So this was an interesting week. I just barely emailed everyone about last week because of my tardiness of my preperation day. We didn't have much of a preperation day, as it was filled with planning and coordination meetings with President Clark and office staff. On thursday, we had meetings from 8 in the morning until about 2. I swear, I feel like a CPO or something. Whatever that means. The transfer is about to end, which basically means planning, meetings, conferences, planning, planning, and meetings up until about the week after transfers. We are getting 4 new elders, one of which was post-poned due to visa problems, but are sending him on time anyway without a MTC experience. He is flying in straight from Ukraine tomorrow. I can't believe it is another transfer. I am still staying an Assistant. My 5th transfer.. I am not sure how much longer I have got here. I can't believe I have been here since the beginning of December of last year. I will for sure be here until July 10th or so. I will be getting a new companion! An Elder Rasmussen, with whom of which I have been many an exchange. He more or less is my twin, minus the looking the same part. I am really excited to be serving with him. My current companion will be transferred to be the "MTC President" for the new missionary out in Kaliningrad (the area you have to fly in a plane to). So a lot of last week, after Wenesday, was planning and figuring out who will serve with you. There aren't many changes in this transfer, considering the fact of the medium sized number of new missionaries. My previous companion, Elder Hill, is finishing his mission on Wednesday, and he will sure be missed.
We had a small short exchange with some zone leaders and we went a met an investigator that I had found in January named Mark. He is an awesome young man, but his ability to pay attention is rather low. My temporary companion, who I was with that day, and I practiced so that we can teach him and have him pay attention. As soon as we started, it was a battle keeping him focused. At one point he stood up to check the tea in the other room, but for the most part he was focused. He is a funny young man who is definitely one of the nicer more hospital men I've met. It's pretty interesting. We found him in our area a long time ago, but he lived in another area, but now he lives back in the area where we found him. Can't complain.
So the other companionship of elders in my branch had been working with a young man named Artyom. He wanted to get baptized more than anything. However, given the current circumstance, he would have to wait a week to be confirmed because he schedule. So he got permission for that, and he just jumped to get baptized. They scheduled for this last saturday, and everything was going perfect. He had his interview he was just golden and so set to be baptized on Saturday at 6:00 pm. About 5:30 he called the missionaries and told them that his parents were against him joining the church and they couldn't do it. He met with the missionaries outside the branch and talked for a few hours about it. Knowing my companion had the same kind of situation when converted, I had Elder Loskutov talk to him and then I grabbed a missionary to go find new investigators. It was already around 6:50 and he was supposed to be baptized already and everyone was completely doubting. A senior couple missionary began to drain the font and everything. I went back to the font and it wasn't drained yet, because he turned on the water on accident. So I turned off the drain and the water so it stayed thinking "just maybe." We went back out for an hour and got a phone call around 8:30. I answered thinking, "Ok I have your companion. I will give him back and we will call it a day", but instead they told me that Artyom wanted to get baptized. So we got the permission from President Clark to baptize him, and he was baptized at 8:45 pm Saturday, the 26th of May. I had to preside at the baptism because no one could come besides some missionaries and a senior couple. It was the shortest but such a wonderful baptismal service and he was absolutely glowing and felt so good about himself. The thing is he has to wait until the 3rd to be confirmed. I am praying for him and the missionaries that they can continue to work with him everyday to prepare for that. I view it a miracle that I didn't end up draining the font.
One of the greatest things this week is the return of a view inactives. Ehmin, who I talked about a little bit before, who is a professional painter, and another man who hadn't been to church in 10 years. President Clark and Elder Grow from the Seventy talked to him last week, and he came to church and he is preparing to go back to the temple and is making steps to return into full activity into the church. Ehmin is preparing to recieve the Melchezideck Priesthood and is also taking very important but such wonderful steps in his life. I am so grateful to be able to help and support him too, as I would with any other investigator. Another inactive has been coming back and is also preparing to recieve the Melchezideck Priesthood in a week or two or so. This work here really is taking off as more and more missionaries are baptizing new converters, and more and more inactives are coming back into activity in the church and receiving the blessings from God and full membership. This church is true, and this work is the work of the Lord.
Oh and to help clarify the last part of the title: I ate a frozen spanish lean cuisine, and it was great.
Jacques is doing awesome. He is learning still how to get to church. He got on the wrong trams and got completely lost, but he made it to church looking like the stud that he is with his shirt and tie.
This week was a wonderful week. I love this Church, I love the Lord, and I love all of you who are taking the time to read this, even if at times its boring, or interesting, or strange. Thank for your support and prayers for my behalf, and for the behalf of the work of the Lord in the world. It really is the stone carved out of the mountain with no hands, and it continues to roll, and will continue to roll down the mountain, until it has encompassed the whole Earth. (Daniel 2:31-45)
I love you all! The church is true.
Love,
Elder Tekulve
P.S. - Russian Yogurt is one of the best ideas since the the toaster oven. I have been quite the fan of yogurt since I have been here.
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