From Russia With Love...

a.k.a. Letters from Sis. Lynes in Russia

Letter #52: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #52
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 20:15:44 +0500
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Hello from melting Siberia!! Spring has seemed to come, with the snow and ice melting everywhere. I'm really hoping the snow and ice are over. It is so wet and muddy now. They put dirt on the snow for traction, and then when the snow starts melting, it is really muddy. It was melting in Yekat too. We went to Yekat on Wednesday, leaving here before 3 am! We got there about 10 am, and the conference started at 11. It was good to see the other missionaries I used to see all the time at Rosy. I talked to Sis. Hall and asked her if she had heard anything from Sis. Snyder. Remember she was the one who went home and found out she had pancreatic cancer. Sis. Hall said, "She's gone." She died in February. After the conference, I was sitting talking to someone when Elder Ady came looking for me. Serguei had come in, and he knew I would want to see him! He is looking good. His paralysis looks to be gone. He was happy to see me too. He told me that he is receiving the Melchizedek priesthood on Sunday. His wife isn't interested in the church yet. He says that she is now about where he was 6 or 7 years ago. He said that he can't force her, and he's right! He still thinks the gospel is the greatest gift he has ever received! We talked until the others were ready to go, and then he carried my bag downstairs and helped me into the van. (It's a BIG step up!) I told him that knowing him was worth the trip to Russia, and it is. His little boy is 17 months old now. He said he is a big boy, but he isn't talking yet. I told him not to worry; children usually walk at one and talk at two. I also told him not to anticipate his needs, but make him have to talk for what he wants. As long as he can get what he wants by pointing, he will never talk. We had a couple of errands to do before we could leave Yekat, so it was about 8:30 by the time we were back on the road. We got back here to our apartment about 2:30 am. We had two drivers this time, the one we had last time and a friend of his. He didn't have any trouble staying awake this time! We made better time coming back. We only had to stop once for fuel, and they didn't make us get out this time. Going up, we had to stop twice, and we had to get out both times while they refueled. I think the driver was as anxious to get home as we were, and he knew that by the time he got everyone awake, and they put their shoes and coats back on and got out, and then reloaded, it would take a lot of time. It was a much shorter time with all of us just staying put! I didn't have p-day this week. It is usually Wednesday, and that was taken up with the trip to Yekat. The other missionaries used Thursday for p-day. They were surprised that I held classes as usual, but I can't just cancel them anytime I want to. They can plan their schedules around anything that comes up, but my schedule is "published", (printed on cards that have been handed out to who knows who) and I have new people every day. I don't want someone to come and there not be a class because I want to do something else. This is my work and I don't like canceling unnecessarily. I woke up at 7:30 Thursday morning anyway. I got a nap between classes, and made it through all right. Classes have been good all week, with new people every day. I didn't have quite as many in attendance this week (we did have to cancel the Wednesday night class). Last week there were 92, and this week there were 85! I can't get over it! These wonderful people just keep coming! I don't know what has happened to time anymore. I can't seem to find time to write like I would like to, and I even have trouble finding enough time to read my scriptures like I was doing. I don't think I'm doing anything unusual or different, but the time just doesn't seem to be there! It seems like the day goes by so fast. I don't know where the time is going, but I'm not accomplishing as much as I want to! And I don't sleep late, either! The two young men I gave BOMs to last week had first discussions this week. Alexey had a discussion on Monday, and will have the second one this week. Stephen had his first discussion on Friday morning. The elders asked him what he knew about Joseph Smith, and he could tell them the whole story! I had given him a Joseph Smith pamphlet along with the BOM. He had already started reading the Book of Mormon, and was about half way through Mosiah! He said he knows the Book of Mormon is true, because nobody could write that! When he left class this morning he said, "I'll see you tomorrow. I'm coming to church." These two young men are very special! And so nice! They will make good members of the church and will be a strength to our little branch. And what the gospel will do for them will be wonderful to see! I love this work!!!! It is a great thing to see the change that occurs in a person's face when they accept the gospel. They really do show it in their faces! I found out last Sunday that one of my teachers from the SMTC is planning to come here in May! I didn't know it, but he served in Kurgan, and was the branch president too. You may remember my mentioning Brat Berry last year. He will be disappointed that I don't speak Russian, but oh, well. From Aunt Sally: "In 1 Nephi 17:3, Nephi says if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them. Don't you just love the way Nephi keeps saying, "and thus we see"? Its just like he is speaking to us one on one. And I love the sermon he gave to his brothers when they were murmuring against him for building the boat. (1 Nephi 17:23-47) And the rest of that chapter is so powerful!" And this from Geny Morrison: "I love Moroni 7 verses 41-48. That is long so I won't not copy on your screen....probably easier to read right from your BOM...but verse eight tells us if we do the eight verses, we shall be like him. This time when I read it I was more than struck, but am able to understand what we are saying. It is like you and I have identical blue dresses. When I wear my blue dress, I am like you, and vice versa.. Yet we are not the same. So my "Savior on Mt Zion" role is very different from His. No where in those 8 verses am I called upon to give the Atonement He has...but in serving others and doing for others in the Temple, I can be "like a Savior on Mt Zion." The blue dress example just never occurred to me before." I'm glad to hear that some of you are reading! Sis. Heslington just told me that she finished the Book of Mormon today, for the 12th time. (Lifetime total, not mission total!) There is so much there that you never learn it all. Every time you read it you understand something more than you did the last time you read it! It is a wonderful book that was written all those hundreds of years ago, just for our time. It wasn't written for the Nephites, but for us. They knew it would be preserved and brought forth at this time to help us come to the knowledge of Christ and His gospel. Moroni writes in Mormon 8:35 that "Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing." I suggest you read all of chapter 8. He is really speaking right to us! And he tells us that we walk in the pride of our hearts. Don't let that be you! Beware of pride. When you are reading, notice how many times pride is mentioned! Let me know how your reading is going, and I still want to know what promises you find! Please forgive me if I don't answer your emails right away. I really don't know where the time is going, and I'm trying to get a handle on it. It seems that the days go by so fast, and then it's time to go to bed again, and I still have so many things that I want to accomplish! I love hearing from everyone, and am so grateful to receive email. You really have no idea how important it is to me, even just small, quick, little notes. I'll try to get myself straightened out so that I have time to write back, but I don't know where to start!!! I really am enjoying being here and being with the people every day. I can already see how hard it is going to be to have to say good-bye to everyone, knowing that I probably won't ever see them again in this life. I'm hoping that Pres. Hall will leave Sis. Borlena and me right here till we have finished our missions. He doesn't usually move the senior sisters around a lot. Of course, he goes home at the end of June, and then it will be someone else's call. I hope he (the new president) doesn't get around to doing anything about us! I love you all and appreciate you all. Please keep me in your prayers. We are trying very hard to find the people the Lord has prepared to hear the gospel here. We know there are people who have been prepared, or we wouldn't be here! Remember to be obedient in even the smallest things. Obedience is the first law of Heaven. Even the dust obeys the Lord! How important to Heavenly Father you are! And to me! I love you all so very much. Till next week!

Love, Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Shirley, Sis. Lynes, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, acquaintance, email pal, babushka trying to learn obedience! (choose one!)