Although we're different, Deep inside we're not that different at all!

She is staying very busy, and that is great!  It is just hard to believe that she is so busy she doesn't have time to bake, what is that about?  Have a great week.

Hello! So last p-day Sister Zamorina lost her passport and if you know anything about Russia you know that without your passport you can't do much. And since she is being transfered to Volgagrad this week, that meant that we had to fix that problem fast. So needless to say we spent a few hours at various police stations this week trying to get everything straightened out, which they are now. We just have to go pick up some paper work from the police station today after 4 and then everything will be fine and she'll be ready to go on Wednesday. This week we have also spent time working on the coolest family home evening ever, well we hope it will be. It's a plan of salvation game, we're playing it tonight with our members and our investigators and that will be grand. Oh!  And some other very exciting news! This week is transfers and I found out who my new companions are going to be. Yes I said companions because I will now be serving in a 3 some. So Sister Kune, maybe that's how you spell it in English I'll ask her and let you know, and Sister Labaron. Sister Labaron is a new sister. I think she is from Utah, oh and sister Kune is from Utah too. Hahaha! Kind of funny. So that's new and exciting.

Also this week we had the coolest lesson with a new investigator named Aleck. It was sooooo amazing and the spirit was so strong. I could have just taught him and taught him because it was just so amazing. But hopefully we'll see some good come from that. He said he would come to our family home evening tonight and then we'll be able to set up an appointment with him for later this week. Well, I think that's about it. Yep, pretty sure. And just as an update I haven't had time to test out our oven yet, but I will let you know as soon as I do because I am sure that you are all dying to know!

Love,

Sister Leavitt

Green Pancakes

I actually remember to post her email this week!  I do have to confuse, that there were no GREEN pancakes in our house this year, we just don't have anyone home to enjoy them.  Enjoy this week's email.  :)

Hello! I was sitting on the couch doing some planning on Thursday and I realized it was St. Patricks day and I wasn't even wearing green! Good thing nobody else knew it was St. Patricks day. Anyways, hence the title of this email in honor of our family tradition to make green pancakes every St. Patricks day. So yesterday we taught Karina and Nadejda about the word of wisdom. I was kind of nervous about it because I know that they like to drink black tea and I didn't know what they would think about it. But we taught it, and at the end of the lesson I asked if they would keep the word of wisdom. At first Karina said that there was no way her mom could do it becuase she loves black tea so much and there was no way she could live without it. And then Nadia said that she could. That she would try drink different kind of tea and that she thought she could do it. And in the end they both committed to live the word of wisdom. I don't know if you remember, but Nadia is they one who is paralized and Kaina takes care of her. So we told them that while we are out shopping today we would look for some good tea for them to try. Anyways, that was that and it made we so happy like this :) times maybe a hundred. I wish with all of my heart that Nadia could be baptized to. I wish and pray everyday that a miracle will happen and somehow, someday she will be able to be baptized and will be able to go to the temple. That would be the happiest, happiest day ever!

Anyways, so this week was busy as ever! We have been working more and more with our active members here in Tagonrog to help spread the love and strenghten our members and that makes us extra busy. We are planning a branch activity for next week, it should be pretty fun. We are playing a plan of salvation game, it will be kind of like the game of life, except with the plan of salvation. Also transfers are already here again and so next Wednesday I will be getting a new companion. I'm not sure who it is yet, but we'll find out on Friday. I do know however that I will be staying here in Tagonrog, and Sister Zamorina is going up to Volgograd and she will be training a new Sister. I feel like time is just going by so fast! We have Zone conference already tomorrow too! What the Crazy sauce! And this is the craziest thing of all... prepare yourself... yesterday when we were planning I realized that I have been on a mission for 5 months! how weird is that. It doens't feel like it that's for sure. Well that's all. I love you all and I hope that you are loving life and loving spring and to all of you college students I hope you are getting excited for finals! Yippee! And maybe even for graduation! Hooray! I'm not sure when all of this will happen, but I know it must be in like a month and I didn't want to forget to tell you good luck. So... Good luck.

Love,

Sister Leavitt

Hello..Hi...uhh...HELLO!

It's Friday, and I just remembered that I forgot to post her email this week.  Sorry.  But on a good note, I did get her Easter package in the mail yesterday!  Enjoy her letter.  :)

Why hello there everyone who may by chance be reading this. I just wanted to say hello. hi uhhh hello. So this week was another amazing week and soooo much warmer. I haven't been sweating like Cameron has been, but I haven't been shaking in my boots because I am so cold either, so that's good. I hope spring is really here! That would be wonderful. So we taught so many people this week that I don't even know where to start. We have been receiving more and more referrals from members of our branch and it is really helping so much. Our investigator Karina came to family night last week and she had fun. She is still praying about baptism. Her grandma is a little against it, but I think she really wants it, so we'll see how that goes. We have a new investigator named Vera who is 17. She is wonderful also. She has alot of questions, but she is finding her answers as we teach her. I just think it's a little funny that we keep finding young teenage girls to teach. I feel like that's my calling in life, to teach young teenage girls.

Well, in other news, our land lady came over this week and fixed a few things, so now we have an oven to use! Yippee! I am going to try it out today and maybe try to make some cookies or something. I'm very excited about this. I miss baking so much and to the surprise of all, including myself, I haven't baked cookies or anything in almost 5 months. I hope I haven't forgoten how to do it!

Well that's about it. And PS to my older brother Casey I just wanted to remind you that I am here in Russia and haven't heard a single thing about you or how you are doing in a very long time, although you were in my dream this past week. You snuck into my mission to see me and then I got in big trouble. Also I had another dream about Tineke being pregnant again. But I just would like to hear from you that's all.

Well I love you all and hope you and a great week!

Love,

Sister Leavitt

No Man is a Failure Who Has Friends!

Here is the latest email from our very favorite Sister Missionary!  Wouldn't you just love to have her knock on your door!  Enjoy! 

Hello Everyone!

So I first of all just have to thank mother nature for the wonderful weather this week. It has been so much better and for the past couple of days the highs have been above freezing! It's a miracle. So this week was a little bit different. It started out the same. We taught lessons and visited people and contacted people on the streets and did all that kind of missionary work. Then on Thursday Sister Kershisnik went home! That's so crazy! Because that means I've been on a missioin for what... 5 months? What the?! It doesn't even feel like it's been that long. Time just keeps flying by sooooo fast and it won't even stop! So if Momma Kep went home this means I have a new companion. Yep, I do. Her name is Sister Zamorina and she is from Moscow. She loves to sing. She sings when we're at home and when we're walking on the streets and when we're anywhere for that matter! It's wonderful! Because as it turns out, I love to sing also. Also if you remember when I told you about Karina then you'll be excited to know that we invited her to be baptized this week! Hooray, and she's praying about it, so more news on that story next week. Well, one more thing. Tomorrow is womens day in Russia. It's a day when women don't really do anything. They don't cook or clean or work and they get presents. Kind of like mothers day, except for all women. But we're going to work tomorrow, don't worry. Russians celebrate a lot of holidays. I feel like they have one every week! But it's fun. Well that's all. I hope you are having a wonderful life. Because this is a wonderful life.

Love,

Sister Leavitt

Here comes the Sun...

Courtney sure know's how to brighten a cold gloomy day.  She is doing fabulous.  Can you even believe she has been in Russia almost 2-months already?  Wow, this is going so fast!  Enjoy her letter this week.   ~Mama K

Alright, are you ready for this week? Well get ready because it was amazing. We got this new investigator named Stas. He's so cool. We met him when we were doing service at this school that teaches English. He's 24ish. He asked us one week what happened after we die because he really wanted to know. Then he left too fast after we were done and so we didn't get to talk to him. Then the next time we saw him we told them that we were helping some one quit smoking. And he said, "You know how to help people quit smoking? Can you help me?" and we said of course, so we started teaching him about Christ and everything else about the gospel and how we can overcome our sins and our addictions with the help of Christ. He is so amazing and so willing to pray and read the book of mormon. We are going to start the non-smoking program that the church has with him this week. I'll keep you updated.

So our other investigators. Marina, it's been a while since I talked about her, but she got a job finally. The only problem is is that she keeps having to work on Sundays which is bad. We had a lesson with her this week about blessings that come from keeping the commandments and talked to her about coming to church, she already had told her work that she could work yesterday, but she is going to try and not work any sundays now. I think we made her feel the spirit enough and also just guilty enough to get her to realize how much it will help her to keep the sabbath day holy. She knows it's important, so that's good. 

We went and visited some of our members this week too because Momma Kep (my companion) is leaving on FRIDAY!!! Yikes, that means I've been in Russia for more that 2 months! Time is flying by so fast and it won't even stop! Oh, and our members are starting to do more visiting teaching!!! This makes my heart leap for joy because we have too many members that are inactive and we can't visit them all, but if people just do their visiting and home teaching it helps sooo much!!! 

Man, I keep trying to think of all the funny things that happened this week because we laughed our pants off all week, but I can't remember what was so funny. Hmm... I have to take better notes next week. Well it's still freezing cold here. I don't know when it will get warm, but all I have to say is that I am so done with winter. It's too cold. And I had a peanut butter and honey sandwich last night... it was so wonderful. Well that's all. 

Love,

Sister Leavitt 

P.S. I just wanted to give you my mailing address because it turns out all the mail is going to the wrong address... so maybe those things with my pictures that I made weren't the best idea. I would love to get a letter….hint…hint!

Russia Rostov Mission

Bolshaya Sadovaya 39/4

344082

Rostove-na Donu, Russia