First Cold in the Field! Yay!

Interesting Fact of Pskov - Every Sunday night, at the statue of Pushkin in the downtown of the city, there is always a gathering of seniors and older couples and they square dance/slow dance. Every sunday. One day, I walked past the riotous group on my way to a meeting, and they were actually listening to some kind of techno, but yet they were still dancing 1940s style. It was tenders.

So this past week, I got sick my first time! Don't worry, it was just a cold. It was my first time getting sick in the field so far in my mission. I got ill once in the MTC, but the MTC and the Field are two COMPLETELY different parts of your mission. But yeah, the cold here in Russia is the same cold back in the U.S., allbeit there is a little more Bear and Siberia in the fact that it's a RUSSIAN cold. 

We tracted a different part of our area this past week that we have been too. We didn't find any cool new investigators that way, but on the way home, we ended up finding a really amazing man who really is prepared; but the problem is that night he is going to Switzerland for 2 months and will be back after that time. He was really interested in our message, and also the Book of Mormon. We gave him one to read in the the travelling time which he gladly accepted. I think it is funny that the Lord will lead you to places at the right time. Maybe you think, Ok, I want to go here to tract/knock on doors, but you were to knock for just enough time to talk to some one else walking the opposite direction on your way back home/somewhere else. The timing of everything is just amazing. Heavenly Father always perfectly sets it up as long as we are ready, prepared, and worthy for such a miracle. God is a God of miracles.

We mostly focused on finding this past week since most of our investigators have disappeared. So we have to kind of start from square one all over again, with the exception of a few investigators we are still working with. As disppointing as it originally was, we have realized that there are still more prepared people in this city of 250,000 people, who will be ready to accept the message and to act on it. We also realized that we did all that we possibly could and right now those people are in the Lord's hands. We did find some really awesome people this week, though. We found a man named Andre and is a mushroom hunter and he invited us over so we could share our message with him, which is very rare here. It was one of the greatest lessons that I have in my mission, where the Spirit was just so strong, and it felt like we understood and were edified with one another. 

Well the work continues here in Pskov and I know things are always going to grow. Of course in a mission, as well as in life, we have those ups and downs, but I always remember that things can and will get better. Prayer is a mighty tool for our benefit; a holy connection that we have with Our Father in Heaven, who knows us perfectly and knows what will and what can happen if we chose the way He wants. This Church is true and this is the Work of the Lord. I am so grateful that I am a missionary that I can represent the Savior in all that I do and say. It is a blessing and a priveledge in itself. I love it here, I love Russia, and I love these people with all my heart.

Oh, and of course I love you guys too! 

Love,

Elder Tekulve