, instead of ты.. Вы is more polite ...
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Who are you, boy? Poem to Missionaries from Russian Convert, circa 2000

Who are you boy? For a boy you are journeyed to this land of ours, this land where I've endured my days. And felt oppression kill my soul and force me into some tight mold. And teach me that I should not hope unless I care to smell the smoke of dreams that the Red Army tamed. Who are you boy, from this land of plenty, teaching God, if there is any. You have all; we have none. Do you know what that feels like, son? And yet, you ask me to believe in something that I cannot see; some force you say will bring me joy. Do you know what that feels like, boy? Where you're from, faith is free, but it has a price for me. When I have pain, I have my bottle. Hurt dies quick when you down it with Vodka. That's enough to warm my soul. I work, I sleep, the days go by--I'm waiting for the day I die. You don't understand this place. You say believe, obey, have faith, live life well, serve and give. Here in Russia, we just live. Who are you, boy? Why did you come? To save a soul who once was numb. To teach a wretched, hateful, man who cursed your help, refused your hand. I thought that we were worlds apart. So how is it that you knew my heart? A fraction my age, you calmed my rage; mercy paid my generous wage. I should have been left behind. It is hard to love my kind. Hope in your heart, power in your hands, why did you come to this distant land? I know now, it was for me. The Red Curtain fell, but I was not free. Until a boy from nations away brought me my Lord, I bless the day. He led me to weep at my Master's feet, the American boy I met on the street--new and naive, still in his teens, with a message to bring the world to its knees. I thought that the truth would come from another--I did not know this boy was my brother.