Week 7

Hello Family and Friends!!!!

Another awesome week at the MTC! I cant believe I have been here for 7 weeks already and will be leaving in 2 weeks! I am so ready to get out in the field.

Well this past week was very very busy as usual. So last Wednesday we got new Russian missionary that came into our Branch. As Zone Leader we had to welcome them on wednesday and give them a little orientation. It was so much fun to get to know all of them. There was about 10 of them and 8 of them are going to Kiev!! There is 6 sisters and 4 elders. Then on Thursday night we give another big orientation with the whole branch presidency. It was so awesome and so much fun to once again bond with the new missionaries and make them feel as welcome as possible.

This past week we continued to teach our "fake" progressing investigators just about every single day. Our lessons have been going so awesome and the language is very difficult but I feel more confident every day. I know that the Holy Ghost helps me so much in my lessons. So on saturday we were teaching our investigator Anotolee and it was our final lesson because we had his baptism schelduled for Sunday. So we were just teaching him the process of baptism that he will partake in and then reviewing the interview questions. From the beginning of the lesson things didnt feel right. He was not paying attention and kinda being aggressive towards us. We started asking him the baptism questions and all of the sudden he was saying no to everything and that he doesnt want baptism anymore. I know that this was a fake investigator but it felt so real. We have taught him for 5 weeks and he was so excited then he just fell away. I tried bearing my testimony to him so sincerly and telling him that i know he knows the church is true etc. But he would pay attention and ask to pray and leave. It was a real eye opener for my companion and I. It showed us a little bit of real life. Our teacher talked to us after class and obvuoulsy told us he did this to us on purpose but he didnt do it to anyone else. He said that we need not be mad our investigator but feel sad  for him. It helped me alot and I told me teacher thank you for doing it cause I learned alot.

So on saturday morning we got to Skype with real Russians. So every week we have TRC where usually BYU students come to the MTC and we teach them a lesson. They play themselves as members so we just teach like a family home evening lesson. It is so much fun. So saturday we did our TRC through Skype with a Russian living in Latvia. We taught him a 40 minute lesson obviously in only Russian. It was so cool to speak with a native who lives there and teach him a lesson. It was so suprising that we were able to hold a 40 minute lesson in Russian. I was shocked after with how much we knew and the ability to speak with him and just have a conversation.

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to the oldest district in our branch. They have been here with us ever since we got here but there 9 weeks was up and they were all headed off to Russia. We became such good friends with all of them so it was very very hard to say goodbye. They woke us up at 4 in the morning to say bye. I cant wait to here from them about the journey and experiences in Russia!!

Tonight for devotional the choir is singing Come Thou Fount!!! I am so excited! I love singing in the choir so much. I know I am not the best singer but the spirit is so true when we sing. Thats the only reason I go. And i hope to get my face on the screen while we sing. haha.

So I see Jacob every single day here in the MTC. We have basically the same meal time so its nice to see him the caferteria and talk to him for a while. Also I am soooooo stoked on Truman's mission call. My companion grew up in New Zealand actually and he said that the south Island is so ridiculously beautiful. I am so happy for him. I love hearing about mission calls because since being here I want everyone to serve missions. I absolutely love the mission so much. My testimony has grown so much and the spiritual experiences that I have felt are out of this world. I know this church is true with all my heart. There is no where else I want to be right now than out here serving the Lord.

I love all of you so much. Thank you for all the letters and dearelders that you all send. I have only have two more weeks in here so send as much as possible cause once I get to the Ukraine letters are ridiculous hard to get. Love you all! Have a wonderful week!

я люблю вас

старейшина грокмал

Elder Grochmal.