The missionaries share stories each week, and they are so inspiring that I wanted to add them here from time to time.
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We found Аня on a marshutka. She was sitting next to me as I started talking to an extremely cheerful babushka across from me. When I started testifying about the Book of Mormon, the babushka started suddenly talking very loudly. As she went on about America, Sister Braithwaite tried to calm things down by saying something like, "Yes, Jesus loves all of us!" Amidst the chaos, Аня had moved to sit across from me so she could see me- She was listening! As we left, we gave the babushka, Аня and Аня's friend an invitation to church.
An hour later Аня called us wanting to meet. She brought her cousin Настя to the first lesson. Sister Braithwaite committed Настя to baptism –Аня wanted to be baptized too, but she needed to talk to her parents. The next week she came to 4 hours of General Conference, and a few days later we got a text from her in broken English, "I know your Церковь is true. She helps me." A week later, Sister Dudley committed Аня to baptism.
Аня devoured everything we've given her. She's reading through the Book of Mormon faster than we are, and when she has questions, she answers them herself by reading from the Gospel Doctrine manual that one of our members gave her. She wants to go on the train with us to Vlad one day so she can help us contact people, and she was happy to know that she can pay tithing on her allowance. We were finally able to meet with her mother, Оксана. She asked us if it was allowed for, Аня to be baptized a second time. We taught about the priesthood and the Restoration. We testified how important this gospel is for families and how we would like to teach her and the rest of the family as well. She said that Аня's grandmother is against it and that her husband never talks religion, but she said she is not against Аня getting baptized if that is what Аня wants. She also said she would like to come to church when she starts her new job and will have Sundays off. She couldn't make it to the baptism bus she suggested that Аня's brother Максим come and see if he will eventually want to be baptized as well.
We also learned that we truly have authority and people recognize it. People trust us because we have the name of Christ on our chest. When Аня's mom asked if Аня could be baptized, she wasn't trying to argue, it was truly a question of trust. People feel the Spirit, they know who we are, and we just need to remember that too. We are representatives of Christ and we are sent here to do His work and He will be at our side.
Sister Lynda M. Nelson
Russia Vladivostok Mission
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