Sunrise, Sunset

Dear friends and family,

What a strange week we had. Red Army is just full of adventures waiting to be had. 

We had a lesson with one of our investigators, Anya, this week. She is a fireball. We think she was formerly a Jehovah's Witness, but she won't tell us, but she has the most amazing questions because of it. I'm so excited for her. I love teaching her because she just wants to know things so badly, and I think she's finally getting answers to questions she's had for her whole life. 

Teaching in Russian is so fun. It's hard, but I love it. And, luckily, I have a companion who really understands Russian and that I can rely on. It's always a wonderful thing when you're with a companion like Sister Misuraca. 

The past few months of my life have been the hardest I have ever had to go through, but they've also been the most wonderful and miraculous. 

Service is hard because there's always that voice in the back of your head saying, "Where's MY time, why aren't they serving ME?" But, the thing is, that little voice won't ever open the windows of heaven. That little voice cannot change you, cannot allow you to become better. That little voice will never make you into anything other than what you already are. It cannot help you grow.  Growth comes from discomfort and struggle, yet smiling all the while. And it's easier to do when you ask the One Who Created All to help you out. 

Well, that's all from this corner of the world this week. 

Love you all lots,

Sister Jarvis

One of the views outside our apartment (10th floor perks!)

Sister Misuraca and I

Sister Misuraca with our rent money

Marmaev Koorgan (Russian Statue of Liberty)

Funny poster

An old picture: Sister Marquis eating food from a member, which is actually against the rules.  But we couldn't really do anything.  She had already made it when we arrived.

Here, There, Everywhere

The first week of a new transfer (the time unit that missionaries stay in an area or with a certain companion) is always the craziest I feel like. I've only been through 2, but I feel like they were the craziest weeks I've had.

So, like I said last week, I've been assigned to a new area called Red Army. I'm still in Volgograd, but Red Army is kind of like a suburb of the main city. My companion, Sister Mizuraka, and I are the only missionaries here. It's kind of cool.

We had to go to Rostov-na-Donu earlier this week. Sister Mizuraka had to go on a visa trip to Armenia, so I had to drop her off and spend a day with the sisters in Rostov. We also got to take a train! It was awesome. Although, I have to say that I like car rides better...

The branch here in Red Army is so great. They have so few members that I feel like I'm a part of a new family. There were about ten people total at church on Sunday, but it was okay because we all ate a delicious watermelon afterwards. 

I love the people in the ward here. All of them have such quirky personalities; I feel like I'm in a play. And, they're all so happy to be here and so loving towards each other, even though, life isn't easy for any of them. Many of them have family members who no longer talk to them because of their membership in the church or medical problems that make it hard for them to attend church. It amazes me that they still come. That their faith in Christ and His church is undaunted even with the challenges they all face.

It made me think about the promise that Christ gives in Matthew 11:28-30. He says "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". 

If there is one thing I know, it's that Christ fulfills His promises. If you read the whole verse (which I, of course, will invite you to do), Christ does not say that He will take away our heavy burdens, He says that He will put His yoke upon us, meaning that He'll share the burden with us. He loves us so much that He lets us fall so that we can learn to pick ourselves us, but He's always there to make sure we're not going to fall so hard, we can't get back up. But, we have to take His hand because He won't save us against our will; that's contrary to who He is.

So, I invite you to take Christ up on His offer! Pray to Him! You can't know if He's there to help you if you don't ask for His help. So ask! I promise that if you do so sincerely, an answer will be given, and you'll be able to decide for yourself if He's really there.

Love you all!

Sister Jarvis

My old companion, Sister Marquis, and I

The Winds of Change Are Blowin'

Hello all!

Things have been busy here in Volgograd. 

This week was Volgograd's birthday (426 years old and not looking a day past 70) (Because 70 years ago, they entirely rebuilt the city after it was destroyed in WWII). There were a lot of police on the streets that day and Sister Marquis decided they needed the gospel, too, so we talked to a couple police women, who were very nice, but not interested. She's such a maledetz (good-jobber in Russian).

We got transfer calls this week, and I'm being transferred out of Volgograd early and will be serving in Red Army starting this week. 

Red Army is about an hour and a half away from Volgograd, no elders serve there, so it'll just be me and my new companion, Sister Mizuraka. They have a small branch with about 15 members who regularly attend, so we will have a lot to do out there.

It's amazing how much I've grown to love the people here in Volgograd in just a few short weeks. It's even more amazing considering we can barely understand one another. I love Volgograd, but most of all, I love the people here, and I know that love comes from God. I've learned so much about how the Atonement works and how the Savior loves us, as well as an amazing amount of Russian in just 6 weeks, and I know that it's not my doing. 

Scriptural thought! I've been thinking a lot about missionary work and why we do it and I came across this verse in Alma 26:37 "we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever."

I know that God loves us all and that he's sending people to us to help us everyday because He loves us. So look out for it in your lives because I know He's there if you seek Him.

Love,

Sister Jarvis

Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission
per. Semashko, 117 V
Rostov-na-Donu
Rostov Oblast 344018
Russia

This hair salon man looks like Jason Bourne

Sister Marquis and Me

Preaching the Gospel

This is the only building remaining in Volgograd after WWII

My District

A Haircut

I got a haircut from a Russian.  Probably not the best idea I've ever had...I look like I'm from the 70s, but oh well.  It will grow.  Here we are enjoying our haircuts at an Italian restaurant.

Hearing Voices Is Never Good

What a racksackin' wonderful week!

Sister Marquis is the Sister Training leader for our zone, so we headed up to Rostov-na-Donu for leadership training ealier this week. We were there for half a day, so not long, but I got to do some work with the sisters in Rostov Center.

While Sister Marquis was in her meeting, we, the Rostov Center sisters and I, were out by the beautiful River Don. We ran into this adorable woman and her adorable daughter. As soon as she figured out we were Americans that speak English, she whipped out her video camera. She kept telling us to say this phrase, and we weren't really sure if she was trying to speak English or Russian, but it turns out that what she kept wanting us to say was "Even in the Wizarding World, hearing voices isd never a good sign."

Looks like I found me a fellow Harry Potter fan.

Later, we returned to beautiful Volgograd and attended a baptism! WITH OUR INVESTIGATOR! It was way cool. She has accepted a baptism date! Unfortunately, we figured out she doesn't actually live in our area, so she's no longer our investigator. But, there is a ward where she lives, so never fear! She still has missionaries and is still getting baptized!

The longer I'm here, the more I love the people I meet with. And the more I love the people, the more it becomes apparent to me that there is so much sadness and sorrow in the world. More than I could ever imagine. There are wounds that I cannot heal and scars I cannot fathom. But, the great message of the Gospel is that Christ can. Everyone has open wounds that feel as if they will never heal, but I know that if we apply the Atonement and turn to Our Savior, they can heal instead of fester.

I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that He loves each and everyone of you, and I also know that if you pray and if you read His words, you can know that, too. 

I love you all and I hope you have a racksackin' wonderful week, too!

Love,

Sister Jarvis

Sister Fowers (another missionary in Rostov) and Sister Marquis

Sister Fowers

The bus to Rostov

Sister Marquis and I

A weird picture we found in the elevator

Tales of Russian Existence

Превет!

A Funny story to start off!

One of our zone leaders (the two elders that, along with the sister training leader, run our zone) was really sick this week, and they asked us to bring them Powerade and Coca-Cola, but we couldn't find any Powerade, so we gave them some like hydration powder stuff and lemonade packets.

Later they texted us again to tell us where we could find Powerade and to bring it because poor Elder Berger was in serious need. They expected us to come in the morning because it was about 10PM when they asked and we planned to do that, but we texted them that we'd be there in 20 minutes. Literally 2 minutes later we get this text from them that says "Ni! X come!" and another "X stop!" And then they called us desperate that we not come so late at night. We were going to try to pretend that we were already on the street and speak in Russian, but I was laughing too hard. Poor Elders. We got them way good.

This week one of the people we're teaching, Olya, decided to be baptized! She is an amazing person. She's 29 and she loves traveling, so she does a lot of it (including a month trip to Sri Lanka earlier this year). I'm so grateful that I got to meet her. Her kindness is beyond description because it's in everything she does, and I can just see how her relationship with God has enhanced that in her in just the few weeks that I've known her.

I love teaching people the Gospel because I can see how it changes people's lives. The more people listen and apply the principles we teach, the happier they are. And I know that that happiness comes from knowing who they are as children of God and how they can achieve greater joy in their life than they ever thought they could. 

I think that many times people misunderstand our purpose as missionaries. We invite people to learn of Christ, we teach His Gospel and His words to those who want to hear them, and we help people learn how to make and how to keep covenants or promises with God. Missionaries can't convert people. It's not within our power, nor should it be, because the decision to be converted or to want to follow God's commandmants is personal, individual, and entirely dependent upon ourselves. It's a decision I make everyday.

I love my Savior and I love that I get to do His work everyday. It's not easy, but it's brought me more joy than anything else I've ever done in my life. I know He lives. I know He loves each and every one of you. He wants us to return to Him, and He is reaching out to each of us through a variety of ways (other people, the books we read, etc.), and we just need to look for Him to see it.

Я люблю вас!

Сестра Джарвис

Things That Just Don't Happen, Happen in Russia

This week was a chuda (miracle).

I love Volgograd! 

Sister Marquis was telling me earlier this week about how she only has done service twice on her mission...

We then did service twice this week.

The first time, we helped this babushka and her grandson clean out their apartment. It was fun. Elders Cox and Wilcox helped us. They're pretty great.

The second time, though, was an adventure. We visited an Armenian family to do a spiritual thought with them and practice teaching with them. But, they told us that they had all of this yard work to do in their backyard by tonight because their landlady said they would evict them if they did not complete it. So, we agreed to help them and called in Elders Cox and Wilcox for some extra man power. The mother of the family, Anaid, wouldn't let us work in our missionary clothes, so she lent us some of her nicest clothes to go out to do yard work in (I think she thought we couldn't wear pants; it's kind of unclear).

Imagine for me the following scene: Two sisters doing yard work in a pencil skirt and dress. I wish I had pictures of what we were wearing. The Elders arrived and were lent some shirts, but they too did the work in their dress slacks. 

And then we hacked down weeds like crazy. Until Anaid's husband got home from work. He actually ripped a tree out of the ground. It was pretty intense.

We were going to go after that, to see if we could schedule a lesson with a potential investigator we met the other night, but this family would not let us leave without eating dinner. We tried to explain to them that it's against the rules to eat at members' homes, but they yelled at us about how it's rude to reject food in Armenia. 

So, we had a dinner of pig intestines (not too shabby, but I wouldn't recommend it) and Armenian goodies. The father of the family kept telling me I needed to eat more and would put food on my plate. It was a lot of fun made better by the fact that I still don't really know a lot of Russian, so I had no idea most of the time what people were saying.

I love it here. There are so many kind people everywhere we go. I thank Heavenly Father everyday for allowing me to serve a mission. I'm not perfect, and I don't think He needs me to be, or anyone to be. He just needs us to try our hardest to love Him, ourselves, and each other. 

I have a verse that I'm going to try to share with someone this week, on the street or otherwise, because it gives me hope to do what I need to while I'm here.

Mosiah 4:9-10 

 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
 10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Jarvis

From two weeks ago...Waiting in the JFK airport for our flight to Russia


Sister Marquis and I preparing to take on the weeds

This tree says God with a heart!


This is our church building.

Note from Hillary (Sister Jarvis's Sister): Sister Jarvis did not write a caption for any of these photos...but enjoy them anyways!