This week was pretty exciting. It started off with T flopping back on us and saying that she wasn't really interested in dilligently investigating our church and she just really likes us and that is why she meets with us. Sis D and I are pretty sure she is just scared of commitment. But she still does read the BOM when we ask her so we still have hope for her. Then we had exchanges on Tuesday with the other Sisters in Ekat. I served with Sis Boika from Ukraine. She is the best maker of blini (crepes) that I have ever met. She is pretty quite, but is a real sweetheart. She even told me her recipe for a russian version of pancakes. Sis D had a really good exchange with Sis Wright and they taught S. In that lesson S admited that drinking was 100% bad. That is the first time he has done that. He still doesn't look as good as he used to before the holidays, but he did come to church on Sunday. Then we had a meeting with V who told us that she is thinking about getting married on the day she gets baptised. So she is doing really well, but if she gets married and baptised on the same day that will be really crazy. Then we had the awesomest lesson ever with A. We asked her if she would keep the Word of Wisdom and she told us that she has been following it since September when the Elders told her that they don't drink coffee or tea. She thought that she would just try it out to see if she could do it. Do you see the pattern that is coming up here? Do you see how she gained her testimony of the Book of Mormon? She has been praying every morning and night since we first asked her, reading the book of mormon, keeping the Word of Wisdom, keeping every other commandment, and coming to church when ever she can. She even read all the anti-mormon literature on the internet and that obviously didn't stop her. In short, if you do all the things that the Lord keeps telling us over and over to do you will gain a testimony. I know it with all my heart. It is so sad to see the doubts and fears creep in. I see it in my own life as well. When we are steadfast and imovable nothing can stand in our way. God's path is the enlightening and freeing path for our lives. So A said she looked at a calender for her baptismal date and thought about March. We told her she should in February. Then President talked to her at church on Sunday (with me translating) and helped her pick the 4th of February. So that's pretty exciting. Then Sunday we had a regional representitive from the 70 come and talk at sacrament meeting. It was a really inspiring talk. He talked about the different areas of strength that are comming up in Russia and Ukraine for the church. He said that Ekat is becoming one of those areas (he also mentioned Donesk :D) and that we could have a stake here in 5 years, but obviously we are going to have to work for it. That led to a pretty lively discussion in Relief Society. Remember our Relief society has about 6-13 active members. Which ended up with me getting up infront of all the ladies and bursting into tears because I love them so much. I tried to convey to them in broken up Russian (its much harder to speak Russian when you are crying) that we need their help to do the work. If anything it gave them all something to talk about. Afterword some of the older women that we go visit every Sunday asked if I was had been offended and that is why I had cried. Then another member said I probably cried because Sis D was leaving. The Elders were able to set a baptismal date with their investigator that was there for Relief Society after church. We just need some excitement here. I hope you don't mind my overly emotional email this week. I hope you all are doing well. Know that I love you!
Sis Harrison
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