So this week, as the subject can so easily describe, I went back to Vyborg! It was only for a short time, but it was so great. It was weird going back to there, because I finally could understand the signs that I saw, and there was snow everywhere. I left Vyborg when it was steaming hot and super bright, so it was so strange for me to come back and it's dark, cold, and snowy. But it made me love Vyborg even more. We met with the elders there, one of which is quite the cook. Made some potato cheese broccoli soup and some beef stroganoff, a Russian dish! Pretty tasty. We got to met with one of my old investigators there, Leonid! It was a pretty cool lesson with him, and he has committed to go to church after the new year. He has a lot of fears leaving the apartment, but loves to meet with the missionaries. Maybe you remember him?
This week, we also had transfer calls. This was the fastest 6 weeks ever. I was incredibly busy travelling all over the place this transfer. But President Clark has called me to be his new assistant with Elder Hill, which left me in complete shock. I am most likely going to be there for a while too. But that was probably the most shocking thing this week, but I feel like I am ready to continue to help out this mission. To put it simply, I am really excited. Yeah, I am going to miss all the cool travelling that I did here as a zone leader, but I get to help out the whole mission, and not just my zone. But I am just so humbled to know that the Lord has trusted me to be in such a position, and I will continue to honor my calling as a Missionary.
In terms of our actually investigator work, it can be deemed as a slow one, but this week as also so busy with travelling and zone leader meetings. We had an 8 long meeting with all the zone leaders, the assistants, and the mission president to discuss the needs of the mission, and how to continue to help lead this mission. In the beginning of this year, we had a goal to double baptisms from last year, with a goal of 120. Unforunately, we fell short of that goal here in this mission, and we reset another goal to have an additional 30 which would put the total goal for 70 this year. We again, have fallen short, which has been a disappointment, but we have reavaluated our goals and have set another goal to have 3 additional baptisms per zone the end of this year. We just had one this Saturday, which we weren't able to attend. It was a lady named Margarita, who is the sister of a member here in the Shuvalovo branch. She is from the Crimean Sea area, but is in the city to visit and also to go under surgery. She got baptized by her brother and law, and then got confirmed the next day in the hospital, which was awesome to hear. She had to go in for surgery the day after her baptism. She is quite the dedicated lady.
Nellie got baptized this weekend too!! The baptismal service was for the both of them (Nellie and Margarita)! My previous companion Elder Pace baptized her, and the new elder in that area, Elder Byington baptized Natalie 2 weeks ago. They are so happy! I was unable to make it to Nellie's baptism, but I had the chance to help a member in a wheelchair get to the service, and there I saw both Natalie and Nellie and they were just both so happy.
Seeing their happiness has really made me just so happy to see a family be more united like that. Families are such an integral part of our church, and it's amazing to see a faithful mother and daughter enter into the covenant of baptism. Words really can't describe just the joy you feel when you have someone you teach get baptized. It really is an amazing thing. And I am so blessed to have that feeling for both them two, Edward Arsyonov, and Igor Shevchenko. I can't imagine the joy Heavenly Father feels when his OWN children come back to him. I get the oppurtunity to just feel a fraction of that joy, and at times it seems overwhelming.
It really just convinces me more and more that this is the work of the Lord that I am doing, and this Church is the true church of Jesus Christ.
Well I don't have much time, but I love you all!
Love,
Your son, you friend, your brother,
Elder Tekulve
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