All is well,
I received an email from a good friend this last week in which she commented that it is so good to have the gospel. To be in America. To have all that you have. She said that it sounded perhaps trite to say, but she is right. You have absolutely no idea how much you have until it has been taken away. Well. Most of the time. Every once in a while you realize how great you have it, just before you have it taken away.
I’m being transferred.
I feel like I only just arrived here in Kurgan. And in truth I have. I only came here six short weeks ago. I will miss so many people. I feel like I’ve gotten to know the people so much better in this city than in my last. Everyone from young Vovla – who’s toes I would pop just like my own little brothers. To Nina, that kind old lady. To even crazy Uri. Its so hard to meet so many people, come to love them, then leave so suddenly.
There are so many people here who are ready to receive the truth. One such person, who I mentioned last week, is ready to enter in fullness. Stanislav is about 40 years old I would guess. He came to his first meeting a few weeks back. And has come every week since. Even despite weird things that members keep saying to him. For example, his first week at church one member said “Can I call you brother? Future brother in the church?”
This last week, Stanislav had to come a little late and missed sacrament meeting. He had family problems he had to work out. But he did the best he could and made it to second and third hour. That same member of the church went up to Stanislav and said “Why were you late? Don’t you know that Sacrament meeting is the most important part of church?” I’ll give that member some credit and say that he is somewhat crazy, but that doesn’t make it easier for Stanislav. Luckily, that is not stopping or hindering his growth in the Church.
I feel it would be good to give a bit further background information on Stanislav before I go any further. Stanislav works as a detective for the police here in Russia. He is used to working with people who try and lie and deceive. And hence he has become very weary of deception. He has learned not to trust anyone. And I don’t blame him. His father was in the KGB, and hence he come from a hard background. You would think that such a hard past, he would not believe in God at all – in any higher force. And he used to not. He used to be like so many other Russian people, hard, cold, so tried and scarred that they won’t even try to reach for God.
But God has a way of preparing his children. A number of years ago Stanislav’s brother was hit by a tramvi (a sort of train bus) and almost died. Stanislav prayed for the first time in his life, and received a confirmation that everything would be okay. From there, Stanislav began doing everything in his power to find the truth. He investigated every church he could. He read the Qumran from cover to cover. Went to Muslim meetings. He read the bible cover to cover. Went to Russian Orthodox meetings. And many other churches in-between. But he never felt like he found what he was looking for.
He has searched and searched. Tried at tried to find that voice that once told him that everything would be okay – the voice that calmed and soothed his spirit. And he has finally found it. A few days ago, we were about to go to bed when the phone rang. It was Stanislav. He said he had just been reading and pondering. “I have a question” he said, “What do I have to do to be baptized?” He is ready. He has found what he’s been looking for.
Life for these people is not easy. It is hard. But the gospel makes it all better. Knowing that God lives. That he loves us. That we can have happiness in him, it makes it all better. It is the knowledge that every man and woman needs to make it through the trials of life.
My time here in Kurgan has been short. Truly this is a city of miracles. I’d love to stay here and continue to work with these people. But I go where I am called. Whereever you are, reach out. Share the gospel. The world needs to know that God lives, and cares about us enough to give us his Church, his Gospel, his way. Life is full of unknowns. But what we know. We know. Reach out, help others know. Nothing will bring them greater joy. And nothing will bring you greater joy than knowing you helped someone find the truth.
Love,
Elder Wilson
I received an email from a good friend this last week in which she commented that it is so good to have the gospel. To be in America. To have all that you have. She said that it sounded perhaps trite to say, but she is right. You have absolutely no idea how much you have until it has been taken away. Well. Most of the time. Every once in a while you realize how great you have it, just before you have it taken away.
I’m being transferred.
I feel like I only just arrived here in Kurgan. And in truth I have. I only came here six short weeks ago. I will miss so many people. I feel like I’ve gotten to know the people so much better in this city than in my last. Everyone from young Vovla – who’s toes I would pop just like my own little brothers. To Nina, that kind old lady. To even crazy Uri. Its so hard to meet so many people, come to love them, then leave so suddenly.
There are so many people here who are ready to receive the truth. One such person, who I mentioned last week, is ready to enter in fullness. Stanislav is about 40 years old I would guess. He came to his first meeting a few weeks back. And has come every week since. Even despite weird things that members keep saying to him. For example, his first week at church one member said “Can I call you brother? Future brother in the church?”
This last week, Stanislav had to come a little late and missed sacrament meeting. He had family problems he had to work out. But he did the best he could and made it to second and third hour. That same member of the church went up to Stanislav and said “Why were you late? Don’t you know that Sacrament meeting is the most important part of church?” I’ll give that member some credit and say that he is somewhat crazy, but that doesn’t make it easier for Stanislav. Luckily, that is not stopping or hindering his growth in the Church.
I feel it would be good to give a bit further background information on Stanislav before I go any further. Stanislav works as a detective for the police here in Russia. He is used to working with people who try and lie and deceive. And hence he has become very weary of deception. He has learned not to trust anyone. And I don’t blame him. His father was in the KGB, and hence he come from a hard background. You would think that such a hard past, he would not believe in God at all – in any higher force. And he used to not. He used to be like so many other Russian people, hard, cold, so tried and scarred that they won’t even try to reach for God.
But God has a way of preparing his children. A number of years ago Stanislav’s brother was hit by a tramvi (a sort of train bus) and almost died. Stanislav prayed for the first time in his life, and received a confirmation that everything would be okay. From there, Stanislav began doing everything in his power to find the truth. He investigated every church he could. He read the Qumran from cover to cover. Went to Muslim meetings. He read the bible cover to cover. Went to Russian Orthodox meetings. And many other churches in-between. But he never felt like he found what he was looking for.
He has searched and searched. Tried at tried to find that voice that once told him that everything would be okay – the voice that calmed and soothed his spirit. And he has finally found it. A few days ago, we were about to go to bed when the phone rang. It was Stanislav. He said he had just been reading and pondering. “I have a question” he said, “What do I have to do to be baptized?” He is ready. He has found what he’s been looking for.
Life for these people is not easy. It is hard. But the gospel makes it all better. Knowing that God lives. That he loves us. That we can have happiness in him, it makes it all better. It is the knowledge that every man and woman needs to make it through the trials of life.
My time here in Kurgan has been short. Truly this is a city of miracles. I’d love to stay here and continue to work with these people. But I go where I am called. Whereever you are, reach out. Share the gospel. The world needs to know that God lives, and cares about us enough to give us his Church, his Gospel, his way. Life is full of unknowns. But what we know. We know. Reach out, help others know. Nothing will bring them greater joy. And nothing will bring you greater joy than knowing you helped someone find the truth.
Love,
Elder Wilson
I served in Kurgan nearly 5 years ago and it was one of my favorite cities in all of the Yekat mission. I did a lot of work in the area book and hope that helped your work...
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