Missionary Service of Elder Benjamin Moore: One Month In & Blene-Flipping

Hello hello!

I did it! I made it a month in Russia. Probably the fastest month of my life. It still feels like I just got here. I also probably speak like I just got here.

I'm starting my sixth week with Elder Batson, and we're just now starting to look back and see the success starting to flow in. The goals we set at the beginning of the transfer are happening! Working with Elder Batson is great. He's easy to get along with and we've become great friends the past few weeks. He knows why he's here and what he's supposed to be doing!

This last week we started meeting with an investigator (Nikolai) who is about 60+ years old, who came to English club after the sisters gave him an English invitation card. He was really impressed with the missionaries and I think that's what got him interested in the structure of the church. He came to Sacrament meeting on his own and at the next English club wanted us to explain the organization of the church from the prophet all the way down to the branch presidency. A couple of days later, Elder Batson and I gave him a call to set up a meeting! Since then we've taught him The Restoration, The Plan of Salvation, and answered all the questions he's had. He accepted it all! He also accepted baptism! Tonight we're meeting to do the Gospel lesson and commit him to a date. It's crazy how prepared some people are! So he's our first legit investigator and is a lot of fun to work with. It's great to finally have someone to study for every morning. To plan for and pray for so that we can teach what he needs to hear.

We have our district lunch every week before district meeting. Usually just bread and jam, but since Elder Batson and I found out how to make Блини (Crepes), we decided to make them for everyone! So we got some cool pictures of our Блини flipping action.

That's about all the news for this week. We're working hard, and are able to fill most of our evenings with something other than street contacting which is great! Seven more weeks left of training with Elder Batson and then we'll see where I end up!

Since learning Russian, my German has been on the downhill. I'm hoping I'll try to remember or think in German sometimes but mixed German with Russian words will come to my head. Hopefully I'll be able to keep both of them up! I'd read from my German Book of Mormon if I had any extra time...but I don't. I think if I could talk to a native German speaker again, that I would probably pick it right back up? Hopefully I'll find out some time!

Thanks for all of you who sent me emails! I love hearing from you! Keep up the good work with whatever you're up to.

Miss you all!

Love,

Benjamin