The Bright Side

Hey everyone, how's it going.

I don't think I really have too much to say this week. Nothing exciting happened. We just kind of had our usual stuff that we do, some meetings with members and some less active members. We had tons of investigators lessons set up throughout the week but they all fell through except for one. And even that one, the only reason it worked out was because he was at the member's house anyway playing computer games. We worked really hard this week trying to find new investigators. We spent a lot of time contacting and tracting and the thing is that it all seemed to be pretty successful. We would get plenty of lessons set up but they just fell through every single time. Usually we would call to remind them and they would cancel for whatever reason. Sometimes they wouldn't answer our calls and just not show up at the time they agreed for. Or when we go to their house at the time we agreed on they wouldn't be home or they were home and just say, "We're too busy right now." So anyway that has been really frustrating and discouraging to be putting so much work and prayer into achieving our goal, and it never works out. I haven't been discouraged like this since last winter. At least this time I'm happier, maybe because I'm more used to it now and don't get discouraged by the language. (Although now I can understand all the rude things they say.) Also I'm glad I've got Elder J. He just keeps on going and has continued to be a hard worker. So I've been feeling good with the work we have been putting in each day, its just always disappointing to see no results.

On the bright side an inactive man who we have been visiting came to church for the first time in 2 years.

We are starting a push to use family history to try to introduce people to the church.

When I was eating a sandwich I thought I chipped my back molar. On further inspection it looks like a filling came off. It doesn't hurt so I'll wait to do anything till I get to America unless it starts to hurt.

Well that's really all I can think of. I can't think of anything else I need for my birthday. I won't be here for very long after that and then I can just get whatever I need in America.

So the deal with the mission goal. The goal is to get 100 baptisms in the year. But each district is supposed to make their own shorter time, more specific goal based on their needs. So ours is new investigators by the March transfer.

Elder Topham

The zone leaders brought some mail this week. So I got your Christmas card, a letter from Matt, and a Christmas card from Aunt January.

This weekend was really cool because President, the Zone Leaders and the Assistants all came to Krasno. They are traveling around the mission doing a training presentation in every city. Then President interviewed all of the missionaries. The training was really epic. It was this amazing thing about goal setting. I can't really describe it all in the email, but it was something that looked more like an official business presentation, President killed it. Then of course in the last part of the training he killed it spiritually, uplifting everyone and everything. The whole district is really pumped, our big goal now is regarding finding new investigators and I'm really excited about it. President also did a similar presentation to the ward council and now they have a goal of increasing the number of active Priesthood holders. The big emphasis on the presentation was about the execution of the goal and what you have to do to make sure it gets accomplished.

The interview with president was also good as always and really inspiring. He gave me Hebrews 11 and 12 as the theme of the rest of my mission. He talked about all of the sports analogies in chapter 12 and it was really personal and inspiring.

I felt like the week went well. We were really busy and it seemed like we achieved a lot. I met with the Branch President and we got more than 100 names off the branch list of people that no longer live there. We had many meetings with in- and less-active members. Two of whom came to church.

The disappointing part is with the investigators. Nothing at all worked out this week. I feel bad for Elder J and hope he is not getting discouraged about that. Because this is one of the busier more successful, happier times of my mission as I feel. It's just because of other things that have been going on, while our investigator pool is dismal. I'm really excited about the district new investigator goal and I think the focused energy on that will help us change that problem.

Ok I think that's all I got. It's getting really cold again. Last week was really warm, but that was short lived.

Have a good week.

Elder Topham

Moving Along

Hey everyone. Whats up?

This week was ok, everything is still just moving along. We still haven't been seeing the kind of success that we want to see. We got stood up on a few meetings and people who promised to come to church just don't come and stuff like that.

I did go on two exchanges with members of the district this week. I spent a day with Elder Kelly and a day with Elder Terry. That was nice because both of them have been on the mission longer than I have. Elder Kelly goes home this transfer and Elder Terry right after him. It was also nice because we already know each other well and have worked together before, so they were both really good days.

On Friday we had a pretty long day, and nothing really was working out. But the last guy we talked to right before we got home stopped and talked to us for a while. Elder J gave him a short little something and asked him if we could tell him more some time, and the guy just stood there and said yes, like tell me now. Then the look on the face of Elder J was priceless because he looked at me like "what do we do now?" because even our successful contacts are usually pretty short and because of the cold don't really stay and talk more than a couple minutes. So we started teaching some things and discussing some things right there. He was great because he has strong faith. And he even asked us before we invited him if he could come to church, and said he would come. So Elder J was really pumped after that one, I was too obviously, but not quite as much. But then, as has been the theme recently, the guy's phone was off Saturday night and Sunday morning and he didn't show to church.

English is picking up. It was a slow start because of the winter but its getting better with some people coming - a few investigators for the other missionaries from it.

We had some good member and less active lessons this week. The members are definitely the highlight of Krasnoyarsk. So that keeps our morale up sometimes when we have a tough day but a good member meeting to end the evening.

We had one lesson with an inactive family this week. The woman saw one of the shows about the Mormons on TV and decided not to go to church any more. Usually it doesn't affect the members like that, just the people who that is all they know about the church, so that was an interesting lesson. Elder Kelly was with me for that. We made a lot of progress with her. I'm really concerned about that family. Their 10 year old is really cute and whenever we come over he shows us what he read in the kid's Book of Mormon. So we really do not want to lose him because of one TV show.

Ok I think that is all. Sorry not too much interesting or miraculous this week.

As for summer term, sign me up. I don't really know what to take. Could you let me know what the first Russian class is that I need to take or what the Russian options are? And I'll need to decide what I want to major in soon I guess so I can know what else to take, especially in the fall. Whether it be business classes or science or a lot of Russian classes or what, so I guess I'll get back to you on that. But let me know if you have any ideas for summer.

Love you all, especially Mom

Elder Topham

An Interesting Tracting Experience

Hey what's up.

So last week on Monday night I called President and talked to him about the release date question and told him what I was thinking. He was totally behind me and said that I absolutely made the right decision. So I felt really good about it and didn't think about it any more. Then yesterday President sent me a text and said, "Elder Topham, FYI after trying to make transfer scenarios it was logistically impossible using both of the release dates so now everyone will be going on the regular May 15 date anyway." So turns out it wasn't even a big deal.

This week was pretty rough as far as success with investigators. Really I can't think of anything good to report about that. I just hope it's not too tough on Elder J. I can see it's just a down cycle and it will get better soon, and he still thinks so too.

Monday was New Year's Eve and Tuesday was New Years so we had to get back to our apartments by 6:00 both nights. The streets were dead on the mornings of the first and the second. The nights were really loud. But during the day when we were out all we saw were empty alcohol bottles everyone, used fireworks, and other drug paraphernalia sometimes. We gave a handful of blessings this week. A couple of the people we stumbled upon when we were visiting all of the inactive members.

We also had an interesting tracting experience. We usually go contacting instead of tracting because its a little more successful and less crazy. But one night we both felt like going tracting and decided to just go out contacting and just stop at an apartment building whenever we felt like it. So we took off in a certain direction and, probably earlier than we planned, I suggested we stop at a building. We went up to the door at the same time a guy was going into the building. So I started talking to him, primarily just to know what apartment numbers were at that door so I could know what numbers to dial on the dial pad. He turned out to be a nice guy and just told us to go in. We talked to him as we were going up the stairs. He was in a hurry but took the Book of Mormon and told us that we could come back later. Elder J and I were both pretty happy with that and assumed that that was probably the reason that we were led to that building at that time. So then we went up to the top to start knocking on doors. We took turns, both of mine weren't interested and both of Elder J's didn't answer. Then on the next floor Elder J got his first door opened to him on his mission and what a great first door it was! It was a guy wearing only little tiny European underwear. The guy did not like us at all and started yelling at us. Then another guy dressed exactly the same way came out of the room and started also yelling at us until we left the building. So the Lord either led us to that building to give that guy the Book of Mormon or so Elder J could have a great story to tell. I'm leaning toward the first.

Saturday was the branch Christmas party. They went all out and it was really good. They had a big play with an interesting take on the Christmas story, especially focusing on the Herod and wise men aspect. And there were quite a few musical numbers at the beginning of the program, including one by all of the missionaries.

One thing that has been a big undertaking but has been very fun and fulfilling has been teaching Elder J Russian grammar. His understanding and fluidity when speaking is amazing and his vocabulary good. But his grammar is awful. He said that the teachers in the MTC would always take him out of the class and spend an hour with him to try to teach him the principles but he could just never get it, some of the problem is that he doesn't know some of the English grammatical terms. But we have been working on it everyday. We take 30 minutes of our language study (which often ends up being more, sometimes the whole language study) as I teach him the principles and we do examples. Then throughout the day I continue to drill him on what we learned. He is really persistent and really wants to learn so it's fun for both of us, and I really like teaching.

Ok, well that's it. I hope things pick up next week. We are hoping they will with people being back in a normal schedule and not on holiday. Have a good one.

I got those videos and pictures of Brian Head, it looks like it was an awesome trip. Have a good week. Love you Mom.

Elder Topham

A Disciple of Christ

Hey everyone how's it going?

This week was really good. Obviously it was awesome to use Skype and talk to the family. We also went to the Nutcracker during the day on Friday. It was cool because they had a little kid show right before the ballet and Grandfather Frost and Snigurichka came out and they did all of their little New Years songs with the kids. The ballet was ok. It wasn't near as good as the one in Novisibirsk last year. This one didn't have a live orchestra and the dancers weren't as good. But it was still a really good experience and a good time.

I love the Christmas presents. The Angry Birds toothbrush is awesome. Everyone is still enjoying the toffee. I gave some to the landlord and he said it was delicious and that I should tell my mom thank you. I am really enjoying the books that you put together for me. (These were little photo albums with pictures of each member of the family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, accompanied by a note from each person explaining what it means to him/her to be a disciple of Christ.) In fact I've been going through the Book of Mormon highlighting all of the references to Christ and quotes of Christ and attributes of Christ. And I've been going through the albums one page a day and using that person's comments as a theme for that day's studies and just for the day in general. Danica's happened to be today.

Things with the investigators are still just kind of moving along. Nothing really big. Some just keep kind of falling away or just slowly progressing. We got into a couple of inactive members homes this week that we hadn't met before. Elder J is very persistent especially with inactive members. He's like an attack dog sometimes so I just let him loose and then pull him back in when I want to say something. He has got a really great desire and work ethic and has been really fun to work with.

We have to stay inside this evening after 6 and also tomorrow evening after 6 in order to avoid all of the craziness and drunk people. Ok, well I think that's all for this week.

Elder Topham