Many Are Called But Few Are Frozen: New Apartment

Sunday, September 18, 2016

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

Monday, August 8, 2016

Moving Day, Branch Presidency, and Shopka in the Summer

Hello and welcome one and all!

Marvelous week in Ussuriysk with many ups and downs! Namely, President Z, who thinks I look like John Kennedy made us borsch and I have gained 15 pounds. I haven't gained 15 pounds in the year I have been out here, I gained it all in the last 2 months. I don't know where all this weight is because it isn't visible but I think I know where it is coming from. Since the establishment of our companionship me and Elder Staiger have been eating mass amounts of a glorious even heavenly food-chum chum. Which was supposedly healthy considering that all it contains is rice, veggies, chicken and 2 sauce packets. But to my surprise and awful dismay we discovered just this week that chum chum contains so much fat. I was so sad to find the news. It is the best thing I know how to make myself and it is turning me into a mess. Of a sad truth, the more unhealthier the food is the better the taste and it's the same if you switch it around. To battle this startling weight gain me and Elder Staiger hit the streets and went running. I have never had more respect for mom...after only like 20 minutes I was dying and couldn't keep on going. Oh well, some much for chum chum 3 times a week.

S (speaks English) had me proof read his college paper that was filled with a ton of huge words I don't even know and he was asking me if it is correct to use them in this context. Haha I hope I helped him out but I was guessing on half of it. Our spin trimmer has been turning out to be more of a nightmare than we hoped for. Before it shook you to the core but now it won't even cut. Whenever we try to get it started it goes and dies. President Z took it from us yesterday and is going to take it into his shop to fix it. Hope everything works out.

We moved out of my home for 6 months and somehow made it to our other apartment with all our things after a few taxi rides. I wore my shopka when we moved just so that I didn't have to pack it and when I walked out of the house all eyes where on me. I don't blame them though because anyone who would wear one of those in this heat is absolutely nuts! I was dying of heat until I took it off. Our new apartment is somehow always wet and humid. I sleep on a pull out extension of the couch, not because my bed is bad but because for some weird reason I sleep like a baby on that couch.

The new sisters that came are Sister Merrill (I was in the MTC with her) and Sister Blonquist (who knows a girl I went to high school with and one of Taylor's friends). District Meeting was fun and we will have a fun District! In church this week all the missionaries just got put in callings because of the new law and I am the acting First Counselor in the branch. Me and A (the secretary) did a lot of work after church on MLS and LCR working with the finances and trying to get me into the branch, the latter with no success. It's an amazing opportunity to be learning how these computer programs work. Not many missions in the world have the opportunities that we have.

I will end this email with a quote I memorized at the request of Elder Staiger.

"Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason have moved away from the hope of the gospel. Let us reach to lift those hands which hang hopelessly down" - Neal A. Maxwell

Love you all and pray that all is well with you!

Elder Wilding

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.