Missionary Service of Elder Benjamin Moore: Exchanges & A Miracle

Hello Hello!!

This week has been a good one! Now if I can remember what happened. I didn't write down a list this week. I'll just tell you all about exchanges.

The Zone Leaders came and we did exchanges with them. Elder Batson and Lewis are Zone Leaders. I was trained by Elder Batson in Tomsk, and Elder Lewis was my MTC companion. So it was good to have them over for a bit. I was with Elder Lewis and Elder Zhitkov was with Elder Batson. Well, as is not so uncommon, all our possible meetings fell through leaving us with no plan for the night besides street contacting. So we stopped by the apartment, grabbed a couple of names off of the member map and went to visit them. When we got the entrance of the first person, a guy behind us asked us what it was we were propogand-ating (?). So we canceled the buzzer from ringing the member, and talked to him. His name was Artur. After about 15 minutes of talking with him we had already gotten his information and everything, but ended up going with him to his home and teaching him more there! It was pretty great. That doesn't happen often...that's never happened to me. As we walked to his house, he told us that he was a "Narkoman" Addicted to narcotics and smoking. He didn't drink though. He's tried to quit multiple times, but stress has caused him to relapse. He showed us pictures of his family: A wife, son and daughter. They looked so happy. You could tell he was really looking for something to bring back that happiness into his family. He just didn't know what it was he was looking for. As we taught him and as he listened, I think he understood that what we were saying is true, and that there is a power in the Gospel message that we have. He wanted to come to church, even after we told him about all three hours. Well he didn't come to church, but we're still excited to work with him further. It was a big miracle.

We got transfers this week as well. President emailed all the transfers to each missionary. So I'll attach that email.

Dear Elder Moore:

Thanks for all you are doing in Omsk. You are a rock.

We were in Tomsk this week, and you are MUCH remembered and well spoken of by the members and investigators!

As I told you confidentially (and it is no longer confidential, but public knowledge), you will become the district leader on April 16th, and you will also train a new missionary from the MTC (an American). God bless you in this endeavor! For your information, Elder Klein will come in to serve as the junior companion with Elder Riordan, Elder Foster will go to Krasnoyarsk with Elder Carlson, and Elder Zhitkov will come to Novosibirsk as the district leader in the huge left bank district. No change with the sisters.

God bless you in this new adventure!

Love,

President (We'll be in Omsk on the 20th, by the way)

So Elder Zhitkov and I have just over a week left together. I've known for the last few weeks that I'd become the District Leader, so I've just been trying to get ready for that. Mainly trying to get ideas for district meeting and studying those topics.

I got a package this week from Michael and Caroline!! It was great! :D Easter grass was everywhere. :) Thanks for that; it was really awesome. The Zone Leaders brought it up when they came for exchanges.

I almost forgot, there was a baptism this week! Lera, the sister's investigator, got baptized on Saturday. It was a crazy baptism. Took three tries for it to be done right. When the font was filling up, there was confusion, we went down there to check on it, and it was about a quarter inch from overflowing! Close call. But we drained a bunch of water and everything was okay. The font here isn't like those in America. Kinda like a little plunge pool. Elder Zhitkov and I were witnesses and Elder Zhitkov confirmed her on Sunday.

This next week is the last week of the transfer. Not too long before I'll be back up to four hours of study in the morning instead of three.

Hope you're all doing well!

With Love,

Elder Moore