Imagine All the People

Good Afternoon!

This week Sister Misuraca and I found this HUGE statue of Lenin out by the Volga River. (I have no idea how we haven't noticed it for 5 weeks because it is literally HUGE). So, today, we're off to go take a look at it. Should be fun. 

But, before we do that. This last week was so exhausting and amazing. You know you're a good missionary when you come home unable to do anything after planning but sleep. It's great. :)

There's a member who lives in a town outside of Stavrpol who used to live in Red Army. His name is Andrei and he calls us every now and then to practice English and get a spiritual boost. Andrei also gives a nickname to all of the sisters who work in Red Army. Sister Misuraca is the Italian Queen, and this past week he gave me a nickname! I am now the Snow Queen. He told me it's because I look like Snow White. I really couldn't have asked for a better name. 

We have this investigator here named Denis. He comes to our English discussion group every Wednesday, and we FINALLY had a lesson with him. It was amazing. I've never been able to speak up much in lessons because I've felt like I don't really know what's going on or what to say, but in this lesson I knew exactly what Denis needed. I knew what would help him and what questions to ask. I can tell you that it wasn't me. I can tell you that I still don't know Russian and I still don't understand everything he said, but I can tell you that Heavenly Father is there and He is always helping me in every aspect of the work.

I've been trying to improve my ability to speak to people when I'm on public transport, and this week, I was able to talk to so many people! I love talking to people everywhere I go. They have so many new ideas and interesting things to say and lovely smiles to give. Just talking to them, I know that they are special and individual and loved by Heavenly Father. I love making people laugh. It makes me feel like I've made their day just a little better and just a little brighter. It's even better when I can tell them how loved they are by their Father in Heaven because they can begin to see just how much potential they really have to become so much more than they ever thought they could.

I hope that your week is full of smiles and laughter!

Sister Jarvis

A flurry of cats outside an apartment building in Red Army

Winter is Coming

The cold has begun to seep into our home, the Russians have brought out their big, fluffy, fur-lined coats, and the temptures have already dropped below freezing. 

But, all is well! We have boots and hats and coats and hot chocolate, so we're all set.
(Speaking of hot chocolate. Russians make some really good hot chocolate. Just boil some water, put a bit of cocoa in, and finish it off with sweetened condensed milk. I'm telling you, it's manna.)

We were able to watch General Conference this last week end.

IT WAS AMAZING.

I had no idea General Conference was so cool! Did anyone else know this and just not tell me? I guess maybe I should have just been more focused when I did watch it before. It's probably always been this amazing. I particularly liked Elder Holland's talk and President Nelson's talk. It was mentioned more than once to women to "fulfill the measure of their creation," and I have to tell you, I'm not really sure what that means completely, but I can tell you that part of fulling our creation is striving everyday to be a little better than what we were yesterday. It's a tough thing to be sent from the MTC into the mission field, and it can feel like you have so much to improve and so much you can't do yet, but I think it's most important to remember that you don't have to be good at everything all at once. It's a day by day by day process. And some things take a lifetime to learn.

I know that we have so much potential to learn and grow and become because we are children of God, but I also know that Heavenly Father will take us as we are because we can't become all that He knows we can without Him. So, turn to Him! He'll make you into a masterpiece that you can hardly begin to imagine. 

Being a missionary is amazing. I love it because I get to watch people begin to start that process in their own lives and see their light begin to brighten.

I love you all, and I hope your weeks are full of joy!

Love,

Sister Jarvis

Winter weather has begun!  (Mom, we're wearing your scarves and the hat you knitted!)

Watching conference

The Hunt for Brown October

Shalom!

What a crazy week I've had this week! 

It all started with the water going off in Red Army for 2 days.

After I emailed last Monday, we got a call from the Branch President here in Red Army who told us the water was about to go off for repairs and we needed to run home and fill up as many buckets as we could with water. Unfortunately, they had already turned off the cold water in our building, so the water was coming out boiling hot and brown. It was quite the adventure trying to fill up metal pots and random water bottles with burning hot, muddy water. It was fun, and Sister Misuraca and I laughed the whole time, no worries. (Also we have separate water that's clean, so not a big deal.)

We then had splits on Thursday, so I was with Sister Montierth! It was quite the day we had. Neither of us have been out for very long; in fact, Sister Montierth has only been out two weeks, so I guess I was the "senior" companion. (Those 6 extra weeks there really make a difference.) We didn't know much Russian between the two of us, but we sure did have an adventure. We met a grandpa outside the city who started off the conversation by telling us what beautiful girls we were and finished the conversation by trying to convince us that Obama was using the Book of Mormon as a political trap... Or at least that's what I understood. Either way, he was a very nice old man, and I'm sure we'll run into him again since he lives by a member. Later, we street taught and met a bunch of veterans from World War II coming out of a concert for "wise" people (that's the polite way to say elderly people in Russian). They were great. I love the babushkas and dedushkas here. They're adorable and usually very kind.

In the end we made it back to our trainers in one piece. AND we had zone conference. Which was just exactly what I needed. 

President Miner and Sister Miner are some of my very favorite people. I'm so lucky to have them as my mission presidents. I really feel like they're my extra set of family away from home. They're loving and kind and just full of wisdom. 

I haven't watched general conference yet; we'll watch conference next week with our ward when they upload the sessions in Russian.

Hope you all have a wonderful week! And I hope you all had a chance to watch conference! I'm sure it was absolutely amazing. I know I'm looking forward to it immensely. :)

Love,

Sister Jarvis
Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission
Per. Semashka 117B
Rostov 344018
Russia


The sisters in our zone watching women's conference

Our Zone!  Names! (From back row left) Elder Foote, Elder Fisher, Elder Randall, Elder Barnes, Elder Cox, and Elder Barlocker
(Middle Row left) Elder Simenyook (He's Russian), Elder Berger, Elder Wilcox, Elder Henrie, Elder Waterson, Elder Corbridge
(Front Row Left) Sister Montierth, Sister Marquis, ME, Sister Misuraca, Sister Miner, President Miner.

Sister Montierth and I on splits

Pretty field in Red Army

This is how Russians pose for pictures.  I thought I'd try it.

Sister Montierth and I

The various assortment of pans and bowls we used for water.