Happy Valentine's Day! (and yes it is a big holiday here too!

Happy Valentine's Day!
Well another week down and a FULL week into February. We are so happy because that means Spring is coming and (hopefully) warmer temperatures. It hasn't been too bad here but we are looking forward to a little warmer temperatrues for those nights we're on the street for 5 ½ hours straight:) Well it was a good week-- not too eventful but as mom says, that's a good thing. We had a good lesson with Natalya and with Valentina this week and we are looking forward to lessons with them this week as well. We have started reading with Natalya on the phone everyday from the Book of Mormon. It is so cool because she has started calling US in the morning around 7 to get her «spiritual thought» for the day. She is usually at work and so turns the phone on speaker phone so everyone at work can hear it as well. How awesome is that? When your investigators are doing missionary work it's pretty cool:) We also had a lesson with Valentina and Luba this week. We talked about the article in the Ensign about Lot's wife. I shared my experience how I was there when he gave that talk and was still trying to decide if I should go on a mission. I wasn't sure because I loved my life. I had a really really good job, friends, a house I loved living in, my family, etc. I didn't have enough faith that if Heavenly Father said «go on a mission» that I could go and everything would be fine. I didn't have enough faith that He could bless me more than he already was and that I would be happy!!! Well... I went on a mission and am grateful and happy. I can remember hearing that tallk and just thinking how I was definitely Lot's wife, wanting to look back and live where life was easy and I had everything I wanted. I was grateful to share that experinence with her. She then asked how I received an answer to my prayer to serve a mission and so we were able to talk about that as well! I LOVE her! She is slowly but surely thinking more and more about the Gospel which is cool. She is a HUGE fan of the Liahona and so she was super excited to get the new Liahona this month.
Well my Birthday was pretty uneventful. We were hoping to have a lesson set up but it fell through so we were out on the streets the whole night. We decided to head out to the boundaries of our area and found some pretty cool mountains to hike in. We met some people up there and thought, «oh there's no way we've talked to them before». As we started talking to them they informed that, yes, we have talked to them, they've seen us around town. Sister and I just looked at each other and laughed. Good times. I did drink some Coke, my companion made me cookies, AND Valentina brought my zeffir, MY FAVORITE candy here. She is soooooo awesome. We had also worked with Luba the night before and so she knew my birthday was coming. I had been talking to her about gloves or something and just mentioned how I had lost my mittens and was pretty bummmed about it. In church yesterday she brought me a present and it was REALLY NICE, WARM mittens and candy! It was so nice and sweet of her to remember and to bring me really warm mittens. I wore them for the first time last night and my hands were sweating, it was pretty awesome.
Well I think that is about all. The sun is now on the street from about 7:30-5 which is REALLY AWESOME! I'm so excited that the days are getting longer and longer and the temperatures in the daytime are getting warmer and warmer. The work here in Saratov is going really well and there are lots and lots of baptisms planned in the coming months. It is so cool to see how the Lord works and see that the Gospel is being preached to the whole world. Go do some missionary work! The church is true and it is our responsibility and privilege to share it with others. Even if you just put your phone on speaker phone at work. My goal this week is to SMILE so I enourage everyone else to do it to (that way I know I'll have some support), even when things are hard it's our choice to smile and it will make us and those around us feel better. I love you all! Thanks for the love and support and most importantly prayers.
Sister Morris