Interesting Fact # I think I might have already shared this one, many times, but Russia gets really cold, and really hot, and it's very humid. I remember last year I sweated more than I have my whole life. That same process happaned again this week. Summer was very late this year here and much more mild than last year's. It's been tough for my companion given his allergy to the sun. He has to wear gloves in the sun, and we have to wear long sleeve shirts together to match. Sweaty Sweaties!
I came to a nice conclusion last night as I was lying in the heat trying to sleep, "It's very hot here, but why does it matter? I am here at this time on a mission to Preach the Gospel, the Fullness of the Truth, to these wonderful people. Why does it matter that I am hot? I will never have this opportunity to sacrifice and get out of my comfort zone to help these people I love. So Why does it matter?" I often realize that our personal needs really don't matter. A better word to say would be personal WANTS rather than needs. Yes we need to survive. We need to eat, drink, and sleep, but what do our wants do? This past week, I had a great experience studying just about Charity. Yes, I have always known that it is the Pure Love of Christ, and that it's a Christlike trait that we should strive for, maybe something along the lines of helping those in need, or giving to the needy. Upon my studies, I realized that it is much more that. It is everything. Literally. Every good thing, every good trait, every good deed is CHARITY. "And acharity suffereth long, and is bkind, and cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (Moroni 7:45). From countless Sunday School lessons, Seminary, countless talks in church or General Conference, I have read or heard this scripture HUNDREDS of times. And it never dawned on me until now that it is everything that is good or of God. It is patience, it is kindness, it is always seeking the benefit of others, never thinking of yourself, it is embracing the good and turning away the evil, it is being virtuous and having good thoughts and loving those around him or her, and most importantly it is having faith. I feel kind of lame for now realizing it, but I am glad I did. Charity is everything. Without it we our nothing. We no disciple of Christ without it. Christ did this and some. And that some is the Atonement; something that we can't even fathom, the purest act of love and charity on behalf of ALL mankind.
Well anywho, this week was a great week, allbeit a lot of our teaching meetings didn't really work out. We taught a lot of people on streets, which was just a great experience. We did meet this family in a park next to the train station. This family had been kicked out of their country in Latvia and were trying to get to a place further south. It was a grandmother, a 12 year old granddaughter, and 36 year old man with a mental disability, without a place to stay until their train gets there. We talked to them, and the grandmother, Lyudmila, told me their whole story and the trials we have gone through. She has suffered everything from war, to death, to abandonment, to fraud, to exilement, to persecution, to being homeless. She was such a wondeful woman who has done nothing wrong in her life, but she keeps on going. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and gave her the committment to read it on her 5 day train ride south. The daughter spoke little Russian, but mostly Latvian. We met them on Saturday, and we came back on Sunday to meet back with them. There were on the same bench in that park still waiting for their train. That was probably the highlight of my week was meeting them. I just pray they find the missionaries in their new city they are moving to, because that was a family that is ready for the Gospel.
This Sunday, we had a big turn out to church, about 20 people, which is big here. However, they were mostly members from Peter down for the weekend. We had a few investigators come, which I am sure they thought was interesting. Our Branch president didn't show up, so we had to run the branch due to its size. It's a mission branch so the Mission President calls the branch president. We realized as well that there was no bread, so we had to make a 5 minute quick flour tortilla in the kitchen for the Sacrament and we managed a Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, and Priesthood Meeting. I gave a 10 minute talk, knowing I had to speak 5 minutes prior. Luckily that's pretty much what we do all day, everyday, So I just taught the Restoration there in my talk for the investigators that came. A few members gave really quick make shift talks, Elder Albee, the other elder in this area, ran Sunday School, and for Priesthood, we ended up watching Church films. It was very memorable for sure.
That's about it for this week! I Love this work, and I know this church is true. Although the church is small here in Pskov, one day, this city will have its own stake. I know it. I am just here building the foundation, and I couldn't be happier.
I love you all!
Love,Elder Tekulve
I came to a nice conclusion last night as I was lying in the heat trying to sleep, "It's very hot here, but why does it matter? I am here at this time on a mission to Preach the Gospel, the Fullness of the Truth, to these wonderful people. Why does it matter that I am hot? I will never have this opportunity to sacrifice and get out of my comfort zone to help these people I love. So Why does it matter?" I often realize that our personal needs really don't matter. A better word to say would be personal WANTS rather than needs. Yes we need to survive. We need to eat, drink, and sleep, but what do our wants do? This past week, I had a great experience studying just about Charity. Yes, I have always known that it is the Pure Love of Christ, and that it's a Christlike trait that we should strive for, maybe something along the lines of helping those in need, or giving to the needy. Upon my studies, I realized that it is much more that. It is everything. Literally. Every good thing, every good trait, every good deed is CHARITY. "And acharity suffereth long, and is bkind, and cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (Moroni 7:45). From countless Sunday School lessons, Seminary, countless talks in church or General Conference, I have read or heard this scripture HUNDREDS of times. And it never dawned on me until now that it is everything that is good or of God. It is patience, it is kindness, it is always seeking the benefit of others, never thinking of yourself, it is embracing the good and turning away the evil, it is being virtuous and having good thoughts and loving those around him or her, and most importantly it is having faith. I feel kind of lame for now realizing it, but I am glad I did. Charity is everything. Without it we our nothing. We no disciple of Christ without it. Christ did this and some. And that some is the Atonement; something that we can't even fathom, the purest act of love and charity on behalf of ALL mankind.
Well anywho, this week was a great week, allbeit a lot of our teaching meetings didn't really work out. We taught a lot of people on streets, which was just a great experience. We did meet this family in a park next to the train station. This family had been kicked out of their country in Latvia and were trying to get to a place further south. It was a grandmother, a 12 year old granddaughter, and 36 year old man with a mental disability, without a place to stay until their train gets there. We talked to them, and the grandmother, Lyudmila, told me their whole story and the trials we have gone through. She has suffered everything from war, to death, to abandonment, to fraud, to exilement, to persecution, to being homeless. She was such a wondeful woman who has done nothing wrong in her life, but she keeps on going. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and gave her the committment to read it on her 5 day train ride south. The daughter spoke little Russian, but mostly Latvian. We met them on Saturday, and we came back on Sunday to meet back with them. There were on the same bench in that park still waiting for their train. That was probably the highlight of my week was meeting them. I just pray they find the missionaries in their new city they are moving to, because that was a family that is ready for the Gospel.
This Sunday, we had a big turn out to church, about 20 people, which is big here. However, they were mostly members from Peter down for the weekend. We had a few investigators come, which I am sure they thought was interesting. Our Branch president didn't show up, so we had to run the branch due to its size. It's a mission branch so the Mission President calls the branch president. We realized as well that there was no bread, so we had to make a 5 minute quick flour tortilla in the kitchen for the Sacrament and we managed a Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, and Priesthood Meeting. I gave a 10 minute talk, knowing I had to speak 5 minutes prior. Luckily that's pretty much what we do all day, everyday, So I just taught the Restoration there in my talk for the investigators that came. A few members gave really quick make shift talks, Elder Albee, the other elder in this area, ran Sunday School, and for Priesthood, we ended up watching Church films. It was very memorable for sure.
That's about it for this week! I Love this work, and I know this church is true. Although the church is small here in Pskov, one day, this city will have its own stake. I know it. I am just here building the foundation, and I couldn't be happier.
I love you all!
Love,Elder Tekulve
Awesome letter... Kathy Willis
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