Dylan: So the World Cup was Cool…

This week was insane!!! Definitely one of the best weeks on my mission, and not just because we went and saw the World Cup! So shout out to President Miner, Mom, and Dad, for letting me go; seriously a chance of a life time! It was also a great finding activity too;)  That was a crazy experience.  I've never been to a world event and it was so cool to see people from all over the world come together to have a good time. It was the Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay game and we were sitting next to all of our Saudi brothers going absolutely insane! It was a lot of jolly banter, I wish I could put some of the vids on here but I'll put some of it on my google banter here 

Well besides the World Cup, it was a crazy week and I wish I had time to email more about it, but there are only 2 computers and 9 missionaries so I will be short today. But in short, It was a very hard week last week. Everything fell apart. We literally lost all of our investigators besides Yurie, and this week instead of feeling sorry for ourselves we went to work and God led us to many opportunities this week. I've never been so lead by the spirit before in my life.

We actually found a new investigator and some may say he is crazy just because He was in a mental hospital for a month and other reasons, but he is the coolest guy he came up to us and told us he wanted to change his life around, he is 36 and he want to quit smoking, become independent and find a wife and job. That first day he said he wanted to be baptized and we were like “what?” And we told him what he had to do and he said “well lets do the lessons right now”. So we taught him the restoration, but our lessons our very random because he gets distracted really easy because of his medication so all of a sudden he would need a smoke break or to play ping pong or read the BOM. He is so funny I could talk all day about him. He was practicing his Kung FU in front of the church before we got there, I'm just glad I have some one to back me up on the streets. So he might be crazy, but I also think he is such a sweetheart, I chuffing love the dude, he even progresses so well. He stopped smoking actual cigarettes that day from after 15 years, and he went to church. I love the smell of repentance. And he wants to meet with us like every day. I don't care what any one says, I believe in him.

So the one investigator we still had that the missionaries have been working for a year and a half and I've been working very hard with for a 6months was Yurie and I had my last lesson this week. And He was telling us his concerns, and after he has denied us so many times for a baptism date, I felt prompted to invite him and through the spirit I said the most powerful words I have ever said, and I knew that it was all the spirit, and we asked him to be baptized in 7 weeks time and we all fasted to know what he needs by then and how we will reach him there, and he said yes, he couldn't deny it this time, It was the sweetest experience he has so much faith and I love that man so much I felt honored after all those months to be entrusted with that experience.

We also had our 2nd baptism in our zone since I've been here, the other being the one we baptized my first transfer. And it was awesome there were so many people, I love how supportive the members are here and so many of the other missionaries’ investigators came, so that's awesome! There are so many other awesome stories I wish I had time to share, but this was my last week in Severny and I took some hilarious photos with everyone that I wish I could post. But I love that area and I am so glad that we were able to work hard my last week there and find some work and hope for those elders for next transfer. I'm so excited for this new transfer and for some change. I love you all.

-Elder VanBuskirk

Dang, Caleb has gotten huge! He better be at the olympics in LA! 

Hey mom I love you! Hey, I was thinking about the MRSA thing a lot this week, and I was wondering If you can type and send me like a mini documentary with the details of it, because I remember the pain and experience quite well, but not all the details, thanks, no rush, if you can't it' all good. I love you. But don't be sad about it. We learned a lot from it. I'm glad I had MRSA. I wouldn't want it any other way, especially because I lived ;) hahaha

Derek:Captain's Log Week 33: Búki

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." (1 Nephi 7: 12)

So, even though this happened a long time ago I forgot to say that I have a new nickname. It´s “Búki”. I don't care want anyone says, I like it and its a lot easier for people to say then VanBuskirk. 

So this week was pretty great. We spent some time eating this week. Let me explain. So on Tuesday I went to a place down the street and a bought some live chickens. And after they pooped all over our patio we brought them to a convert’s house. Then, there we slaughterd, cleaned, cooked and ate them. It was super good. Then on Thursday we bought 6 bucks worth of crabs, which is 18. Then we went to another convert’s house (the one we baptized this week) and we cooked up some crabs which was also super good.

Friday we also had a Zone Conference which was cool, but not much to talk about that. 

Then Saturday we had a baptism, and that was funny. So let me just say I love the people here but... So it was raining on Saturday and because it hardly rains here  and no one has umbrellas, they just use it as an excuse to not do anything. Literally, last time it rained no one went to church. So imagine this baptism. There were only 4 members there. Even after we spent the whole day in the rain, which wasn't even that heavy, trying to invite people. The girl we baptized literally tried changing it to another day beacause of the rain and, her parents didn't go either. Guess why? Because of the rain. But our mission president was there so that was super cool. 

That next day we had church and it was raining so, the girl that got baptized was late and didn't get the holy ghost. Oops. I guess we'll try again next week. 

 We also have 2 baptisms this weekend too. Super excited. 

Derek:Captain's Log Week 32: Entrevistas y Basketball

This week was super fun. So last Monday the guys in my house put some money together and we got a basketball. And every day since we have been waking up at 5:30 and have been balling up every morning. It’s been super fun.

So we will have a baptism this week. Her name is Angélica and she is insane. This girl is 20 years old super, has a 4 year old son, is very smart but at the same time completely crazy. But I haven’t seen the gospel change anyone’s life like it has hers. She has been working at this banca, which is a tiny lottery place, and was only able to go to church every other Sunday. But as we went to go have a leccion on the sabbath day to talk about that we pull up to her place and she told us that she is now going to pay a lady to work her shifts on Sundays so she can go to church. That takes a lot of faith, because right now she lives in a tiny metal shack with no husband or another way to support her kid. She had a special problem in the past that required her to be interviewed by our mission president. She was super scared at first, but when she got out they where like best friends. He told her all of the transfer info and explained what his job was and then said that he will be at her baptism and every time he is in Azua that he will visit her. All of that is super cool. But the whole time I was sitting outside nervous, wondering why she was in there for more than an hour.

 We also had our interviews this week which was good . The president and I just spent a lot of time talking about training so probably this next transfer or the one after that.  That’s pretty much it.

Dylan: Happy Birthday Mom!

Hello Amigos, 

Happy Birthday Mom!!! I love you so much and being on the mission has made appreciate you even more. I wouldn't be here without you. I can go on and on, but I don't want to get the other missionaries all jealous. I love you and I hope you have a great day!

So this week we have officially gone from four promising baptism dates at a all time high at the beginning of the transfer to no bap dates and no investigators besides Yurie and his wife (God bless you Yurie). It was pretty hard to accept at first because I've been in this area my whole mission with 4 different companions working our hardest building it up, and we've gone in 1 transfer from leading the mission with lessons and baptism dates to being last in the mission with lessons and everything else. So it was a hard week in terms of missionary work; we only had 2 lessons. No one wants to meet with us anymore. And it makes me sad to see a lot of the hard work that we have put in these 6 months didn't get to where we thought or wanted it to. But that is ok, because it's not about us. That is a great lesson that I have learned again and again here on my mission. Well there is not much we can do other than to get back to work. So this is most likely my last week in Severny so I got my companion all excited so we can go our hardest this week and find as many new potentials that they can work with for next transfer. 

After church we had a long talk with Yurie and he was saying his concerns for his family and if he joins the church, and it made this week so sweet because he said that he trusted that God will lead him every step of the way, and how he felt guided by the spirit to tell us all of his concerns. I am amazed by how much this man has changed since I've been on my mission, he has changed from a very difficult person to teach who was depressed and had problems at home to one of the most faithful men in our branch and he isn't even a member. It's when I teach people like him that I know without a doubt that this gospel is true and that it really can change lives and soften hearts. I know that it is all in the God's timing with him and that he knows what's best for his family. 

I also went on splits this week and went to this little town 2 hours out of Rostov and visited a branch of 8 members. There aren't any missionaries there because we don't have enough missionaries. Someone stole the church sign off the branch so it was hard to find because it was only a small room. But it's not that big of a surprise someone stole the sign from Taganrod too and there branch is having a lot of illegal problems right now, so hopefully the members will be able to still meet there. But I met a wonderful member there; they have it so hard here, and they feel all alone. There faith amazes me. 

Oh also our marshrootka driver got out of the bus in the middle of the street and started choking some guy because he cut him off and 4 guys just started fighting in the middle of a busy street. And everyone was just waiting on the bus for them to finish. So we just walked off and carried on with our day. 

Pictures:

180 year old temple

Novacherkask

3rd biggest temple in Russia on splits with the legend Elder Williams

Elder VanBuskirk

Dylan: Russia

Family and Friends, 

We tried to go hard this week but somehow we had like the lowest amount of lessons since I've been in Severny, but we did a ton of service. We put tile up on a shower at an in-active’s apartment. It was great because they would never pick up our calls and for the almost 6 months I've been here. I hadn't even met them yet. So we talked with them and they said for sure that they would be at church, but they never came. We also got a hold of the miracle family that disappeared and ignored us for almost 2 transfers that were so close to baptism, and they assured us that she and her children would come to church, but also didn't show up. Also Olya, the only one who was actually seriously progressing and had her baptism date last Saturday was moving back to Moscow and failed to tell us, so she didn't get baptized but we set her up with the sisters in Moscow. Also the other promising babooshka we've been teaching didn't come to church because she thought that she already had enough church since we taught her on Saturday, hahaha. So now none of our baptisms are going to work out this transfer, unless a miracle happens. But that's ok.

President is going to move me next transfer since I've been here for 6 months, but he is only moving me to a different part of the city, because he wants me to go to an elder who has been stuck as an office elder because we had no senior couples so he was in charge of all the financial business in the whole mission (which, in Russia, with all the restrictions and passport stuff we have to do, is quite a stressful job.) But we are getting an office couple next transfer, so he wants me to go and get him energized for the rest of his mission. Next transfer will be a challenge, but we are ready to go hard.

Oh, so yesterday we actually got a hold of 2 potentials I met my 2nd transfer here and we thought we were teaching them a lesson but they thought we were playing ping pong, so we played, and another one of their friends came, we some how got them in the room and we gave them each a BOM so that was awesome! It's only been like 4 months!

It's been a hard week, but hard is good. I've been learning lots of important lessons here, mostly the hard way. But I'm grateful for the struggles.

Elder VanBuskirk

Birthday was great, and no, no birthday package. Not yet! But it's all good. No rush. I got a year and a half ;)

That social media fast is great hahah!

hahahhaha oh Caleb. That's straight from the prophet!

And send me the video of Caleb and his Wisdom Teeth! Love You!

Hey would you be against if I bought tickets for the world cup?? It would be Saudia Arabia vs. Uraguay and it is the cheapest we could get from 100-200 dollars, but it would be a once in a life time oppurtunity!!