This week was really good I'd say. We had a couple weird experiences, but overall I think it was great! We met with 2 less actives this week and they're really pretty awesome. Just need to help them remember how important it is to come to church.
We had a lesson on the street too! We were contacting by some doms, on the way to stop by and see if a less active was home and there was a guy sitting on a bench so I asked him how he was doing as we walked by and he was super cool. He started talking to us and eventually offered to us to sit down next to him. We did and talked for a while. Talked about his past and about his religious beliefs. He accepted the Book of Mormon and said he'd read it. It was really awesome - he was so cool. The best part is I don't think that we would have run into him at all except for we went a totally different direction that night when we left the appartment to drop by the less active's house. Such a blessing.
The rest of the night was kinda weird though. As we were teaching this guy, so other guys came out of the dom and harrassed us for a minute then left. After we finished with the lesson we kept heading down to the appartment we wanted and this really old babyshka was carrying some trash so I asked if she needed help. She said no, but then started telling us all these stories and was so nice. I'm pretty sure she was speaking Ukrainian because I only understood about every 7th word. A different group 20-30yr old guys came us and started yelling at us to get away from the babyshka and telling her that we were going to steal her appartment and everything. They were really angry with us. We told them we were leaving and they walked a fer metres away then some other guy came out and basically told us the same thing, asking what we wanted with his neighbor (the babyshka) and told us to get away, but that he was in a hurry and left. Then some other guy came up behind us and said the exact same things as these other guys. The poor babyshka was so confused. I was really nervous. They all came one right after another from different directions before we could even leave. Then the first group of guys came back, this time really angry and bascially chased us away. We started walking away and one of them followed us and kept telling us to leave, I told him we were leaving, but he was following us. Then he said if he ever saw us over there again he would smash the bottle he was holding over my head. Needless to say, we got far away from that area. Other really weird things happened that night too. Probably the weirdest night of my mission so far. I was really nervous about still talking to people after that, cause we get all sorts of rude comments and stuff all the time even when we just say hi sometimes. Even last night again I was still a little hesitant, but I know that the Lord was watching us because I'm not kidding (I've been paying really close attention for the past few months) everytime someone says something or does something to us to get us down, we always right after that meet someone that is so nice and just loves the missionaries. In this case after that instance, it was this guy named Igor who is a knife/cage fighter, but absolutely loved the missionaries. He saw us as he was getting into his car, but then came over to talk to us. I saw that again a few times that night. I am so grateful for that and those kinds of experiences because they really strengthen my testimony more than anything. I can't even tell you how many times I've felt that. Really so amazing. And these past 3 weeks in Sestroretsk we've gotten more harassment or threats or rude comments than I did the whole time in Gatchina. Kinda reminds me of this kid I talked to when I was still there who told us that we should probably by a knife or something if we were going to walk around in white shirts and ties in case we get attacked. When saw him the next time he asked if I had bought one yet, but I told him I was moving to Sestroretsk and then his response was "oh, better buy a machine gun then" hahha. That was comforting.
We had a lesson on the street too! We were contacting by some doms, on the way to stop by and see if a less active was home and there was a guy sitting on a bench so I asked him how he was doing as we walked by and he was super cool. He started talking to us and eventually offered to us to sit down next to him. We did and talked for a while. Talked about his past and about his religious beliefs. He accepted the Book of Mormon and said he'd read it. It was really awesome - he was so cool. The best part is I don't think that we would have run into him at all except for we went a totally different direction that night when we left the appartment to drop by the less active's house. Such a blessing.
The rest of the night was kinda weird though. As we were teaching this guy, so other guys came out of the dom and harrassed us for a minute then left. After we finished with the lesson we kept heading down to the appartment we wanted and this really old babyshka was carrying some trash so I asked if she needed help. She said no, but then started telling us all these stories and was so nice. I'm pretty sure she was speaking Ukrainian because I only understood about every 7th word. A different group 20-30yr old guys came us and started yelling at us to get away from the babyshka and telling her that we were going to steal her appartment and everything. They were really angry with us. We told them we were leaving and they walked a fer metres away then some other guy came out and basically told us the same thing, asking what we wanted with his neighbor (the babyshka) and told us to get away, but that he was in a hurry and left. Then some other guy came up behind us and said the exact same things as these other guys. The poor babyshka was so confused. I was really nervous. They all came one right after another from different directions before we could even leave. Then the first group of guys came back, this time really angry and bascially chased us away. We started walking away and one of them followed us and kept telling us to leave, I told him we were leaving, but he was following us. Then he said if he ever saw us over there again he would smash the bottle he was holding over my head. Needless to say, we got far away from that area. Other really weird things happened that night too. Probably the weirdest night of my mission so far. I was really nervous about still talking to people after that, cause we get all sorts of rude comments and stuff all the time even when we just say hi sometimes. Even last night again I was still a little hesitant, but I know that the Lord was watching us because I'm not kidding (I've been paying really close attention for the past few months) everytime someone says something or does something to us to get us down, we always right after that meet someone that is so nice and just loves the missionaries. In this case after that instance, it was this guy named Igor who is a knife/cage fighter, but absolutely loved the missionaries. He saw us as he was getting into his car, but then came over to talk to us. I saw that again a few times that night. I am so grateful for that and those kinds of experiences because they really strengthen my testimony more than anything. I can't even tell you how many times I've felt that. Really so amazing. And these past 3 weeks in Sestroretsk we've gotten more harassment or threats or rude comments than I did the whole time in Gatchina. Kinda reminds me of this kid I talked to when I was still there who told us that we should probably by a knife or something if we were going to walk around in white shirts and ties in case we get attacked. When saw him the next time he asked if I had bought one yet, but I told him I was moving to Sestroretsk and then his response was "oh, better buy a machine gun then" hahha. That was comforting.
Also, really hilarious story from this week. Some kid was walking down this path and I caught up to him and asked if he spoke English, then asked if he wanted to cause we have a free English group. He was kinda only half interested, but then went on to ask what we were doing and why we were wearing white shirts and ties. He said we had better wear something else because there are a couple of "sektantee"(I don't actually know what that translates to in English- can't think of the word- but it basically means people that belong to a sekt) that walk around in white shirts and ties and carry books and we need to stay really far away from them. He told us that people probably won't treat us very well if we keep wearing this cause they'll think that we're the sektantee trying to talk to him. I was trying so hard not to laugh because lets be real for a second, we are totally the people he was referring to even though we are NOT a sekt. I don't understand why people can't get that. But I assured this guy that we were totally not the sektantee and that we were here as volunteers of our CHURCH and all we wanted was to invite him to our english group (where he will then hopefully want to learn about the Gospel). Haha that made laugh so hard.
Then I literally had probably one of the best birthdays ever! It was so great!!
We talked with the coolest people that day, people were so nice! And we met with a super awesome less active. He's 15 and his mom was excommunicated (not sure why) but he is still totally believing and stuff. Really nice kid. He is one of the best boxers in the St. Petersburg region and he bought us ice cream. So awesome. Then our sisters made me brownies and at about 9:45 that night I got a call from President and Sister Clark and they sang me happy birthday (in russian) and I talked with them from a few minutes. Oh I was basically the best day ever. I loved it. Mission birthdays are the best ever!
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| Celebrating the 20 birthday! |
So many miracles this week. Oh! and I met my first Russian Jew! He talked to us forever telling us so many stories from his family and history of St. Petersburg. There are so many good people here! So many wonderful members of the church who just don't even know it yet!! I love being a missionary! You never know what to expect. I have learned to much and I love love love this gospel so much!! It is the most amazing thing and no matter how happy you think you already are, you have no idea how much more the gospel can bring! I love it! I love you all!!
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
Старейшина Робисон
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