Pump It Up!

Remember how last week I said that I didn't have much time because I had a train to catch?

Yeah we totally missed that train.

We got stuck in traffic and RAN to the train station only to have the Zone Leaders call us as we walked in to say that the train had already left. Whoops. 

We bought ourselves some pepsi and donuts and waited until the next bus left to Rostov.

(BTW we made a goal last week to eat healthier... we had to remake that goal for this week.)

In Rostov we had an amazing Volunteer Leadership Conference (VLC). Elder Martino of the Seventy, one of the members of the Eastern European Area Presidency, taught us all about how we can be effective even under current circumstances. It's been kind of confusing to figure out what exactly we do as Russian Volunteers, but Elder Martino has got all of our faith fires burning again. 

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I have heard a lot of you ask me about my humanitarian service mission. We are not humanitarian volunteers. We still do baptize. We still do teach people the gospel. We just don't proselyte like we used to. Our main goal is the same as it always was, that is to bring people to Christ. We do a little bit more service now, but it's not our main focus. We do service to give love as Christ would have done. 

With that mindset in our heads, Sister Lisitsina and I have seen so many miracles this past week. From seeing our investigator Ira that we lost contact with while serving an elderly member of the branch to being able to be at the baptism of two wonderful people that other volunteers in our district were able to teach. 

I made a goal to just make friends as we travel on transport. And, yesterday while talking to a man from Mozambique, I realized that Sister Kennard and I had months ago met him days before the law took action. (It's Manavey, if you remember him, Sister Kennard.. uh, I mean, Caitlin.) It's just been amazing to see that when we do the most we can do, God literally does the rest. God can do His own work, and He just gives us the blessing and opportunity to dabble in it.

In other news, Sister Lisitsina has been making me all kinds of strange Russian food I hadn't yet tried like....

​Meat in a can!

Haha! It was actually really good once she cooked it. But, I don't know if I'll ever buy it without her.

Well, I hope you all feel as pumped up as I do. Work, as Elder Martino taught us, should be FUN! So, go out there are make things happen!

Love,

Сестра Джарвис

​A picture of my lovely companion, hiding behind a fall leaf.