HAPPY FATHERS DAY! This past week was a fun filled week here in Chely. The weather is warming up greatly here, to the point were it is just horrible due to the humidity. I totally agree with the Russian saying, "the summer is to remember the winter and the winter is to remember the summer." Last Monday we played basketball with our new mission ward coordinator, Kostya, and the other elders who live in the city. It was a perfect day to play because of the partly cloudy weather and the sporadic rain we had received. That night we had the spiritual thought at the FHE in our area, where our investigators didn't show up, but it is a good time to get to know the members better. I was just glad that we didn't play UNO again, or else we would have much contention among the people on the FHE. Elder B and I continue to enforce "Operation GO BIG!" It is basically a companionship goal to shut out the fear of talking to some people and just do it! This past week was fun in doing so. One guy that I contacted told us that he loved the "Beatles." We were on our way to a lesson and he just recognized from our appearance that we were Americans and started to sing "Yesterday"-Beatles. We sang with him for a while but then decided we need to go because he was totally drunk dude. I swear just crazy stuff always happens like this.
Tuesday, We had a FHE at the Meng's and we played Yahtzee and minute to win it games. The was a good turn out of about eighteen young adults and three investigators showed up. One investigator was this eighteen year old guy on the street that we talked to and invited him to come to the activity after our meeting with him. We talked for hours about MMA and about Фёдор and his rise to fame in the UFC. Our new investigator is super cool and has good values and goals for a kid his age. Our other investigator is progressing towards the thirtieth of June and and is in the hospital for liver problems. I see it as a blessing that he is in there, because he cannot smoke while he is in there and this will help him cope with the absence of cigarettes in his life. He has a good foundation of support from the members and we are confident that he will quit by that date.
Thursday, we woke up early to take a taxi to the train station at about 4:15am to catch a 10hr train to Ufa. (Of course, we stopped across the street at the 24hr SUBWAY with the whole zone to have something to eat for the train.) We got into Ufa and it was blazing hot, that I got a stain from the backpack strap on my right shoulder. (Gross, I know!) There, we had interviews with President R and then went on splits with the Zone Leaders in Ufa. Ufa is such a nice city! However, most the people you come into contact with lead you to talking about how Jesus was more than just a prophet, but the Son of God. There were some pretty crazy looking mosques that were within the city. The next day we awoke to go to the church building in Ufa to attend Zone Conference. I loved every moment of Zone Conference as we talked about obedience and what separates those missionaries who are 95% obedient and those that are 100% obedient. I am confident and I will say that I know everything is centered around the law of obedience. It is super key to pick the best amount the good things and not fall into doing good things, but doing the best things. I learned so much from everyone's' testimonies and the Rusts. We were glad to be taught how we need to live the higher law in order to ensure blessings to come forth, because the Lord is bound when we do what he says.
We came back to Chely on Saturday morning and had a lesson with our other investigator who is trying to help his wife understand the goodness the gospel brings into our lives everyday as we live it. We planned to talk about half the plan of Salvation with him, until we started drawing up on the board that famous diagram. He said, "What the heck is that?" ha-ha-ha I laughed a little bit and realized we will be talking about the whole plan with him. He enjoyed the lesson and I think in the near future he will accept an actual baptismal date. I love the mission and the the people here in Russia. They teach me so much. Being a Zone Leader in Chely is awesome and I learn from the missionaries (including the wonderful M's!) every day. Love y'all at home and remember to do the things which you believe and know are right!
Love,
Elder LeFevre
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