Churikinhood Living

At the start of this week I said all of my goodbyes and wrote in a few members transfer journals.  We went over to a sweet families house on Monday for FHE and gave them one of my name-tags.  The mother has a tree that she made out of name-tags with probably already around 20-30 names.  I was honored to leave it there.  That leaves me down to my last and final name-tag that is magnetic.  I don't know what happened to my others, but maybe they will turn up one day.  Then the next day we taught R the Plan of Salvation (which went good) and ended up going to another family's house for dinner.  I played one of the kids in chess that almost feels like a little brother to me and he beat me, it wasn't even close.  I beat him last time and was planning on leaving with that winning streak but he insisted we played.  Serving with Elder Lawrence these last 2 transfers I consider some of the funnest of my whole mission.  It never really hit me that I was leaving until I was already gone.  I really miss Sakhalin.  

We flew in to Artyom on Wednesday day and traveled to Vlad to try and meet with a man that Elder Lawrence met on his plane to Russia.  He wasn't there unfortunately but we had Sharma so I was happy.  Then we flew to Korea the next morning and were able to get into two sessions and perform baptisms and confirmations. Actually, that was the first time I have ever baptized anyone. It was excellent being in the temple. It always gets me ready for what is coming next.  It is a great feeling.  The next morning the Nielsons (senior missionaries there who are from Brigham City) took us up to a little outside work out area.  It was a great trip!

We made it back the next day to the motherland safe and sound.  We finally made it to our apartment Thursday night.  We are in the area of Churkin also now as Churkinhood.  It is a good place.  Kinda away from the center of town.  It takes 40 min. by bus to drive to the church. The city is HUGE.  We take a lot of buses and a lot of our money goes to those bus drivers.  The city is super hilly and extremely windy.  I get sore just from walking around and it is much colder than Sakhalin.  The branch is amazing!  So many cool and nice people live here.  Apparently the activities we have get huge attendance.  I have heard a lot about his city and whether or not they are true only time will tell.  I'm happy to be here.  Being whitewashed is a little bit of a struggle.  We don't know any of the members or investigators and sometimes when we call they are a little confused.  Getting to know the city is a fun adventure.  We haven't got lost yet! Elder Bacon is great!  He is from Arizona and has been on the mission a little over a year.  He is a wiz with directions and only needs to be somewhere once in order to know how to get there again.  It is 100% thanks to him that we haven't got lost yet.

I love you guys!  

Elder Wilding

***The photos below are from McKay's Mission President's wife along with this note:

Here is our new Vladivostok District: Chapman, Gee, Barr, Carlson, Jameson, Wilding, DeSandre, Williams, Burningham and Bacon. 

We want to thank you for your part in preparing Elder Wilding to serve the Lord here with us! 

He is a good Elder and is now serving as the District Leader here. 

We thank you for your many prayers in our behalf! 

*(2nd photo)-Saturday we discovered a little secret! Several Vladivostok Priesthood Brethren were gathered at the church doing 

some secret crafts! We are not sure what they are for, but we have a hunch because in Russia "Women's Day" is soon!

Sincerely,
President and Sister Perkinson
Vladivostok Russia

These are from McKay: 

*I had to crop out the Russian

So I Guess I'm Famous

Dear family, friends,

We were in Vlad with the WHOLE mission and I finally got to meet everybody.  It was good to see some old companions and reminiscence about good old times.  10 volunteers gave departing testimonies and I don't know if there was a dry eye in the whole room.  Now 3 of my companions are home; Berrios, Lyman and Crabb.  Conference was so good, Elders and Sisters shared stories of miracles, baptisms and reactivation's.  There was a good feeling in the room.

I should start writing better letters considering multiple people told me that before they came in, they read my blog.  Apparently it is the first one that comes up when you search for the Russian Vladivostok Mission blogs.  I didn't even know "Many Are Called But Few Are Frozen" was the name of it, that's genius.  

We were blessed to go to the Korean temple after zone conference with about half of the mission.  I was on the flight that all the missionaries returning home were on.  I think I told them like 10 goodbyes before that just thinking that it would be the last time I saw them, but we just kept on seeing them.  

Elder Lawrence and Sister Kapralova just entered the team on Sakhalin and we are glad to have them!  Sister Kapralova is from somewhere in the west in Russia.  I have always wanted to have a Russian companion but since we don't have any Russian elders I am getting the next best thing.  And Elder Lawrence is incredible! He may be the funniest person I have ever met!  He has only been in the field for 3 months and speaks like he has been out for well over a year.  It motivates me to be better.

In the Korean airport we saw this little Asian girl maybe the age of 5 or 6 just standing by herself and Sister Kapralova wanted to see if she could talk to her.  She knew a total of 4 words "I'm sorry", "Bye" and......... "cooked meat" :).  And she was yelling those at her "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, bye bye bye, cooked meat cooked meat" haha!!! I can't even imagine what the poor girl was thinking haha.

On the plane back to Russia, I talked to a woman named Roma (a man's name in Russia) who had a tattoo in Arabic but the skill color that made me think she was from Africa.  Turns out she is from the Philippines.  Anyways she spoke perfect English and married a Russian man that she met when he was traveling in the Philippines.  Really nice lady, I got her email and gave it to the Vlad sisters, she wanted help learning Russian.

Well, that will do it this week!  It was a good one!

Love,

Elder Wilding

SAKHALIN

Hello!

What a week...  I was taken for the pilot of our plane to Sakhalin when we got off.  I was wearing my way nice winter coat and had my military Russian bag on and apparently I looked legit. 

We had so many flights!  When we went to Zone Conference I stayed at the AP's apartment and had a joyful reunion with Elder Crabb if I have ever seen one.  We got new materials to keep us better organized and more focused on our goals and Zone Conference was of the chain as usual.  While I was in Vlad I had three sharmas which still doesn't seem quite enough. We went to Korea and got three sessions in, a trip to Ashley's, dinner with the senior couple from Brigham City and McDonald's breakfast.  I have never been more effective in Korea in my entire life!  The flights were pretty fun.

After Korea I spent a night in the AP Elder's apartment and had some delicious breakfast cake Elder Hess made at my request and got to know a few of the Elders in the mission I didn't know that well.   Elder Bodily goes home this transfer and then I won't have anyone from my same city in the mission.  We got up at like 4 or 5 in the morning (I don't remember which, it was so early) and took a flight to Sakhalin and landed at 9:35 a.m. and on the island (Sakhalin) church starts at 10.  We rushed to the church and made it for sacrament and I gave my testimony in church.  This branch is huge!  Like 60-70 people and it is three hours long which I haven't had my whole mission.  So many people here speak English.  At least half the branch.  Oh man, it is beautiful here.  I feel like I am in Alaska.  Especially when one of the American families who is here working for Exxon invited us over for dinner and we went into their gated community which literally looks exactly like Alaska and is incredibly nice.  We had such a good dinner there and I kinda of understand now what it is like to serve in a state's mission.  Sakhalin is sick and I know it is going to get better and better!

I love you all!

Have a great week I will send pictures next week!

Elder Wilding

From Colorado to Germany and then to Korea

Quite a busy week we just had at us, with all this transfer business (so many goodbyes and new companions), and all of our lessons miraculously lining up, we've been struggling to find time to eat!  

Spring is still in the air here in beautiful Ussuriysk!  With May showers that have continued into June (which look like they will be stretching into the coming month as well) and a light sometimes overpowering breeze, I couldn't ask for better weather!  It is going to get so bloody hot soon I am trying to enjoy it while I can.  There were a few days this week when it rained the whole day and the whole night and my new rain coat I just bought got put to the test.  Basically nobody was on the streets though so contacting was pointless.  It was nice to be in the rain though!

On Tuesday night the Nielsons (senior couple from the Novosibirsk mission) came and did a fireside in the church on the 12 step addiction program.  They are from Shelly Idaho.  Anyways they don't speak any Russian basically and needed a translator so we invited our friend S to come and help them out.  He is our investigator and isn't really interested in the gospel yet but he came to the church and did a really good job translating for them.  The next day we dropped Elder Roosa off in Artyom.   It was a blast serving with Elder Roosa!  He is a great elder who will have a lot of success on his mission.  I am going to miss serving with him. While we waited for Elder Staiger (my new comp) to arrive, we ate at "Noodle House",  really good place!  I got some noodle thing I don't remember the name of now but it was tasty.  Then he got there and we took a bus back to Ussurisyk and made it to institute.  Elder Staiger is from Germany about an hour away from Berlin.  He is a gifted soccer player and speaks Russian very well.  He speaks English completely fluent and I think we are going to get along really good!  He is a funny guy and good to work with!

O is progressing fast!  He always comes to the church, he probably checks the church door 30 times a day or something because whenever we are there he comes in.  It is way convenient because we don't have to call him for a lesson, he just shows up!  Mr. W is still in China but we believe he is still reading everyday and praying.

Yesterday night a weird thing happened.  We met a 14 year old kid from Canada.  He was visiting his grandparents and spoke both English and Russian perfectly.  He was just chilling in the play ground with all these other Russian boys when he talked to us.  

It is nice not having companions form Utah haha. Elder Roosa was from Colorado and now I've got Germany.  Everybody just assumes we are all from Utah (90% of the time true) and when you have a comp from somewhere else they are always surprised.  

We have been in a trio for the past half week with Elder Hess.  He has trouble sleeping sometimes and on Thursday he made blini in the middle of the night due to the fact that he couldn't sleep and when we woke up in the morning we  looked in the fridge and there they were haha!  They were so good!  

Love you all!  Have week!  

Elder Wilding

PS:  I am going to Korea today in like 5 hours!  They are opening the baptismal font specifically for the missionaries!

Love It Here

My dear family and friends,

How great is it that I can be here in Russia!  It is absolutely wonderful!  I am so lucky to get called here

To start I have good and bad news,  We played basketball with week! But the bad news is that I am incredibly out of shape.  I was running around about as fast as I could go for the first 10 minutes and then after that my body seemed to shut down.  But the basketball was really fun nevertheless!  We had to pay 80 rubles to play and we played with me and Elder Hess and Elder Sieboch on my team vs Elder Roosa and Evgenni and Vlastik.  They were actually pretty good.  We are going to play again tomorrow!  This whole game was a wake up call for me.  I have committed to eat so much healthier and drink water like there's no tomorrow!  So I need to know what I could eat that is really healthy!

In our weekly English practice we asked for what people want for upcoming English practice.  We got a few answers but the best one was from our friend Mr. Eugene who asked if we would base an English practice on "The History of Kitchens" haha!  And then another person who knows English pretty well said this way weird complicated sentence of big words jumbled together to show off his English.  Good thing we didn't make any promises that we would do the things they suggested or we would be in trouble.

V has been sick and no meetings with him.  Egor our new investigator came to game night and picked up UNO faster than any Russian I've ever seen.  That may sound weird but it takes a while for them to pick it up.  

I thought I would get out of planting potatoes this year because I am about as far away from the garden as I could be.  But the job followed me here, at C's we planted his huge field full of potatoes.  He is going to have the greatest harvest!

Elder Hess's visa came to an end so he jumped on a plane to Korea and we had a trio for a little bit with Elder Sieboch.  Being with more elders is always loads of fun!  We went over to Casha's from English and he fed us apple pie!

We really haven't had any time on the street this week.  It's really good but when I feel like a missionary the most is when I am street contacting and when our schedule is full with meeting people and going to meetings, which is the ideal.  It sometimes feels like we aren't working as hard.  Of course, it's great what were doing it just feels like that.

We had 4 less actives at church yesterday!  For 2 of them all we did was call and for the other we meet with her and her grandson.  It takes only an invitation sometimes to get people back.

In studies I am reading the New Testament about Christ and his ministry and my goal is to finish the whole thing.  

I didn't keep good notes this week of what happened but next week I will!

Love you!  Thanks for the support and love!

Elder Wilding

РОССИЯ

Welcome to the world of Chum Chum

The famous Ashley's

Korea from the air

KOREA

Streets of Korea

Korean Temple Grounds

Korean Temple

 Korean Temple and Temple Grounds

 

Happy Victory Day!

Also Happy Mother's Day all who are mothers.

What a crazy week.  I was probably away from Elder Roosa this week more than I was with him.  With the visa trip, and 2 times being on splits, that will do it.

I was getting butterflies before my trip to Korea and the temple.  It was so great there!   It was just me, Elder Perry and Sisters Merrill and Young.  They rest of our group was in the west and went to Mongolia.  Who knows, one day I might be in the west again and go to Mongolia just like I predicted so long ago in that one game of risk at the cabin.  The temple was beautiful!  We were able to attend one session.  Sister Young met a girl she went to high school with.  Small world.  (She was a missionary too.)  There was also an American couple down there to pick up their daughter who finished her mission.  Me and Elder Perry had some time in the morning to go around the grounds and take pictures.  The weather was perfect and the flowers were in bloom.  Every time I'm there I think of how lucky the Korean missionaries are to serve there but then I think of how cool Russia is and think they should be jealous.  I was glad I don't have to learn Korea.  We went to eat at Ashley's (a buffet), and I covered just about everything I ate in melted cheese and somehow Elder Perry ate a mini octopus.    It was a legendary night.  And I came to 2 conclusions.  Koreans are the super nice and their children are adorable.  The airport has been rated number 1 for 11 years in a row.  It is so clean.  We saw so many American soldiers in line and talked to a lot of people from the states.  It went fast though, we were out in 24 hours or less.  

The Russian's celebrate Victory Day super hard.  I have never seen so many people on the streets.  Den pa-bed-ee, as they say.  They had a parade and there are military men everywhere in their uniforms. I have seen sooo many soldiers this week.  I saw some people doing the Andrus knee dance.  I need to learn!  In the center square there are concerts or performances going on throughout the whole day.  We can't be proselyting after 6.  We are going to the circus in an hour and then have a meeting with our new investigator E at 7:30 so we will be out, but only to get to places.

Splits were fun! I was first with Elder Sieboch and then Hess.  Me and Elder Hess found D and went in the church and played ping pong with him and his girlfriend.  He is way cool and told us if anyone ever tries to mess with us to just call him.  We are making friends left and right now.  Everyday it seems that we see someone we have already talked with and became friends with and it's cool to talk with them.  PS: if this letter sucks it is because the keyboard I am typing on is the worst.  We actually had this guy being annoying today and D saw us on the road and told him to leave.  There is a lot of alcohol consumed on this day.

Sorry this is short - it took so much effort to even type this much because of that keyboard.  But all was well this week!

Love you all!

Elder Wilding

Happy Russian Easter

Dear Everyone,

Good week.  We were super busy.  That always make the week go by fast.  

Yesterday was Easter!  Ee-soos vas-kress, Poe-istinoo vas-kress.  That is what is heard in Russia on that day.  It means Jesus is resurrected, Yea surely He is resurrected.  You say the first part to someone and they have to respond with the second.  Easter is a big holiday here. They make giant cupcakes for it every year and everyone gets together with their families and either colors eggs or eats them haha, I asked a taxi driver and wasn't really sure what he said but I know it involves eggs!  The cupcakes look great at first and tasty but right when you bite into it you realize this is not a cupcake at all.  Just bread with frosting on the top.  It is quite deceiving.  

They got the fountains going.  That is fun to see everyday now on our way to church.  Russians flock like sheep to this park by our house.  It would be great contacting just it is in front of a government building.  I saw my first Russian cemetery during service at K's!  Imagine our cemeteries, and our grave stones, stick a picture of the person who died on the front of the stone and you've got a Russian cemetery.  It is so cool to see.  The picture is part of the stone and really pops.  I am considering doing that when I die.  I'll try to get some pictures next time to show you because it is awesome.  On our bus home from that same service i lost our phone on the bus.  I got off not realizing anything until we crossed the street and I started feeling my pockets.  I asked Elder Roosa if he had the phone.  Nothing, I looked down the road and the bus was already half a block down the road. I started running as fast as I could down after that bus.  Luckily Elder Hess came running right by my side but he got tied up with this tiny dog that wouldn't stop chasing him.  We were no match for the bus, it was out of sight before long.  I figured we had lost it and started slowing down but Elder Hess came running from behind me and kept on running and that encouraged me and miraculously we made it to the bus at a stop far down the road and I grabbed the phone.  We would have lost all of our contacts and would have had to buy a new phone and new SIM card.  I am so grateful we didn't lose it.

There are so many kids in here playing Call of Duty or something on the computers and they are losing their minds.  They are slamming their hands on the table screaming as loud as they can.  There are so crazy.

On another note, at church this week we had 3 investigators!  That is the most I have ever had I think.  We have this man named Mr. W.  He's Chinese and is trying really hard to learn English.  He has such a thick accent though that I can't ever understand him unless I focus really hard and even them it's like 50 %.  It's so funny listening to him but I can't laugh too hard because that is exactly how it is for us with Russian.  I never thought about the phonetics part of learning a language.  And I think that is the hardest part.  Pronouncing words how they do it so foreign.  Another investigator we have is named G.  The first time he has been was yesterday, we talked to him after and he really liked it but we had to have this mini meeting with our visa clerk lady and we told him we will be back in 2 min.  We came back out and he bounced.  But he called me later that night and apologized for leaving and said he wants to become a member of our church haha!  The Lord works in mysterious ways!

In Artyom we had a joint district meeting.  Basically a zone conference.  We learned a lot about  becoming friends with people first and then teaching them and doing a normal approach but still using our agency wisely and being representatives of Jesus Christ.  The new approach works way better and we are making a lot of friends and getting lessons!

Another week in the books.  Looking forward to what we have ahead.

Love Elder Wilding

Ussuriysk

My Dearest Family,

How great it is to be in this cafe place I call the dungeon because the lighting is so bad it reminds me of Pizza Hut.  I am happy to be writing the loves I love once more while in the service of the Lord.

This week was great.  Many miracles I have personally witnessed.  It is funny, if you pray to see God's hand in your life he will show you.   It is so simple.  Just like the gospel.

So first I had the privilege of being in a trio with Elder Hess.  Great Elder from American Fork.  All the missionaries here are from Utah Valley it seems.  It was because his companion Elder Memmott was on his first chorea trip.  Both are great elders.  Then I had the privilege again of going to Vlad with Elder Crabb and going on splits with Elder Perry.   It was great to see him.  He is so funny.  We were in the MTC together.  We met a lady on the street who says that God answers her prayers all the time and that she will read the Book of Mormon and see what he says about that.  It was cool!

Then we took the 2 hour bus ride back to Ussuriysk and did some area book work.  We went back to as far as we could and found potentials from 2008.  I told Elder Crabb that we were wasting our time calling people from that long ago because most of them wouldn't remember when they talked with the missionaries and I figured half the numbers would have been changed by then.  But he insisted so we called them.  It was the strangest thing.  Almost every single one of the people picked up and remembered the missionaries and some of them wanted to meet.  I learned I need to have more faith haha.  And of those people who picked up was L.  She said she would come to the church the next day and we would meet.  Well we waited for her the next day and nothing happened.  So we called her again and scheduled again and she still didn't come.  So then we told her to come to church on Sunday and she said she would come like she always does.  I wasn't so sure.  But she did come and brought her 2 daughters.  Once again I need to have more faith.  Anyways the sacrament meeting was a little strange because one of the other elder's investigators came and he is a little loud and when the first speaker got up to talk and said hello brothers and sisters, he yelled hello back.  And when she would ask questions, he would answer them.  And everyone would tell him to be quiet and then he would say, "I'm sorry" like 5 times way loud. haha That happened a few times.  And then at one point he stood up while she was talking and went on for a few minutes about some stuff.   After she finished she took him out and told him about how sacrament meeting works haha.  It is funny to see that some people just don't know because they have never been before. 

After the meeting L met with us and we did the restoration lesson with her.  It was really powerful and she said she would read the Book of Mormon and come to church again and come to activities and it was awesome.  She said when we called her it was a miracle because the first time she met the missionaries was in America.  She was there a long time ago.  And then when she heard our American accent she knew she had to meet with us.  God prepares people!  I know that is true!  The only sad thing is that she can't fund her children, (who apparently are really good athletes) the training they need to be Olympic athletes.  She used to be really wealthy but something happened with a fire and she only has enough money just to get by.  But that is really good that she even has that.

I have been reading like crazy!  I love reading!  I want to get way smart!

On a sad note one of the babushka's (in the Branch) cat died.  She called us over to help her get to the vet and they had to put the cat down while we were there.  She was really sad.  And then this Sunday she came to church which she never does because it is hard for her to get around but after when she was trying to leave she slipped on the ice and broke her arm.  We feel so bad for her.  It seems like she can't catch a break.

A sister here made us blini and set up a table cloth with homemade lemonade.  I love this branch!

My companion is Elder Crabb who is such a good elder!  He is from Orem and is really dedicated and good at Russian.  He is really funny and I love serving with him.

I can testify that prayer works because this morning I looked for forever for my camera and couldn't find it anywhere.  Then I said a prayer and found it almost immediately.  Prayer works!

God is protecting us out here.  We were talking to these 2 really drunk guys and this guy on a bike stopped a little far off.  After we were done talking and started walking away we crossed the guy and started talking with him.  He wasn't interested in our message but said he stopped there just in case anything happened.  He was like a guardian angel on a bike.   Oh and just so you know mom we are 100 % safe at all times and nothing bad ever happens.

I hope you all have  a good week!

Love,

Elder Wilding

Me and Crabb by a giant turtle

Well, I do

The home boys (me Crabb and Butler)

The sunset that didn't work

Korea Temple

Korea

 

A Week of Traveling

Dear Beloved Family and Friends,

I have been on many buses this past week.  I went with my zone leader to all the areas in the zone.  We went on splits with the elders there.  We traveled to Vlad on a 2 hour bus, then took an hour long taxi to Artyom, slept there and woke up and went on splits with Elder Gardiner and Elder Sebach, slept there one more night and then woke up early in the morning and took 3 hour bus to Nahodka, went on a split there with Elder King and Bates.  Slept there that night and then took a straight shot bus home to Ussuriysk that was 4 and a half hours long.  It was really really fun seeing all the elders and seeing their beautiful cities.  Especially Nahodka.   A city on a bay.  I think it is the biggest port in all of Russia.  It was really pretty there but the whole time I was there It rained a lot and I found out I had a hole in my boot.  But I brought extra shoes so it was fine.

In Ussuriysk twice a week we have Russian practice.  That's right I said Russian practice.  We get to sit down and one of the recent converts who speaks no English teaches us Russian.  IT IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!  I learn so much!  This is what I needed so much.  To be taught Russian from a native Russian.  We get to ask questions and it is all coming together.

One of the other elder's investigators lives next to us.  We communicate with him through the windows by turning on lights.  He is honestly the coolest man I have ever met.  He does the Olympic ski jump thing where the jump is way long through the sky.  Also he told the elders he had to run to Vlad to buy a suit so that he could come to church.

OK I planned bad, sorry.  The highlights of this week were, I have a cake by an awesome member with peanut butter in it.  I learned a lot on the trips!  I read our heritage and feel lucky they had it so much harder than us and we have so many more advantages than them.  

I am so sorry I am out of time!

I love you all!

Elder Wilding

SUNSET

Nahodka

Nahodka

Chinese New Year

Hari Krishna

Ussuriysk

Hello everyone!  Currently my Panthers are playing their Superbowl in the United States and I am sitting in a internet cafe in Ussuriysk.   The place we went to email in Angarsk was really nice but this place is more like a dungeon.  Meaning the lights are really low and it is just weird.

This week was awesome!  I got back form Korea not too long ago and we were able to attend the temple when we were there!  Wow was that awesome.  We were in such a rush to make it to the temple and to get to the session on time and everything was hectic but once we were in the temple me and Elder Barr were able to sit down for a few minutes in front of the organ and just listen to the music and relax and get in the right mindset.  It was so peaceful there in that holy house.  

So as I kind of said last week I am in an new area.  It isn't Angarsk but I think it is about the same size.  But drastically different.  First of all it actually reaches the positives some times and I heard it snowed like 5 feet just like a week before I got here.  I am currently serving with Elder Butler and Elder Crabb.  Elder Butler is 2 transfer younger than me.  Elder De Sandres age and Elder Crabb is 6 months older than me.  And when the transfer actually takes place I will be serving with Elder Crabb.  And he knows Russian really good and I really like him!

The branch here in Ussuriysk is so strong and a little bigger than Angarsk.  Yesterday we had the most spiritual testimony meeting I have ever had on my whole mission.  We also have this kinda crazy but really funny investigator named V who calls us "who-li-gan-ee" or hooligans.  He is really funny and I like teaching him.

Here we are actually teaching a lot and when we were in Angarsk we didn't as much so it is really cool to be able to do that.

I really love it here and it is snowing quite hard right now.  It is fun to change cities but I am going to miss the other elders and Angarsk.  I hope I will be able to serve there again maybe at the end of my mission.  We have no sisters in my area but we do have another set of elders.  Korea was fun and I met a really funny man who spoke some English and I got a pic with him.

In Korea people would ask questions in English and I would accidentally respond in Russia haha.  The language is coming!

I hope my Panthers win!!

Love

Elder Wilding

TRAVELING TO KOREA

MY ASIAN FRIEND

NESTING DOLL

Korea Trip Approaching

Tell Grammy and Grampy happy birthday for me!  

This week flew by!  Wow I am already emailing again.  Thanks everyone for their letters!  I love reading them!  This week was great just as always!  But the next one should be even better because I get to go stay in the House of the Lord!

The Korea trip is fun for a lot of reasons.  We get to go and eat at McDonald's or another American place.  We get to see everyone we were in the MTC with.  But by far the best part of it is the temple.  The other things really don't even compare with the peace in that Holy house.  It almost seems that in 3 months we get worn down.  Luckily for this mission we get to go the temple every three months.  And it kind of lifts us back up and gets up ready to go for the next 3 months.  I remember the last time I was there.  I had the burden of having to train right after my training got finished.  I felt completely inadequate and very worried.  I remember feeling this all the way on the plane and then on the bus ride there.  But once we did a session in the temple.  I just felt peace.  Sublime peace and I knew everything would be ok.  And look it was.  The temple is a beautiful place.

Our hari kriushna investigator E gained a friend this week!  We went to the church to eat dinner and we saw that President Lapin was playing ping pong with one of his friends.  We knew E loves to play ping pong because he plays it with us often so we called him and he came and played with President Lapin and his friend. Well President Lapin's friend had to go not long after E arrived there and so it was just him and E playing while we were eating dinner.   When we walked in they were exchanging numbers and telling each other that when ever they have free time to call and play.  It is so great because now President Lapin can help us on lessons and it isn't just a random guy he doesn't know, but his friend.

I think I have talked about Y the other Elder's investigator who me and Elder Lyman found.  We had a lesson with him this week where we read 3 Nephi 11 and 12.  In the part in 12 where is say "say no more than yea yea or nay nay" I was a little worried that Y would be thrown off by that.  Because it is a little strange.  But after when we were talking about the chapter and what we read he choose that verse as one of the verses he really liked!  I learned a valuable lesson about the words of Christ.  They are powerful and I shouldn't worry about what it might be, the spirit will testify of those words even if I think it is strange.  The scriptures are such a blessing and I love the hour I get to read them everyday!

This week started off warmer but it snowed a little bit.  But Dad sent me some pictures of the snow in Brigham and I think that you have more than us.  I said it started off warm.  It got super cold again somewhere around -35.  But even that is a lot warmer compared to what it was a week or two ago.

Me and Elder De Sandre were contacting and he had a Book of Mormon firmly in his hands.  We stopped this man and asked him if he believed in God.  He looked at us then at our Book of Mormon and then grabbed it and took off.  We followed him for a little while and he never threw it away so I guess that means he is going to read it!     

I went tracting for the first time in my entire mission yesterday.  It was a good experience.  We have only done street contacting.  But Elder De Sandre thought we should try it out so we did.  We went to the domaphone and hoped for someone to let up his because it is locked until someone inside opens it or someone outside has a magnite key thing to open it.  We barely called the first phone when someone came out of the building and opened it for us.  We went to the top floor and worked our way down.  The first guy we talked to was so cool!  He was interested and said that maybe we could meet some other time.  The rest we didn't have much success but it was still really fun.  It is exciting to see who is on the other side of the door.

I hope everyone one has a great week back home and when I write next I should be in a different area. I also can't wait to hear the news of my Panthers first Superbowl victory!

Elder Wilding 

With Elder De Sandre

a

Dragon

Stray dogs

Wilderness

The things we find in the Siberian wilderness

Mom note:
We received this letter (and photos) from his Mission President and wife: 

  
Dear Brother and Sister Wilding 
Our wonderful West Zone Missionaries gathered together in the Irkutsk Branch Building for Zone Conference. We had 20 missionaries in attendance. These missionaries were so thoughtful to present to us 3 red roses, peanut brittle and notes of gratitude! It was so nice! 

In our companionship study, we discussed at length the topic of "Grace" and the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ and the need for each one of us to repent daily. We also discussed the need to teach repentance to everyone as we serve as disciples of Jesus Christ. We talked about every member being a missionary and the need for each of us to continue this pattern through out our lives.  

Of course, Sister Perkinson loves to take pictures of the missionaries during our lunch break because I know that I can get them to smile big for me! All missionaries know that food makes us happier! 

We were grateful to view the proceedings of the World wide Missionary Training from Salt Lake. We were able to discuss the messages given from Apostles of The Lord! We are to teach REPENTANCE and baptize CONVERTS! We are truly blessed to be here serving The Lord in this part of His vineyard! 

We are grateful for Elder Wilding in his service with the members of Angarsk. We are grateful for the many years of gospel training taught in your own home! Thank you for carrying on the work of the Lord there also as you share the Gospel among your family and friends! 

Sincerely, President and Sister Perkinson Vladivostok Russia Mission

Good Week in Russia, Bad Week in America

Dear family and friends,

It was really great to talk to you on Christmas!  It was something that I really took for granted before.  My Christmas was great and fun!  The weather is starting to warm up here a little bit.  Had a good English practice : Christmas Edition.

We set an baptismal date for Egor this week and if all goes well Yuri will get baptized tomorrow.  Elder Lyman and Sumner are teaching him right now but me and Elder Lyman found him and it is great to see him progress in his faith.  He had to come to church this Sunday if he wanted to get baptized.  We were all worried when sacrament started without Yuri.  But we just placed it in the hands of the Lord and he showed up!   It was a miracle!

Me and Elder Sumner were on splits this week and had an outstanding day.  I swear the streets were prepared for us because of how many people we were able to talk to and share our message and receive their numbers.  I wasn't really sure how it was going to go at first but it was one of the best contacting days I have had on my whole mission!

My Christmas was awesome!  We were hoping and praying that we could do some service on Christmas.  We couldn't find anything and just planned to contact and do what we always do.  But while we were planning Egor called us and asked us to help him with a pemont (repair) on a wall in his house.  When we arrived I saw chunks of broken wall scattered all over the floor and Egor with a dumbbell in his hand smashing the wall.  It was quite a site and he told us in broken English,  "This is man work".  We ended up throwing the broken wall out of his window that is 2 stories up.  It was fun.

On Christmas Eve we bought a ton of Twixes and some brownie mix and made Twix brownies.  I will send some pictures it was a glorious creation and it tasted so good except the Twixes got a little burnt.  We also watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas that I found in Vlad and brought it here and wrapped it up and put it under our Christmas tree like a present.  It was great to watch and feel the true meaning of Christmas.

The weather has been pretty cold but it has started to warm up.  I think the coldest it got was -35.  I just about got frost bite but it was cool feeling a cold that I have never felt before in my whole life.  The nice thing about the cold is that you can just keep on putting clothes to get warm but with the heat you can only take off so much.

The reason my email say bad week in America is because the Panthers lost.  Dang it.  I thought they were going to have the perfect season.  At least we have the Superbowl we can still win.

Sorry this letter is so short!  I'll try to do better!  I am having a great time out here!  I love it!  I wish everyone a happy new year!

Elder Wilding

Siberia

For you Mom

Our Stockings

Thy son

Twix Brownies

Cooking

Thine son

Korea

Korean Temple

*From Elder Wilding's mom:
The Skype that almost didn't happen.

After waiting for almost two hours from the set time to Skype on Christmas Day we received this email :

Dear Parents,

Living here in Russia is an amazing opportunity, each new day brings a new experience and challenges. Today in the USA its Christmas, the magic is all around you.  Your missionary has been looking forward to this day for a long time, that once or twice a year experience to “Phone Home” however the internet here is not as reliable as we would like, and today unfortunately has been one of those days.

If you are receiving this email it’s because your missionary has called us, Elder and/or Sister Anderson and they have been disappointed and frustrated in trying to reach you! We are very sorry for this inconvenience. They Love You! They are Safe! And believe me when I say they wish they could be “Home for the Holidays”. But they are serving the Lord and today Christmas Day they will be acting as a servant of Christ, sharing the gospel with those who need them EVEN more than you do.

Wishing you and your family,

Merry Christmas!

Elder & Sister Anderson

For and in behalf of,

Elder Wilding

We were pretty let down but decided to be positive and pray that he was not feeling worse than we were since he is the one so far away from home.  Then we received this email about an hour later: 
Hello this is Elder Lyman from Angarsk. We've been having some problems. We Your sons will be calling from skype in about an hour to 2 hours.

 He looked SO great and sounded even better!  He is happy and immersed in the Lord's work!  We couldn't be prouder of this boy!  Best Christmas present ever!