Kiev = LOVE?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! To the best mom in world!!!! Who always writes me, loves me and prays for me! I wish for you money, love, and fun on your birthday!:)
HELLO from the balmly lands of... RUSSIA?
Who knew that Russia had warm weather but we are definitely enjoying it and LOVING the sun here! Whoever thinks that Russia is always cold is not right because the summers here are HOT and SUNNY! I am working on a sweet missionary tan with the good old sleeve look and closed toed shoes...mmmm....
Well missionary work in Russia is, as on missionary says, "ON FIRE!" This week was fantastic and we are so thankful for all of our blessings and our opportunity to be working here right now. I guess we'll just start first things first... KIEV!
We had a FANTASTIC visa trip to Kiev this week ( it is so much easier and shorter than the trip to Lithuania) and although I didn't ever actually leave the airport it was nice to ahve a little "vacation" from missionary work. We flew to Kiev Tuedsay morning and returned late that night but all in all it was really realy good and really fast! In the Moscow airport on the way there we ran into 2 missionaries returning home to Kiev who had been serving in the Ikaterinburg mission. They were really great to talk to and interesting. They had served faithfully and were excited to return home but just kept reminding us that as I said earlier, the missions in Russia are ON FIRE! The work here is going well and we are so exctied to be a part of it. We just have to keep working hard, praying in faith and having patience and the church will grow and grow and grow!!! IN the Kiev airport I met some fantastic babyshki (grandma's) from California. I was in the airport and didn't have a companion on the trip (against the rules--- probably--- I did have 6 Elder's to keep me company) so I decided to talk to someone. I walked around listening to see if anyone was speaking English and I found a cute group of Grandma's. They had been traveling aruond Russia and the Ukraine for a few weeks and were heading back home. It was fantastic! Of course their names were Ethel, Shirley ad Ann-- love it. It was really fun to talk to them (in English) and explain what I was doing in Russia etc. We had a great conversation and it was just great to meet some new people. They had heard of the church and so i am hoping that when they see missioanries in Sacramento California they will be more inclined to talk to them;)
We had some great lessons this week and met a lot of REALY REALLY great people! Sister Stolyarova and I had met a young girl on the street in FEBRUARY and have been trying to meet with her for... a few months... 3!!!!! I had almost given up hope but decided to call one more time and... she wanted to meet. We met in the beatufiul park adn she actually brought her friend who was also intersted. We were able to talk a lot about the importance of a living prophet and the blessings the Gospel brings into our lives. She is amazing and we are really looking forward to working with her more this week. Her friend was also great and they had so many good questions about prophets and the need for one today on the earth. We are so blessed to know that we have a prophet who guides us, gives us council and helps us to return to our Heavenly Father. It was such a miracle that we finally met with them and we absolutely loved being able to talk to them.
We also have made some friends with the peopel on the streets who are either selling KBAC the famous Russian drink or sunflower seeds or flowers. I love being able to talk to them as we contact and we have fallen in love with a really cute lady from Armenia here who is interested more and more in our church. We were abel to find a Book of Mormon in Armenian and share it with her and she says she has been reading it everyday. It is just another testimony to me that Heavenly Father has really prepared peopel EVERYWHERE to accept this Gospel and all we have to do is open our mouth! We also have to be patient, like with our new investigators. It just takes time sometimes to work with people. We can't always expect instant results. So overall it was a great week and we are really excited for another week of "missionarying". Our last conference with President and Sister Bennett will be on Thursday :( We are really sad that they are leaving in less thana month but it will be intersting to see what a new mission president brings. Go do missionary work! Invite your friends and neighbors to activities and family home evening and just OPEN YOUR MOUTH! Even if it's in the grocery store line, people are ready and need the Gospel! I love you all! Thanks so much for the letters and emails! They are truly amazing and important for missionaries. Have a fantastic week and know the church is true!
Sister Morris