Well I have been coming to realize that I have really learned how to deal with things quite well. I have found out I know how to really handle this companion. Things aren't too tough, really. Apparently he is the hardest companion to have, and I have feel like it could be worst. So no worries there. Patience. Patience. Patience.This week was another cool week here in Vyborg. Well I already have a new mission president. President Clark. President Neuenschwander got transfered to be a mission president temporally again in Novovisabirsk, Russia. I found out President Neunshwander also did in an insane amount of work to get a mission here in Russia. He was the mission president of the Eastern Europe mission around the time the Soviet Union fell, and he worked it out with the Russian Federation to get permission for the Church to come here. He is an amazing guy. I got to have an interview with him and he really really encouraged me with goal setting. He really has an awesome attitude about work, and how it is our personal decision. It is, indeed, my decision on how I want my mission to turn out to be. And boy, am I working hard for my mission to be those 2 years that I can look back on and nod and smile and say "Yup. I did that." My ultimate goal for my mission here is to do anything, and everything, I can to get a stake here. We are so close. The problem is in the inactivity of some of the Priesthood holders. Inactivity is the main concern here in this mission, so I am really trying to focus on reactivating people here. President Neunschwander explained it best by using this Chinese Proverb:
"There is a pond that is being fed by a stream. How are you supposed to empty the pond out with a bucket? By diverting the stream elsewhere" (The wording is not or anything like the proverb, but you get the point)
We really need to work to divert that stream, or to change the effectiveness of how we teach. That we way, we can empty out the pond, or reactive those who have become lost.
So all in all, this work has been really interesting. I am really trying to focus on this mission and to really give it my best self. I am really excited to see where President Clark takes us. I have to yet to meet him, but I know he is a very inspired leader and a great guy.
So here is a list of things that were interesting or funny or awesome that happened:
Well we had a meeting with this other babooshka in a wheelchair (not the one in the picture i sent). She is an inactive, and she was just kind of weird. She only believed in the New Testament and said the Old Testament isn't applicable or something. It was a lot of Elder Balabanov and her arguing back and forth, but that arguing was needed. That lady just had b ecome confused. Anyway, she realized that she has been confused (she is pretty old, and has a very loud mouth). She ended up praying afterwards and it was such a nice prayer. I really think that it made a difference in her life, that meeting. At any rate, it was just strange, but at the same time really awesome to see her change of heart so fast.
We had another meeting with Edward Arcyonov. I am not sure if I told you about him. He is the father of a part member family. His family have been members for 12 years, but he has been against it completely up until this point. He has really expressed deep interest in the church, and he have been meeting with him for the past few weeks with his wife. He has been coming to church as well. The problem is that he is pretty shy and queit, but his wife helps so much in the lessons. We were talking about the Restoration of the Priesthood and I had his wife explain how the Priesthood has blessed her life (her son having it) and she bore such a beautiful testimony and asked him if he wanted to bless the family with that. He said "of course". So I pray that things will go even better with them.
This was kinda funny but at the same time ridiculous. We spent an hour cleaning the volleyball court we have at the church building. It's outside, and it's not gated in the church property. It's also the "hang-out" spot.. You know that means. So we spent an hour or 2 cleaning the court, picking up hundreds of beer bottles, and sweeping up cigarette butts. It was nice time of cleaning. It felt good to have it clean. We go to take out the trash. We come back to lock up the church, and there were a bunch of teenagers back already doing there thing.... Haha. Well it just means we are going to have to clean it again sometime soon. Not a problem. But I wish those kids knew better!
Things are going swell here. Juuuust swell! I loved all your emails! I am gonna try to respond to them all! HERE I GOOO!!
Love,
Elder Tekulve
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