Elder Hill's Visit

Here are a few pictures of Katrina (Mom) and Tom (Dad) with Elder Hill, one of Drew's old companions who has returned home from his mission. 

Elder Hill was in town and knew that Drew was from Yorba Linda, so he wanted to visit my parents. He some how knew someone who told him that the Tekulve's lived in the Ohio Street house...so he started there. Obviously, Mom and Dad weren't living there anymore, but a girl who lived there was friends with Drew in High School, so she called some old friends and found the Tekulve home! 

Everyone was so excited to have met him and loved to hear the stories of Drew in the Mother Land!

                                                               Ryan and Elder Hill

Week 70 - Crazy Week of Conferences and Exchanges

Interesting Fact # 70 - The standard size for paper in Russia is A4, which is slightly bigger than the American sized paper. A really boring interesting fact, I know, but still, a fact nonetheless.

So this week was pretty crazy. It felt like I was going all over the place. We had to make some exchanges with some of the elders because of conferences, and I found myself with a different Elder every single day. It felt like I was running all over St. Petersburg and some of the outside little towns like Gatchina. Unfortunately, a lot of my time was consumed in these exchanges, travelling, organizing, and conducting conferences. This is my 5th conference this month. I am fairly conferenced out. But the great thing is about all of these conferences, is that I get to learn something new from each one, even if the same material gets repeated. I find something new from each conference. Oh and last Saturday, I found myself back in my old area on Vasilevskiy Island, where I served last fall. I loved that little island, and I still do today. I have a lot of good memories there.

We had several miracles occur this last week. First off, in of the exchanges I had an exchange with an Elder Starostin (a new missionary who flew in a few weeks ago). We had a meeting set up with a new investigator which didn't pan out, so we went out finding out on the streets of Peter. Granted, trying to contact and talk to people on busy streets gets pretty intense due to the fact that it is PACKED all of the time. To some it's a hassle, to a few it's fun. I am one of the few that like it. Well, I kind of need to explain housing set up in St. Petersburg. So in every street there are apartment buildings in which you can enter from a center courtyard which has gated entrance into the street. So on the streets you pass stores, but on the other floors of the same building are apartments. So as we were walking down a street, I looked down one of the entrances that lead to a courtyard of apartments. I just had a strong feeling to go there and knock on doors. It was a weird but comfortable feeling. My companion that day, Elder Starostin, had never gone tracting, so I decided to show the ropes. The first set of apartments we knocked on, no one answered. So we went for the next set and then finally someone answered but weren't interested. So we continued and it was Elder Starostin's turn and he called on the outer European apartment dom-a-phone and called apartment number 8. A man answered, and Elder Starostin told him that we have a message about God and that he should open the door. Next thing you know, the door opens and we are talking to him. His mom had just died that week and she was cremated the day before. The man was just a mess but wanted help. We told him about the plan of salvation and shared some scriptures from Alma 40. I looked into my bag and thought I only had a Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlett so I didn't bother to pull it out. But talking to him some more, I wanted to give himself to read before we come back, so I pulled it out and it just so happened to be a Plan of Salvation pamphlet that we randomly had. So I thought that was pretty cool that everything just worked out that day. I really felt like an instrument in the Lord's hands. It was an amazing feeling, and before we left we could tell that the man was touched by our message.

Well the work goes on and the more it does, the more I realize this really is the Lord's work. This is the only True and Living Church of Jesus Christ, and His work will go on one heart at a time!

I love you all,

Love,

Elder Tekulve

Week 69 - A continuation of what happened last week, and Alecsander

Interesting Fact 69 - The only kind of heater you have in living quarters is this kind of wall heater where hot water just shoots through it . They only turn on this hot water during the winters, but sometimes they keep it on until May and your apartments are just burning hot. In the more modern heaters, you have a little dial to control how hot you want your room, but in the older ones, when it is on, it is on. They are usually found underneath windows. I guess that's when you can tell if the apartment is Russian. 

So starting from last week. I will tell about the Train story. So we had the whole mission down in the city for the conferences with Elder Christopherson, which we had planned out weeks in advanced. We had planned where the companionships who are not serving in the city would stay. There was a set of Elders from Petrozavodsk (the city 7 hours north of Pete) staying at our place for the weekend. We got home at 9:30 into our apartment shocked to see them still there in our apartment when usually the should be at the train station to wait for their train. I checked their tickets and it said their train was leaving at 10:51 so they had some time. It usually takes about 30 minutes comfortably to get to the train station from our apartment. However, I realized it was At that point it was already 9:45 and their train was going to leave at 10:05, and they still had to check in their tickets and everything. So they ran out of our apartment, and my companion and I got down on our knees and prayed that they could make it in time. All odds were COMPLETELY against them, because to make it in time they had to either catch a bus to the metro, or sprint like mad to the metro and wait for the metro train, and even then they would have to go to the desk and print our their electronic tickets. So at 10:05 we got a call from a different set of elders who were already on the train saying that it left. So we started planning out ideas what to do to get them back to Petrozavodsk, knowing the backup plan would be extremely expensive. We called up the mission finance clerk, and then we got another call at 10:10 from those same elders already in the train saying that they made it. Basically the two late elders jumped on to the train as it was leaving, and had to travel though all of the traincarts to find theirs, as in jumping over the train links and everything. So yes. A complete miracle that they made it there in less than 20 minutes. It was more like 15 minutes that they got there. Anyway, the point of the story is that the Lord answers prayers. He will provide a way to answer your desire, if it is righteous. 

At conference last week, we had a special conference with Elder Christopherson, which was amazing. I learned so much from him, his wife, and also President Schwitzer from the Seventy. We talked a lot about how we can declare repentence and be effective at it. It's not all standing on a soap box and screaming Repent Sinners! But by just fulfilling our calling by bringing souls unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith, repentence, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Just by fulfilling our calling and teaching our investigators according to their needs and understanding, we are preaching repentence; we are teaching them how to make those changes in their lives to come closer unto the Lord. But it needs to be noted though that the power to convert, the Lord reserved for himself. Or in other words, to convert someone means to teach by the power of the Holy Ghost. No matter how much of a rockstar we are in speaking Russian, or how good we are with people, if you are not teaching by the Spirit, you are not converting them--you are not preaching repentence. (Although those previous mentioned traits do greatly help when you are teaching by the Spirit). At any rate, I really loved last week's conference, and I learned a lot.

Ok so this week. We had a lot going on, and a lot of potential. I think we got 20 something phone numbers just from people on the street that were interested, who of which we are trying to focus on becoming investigators. One name in particular called the office when we were randomly there. The Senior couple gave me the phone and I talked to him a little bit. His name is Alecsandr and he was really interested in coming to church and getting a Book of Mormon. He somehow got some information about us and he became incredibly interested. He didn't end of coming to church with Elder Christopherson, but instead, he came this last week, as in yesterday. He brought his godson (I don't know if that is the right word, but basically is the godfather of this kid named Dima) They both came and we taught them after church with the help of Brother Ananich (who baptized Jacques), and it was an incredible lesson. He understood so well and accepted every thing. He knows the Bible so well and he wanted to know more about this "other testament of Jesus Christ". At the end of the lesson we invited him to be baptized on the 30th of June and he agreed super strongly. He wants to more than anything. The problem is that he lives 2 and a half hours away, but came all the way up to go to church. He actually lives in another branch area (which is still an hour and a half away) but we are going to give this excellent man to those Elders to work with. I am really excited and happy to see what becomes of him. He seems like a very special son of God.

Also this week, we met this 20 year old kid named Maksim on the street. We were walking away from Fontanka (the famous 007 Golden Eye river canal thing) and we found this kid standing on a big cinderblock. We came up to him and told he has got a cool spot. He laughed and started talking. He said he had been walking around the city thinking and then stopped to think some more and then we came. He doesn't really believe in God, but after talking to him, he started to understand that he does actually exist. He said something along the lines of "Ok. So I know he exists and he is watching us, but I still don't know why?" or something like that. He then told us that "it wasn't an accident that we met tonight". He came the next day to our English Group and really enjoyed it. I found out he is a HUGE fan of Jazz Music and is an incredible piano player and painter. Sounds like someone who I would hang out with. We are hoping to work some more with him.

We had another Zone Conference this past week that we had to organize, with another 2 coming up this week. I think I am all conferenced out.

That's about it for this week. I love you all and I love this work. Immensely.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

Week 68 - A trial of faith, Mission conference with Elder Christopherson, the Train miracle.

Interesting Fact 68 - Russian cakes are incredibly gorgeously decorated, but the taste lacks a little. 

So this week was incredible. I really don't know where to begin. So we began to really organize our area and really find the less actives in our branch areas. We came to the realization that there is a baptism in every less active family or person. It's almost common knowledge but we are trying to organize it so that it is completely visible to see. So we bought a map and have been mapping them all out and it has been completely eye opening. I can't believe it. We are mapping all the inactives, actives, part member families, less actives, potential elders, everything. It's taking forever and we are only 1/3 done. But we are going to show this to the branch and get their help to reactivate some of these members, and with that teach those that don't know the gospel. It's been nothing but awesomeness (I guess you can say) planning and invisioning this all.

We had a few really awesome lessons with some investigators this week. We had one Armenian man meet with us and there just so happens to be an active Armenian brother in our branch. So it was basically them two talking in Armenian and us trying to teach in Russian. It felt like my frist few months in Russia not understanding anything. 

Well seeing how I have limited time, I will talk about the cool stuff. So last week, we had planned a baptism for this saturday. None of our investigators were anywhere near ready, but we set that goal thinking that it might just work out some how. It was complete faith. So we go through the week, and by Friday we realized that it is not going to happen. While we were planning the other week, we remembered that there was going to be a baptism for an 8 year old boy the next day, and were planning what we needed to do to help them (fill up the font, prorgrams, etc) As we were planning, we checked the records and it turns out the boy is actually 9, and it counts as a convert baptism. We called up president clark, did the baptismal intereview and got him baptized the next day. His name is Evan Shaikhulin, and he is such a cool llittle kid. I will show some pictures in a week or so. I dont have any on me. I actually couldn't make it to the baptism because of other investigator meetings that we planned and everything. But it was an awesome big miracle. So yeah. A trial of our faith.

And then we had a District Conference with Elder Christopherson and the building was PACKED!!!! I have never seen more people in that building. I think the count was over 620 or something. But at any rate. We are VERY close to becoming a stake here. No one knows when. Because the 12 and the First Presidency are to discuess it and it is up to them. So now it is a matter of time. We need to wait. But the members here are so excited. Oh and on Sunday, we played security kind of for President Clark as he walked up with Elder Christopherson and President Schwieitzer from the Seventy. So we were really close the whole time to them all. We also had a conference on Monday with the whole mission. And I learned so much! I absolutely loved it

I got no time as per usual. But I will explain the train thing next week. Just remind me. I love you all! Remind me about what I learned at Conference too.

Love,

Elder Tekulve

Week 67 - New Companion! New missionaries! And Mikhail

Interesting Fact # 67 - A common frozen meat you will find in big grocery stores is cow tongue.

So this week went by way too fast, it felt like. After our preperation day last week, we got invited to a family home evening to this young family, the Bagdarsaryans. They are a great family. One of the largest families I have seen here in Russia. 1 son and 5 daughters, and another one the way. We talked about the First Vision and how it has blessed their family. We were teaching children, so we had them all draw pictures of the first vision. Always a fun thing to do.

Well I really have no time this week, because we got to the library to write. I ended up spended a bit too long making cinnamon rolls which turned out to be the heaviest thing since iron. I ate it and it felt like I sank down into the abyss of sugar. Anywho, I learned my lesson. They weren't terribly great either.

Well anyway, this last we picked up some new missionaries at the airport! An Elder Tafua, Elder Hayden, Elder Starostin, and an Elder Fateyev. All studs and on fire and really ready to work hard here in this mission. Wednesday was transfer day and Elder Loskutov left with his new companion to Kaliningrad and I got Elder Rasmussen as my new companion! I am really excited to work with him. Well we have already for half a week, and it's been great. We have visited a lot of previous investigators and seeing a lot of success out of that. We have a lot of ideas and thoughts working with the branch here and with less actives. We are trying to organize this area so we know every person possible.

So the great thing this week was this meeting we had with an investigators named Mikhail. President Clark had talked with him on the Metro and he then gave us his contact information. We have met him a few times and he is incredibly open. He has been growing through a rough time in his life, and he is a lot more humble to listen to missionaries. His son has been suffering from a bad case of asthma and was growing through a surgery which Mikhail couldn't afford. We came to us needing help, but we had to explain that giving or lending money to people isn't something the Church does for those kind of cases. He really looked just completely distraught. However, that morning, before our meeting, he texted President Clark about the situation, and then later we met with him to talk to him about it. We were able to find some help for him in the end of the day, and he just beamed and almost broked down. I think the best part of that night was his description of the Spirit that he was feeling, saying it was a silence that he had never felt before. I really wish I had more time to describe this moment this last week, but needless to say, it made it into a great spot into my journal.

Artyom got confirmed this week too! He had been going through a lot with his family about his baptism, and after a lot of prayer from dozens of missionaries, his mother opened up and finally allowed him to do what he wants if he feels good about it. With pleasure, he went to church incredible excited to get confirmed. His baptism and confirmation, however last minute as it was, was great to witness and slightly be a part of. He is great young man.

Ok, so I got no time. I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Tekulve

p.s.: Cinnamon rolls take a lot longer to make than expected.