Slow Week

Dear Family:
It has also been a slow week for us, as our investigators have been busy, and unable to meet with us. You can't really do anything but go out and find people to teach. Maxim's job schedule has just changed to three days working, and the next day off. Bryson, people in Russia have crazy schedules and it will drive you insane trying to set up meetings with them. We haven't been able to meet with him recently, but he still reads the Book of Mormon every day.

Dima Pavlovskyi

We have been trying to meet with Vitali as well, but he is very vague with his work schedule. We haven't met with him in over a week, and the only times we have met him are when he came to the branch, expecting to see us there. It is difficult to plan for such spontaneous meetings. He hasn't come to church yet, but he came to an activity, and Nikolai told him to get baptized. That's my guy!

We had a pretty successful activity this last week, which we hope to repeat this coming week. President Shabonov came up with the name. Нескучайний Вечер. The first word is not actually a real word. It comes from the word Скучно, which means "boring" and the word чай, which means "Tea". All in all, it means a "Not boring, tea night." We had a bunch of different varieties of tea, herbal of course, and a bunch of cookies. We invited a bunch of people, and we sat down, talked, drank tea, ate cookies, and watched the church film "Together Forever". People really enjoyed it, and it is how we found our two newest investigators.

Sansar Alxayan

Vladimir was a former contact from other missionaries, and he came to the activity. He is very knowledgeable in the Bible, but he understands that so many truths are not found in other denominations. He really enjoyed the film, and he agreed that God has a plan for all of us. We gave him a pamphlet about the Restoration, and we set up a meeting for later in the week. What a surprise when he came, along with his wife! We sat down, and were amazed at his faith in God and Jesus Christ. He has met with people of different faiths, and he felt that something was not right. He read the pamphlet that we gave him, and he believes that Joseph Smith was in fact called of God to be a prophet. He wanted so much to come to church this week, but his work made it impossible (Again with the crazy work schedules) But he has been reading the Book of Mormon and we plan to meet with him this week.

I wish I could write more, but last-minute things have come up, and we need to leave. I love you all, and I am grateful to be able to serve. I know that this church is true, and that the gospel changes people. I have seen so many people become entirely different because of the Gospel. I love you all, and see you soon.

Elder Hoggan (The Siberian Messenger)

Pres. Drachyov--Novosibirsk 2nd Branch