From Russia With Love...

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

Letter #53: From the Mission Field in Russia

Subject: #53
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 21:36:38 +0500
From: Shirley Lynes <gma@jacklynes.com>
To: jlynes@jacklynes.com

Greetings from Frozen Siberia! After saying it was melting last week, we had snow Sunday night, Monday night and all day Thursday! Temperatures are back very cold, and have been cold all day. There is no melting going on today, I'm sorry to say! There is not as much snow and ice as there has been, but there is still plenty on the ground. I don't think I'll have any trouble getting to church in the morning. There was a baptism this afternoon, a 16 year old young man and our little Sasha, the ten year old little blind boy I've told you about before. He is such a sweet boy. He doesn't go to school but has a tutor provided by the state, so he hasn't learned to be mean! There is a baptism planned for next Saturday, too. Stephen, the young man from my class is being baptized then, and maybe someone else, we don't know yet for sure. Stephen's English teacher at the University came to class on Thursday. I asked what they would like to talk about, and he said he wanted to know more about our church! I asked him if he had a Book of Mormon, and he said no. I asked him if he would like to have one, and he said yes, if that would be possible. Oh, that's possible, all right! His grandmother in St. Petersburg had sent him a Liahona magazine, like the Ensign, and wrote him about how helpful the "Mormons" had been helping her find a happy life. So he wants to know more. At the advanced class that I just finished, a girl who has been coming for a while, told me that she wants to know more about the church. I gave her a BOM and introduced her to Elder Soderberg. So the work keeps moving on. I'm grateful to have a small part in helping these wonderful people come unto Christ. I know there are people here in Kurgan who have been prepared to hear the gospel, or we wouldn't be here. This is truly the work of the Lord! Classes are still going well. It has seemed a little slow, but I just added up how many have been in attendance this week, and was surprised to total 99! I added it up three times! It just hasn't felt that busy. There have been new people nearly every day, too. Russia goes to Daylight Savings Time tonight, a week before the U.S. does. I was just getting used to having the sunlight stream into my window in the morning, and now it will be back to being up before the sun! And they won't be celebrating Easter till 7 April this year. No one has explained to me why it is so late. In one of my advanced classes this week there was a lady who works at a vocational school, and after class, she asked me if I were a professional teacher. I told her no, I'm a professional mother! She said I sound like a teacher or a lecturer! How's that for a high school graduate!!! The Lord sure can work miracles! Conference is coming up again, which I will miss. But it looks like we may get to see the Nauvoo Temple dedication. We don't know yet where, but we should get it. We may have to go to Ufa, or Moscow, or the adjacent mission, Sumara. Of course, they will probably translate it into Russian, but the music will be English! I just would hate to miss this one! This will probably be the biggest event in the Church this year. Even if I can't understand the prophet, at least I can see him. We are working to get as many of the people here in the branch as possible to attend the dedication. We are planning a fireside for the adults next week to get them excited about it! They don't understand how important this is, and we intend to tell them! It will mean even more, in that you have to be worthy for a temple recommend to go. That means attendance, and tithing. Some of them just can't see that they have money enough to pay tithing. When you can't afford to pay it is exactly when you NEED to pay it! Guess who has been assigned to speak on tithing? Yep, dear old mom (or grandma)!. It will make such a difference in our little branch if they will commit to tithing and just showing up! I am always concerned about inactives (to be "politically correct" less active). People who have had the gospel taught to them are worse off if they don't live it than if they had never heard it. When you know something, you are responsible for living it. The church is so young here. Our branch president was baptized last September! He is a good man, and he is trying to do everything right. Elder Soderberg helps him. But that is just the kind of thing I mean. There are no "old" members. The church has only been legal in Russia for 10 years. Of course, that can work to your advantage. They don't, or shouldn't have, any pre-conceived notions......"Bro. So and So did it this way.....You can't do that, it won't work!" They really are such good people who just need to be led along the path till they have more experience and knowledge. If they can get a recommend to attend the dedication, it will also mean they are doing the things they need to do to live a good life. Elder Ady is being transferred to Perm next week. We sure will miss him. He is such a good missionary! One of the people baptized today was his investigator. He is so handy with fixing anything we need fixed, too. He is always so respectful to us and to the young sisters, too. There is an Elder Hart (Heart?) coming here from Perm. We have a really good group here. We had an interesting thing happen Tuesday afternoon. The cabinet in the kitchen above the counter fell! Or almost fell. It was hanging from one side. It sure looked funny all askance! We can't call our landlord/lady; they don't have a phone, and as Sis. Borlena would say, "they live far from." We got it taken down (I was afraid it would fall completely!) and now it is sitting on top of our refrigerator. It functions pretty well there! I wasn't home when it fell, but Sis. Borlena was. I know it must have scared her! There was a man who came into the branch apartment Thursday afternoon, and he didn't speak English, or Russian. Elder Soderberg told me later that he is from Peru, and works for the church in Moscow. They sent him here to find us a place to meet!!! He said he had looked at about 100 places! He also said he will be back next week. It's exciting that Moscow is aware of us out here in the hinter land! It will be such a great thing when they have their own place to meet, and they can have parties or meetings anytime they want to! It means the church is growing here! On Friday morning I only had one person for the beginning class, and she came in late and I was reading the BOM in Russian. She insisted that I keep reading and she would help me with the pronunciation, and then we would read a book she bought in Rome, in English. At first she said that we would spend half the time reading Russian, and the rest reading English. But she insisted that I keep reading when my time was up. She said it was interesting. I think the next time I'm waiting for a class to start, I'll be reading 3 Nephi, or something that will get their attention when they are helping me with my reading! I know it would help them so much with their lives if they would read it and "hearken" to what it says. This has taken me longer to write than usual. I've had some interruptions and now it is almost 9:30 pm. And with Daylight Savings Time starting tonight, I've already lost an hour of sleep! So I think I will skip the preaching tonight (you can all breathe a sigh of relief!) and just tell you that I love you all with all my heart! Please keep doing the things you know are right. Make Mom (Grandma) proud of you! Thanks to those who found time to write this week. Please forgive me if I'm slow to answer. I can't seem to find time enough to do all I want to do! Your email is so very important to me! Please don't wait for an answer before you write again! I do love you and pray for you all every day. Please return the favor!

Love,
Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Shirley, Sis. Lynes, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, acquaintance, email pal, babushka with a fallen cabinet! (choose one)