Privyet!
Well it wasn't me needing to visit the Clinic, but this last week I had the luck of bringing my third companion to the clinic. I've become pretty aquainted with the Russian medical system, and explaining symptoms in Russian. Since last Thursday, Elder Gardner hasn't been feeling too good. So on Tuesday we went to a clinic in the center here in Barnaul. It wasn't too great, kinda dirty, and the Doctor there wasn't really professional. Long story short, after being in contact with the mission doctor who lives in Moscow, we were refered to a specialist and scheduled an appointment in Novosibirsk at a better clinic.
Thursday evening we went down to the bus station to buy our bus tickets for 6:30the next morning. The Zone Leaders were coming to town that night and got to our place at like 10:30 to find out that we were going to be leaving the next morning at 5 and wouldn't be able to be on exchanges as was the plan. So they just did exchanges on Friday with the other elders in the Center. Before we had found out that we were going to Novosibirsk, we bought pancake stuff to have for breakfast the next day.
We woke up on Friday at 3:30 in the morning to make them anyways. So there's me making pancakes at 3:30 am right before our five hour bus ride to Novo. The bus there a little over half full, so we had a bit of room and it wasn't too bad. I slept most of the way anyways. Since it was so early, there wasn't much traffic, and we had time to stop into the "I'm Siberian" store that was near by the clinic before his appointment. We saw a doctor who perscribed him a medicine, and scheduled an ultrasound for Tuesday. (You can get your baby guesses in within the next week.) :) Then it was to the mission office where we ran into Elder Aubrey! It's been 14 months since he and I served together back in Tomsk. That was still one of my favorite transfers. Updated with the Turmans, who then invited us over for dinner when we come back on Tuesday for Elder Gardner's follow up visits. By 6 we were back on a bus to Barnaul. There was not an empty seat on the bus, and Russians don't believe in open windows, or air conditioning or so it seems. It was a Hot, crowded, miserable 5 hours. But we're still alive and well.
Saturday we had Zone Training and a short exchange with the Zone Leaders before they got on a bus back to Novosibirsk. We'll be back on a bus today after we're done emailing and won't come back to barnaul until Wednesday morning.
Transfer update. So a year ago we had almost 100 missionaries in our mission, and by the time July comes, we'll be down to mid 40's. So areas are being closed down with every passing transfer. Sisters will be taken out of Barnaul as there are just not enough of them anymore! So this wednesday will be their last day here. Sister Lohrey goes home to Alaska on Friday, and Sister West will be transfered somwhere else. It'll just be two companionships of elders now. I've never been in a district without sisters before, so we'll see how that goes!
Before we went to Novosibirsk, we were having weekly planning and got a call from Arman. He was over at the branch and a guy came in who wanted to talk with us. So we went over having no idea who it could be. We were greeted by the smell of Alchohol and a clearly hung over man named Denis. We sat and met with him and just talked with him. He had a close friend that died the day before and had evidently drowned it all out with the alchohol. When life is hard, people turn to God. We introduced to him concepts from the Plan of Salvation. We had a conversation like this.
us: Do you believe in God?
him: No
us: Do you believe in Jesus Christ
him: Fifty-Fifty
us: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior?
him: ... .. Can I play on that Piano??
So we let him play on the piano. He evidently played at some point in his life as he knew how even though it was pretty horrible. He even sang a bit, and it was quite commical. As he was playing and we were sitting there, I took a bit of a mental step back to see Denis at peace. Something he probably hasn't felt in a long time. Even though we weren't in lesson mode teaching him doctrine, it felt right to just let him have his moments of peace. As he was playing it seemed that he forgot about his worries. I don't know what'll happen with him, or if he will go anywhere in the teaching process, but he was in the branch at that time because he has a loving Heavenly Father.
Sunday came around. It was branch conference. District leaders from Novosibirsk came into town to speak and such. Arman and Armen have been working on getting their Mother and Father introduced to the church. Their mother has been meeting with the sisters and will be baptized on Tuesday. This was her third time at church. Today their father came for the first time as well! I had met him briefly on the street my first week here, but actually got to exchange a few words on sunday. He's such a nice man, and loved the Sacrament meeting. That evening I called Arman and was able to talk to his Father as well. Thanked him for coming to church, and said we loved seeing him there with his family, and asked if we could meet with him some time. He told us that his home was open to us any time, and he's love to meet with us. What a miracle! We'll be meeting with him and his family on Thursday.
That was our week. In short. I hope you are all enjoying the spring weather, and are studying/working hard.
Elder Moore
Pictures:
Elder Aubrey!
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