Sergay's Mother

We had an amazing week this week! With the exception of the apartment problems that we had concerning our water heater. There had been a leak in the water pipes for the water heater that had been leaking for a month or maybe longing and no one noticed. The problem is that the water heater is behind this built-in closet and I think I opened that cabinet once before, but apparently it had been dripping for a while and caused the downstairs apartments walls to grow mold and become very wet. So we had to call around, and talk to our apartment representative and landlords to take of this problemo. But like the old wisdoms of The Wizard of Oz state, "Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain". I felt like it was just a big distraction

So this week, we had some pretty great new investigators and a lot of teaching opportunities with our investigators. We had some amazing lessons with two of our newer investigators Vladimir and Irina, who we have set baptismal dates for the 17th of November. They are some of my favorite investigators. Vladimir is so receptive and just loves the Book of Mormon. He really wants to quit drinking and so we have been setting baby steps for him like: don't drink for 24 hours, 48 hours, etc. Although I wasn't there, we had an exchange and my companion and another missionary went and taught him the Restoration. The other missionary recited the first vision, and Vladimir was so touched by it that he asked him to repeat it. After the other Elder recited the first vision, Vladimir began to cry. He is an amazing man who wants to make steps to become a disciple and a new creature in Christ. He, too, can be made clean from his addictions. 

We also had another really interesting lesson with a man named Sergay who hadn't been showing any signs of interest or progress, but something happened this last lesson. His mother is very old and dying and had called Sergay saying that she wanted to die the day. I asked if we could talk to her on the phone, and I sat and listened. I tried to discerned what was wrong and tried to teach her the meaning of life and that her personal mission is not over. I think I was on the phone with this old grandmother for maybe 20 minutes trying to encourage her not take her own life that day. By the end, she told me she understood very clearly that she is still needed today. If God wanted her back, she would have already died. It was something that makes so much sense, but it becomes so clouded by depression. Sergay was very touched by this and asked a lot of questions and wanted the scriptures from the Book of Mormon that touched on that subject. On that phone, I completely relied on the Spirit to help guide me to know what to say. It was an amazing experience being an instrument in the hands of the Lord. He really just uses us for His own purposes. It's just so awesome to think! One of the mroe amazing experiences on my mission. Sergay called me later that night to tell me how grateful he was that we helped his mother.

We met with another younger man that has been investigator since this summer. His name is Stepan and he comes to EVERYTHING; every activity, comes to church. But last week he stayed for 8 hours of General Conference. He had never wanted to meet before, but we finally got a meeting with him and got him to understand his own answer to the Book of Mormon. He told us he feels peace when he reads, which he never attribruted to his own actual testimony and answer of its truthfulness. And then another man, Karl, came to church agian this week. Last week I mentioned how we were guided to this random apartment that we had felt that we needed to stop by. He came again to church and thoroughly enjoyed it the second time. He asked a lot of very insightful questions and participated in Gospel Principles and also Elders' Quorum as if he was a member. It was awesome-o!!!

I really love this work, and this opportunity to serve these people. 

A great week this week, and not even a broken water heater could have stopped it. I love being a missionary and I know the Church is true! My testimony grows more and more everyday here in the Pskov, Russia!

Love,

Elder Tekulve