Hello from the big village of Kurgan!! That seems to be a famous joke that is told about this small city only two hours from the border of Kazakhstan. The city is spread along the flat landscape of the Siberian tundra. About every day we walk through areas that consist only of private homes, dirt roads, goats, old Russian cars, dogs. I have been getting used to watching where I step to not land in mud or anything that is worse.
I had to make a twenty hour travel to Yekaterinburg and back this past week for Zone Leader Council. We arrived late Monday night, around midnight to President's home to grab a quick bite and go to bed. The next day was yet again another ZLC which was great and full of opportunities to learn from each other and from the Holy Ghost. We discussed the need to be exactly obedient to the white hand book and the rules of the Area Presidency. We even discussed how we needed to keep the rule of companions sight and sound literally in our apartments too. I need to be 100% obedient in order to qualify for all the blessings which wait for me. We left Tuesday night and arrived midnight in Tyumen to grab the remaining hours of sleep that we had left until Elder E and I had to go back to Kurgan by midday in order to prepare the arrival of President R and the Area doctor to look at the clinics here and the services they provide.
Wednesday evening we stopped by a recent convert and a baptismal candidate who called us up my first week and stated that she didn't want to be baptized. We went to her private home and sat on a couple of logs in her yard. We began to teach the lesson until we heard a car pull up and a little kid came running in the gate asking us to carry a few things into the yard from outside the gate. It was the member's oldest son and his wasted wife. They came in and let us say we felt the need to stay and support the member from the drunk wife who at one time threw a brick through the window of the house. Everything was fine and we even taught the dad the first lesson and answered his questions on the book of Mormon and about our church. That night I felt down deep inside the pain for the little boy who is growing up amongst examples that aren't the best of the best. I know that there is great responsibility for parents to raise their children and I am eternally grateful for my wonderful parents and their examples that have allowed me to make the right choices and avoid pain and suffering that can come from inexperienced decisions towards sin. I love you mom and dad!! After this encounter it seemed that we were being guided by the Lord to discover more about our investigators and the problems they face to fix. We ran into our investigator on the street who was drunk after the elders a while back taught him the Word of Wisdom. He was with his girlfriend who was drunk too and was excited to see real Americans. we gave her a Book of Mormon and invited them on a lesson together later in the week, when they are not under the influence.
Thursday, we spent the day mostly with President R and the Area doctor stopping by several reputable clinics, including the world famous one located in my area. Doctor Illiazarov apparently during the nineties made a brace that corrects some of the most complicated deformations of the body due to the bone structure. This device requires pins to be driven into the bone and then like braces on your teeth adjusted to straighten or lengthen the bone. So if any of you are feeling short come on down to Kurgan and I will be your translator and in a few months you can be as tall as Shaq!
That evening we had a successful English Club. After English Club, a usual visitor was distressed about the situation her family was in moving that night into another room in the apartment building by the next morning. We were glad to accept the call of service and duty. We went into an older apartment complex and thank goodness this apartment was on the first floor. We moved out a heavy couch, arm chair, closet and table to the garbage in darkness. The pieces of furniture were falling apart and were wet and dirty. The mom was super grateful towards us and I bet it was weird to see a couple of guys in white shirts covered in filth helping this family out while everyone stood watching. President R was also quite baffled at the sight of us later that night.
Friday, we had Zone training after we had lunch together at the local restaurant here. I had a cow tongue salad with mayonnaise, mors, and pizza. It was a pretty good Italian restaurant. We had a good class relating all the information that was given to us from ZLC and had a good lesson on fighting against the feelings of fear, disappointment, and laziness. All of which are from the adversary. Our investigator whom we have committed to be baptized is considering the invitation but needs to act upon the answer that he has already received of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
Conference was great!! I enjoyed Pres. Eyring's talk during Priesthood especially and invite those who have not watched conference to do so! Go with an open heart and willing mind to learn. I promise you will be enlightened to change something for the better. LOVE YOU ALL!
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