A week of NILZYA service!

Go COUGARS! Sounds like they are rocking the football area? Ok, maybe not but all is well! I still love them and it seems like my niece does too! GO EVA!!! Well I have to say I was pretty disappointed because I really wanted to see that I had a new niece but I guess I can wait a little longer...Patience is a virtue. Oh, and by the way... have you picked a name. O'm thinking a good Russian name would be the best option. Maybe svetlana, Lubov, or Nadia. Just some options. Well this wek was really really good. We got to spend some good ol' time in Samara, my new home away from home, and got to be with the other sisters which is always pretty good. Other than that, not too much exciting, but all good things happened. Monday night we had a great night. We were out contacting (in Samara) and had the opportunity to serve a grandma. Well, normally this wouldn't be a big deal but it has become a joke in our district that serving babushki is NELZYA (forbidden). One time we asked to go and serve a babushki in our ward and immediately got the answer NO. So.... we started joking about it. So on Monday we were walking around and a grandma asked us to help her find her bus stop. She had gotten all turned around and so we were able to escort her to the bus stop and help her get on the next tram. IMMEDIATELY after that we grabbed the phone and just called our fearless District leader and just said, "guess what we just did?"
His answer of course was immediately "SISTERS...." in a half, I don't trust you, half this could be interesting voice. We then informed him that we had just served a grandma. He immediately started yelling into the phone, "NILZYA, NILZYA, greshniki, greshniki" Oh, priceless. BUt hey, SERVICE! We had some good lessons on Tuesday with the sisters. Sister Jackson was on her visa trip and so I was with Sister Loboda and Sister Lindyova, who are AMAZING. That morning we stood on a street corner and caroled. Out of all of the looks we got I tihnk my favorite was by an intoxicated man who then tried to start singing with us. Oh, awesome. Later that night we had a great time playing on a playground (it was during dinner, mozhna) and playing... well... TRUTH because truth and dare gets a little "iffy" for missionaries. It was really
fun to talk and be able to talk about the Gospel with people who have like views. Oh I love them. Wednesday we were headed back to Penza. Our train took off at abuot 8
that night but in a beautiful farewell to Samara I got another kiss on the hand and many compliments from a less than sober man on the street. We also got some apples from a grandma on the bus to the Vokzal which were from her Dacha. I have to say it was a pretty good farewell to Samara... one more time. So back in Penza we have seen, of course, miracles! Everyday I feel so blessed to be able to serve here. We were able to work with one of the members here Thursday night and I had a fantastic time talking to her and getting to know her. We had a great leson with a new investigator
and we were really able to talk about why bad things happen to good poeple, the ever-present question and paradox. It was great to hear the testimonies of our members about what they have made it through in their lives. We also had tender mercy that day. We had been at a families house here to get all things sorted out for Sister jackson's new visa. The whole thing was a handful because there were three missionaries who needed a new visa, all of which lived in different areas, and we felt so bad for the lady doing all of our visa's because she is so great and patient to work with all of that paper work and government officials and... well, lets face it... red tape. (but maybe in Russia, it;s red, white and blue....) SO as we were walking away we thought, "we should make her a cake". So we got home made a cake and decided to just doorbell ditch. We decided that because it was Fall we would make
a cobbler (thanks Missy for the cobbler recipe we used) and dropped it on their doorstep. That night we got a really cool phonecall. She said that the cake was really special beacuse it was their son's birthday who had died a couple years ago. We had no idea! As we were walking away we just decided to make a cake, we didn't know why, but we did it and it really made her night.I really think it's those times that the Spirit talks to us and helps us know what to do. It's those times we
can see thoughts being placed into our minds to do good, to serve and to help others. She thanked us over and over again and it felt so great to be able to serve someone and hlep them feel the Savior's love. Service is one way we can really help epople to SEE and FEEL the love that their Savior has for them. So this week.... go and serve
someone. Let them feel of your love and see that helping others, really helps you.
The weather here has gotten to be really really really nice. I love the leaves and the changing colors and I especially love to be able to walk outside without a jacket!!! Woohoo!!! We just got back from the store where I purchased some new, really cute, Fall boots. So I'm excited to start trying them out. We had a great lesson last night with our Branch President and his wife. Toay they are headed to
AMERICA to watch General Conference, LIVE-- their life dream and goal. We are so excited for them and it was so fun to see how excited they are to go!So i think that about sums up the week. Things here are good and we are excited for another week of working with the members, finding people to teach, teaching people and doing this work! Yea for missions. I hope all is well with you and that you have a great week!
Love,
Sister Morris