2 Russians, 2 Americans

Good day family!

Good first week of the transfer!  A lot of area book work and trying to find new investigators.  We have a good maybe 10-15 potentials we could try to work with.  All the rest in the area book were either tried in the past and aren't interested or не доступен (means not available and is an awful plague of Russia).  Hopefully some of these people will be interested.

We are thinking about taking the Book of Mormon this week.  In her full glory she only lasted about 2 days.  The paint started to melt off and the letters went with it.  Without the letters most people assume it is a tombstone.  We had a lot of people ask us about it when we were making it and gave a guy a number because of it but besides that we haven't got any interested people from it, at least not yet.  But despite all that, making it was way worth it!  We actually were planning on making a Bible right next to it to show that we believe in both, but it is just too hot here. ***

We received a new Russian sister to our mission, not only to our mission but to Sakhalin.  Considering that we have a Russian couple already serving here and that Sister Kapralova is staying, we are out numbered by the Russians.  And it's awesome!  This is going to do wonders for my language.  The sister is from Moscow and seems really smart.  We have a great district.

The Argyles (American family) had us over for lunch yesterday.  That was so tasty! They had BBQ sauce which I don't think I have had since the MTC. Speaking of food we made a nice batch of chum chum this week it it lasted us probably 4 days.  I might have to buy mass amounts of that sauce and fill my suit cases with it and bring it home.  If not I will have large withdrawals.

We haven't got much snow since last email.  The city has been going around and knocking down huge icicles.  They set barriers around big buildings on the main roads because it would ruin your day if one of those fell on you.      

Thanks for all your supports and love!

Elder Wilding

***Note from Mom - the current weather there is 14 below -  a heat wave!

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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