HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE TOM THE TURKEY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Who could have asked for a better dad! He emails me every week, inspires me, gives me funny stories to use while I"m teaching and when I spoke in church yesterday! (I spoke in church yesterday about faith and hope and used your Thanksgiving on the mission story with the turkey;) Thanks dad for everything you do and for always being so positive and a great example of dedicated service to the Lord in your callings, in your family and while you work! I love you! THis week was great! I can't even describe how happy I am about everything that happened this week! We did have our Visa trip and it was fantastic. It was so great to get to be with and chat with SIster Tedrow and i love her! I am so happy and grateful for her amazing example of service and how awesome of a missionary she is. It was also great to be with the Elder's who I haven't seen for a long time and to know that as Alma says, "they were still my brethren in the Lord." It was great to be with them and joke and just see how they have grown and changed. It is so intersting because you really can see the change in others and not in yourself. They have all become AMAZING missionaries with strong testimonies and a love of the Lord. I am so proud of all of them and how they are doing this work for the Lord. Lithuania was, as usual, really fast BUT we did get to talk to two American WNBA players who are playing right now on a Russian INternational team in the off-season. they were really really cool and we talked to them for a long time while we waited for our flight from Moscow to Lithuania. They were also renewing their visa's and so they told us all the cool things to do in Lithuania... unfortunately.... we usually have about 10 minutes:) But their names were... LIndsey _____ and Michelle Snow? Maybe Devin knows them :) I hear her loves the WNBA and Michelle Snow played for Duke? So that was fun and of course it was crazy to talk to AMERICANS with AMERICAN ACCENTS! WOW! That is weird. It was also great of course to see the other sister's and get to spend some time with them! I love to just be able ot see them and how awesome they are! THey inspire me to be better! We also got to see Sister Sartori, Sister Robinson and Sister Templeton which is a treat. We came into the office to get supplies and the mail for PENZA. When
you live "off the beaten track", you don't get materials that often so we thought we'd take advantage of the time in Samara to pick up our stuff! (Thanks mom for the package, it was great-- we've already started giving stuff out!) I absolutely love Sister Sartori and am so grateful for her example of dedicated service and LOVE! Wednesday, after the Visa Trip, I found a nice little present on my bed from my companion. She had given me some candy and a really nice card and.... a crab, yesa, a real crab. Wow. thanks! i reached into the box and pulled out this stange-feeling thing and then looked at it and screamed and threw him. He was half dead and half alive because he had been sitting there all night but it was NASTY! Turns out someone
had "given" it to her on the street-- I don't know... We got back inot our area on Thursday and had a great day working. We had a FANTASTIC meeting with an inactive lady in our ward and I just love to meet with her. The Spirit was very strong and we were able to just talk about the blessings of going to church. It seems like that
was definitely a theme in our meetings this week because with a lot of people we were able to talk about the blessings of going to church! On my mission, I have realized more and more what a blessing it is to go to church. I find that at the end of the week i just thirst to be in church, to see all my friends and to partake of the sacrament. It really is like it says in Moroni 6 that we need to get together often
to be nourished by the word of God, pray, fast, and talk to each other! It is such a blessing to have that strength and support from other members of the church.
Friday night was... well miraculous! We had our first ever "CULTURE NIGHT"! It started by going to McDonalds (my first time in Russia- still not sure how that is culture but the Elders were DYING to go) and then headed to the Philharmonic. It was a concert of a singer from St. Petersburg but the best part, by far was the Russian Folk ensemble and dancers! Yes, I got to see the Kazak done by Russians! Woohoo! It
was so fun to sit there and see them dancing in their traditional costumes and just think that "wow, this isn't even at BYU, I'm IN RUSSIA." THe concert was great and I really enjoyed it. I think the Elder's had a hard time with the singer but overall they seemed to enjoy themselves. They did say that next time, they are picking the
cultural event but oh well. Saturday was just a good working day and we had some good lessons with some inactives and some referrals from the members (THEY ARE GREAT!)
We also had a great lesson with one of our new investigators and it was so fun to discuss with her the purpose of life, why we're here, who God is and all of those good questions. It really was a very powerful discussion and we are so HAPPY to work with her! She is great! So overall our week was fantastic. I am still amazed by my companion everyday and her commitment to work and try her hardest! She is doing
absolutely amazing and I couldn't be any prouder! YEA! I hope everyone has a great week. Have a good and YUMMY thanksgiving and remember all of your blessings. Also remember the great blesssing it is that we can go to church every Sunday and be fed by the word of God, talk with each other and pray and fast. It really is AMAZING! I love you all! Sister Morris