This last week was pretty cool. This last Sunday was amazing, as the title of this email so cleverly describes. It was fantastic. We have been getting our investigator, George, or Гиоргий in Russian, coming to church for the past few weeks. This last week, we were waiting for him at the metro stop nearest the church, and some other mans comes up and talks to us. He is a friend of George, named Vladimir, and he was invited to come with us. George then came along as well, and we all went to church together. And theeen, another investigator named Vladimir Desboev also came with his wife (his family are all members), and theeeen our new convert, Yegor, invited his mom to come to church and she absolutely loved it. We are going to be teaching her soon when she comes back from her Dacha, I think. And theeeeeen, we had an inactive he have been working with come to church with us as well. His name is Vadim Zakhorov and he speaks amazing English. Insomuch that he has an accent when he speaks Russian now. We are going to be going to Subway with him today, actually. Really awesome guy. Way cool.
Well to continue, we meet with Vladimir Desboev and his family Sunday night with our Branch Mission Leader, Maxim Petrov, and we discussed why baptism is necessary. The thing is with Brother Desboev is that he has known the church for about 8 or so years, knows everything to be true, knows every bit of doctrine, and he has a testimony of everything. But he just fears that after he gets baptized, and he sins or something, he feels like he is doomed. He have explained the Atonement and Repentance with him as well and he understands it, but at any rate, we had this amazing discussion about baptism. He didn't quite commit to be baptized right then, but he said he will think about it, talk to his family about it, and pray with them to know that it's right for him. We are just praying that he will understand that baptism is right for him. He is sooo close!
On Monday, I get a call from my district leader that a less active lady needed a blessing for health and that he wasn't able to do it for whatever reason. So we go out and give her a blessing. It was the first blessing I have ever done in Russian. Let me tell you... It was so nerve-racking. I didn't have any kind of blessing written out to consecrate the oil or anything, so I had write it out before hand for my companion could say it. Let's just say that I remember when I was in his position. I had do a few of those my first week. But at any rate, it was a great experience. I kind of just relaxed and started saying some stuff that really helped her out in her blessing. Her name is Lyubov, which means Love in Russian.
Well that was strange. The power went out here at this internet cafe for a while. We just went shopping for groceries and foodstuffs and came back to finish these emails.
So anywho, yeah. Great week. We got a hold of a former investigator here in our area who stopped being taught because missionaries couldnt get a hold of him anymore. Well we got a hold of him after a year and a half. It was really random but nice. He had a baptismal date set up last year, but it didn't work out because he didn't ever go to church. Well we are going to definitely work with him to get him coming. His name is Andre and he sounds like a very nice gentleman on the phone. We will be meeting with him tonight actually. We also have a few other teaching appointments set up with inactives and investigators here. Missionary Work... It's pretty fun. Really, it is.
This Church is true, and the work that I am doing is helping to build God's Kingdom on Earth. There will be a Stake of Zion here in St. Petersburg, and I will be here when it does. I just have to keep working at it, and I will so gladly do so. So far being out here, it has really strengthened my testimony that this is the fullness of the Gospel, and that by it, it can help and bless people, more than anything else in the Earth.
This last transfer ended yesterday. Fastest 6 weeks of my life. A few of the older missionaries went home already, and we got some new missionaries in. We have 2 Elder Clarks now, and a President and Sister Clark. Clarkville. Or should I say, Smalleville? Clark Kents!
Anywho, I love you all. You are my greatest support that I have out here. You are in my prayers constantly. It feels like the end of these emails are like the ending of the Epistles of John or Paul or something. Blessed are thee, my brethren! Or something like that. Well, I really do love you and pray for you all everyday.
Love,
Elder Tekulve
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