Grand Central Station

This week was a transfer end and beginning.  We lost four of our most senior missionaries who ended their missions with honor and have returned home.  However, to replace them, we received four Estonian missionaries and one Russian missionary from the MTC as well as one additional Russian sister and two additional Russian missionaries from other places.  With so many people coming and going and using our apartment as a holding place while who goes where with whom is all figured out, it felt like Grand Central Station in New York.

We wouldn't have it any other way.  We love their youthful enthusiasm and energy and are just happy they have a place to come and re-energize.  Before all this happened, we had our last district meeting together before everyone started going away.  It was a sobering moment as we realized that this unique blend of personalities and talent would not be together again like this in this lifetime.  Of course we had to get a group picture for posterity.

The Narva Elders on a Skype call with us.

By the way, two of these elders (on the right) were here when we left the mission back in November of 2017 and are now ready to go home.  Everyone else is new to us.  Following our meeting, we hosted a luncheon for the district with some homemade stuffed potato soup and cornbread.  I think they liked it (smiles all around).

On Friday, we met again with new district members to have a phone conversation with Pres. Pokhilko.  We came fasting to be prepared for what he was about to tell us.  To give us perspective, he had someone read the dedicatory prayer that Pres. Nelson gave back in 1990 to open the land of Estonia for the preaching of the gospel.  He wanted to have a dedication prayer for the next 6 weeks for Satan to be held and to dedicate ourselves to the work.  He asked that I offer that prayer.  Afterwards, he compared our work to seeing the Red Sea, like Moses, but then to expect it to be parted, even for just 6 weeks that we might accomplish wonderful things and that we would be changed forever because of it. 

Later that day, they had a contacting activity which happened to be International Women's Day.  We made little cards with a candy attached for them to hand out to women and girls as they walked by.  The card says:

Happy Women's Day

Come and get to know God's love

[address of the church and when it starts]  

It is signed: A servant of Jesus Christ

We made over 100 of them in different colors and different kinds of candy.  On the backside was the same thing, but in Russian.  It was a lot of fun.

Today was the branch conference in Narva.  We tagged along as I am a counselor in the district presidency.  For those unfamiliar with Narva, you may learn more from this link here.  After every conference, our district president always asks for a group photo.  I threw my camera into the mix.  Here's what I got.

Funny thing happened during the sustaining of church leaders.  One of the attendees was an investigator who, we think, may have been in touch with some other spirits (the kind in a bottle) and surprised us as she spoke right out loud, "Who are these people?  I can't sustain them if I don't know who they are."  Since it was all in Russian, I didn't know what she said until afterwards.  Things are different out in the field. 

I love what I get to do here - to be involved in something so much bigger than myself.  I am surrounded by excellent young missionaries who are the best the church has to offer.  I am so blessed.