Week 41 - Thanksgiving in Kaliningrad!

Interesting Fact #41 - I have noticed that the people here don't like to drink cold beverages. If they have a drinking fountain that has cold water, they will put cold water and mix in some hot water to make it room temperature. I thought it was very interesting. And in some of the hottest days, they will sit down to hot tea. I really thinks very interesting culturally, and to be honest, cold water in a cold country is an oxymoron. They are all trying to stay warm. Why drink cold water?

Well this week, I was in a plane! I took a plane to Kaliningrad this week to go on an exchange with the elders there. Kaliningrad is located around Poland and Lithuania. It was a lot warmer there, it was crazy. But it's not to much further south. Kaliningrad is very very German influenced. I didnt have an oppurtunity to take pictures, but instead of a lot of Russian Orthodox churches, there are a lot of German Luthuren churches there. It was a gorgeous small town. Reminded me a little bit of Vyborg, but less Finnish and more German. Apparently they have a lot of amber there, and that place is known for its amber abundunce. Kind of cool. If I am back in Kaliningrad I definitely will get some there and definitely take pictures. We met with a few families there which was pretty cool. One of which had a daughter who just got back from a mission in Donetsk Ukraine, the same one that Sean Rooney is serving in! I asked about him, and it was awesome to hear that he is doing great. 

So I got a funny transportation mishap story. To get to the airport in St. Petersburg, we needed to take a bus to get to the metro, take the metro ALLL the way across the city, and then take this big taxi bus called a Marshrutka and take it to the airport to then get on a plane to fly to Kaliningrad. Talk about travel. But I had packed a small lunch to eat while we waited for the airport. I packed this yogurt drink and put it in my backpack, and stood in a crowded bus. I stood next to the door and a pole. We get to the next stop and the door opens super suddenly and pins me between the pole and door. Well, it pinned my backpack against the two. This guy behind was trying to unwedge me. I thought he was trying to help me and I told him it's ok. But then the door closes, and there is yogurt everywhere! All over the door, all over the floor, the walls, my backpack, a little bit on my luggage, and a tad on my coat. It was absolutely hilarious. Luckily it didn't get on people. I walked off the bus cracking up, and watching the bus drive off with yogurt all of the doors. I knew after that the day was going to be a long day of travel, and it was. hahaha.

On Saturday Natalie got baptized! She is the daughter of Nellie, who I started teaching in Central right before I got transferred out. It was really awesome to witness. The missionary that replaced me in Center, Elder Byington, baptized her and it was just so great to watch. Apparently the hot water doesn't work in the font, so it was freezing. She got out of the water and just kept on saying "ok! ok! Thank you!". I got a few pictures of the service. So I guess that is the biggest news so far. Her mom is getting baptized in 2 weeks. 

We met with an investigator here from Armenia. He was a very interesting man. Asked very interesting questions. He was really polite and just loves the missionaries but sometimes it felt like he was trying to teach us, which isn't why we are here. He was a really nice man named Erezho. He fed us some juice and home made cake which was absolutely amazing. So good. 

Speaking of food, this week was Thanksgiving! I was in Kaliningrad too! I ended up cooking for 4 missionaries including myself. I made this Sweet Chili Chicken Fried Rice. It turned out pretty good. It definitely doesnt beat eating turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing. But I was grateful nonetheless. My companion has never experienced Thanksgiving, and I explained him what we normally do and thought it was pretty awesome. It really is my favorite holiday. Being here, it has really made me grateful for the blessings that we have as a family. We really take for granted the things we have, and just the oppurtunities that we have all been blessed with. I have really seen a lot of people here in very trying circumstances and are of low means. I am just grateful to have lived and grown up where I did. I am grateful for the oppurtunity I had to study at a university and to be able to find a job and to work. I am grateful for all the things that I have ever been given to me. But to be honest, I think I am most grateful for having come here to serve a mission. Just looking back from a year ago, when I opened my mission call, I have grown a lot and learned so much. I am just grateful for everything, to be honest. And I am grateful for you, family. I love you.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

Week 40 - My First Zone Conference trainin' dem Missionaries, and my Day of Birth 2011

Interesting Fact 40 - Well seeing how it was my birthday recently, to say happy birthday, you basically say With Day of Birth, which in English sounds hilarious. 

So yeah it was the big of ol' day of birth for me. It was a usual day for me. Although! The night before, because we had elders from Petrozavodsk staying at our apartment, another elder made me a cake, and it was actually way good, seeing how it was missionary made. I was impressed quite much so. It was this cinnamon apple cake with a yogurt frosting or something. Delish. So I guess I will explain what I did on Friday to start out. So we had an exchange with the elders from Petrozavodsk and I went with an Elder Larsen from West Bountiful. We met with a less active named Fike here in Shuvalovo who has 9 cats and speaks perfect English. He kind of reminds me of a Russian Sam Adams back in the Soviet times after the stories he told us. He also gave me some sort of card thing for my birthday. He was a cool man. Joined the church 5 or so years ago, but his health sometimes prevents him from going to church, which is unfortunate. Also given the fact that it takes an hour + to get to church on the metro. Shuvalovo is quite far from the branch building.  We then met with our investigator named Pasha who is an evolutionist. We gave him a Book of Mormon, which he really wanted to read. We explained to him that science is here for us to explain how God works, not to disprove God and try to prove his inexistance. And if Science "proves" something false, it just means that we don't know yet, and that we haven't figured out how it works. He seemed really interested in that. He told us he will read and wants to meet back. Good day. Oh and thanks for all of the birthday emails!! Loved it! 

So we also had Zone Conference this week. I was in charge of training the missionaries how to contact more effectively so that you can receive contact information, and then being able to call them or come in contact with them so that you can then meet with them. It was actually pretty cool. My companion  gave a really awesome spiritual thought about how we need to work together and have faith to acheive our goals, like Nephi when he was commanded to build a ship. He didn't ask why he had to, but asked "how". 

Well, in missionary work, there is a lot of different ways to find investigators. One of which is in the area books, or the records that missionaries have kept about past investigators. I found one from about 15 years ago named Igor Chukolov. I called him up and he was really excited and happy that we had called. It had been a long time, and he told us to call in 20 minutes. I called back and I talked to his son named Sasha. Sasha explaind that he has been in a spiritual low for a while and wanted to meet with us. We set up a meeting on Saturday evening with him at his hostel and it was a fantastic meeting. He bought some herbal tea and we sat down and talked. We gave him a Book of Mormon as well. He wants to meet back really soon. He is a very very sincere man and was very interested. He wrote down some notes of what we talked about. He is from Kiev, Ukriane so my companion and him really hit it off. My companion is from Odessa, Ukraine, which is like the San Diego of Ukraine. He was the miracle of this week, I guess you can say. I am really excited to continue working with Sasha.

I have to admit, that weeks are flying by. It felt like 5 minutes ago I was sitting at the computer writing my last week's email. It's really kind of scaring me. I am almost at my 9 month mark in a few days. These 9 months have been the fastest of my life. I still have so much to do and so little time to do it in! It really goes to show how time is absolutely nothing. In the grand spectrum of my life, this time I have on my mission is so incredibly short. Well I wanted to end this email with a few words that I know that God has a plan for us. Time to him is nothing, and only we measure time. But it's what we make of our time here on Earth that determines our eternity. God has a perfect plan, and we just need to follow that path, however hard or inconvenient at times it may be, that's the only way to be with him again.

I love you all, and I hope you have a great Thanksgivin'

Love,

Elder Tekulve

Week 39 - Vyborg came over and Missionary Activities!

Interesting Fact #38 - This just might be my last one. It's really difficult to find something new every week. I think I have exhausted this haha. But! The one thing I have noticed is that a lot of people have both the British style of car (steering wheel on the right) and American/International style (Left). But the thing is that they all drive on the right side on the road. That would be difficult. 

Well this last week was pretty busy. We had a lot of meetings with investigators, members, and less actives. We haven't had a lot of time to just sit down and eat, sadly, but it's just a sign that we are indeed busy. We met with a few members, one of which served in the Roseville, CA mission a while ago and knows the owner of Camelot, and knows the whole Golfland business. It was kind of cool talking to him about that. We met with another member who actually FED us! One of the first! That one rule a while back got removed with our new mission president. They fed us rice, beans, pickles, and beets. So good. I am not even kidding. Was fantastic. 

I had our first exchange with Vyborg this week. They came to us and I was with another Elder for a day. We met with our investigator named Max. He is a russian who speaks FLUENT english in a PERFECT southern accent. It's actually really humorous. Very humorous actually. He learned English by watching too many John Wayne films, so he speaks just like a cowboy would. It's really strange because he is Russian. He can't stand the Russian language and calls it the Indian language. Just an interesting person, but so awesome. We taught him the Word of Wisdom, which he already lives by with the exception of Black Tea. Max gave us a number of his friend Benny whom we called and also wants to meet up this week. That night we also got another referral from the Institute about a 20 year old named Dima who wants to meet. Dima came to church as well and really enjoyed it to. He is a really bright guy who is a computer programmer. Knows English pretty well too, but has a hard understanding, so I speak to him in Russian. We met with a few other investigators this week. It was just a nice busy week.

We also had this Institute activity this last saturday that we were invited to participate in. It was about missionary work and we got to participate and be a part of the program. We did this skit which was actually really funny. My companion got a video of it which I want to grab from it, but I was in it and stuff. Basically we had 4 situations on how to share the gospel, and the same 4 situations on how to share a cake and compared the two. I was the one eating the cake and had to share it. THe first situation was when someone comes over and you try to hide that you are a part of the church when they ask questions, I was eating a cake and someone had asked about it and I had to act like it wasn't anything that I wasn't eating anything. It's kind of hard to explain, but it was really funny. The youth really liked it. We then went out and contacting in the street and we actually got a phone number and handed out a book of mormon to someone with them! It was pretty successful. We had a testimony meeting afterwards. It was pretty spiritual too becasue a lot of them shared their conversion story. Over 3/4s of them are converts, so it was really cool to hear.

This week we have two exchanges and Zone Conference that we are organizing. I hope all goes while. I have so far been really busy here in Shuvolovo. I am really enjoying it here too. I just want to let you the readers know that I know, more than anything, and without a doubt, that this church is true. The more I study from the scriptures, the more I realized that God is a Loving Heavenly who loves us. He has so many blessings in store for us and all we got to do is ask and we will receive them. that's all for this weekend. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

tidbits about the LDS church by Ford Motor Company

For those of you who are not LDS, here is an interesting observing overview of the church Drew is serving. =)

An interesting feature published in February 2007 by Ford Motor Company for its employees. The below article was produced by the 'Ford Interfaith Group' as a message about the LDS Church. The Ford Interfaith Group promotes unity among Ford employees worldwide by sharing information from all faiths, and features these types of articles about all religions and faiths from time to time in its employee newsletter.

   

 

QUICK FACTS & INTERESTING TIDBITS about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Fleeing continued mob attacks, 158 years ago today the first Mormon pioneers desperately started their Westward trek from Illinois in the dead of winter. Of the 70,000 who began this 1300-mile journey, 6,000 were buried along the way, including many children. The following are quick facts and interesting tidbits about this now flourishing church. 

 

OVERVIEW 

 * Named "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"; informal nicknames are "LDS" or "Mormon." 

 * Believes it's the Lord's restoration of original Christianity as foretold to occur before Christ's Second Coming. 

* Core focus is that Christ and His teachings bring happiness in this life and exaltation in the next. 

 

HISTORY 

 * In 1820 14-yr-old Joseph Smith told of a vision of God and Christ foretelling a church restoration. 

 * Organized in New York in 1830, the church moved to near Cleveland, then near Kansas City, then Illinois. 

 * Fleeing Illinois, Mormon pioneers founded Salt Lake City in Utah and over 600 other Western communities. 

  

SALT LAKE CITY 

 * Temple Square in Salt Lake has over 5 million annual visitors, more than the Grand Canyon. 

 * The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the world's most famous and has the world's oldest radio program. 

 * The Salt Lake Temple is the most famous, but there are 128 other temples built or underway. 

 * Home of the world's largest genealogy database; visit it online or through 3,700 free branch libraries. 

 

ACTIVE CONGREGATIONS 

 * Sunday services entail a three-hour block of three meetings; about 27,000 congregations exist worldwide. 

 * Highly vibrant programs exist for youth, children, singles, men, and women; very strong family focus. 

 * Everyone has a calling; some surveys show LDS have the highest U.S. attendance and service rates. 

 * Families receive personal fellowship visits at home from other members on a monthly basis. 

 

FINANCES 

 * Members tithe 10 percent, plus donate generously to the needy the first Sunday of each month. 

 * Clergy and all other congregational positions are unpaid (however, much of the janitorial is paid). 

 * The church has no debt; all buildings are paid for in cash (average of two new congregations a day). 

 * The paid positions in Salt Lake are famously low-salaried; funds are frugally used and tightly audited.

HEALTH CODE

 * With a health code from 1833, LDS avoid alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, coffee, and tea (herbal tea is ok).

 * This 1833 code also teaches grains (especially wheat), fresh fruits and vegetables, and sparing use of meat.

 * A UCLA study showed that active LDS live longer than most Americans, men by 11 years, women by 8.

 * Utah is 50th in smoking, alcohol consumption, drunk driving, heart disease, cancer, and sick days.

EDUCATION

 * With four colleges, Utah's BYU with 30,000 students is the largest single-campus private college.

 * BYU Independent Study with 130,000 students is North America (340 web courses, 530 via mail).

 * Seminary, a daily class usually held around 6:00 A.M., serves 376,000 high school students.

 * There are Institutes of Religion at 1,950 colleges worldwide that serve 367,000 college students.

 * The church operates schools in parts of the Pacific Ocean and Mexico for 10,000 students.

 * Utah is 50th in spending per pupil, but first in adults that graduated from high school and attended college.

WOMEN

 * In 1842 the "Relief Society" was organized; it's the largest women's organization in the world.

 * Wyoming was first to allow women to vote; Utah was second, two months later, in 1870.

 * Women preach from the pulpit and serve as organization presidents, teachers, committee chairs, etc.

SHARING CHRIST'S GOOD NEWS

 * 61,000 missionaries serve in 165 countries; 93 percent are college-age; 22 percent are female.

 * Unpaid and paying their own way, most work 65 hours a week for two years, often in a new language.

MEMBERSHIP DISTRIBUTION

 * LDS are 70 percent of Utah, 30 percent of Idaho; after Catholics, LDS are the largest sect in 10 states.

 * The church has 5.5 million members in the U.S.,making it the fourth largest individual U.S. denomination.

 * Some memberships: New Zealand 95k, Japan 115k, UK 175k, Philippines 500k, Brazil 900k, Mexico 925k.

 * Worldwide 51 percent are female; about 55 percent are not Caucasian; about 70 percent are converts.

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH

 * For the last 15 years, every day an average of 800+people worldwide joined the LDS church.

 * Half of the growth is in Latin America, but the rate of growth is highest in Africa and the former Soviet bloc.

 * Worldwide membership just passed 12 million, a tenfold increase in 50 years.

 * In 1984 a non-LDS professor estimated 265 million members by 2080; so far growth has been faster.

 * As this growth has been steady, he said it will be the "first 'new' major world religion since Islam."

CHARITY/SERVICE

 * Members in need obtain welfare from the LDS Church (thus Utah government welfare spending is very low).

 * LDS donate time at 220 welfare storehouses or canneries and about 400 farms (a FL ranch is 312k acres).

 * There are 210 employment centers placing over 175,000 people annually, and 64 family service centers.

 * The church operates 46 thrift stores, in part to provide employment for the disadvantaged.

 * The 61,000 missionaries spend half a day each week doing non-proselytizing community service.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

 * Over 200 million pounds of food, clothing, and medicine were donated in the last 20 years in 147 countries.

 * Almost all of this help is to non-LDS; LDS charities also work with and donate to many non-LDS charities.

 * Very rapid disaster relief has been given in 144 major disasters since 1986.

 * Almost 3,000 welfare "missionaries" work without pay in 55 countries (farm instructors, doctors, teachers...).

 * LDS charities fund a wide variety of projects like drilling water wells or funding small business startup loans.

 * New in 2001, members in poor areas can get low-rate college loans; 10,000 loans have been made to date.

GRAB BAG

 * Utah is first in: charitable giving, scientists, household computers, children with two parents, and birth rate.

 * Noted LDS included five senators, the Osmonds, Gladys Knight, Steve Young, and the inventor of TV.

 * LDS played a key role in the 2002 Winter Olympics; the chair is now the governor of Massachusetts.

 * Hawaii's #1 tourist site is the LDS Polynesian Cultural Center (Tonga and the Samoas are one-third LDS).

 * LDS have sponsored Boy Scout troops since 1913; 23 percent of all Scout troops are LDS.

 * The BYU Women's Cross Country were national champions or in second place each of the last seven years.

DETROIT AREA

 * The Detroit metro area has 30 congregations; the Dearborn chapel is on Rotunda by Ford's Building #5.

 * Detroit has a temple, storehouse, cannery, employment and family service office, and family history libraries.

 * LDS include former Governor Romney, three former Lions quarterbacks, and hundreds of Ford employees.

Week 38! - Schuvoaovo! and District Conference

Interesting Fact #38 - The one thing that I thought was interesting this week that Russian Wallpaper is really ornate. I noticed it before, but I never made mention of it. It's really really ornate, shiney, and full of cool patterns and such. Yeah. Interesting, I know!

Well this week was a rather crazy, busy one. I went to Estonia again on Wednesday, which proved to be uneventful (We were only there for like 20 minutes to only back into Russia with our new visa). Every 3 months we are to have a visa trip. They have always been to Estonia for us Americans, but President Clark wants us to go to Finland at least once while we are out here to go through the Helsinki Temple. Maybe in 3 months I will go to Finland? I have become quite the traveller. After I got back from Estonia (which was about a 2 or 2.5 hour drive), I grabbed my suitcases and headed to Shuvalovo, which is right north of the city. It's still in the city. It's much much different than the center. The center felt a lot more run-down in some areas, but this area is a lot nicer. Our apartment is in this massive new apartment complex on the 8th floor. THere are 20 or so floors with an incredible view. 

My companion is awesome. Elder Scherbina. Such a stud. He is from Ukriane, like I said last week. I don't think I have had a companion who is as busy and hard-working as he is. It's great. We planned out our exchanges for this transfer, and there will be about 9 total in 6 weeks. I get to fly to Kaliningrad for one of them, and take a 7 hour train ride north to Petrozavodzk. I am way excited too. I also get to back to Vyborg for a day, and that I am excited for. 

It hasn't snowed yet, which is really surprising. I have been reading that it has been snowing in Utah and California. Not here... yet.. Well granted, It did snow one day, but it didn't stick. I guess I better knock on wood. 

While here, we visited a less active named Anatoli who is blind. We get there and we just talked to about his life and about the scriptures. We read a little bit from the Book of Mormon, and then gave him a blessing. He has a lot of health problems and it was really difficult for him to just get up for us to bless him. He lied down on the couch as we talked with him. We then met with another less active named Myagkishev, who is a little old man who is ADHD. It was so funny. Just running around and talking about all sorts of things. He also is a fantastic painter and paints LDS temples around the world and sells them. He has painted about 20 - 25 different portraits of temples. He invited him to District Conference (or Stake conference if there was a stake here) and he came! During District Conference, we talked about why we need a stake and what it would bring to the members here in St. Petersburg. It was way interesting. President Clark (who is also considered the stake president here) had a way interesting conversation during Priesthood session. The members basically explained themselves why a stake is necessary, and the most important fact about a stake is that with a stake, a temple can be built. 

This weekend, we also helped this little old lady named Raisa come to chuch. She is probably 3 foot 10 and in a wheelchair, and it was just kind of fun helping her down there stairs and into a car. It was also nice to be in a car for once ha. Oh yeah, on Saturday, the sisters in our district had a baptismal service for this girl named Yulia, who was found through the institute program. She has been going to institute, not a member, missionaries taught her, and now she is baptized. The power of the book of mormon! It just goes to show that this is the Lord's church, and that this is also the Kingdom of God once again established on the foundations of prophets in this last dispensation. The church is true. And that's all I need to say.

Well that was the week so far, until next time! or "Do Svedaniya!" as they say. I love you all, and you are all in my prayers. 

До Сведания

Старейшина Текольви

Week 37 - Halloween and stuffs. Oh, and Transfer calls

Interesting Fact #37 - The Metro. I have become quite the metro expert here in the city. I know it quite well. There are 5 lines, Red, Orange, Green, Blue, and Purple. My area here in center is on the end of the green line on my little island. The metro is crazy. So fast, sometimes so packed with people. But it's great sometimes. You get across the whole city in 20 minutes or so. 

Well. Many cool interesting things happened this week. Like a lot. Well first off, I am being transferred out of the center. I am going to a place north of the city (well. Still in the city) called Shuvolovo. Annd... I am going to be a zone leader I guess, which is kinda freakin' me out a little bit. There are three zones in the mission. Sometimes 2 zone leaders each zone, and I got assigned to be one of them. But at the same time I feel like I am still so new here! haha. I know I can do it. If I successfully trained someone fresh out of the MTC while being in Russia for only 3 months, I can be a zone leader I figured. It's a lot of responsibility, but it will be fun. My new companion will be Elder Sherabina from Ukraine. He is awesome, and doesn't speak too much English. Good thing I can speak a little of Russian, I guess. I am absolutely excited, but I am going to miss the Center here. I made a lot of good friends here with investigators, members, and less-actives. That's the toughest thing about transfers, really.

One of the awesome things about my Zone is that we get to organize exchanges with the Elders in Petrozavodzk (7 hour train ride north), Kaliningrad (1.5 plane ride west. Near Poland), Sestraedsk, and VYBORG!!!! Some of the places we get to go there for exchanges, but I think most of the time, the elders there come to our area. I would love to go to any of the places for exchanges, and especially Vyborg again. I loved it there.

So last week we saw a miracle. I get a call from Elder Andrus, the senior couple elder in the office and explained something quite interesting to me. President Clark, my mission president, met with a mother and daughter named Nellie and Natalie. Years ago they were greatly offended by some missionaries and they had this list of grievences that they show to everyone they see in the church. They wanted to talk to President Clark, who is also the Stake President here, to share with him as well. He heard them out and explained that the Church is sorry, and that whatever happened to them before should be done with. They then bore such a powerful testimony to him about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He was just shocked. But the reason why I am telling this, is because Elder Andrus gave me their information to meet with them. I get there and they just had such an amazing testimony that everything was true, but they just wanted to get some apology or something. I committed them right there to be baptized on the 19th of November and the accepted. We taught them the Restoration, which they already knew quite well. It was just shocking and awesome. Such an amazing experience. 

But then, of course, I get transferred out of the area before their baptism, just like Edward Arsyenov hahaha. I am not too far away, so I can definitely still go to it. My branch meets in the same building. But It was just an amazing experience. Oh yeah, and last Monday night, we couldn't find anyone who could meet so we did some finding. We found this man from France named Dominique. We explained that we are missionaries, and then he started explaining to me that he has been looking for the right Christian Church and that he was trying to follow Jesus. He recognized the many churches there are, and he made clear to me that he wasn't Catholic, he wasn't Orthodox, he wasn't Protestant, he was Christian. He then explained how four months ago he tried to commit suicide, but God wouldn't let him, and since then he has been trying to find the right path. I told him that there was a reason why we ran into him on the street, and the God had placed us there, at that time, and at that place. A man from France and 2 Americans meeting on a random street in St. Petersburg, Russia, for him to hear the Gospel. He told us to call in a week because he didn't have money on his phone, so we are going to call tonight. But it was just amazing. God works in miraculous ways. 

Well this week was quite amazing. I am really glad I am on this mission. I am so glad that I am doing the Lord's work. I am really an instrument right now, and I couldn't be any happier. I love it here. And I know that this Church is true, and that God is a God of Miracles. The Lord is guiding our work and it greatly increases my testimony that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. It is his Church. 

I love you all.

Love,

Elder Tekulve