Interesting Fact #35 - The word for missionary and the word for policeman in Russian sound very similar. Sometimes when people ask about discounts for policeman when we are serving in the Hermitage, I always think they say something about a discount for missionaries. That would be cool.
Well I would first like to start out this week by thanking all of you you that sent me emails me this week. I really love to read what's going on in the good U S of A. They also all really touch me too, and of course they make me laugh. But thank you. I really love you.
I bet you are looking at the the name of the email and are wondering what the heck that is. It's a name of a street in our area that I love to say. One of my favorite words. The translation basically translates to "The street of the shipbuilders". I love that street. It's one of my favorite contacting routes in our area because it's mostly people who are out to take a nice stroll. They usually like to talk with us.
This week we met with George some more and talked about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. He was really excited about it, it seemed. He explained that that it would be no problem to go to the market the day before to buy his foodstuffs. He usually just eats bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and apples. That's his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But he came to church this week! He has a disease where he walks really slowly on a cane, so it took him a while to get to church but he came. He was really late, but it was really awesome to see him walk in. It also really impresses me to see someone who has such little physical strength as he does do so much to increase his spiritual strength. It is perhaps the most inconvenient thing for him to go to church, but he still goes, because we always invite him to, and because he grows every time by so doing. This last time he commented on how pleasant it was this time around. He felt warmth and comfort when he came to church this time and really loved it. I guess that was our little miracle this week.
We met with our inactive friend, Vladimir Denisov, who hasn't gone to church in a very long time. He came to conference this last weekend, but has a hard time coming regularly. We have been meeting with him once a week for the past two months and this meeting with him he really opened up to us. We were supposed to leave after about 45 or 50 minutes while we were there. The next 30 minutes of our lesson was him opening up and expressing every fear and feeling he had. He has a strong testimony but he is just so scared and frightened about coming back. We told him we would pray for him and so that he can find his answer and conquer his fears. We told him that we are going to be there every step of the way. He just really appreciated our visit and our willingness to help. It was awesome to see.
This week, I went on a 24 hour exchange with another new elder in my district. We got together to teach the commandments to our new convert, Yegor. He is 18 and got baptized in July. Just to note a few things: He is already planning on going on a mission, he is currently now the Young Men's President in our branch, he is going through the Book of Mormon for maybe the 3rd time now. he is the coolest kid ever. We taught him all of the commandments, of which he understood perfectly. I took a picture with him that I will try to send this next week.
Just everyday as I study the scriptures and go out and teach people it just really strengthens me spiritually. My testimony has grown so much just being out here. I really have seen the blessings of the Restored Church here in Russia. To be honest, this is such a special place to be at this time. The work is growing, and same with the Church. I know this church is true, and I feel that short statement is enough to express my feelings about this work. I know that God loves us, and knows us each individually.
I love you all more than you can imagine.
Love,
Elder Tekulve
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