Grateful for The Guidance of the Holy Ghost

Well this week was pretty good. Elder J and I finished up our last couple days together, we were able to get a lot of meetings on Monday and Tuesday with the "Elder J is leaving so we need to meet" line. We got on a train Tuesday night and we were in Novosibirsk on Wednesday. Wednesday night was pretty cool because we went to English there in Novo and someone Elder Anderson and I had taught, with whom we hadn't made much progress, was there. And Elder Smith has been teaching him and he has changed a lot and come along way since then. Elder Smith and I were able to teach him together after English.

Thursday morning I got my new companion at the mission home. His name is Elder Batson. He is from San Diego. He's a really cool guy. He is also really big, about 6'3'', football player and fighter. Everyone has been commenting about how I always get big companions and it is true, I've gotten all the big ones. We did the orientation in the morning then went to lunch with the assistants. We had a train back to Krasno that night.

Since then it has been the usual stuff. This week was district conference, so the meeting was held in Novosibirsk and was broadcast to Omsk and Krasnoyarsk, so we just watched it.

We had an interesting experience this week with a new investigator. It was Friday night and this was the third person that Elder Batson talked to, he stopped the guy and once he answered, just looked at me hoping I understood what he was saying. We had a good conversation with the guy. He said that he was having a really hard time and that day had prayed for someone to help him. He told us all of his problems, which were many, and the one he was most concerned about was his financial problem. We set up a lesson for Saturday, and he doesn't have a phone, so we weren't very confident that he would come. But Saturday came around and he did. The lesson went well, but at the end it seemed like he was mostly interested that the church could help him financially. So he came on Sunday and talked to the branch president. He came out of the meeting looking a little disappointed. Told us that the branch president gave him some advice about where he could go for help first and some things to do before the church could help him. He told us he would like to learn more but only after he sorted everything out. So he left and we expected to never see him again. That night our lesson fell through and we took off contacting, but we decided to go the other way on the main street than we normally go. We walked for about 15 minutes and we ran right into this guy. He seemed even more surprised than us. He told us that after he left the first place he went he got a job and that he would be going to work the next day at a car wash. He had a whole change of countenance and was really shocked about how this had all worked out. He gave us his address and set up a meeting for later in the week and now he seems much more interested than he was before. So I'm very grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost, which helped the branch president know what to do to help this man and that led us to the place where we needed to be at the right time to find him, twice.

Oh, I forgot to tell a funny story from last week. Last week at sacrament meeting the branch president came up to me and Elder J and asked if we could conduct because the chorister didn't show up or anyone else that usually does it, I guess. I said sure why not. It's weird, I would have been much more hesitant at home, but I think on a mission you are used to trying new things and used to being embarrassed, so I thought it was no big deal I know how to do the 4/4 and the 3/4 so why not. I did have a slight problem because in the Russian hymn book there is one hymn that they didn't split right on the pages so you have to turn the page while you are singing. So I was holding the book in one hand and waving the other so I lost the beat when I had to turn the page. But other than that it was good. The sacrament hymn was easy. But then the closing hymn was 6/8 I heard you could simplify it, but I wasn't exactly sure how at the time, so I just did it like it said in the back of the book in 6/8. I got all kinds of comments from people after sacrament meeting about how that was the first time anyone has ever done it like that, and if I went to a music school or something to learn how to do that. One lady said that my arms were so long that it gave people more energy when they were singing. So anyway that was fun and interesting. I bet you never thought I would do that mom.

Well, I don't think anything is going on for Easter. I think there will be a branch Easter activity but that will be at the end of April closer to the Russian Easter.

Ok, I think that's it. Have a good week. Love you Mom.

Elder Topham

Changes

Hey, how's it going?

This week went by pretty quick, a lot of traveling.

By the way, there is a new email rule, and now we are allowed to email anybody that we want, family, friends, converts, so that will make emailing much easier. It's too bad it came out only at the end of my mission. This rule came from the top, so it trumped all the restrictions that the area presidency was putting on email.

So this week we left on Tuesday night for Novosibirsk and had zone conference there on Wednesday. Then Thursday morning Elder J and I took off for the airport and went to Finland, we flew into Krasno on Saturday. So that took up most of the week. Zone conference was great as always. This one was a little weird because the missionaries who I consider my contemporaries like Elders Anderson and Terry were giving their last testimonies. It was really cool to see Elder Anderson, he had been in Kazakhstan for six months so I hadn't seen or heard anything from him, but we had a good chance to catch up.

Everything on the Visa trip went pretty smoothly. We got to go to a temple session in the morning, other than that we were pretty busy because we had to go to the travel agency in the center twice, but we still had time to make it to all-you-can-eat pizza at night and McDonald's for lunch the next day before we flew out.

I'm going to be training another new missionary for my last 8 weeks. I go into Novo again this week to pick him up and go through orientation and everything with him. President changed the structure of the mission leadership. Recently the missionary department put in these things called "zone training meetings" and it's a monthly meeting that the zone leaders teach after they attend ZLC. They also put in a stipulation that people shouldn't have to travel more than 2 hours to attend the meetings, so basically now each city will be it's own zone with a zone leader, and there will be no more district leaders. The zone leaders will basically do the responsibilities of the former zone and district leaders. In the 3 big cities there are 2 zone leaders each, but they are not companions which enables the zone leaders to also be trainers. So that's what is going to happen to me the next 2 transfers. The other zone leader in Krasno will be Elder Harrison who was with me in the MTC, it was also really cool to see him, since he has also been in KZ for 6 months. Elder J is going to Novokuz and will train in a transfer.

Lets see, A is doing well and making progress again, he came to church again. P is still doing well. Other than that, the only investigators we have now are a group of Muslim guys that live together. That is always a fun time and an interesting experience. There are 4 guys that live there and a different combination of 2 of them have been home the last 3 times we went over. Plus, this last time there were 2 other random friends there. It's a challenge because they all believe at different levels. For example, one of them wears a prayer hat and prays 5 times a day on a schedule, and one of them doesn't know anything besides that fact that he is Muslim because he was born that way, and others in between. Yesterday we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" with them, hopefully we are making little steps of progress. On my mission it has been really hard to work with Muslims because its so culturally ingrained in who they are that they are Muslim, You are Christian and that's just the way it is, the concept of seeking for truth and true doctrine and authority really doesn't register at all. But also I have noticed that they are much kinder, friendlier, and just nicer than the average. They actually stop and talk to us on the street, and many will invite you over and offer to feed you.

Last P-day we went to Stolby, it's the state park by the mountains at the side of the city, it was very beautiful there, we didn't get to go very far because of time but it was still cool. A and a few members came with us too. Ok, I think that's it. I'll write a couple more emails to some individuals, but it's already been more than a year that I've lost contact with pretty much everyone besides the family. But I don't have too much longer before I can just see them. OK have a good week. Love you Mom.

Elder Topham

Progress

This week was pretty good. We continued to have some pretty good success with our investigator P. He is still accepting everything well and making good progress on the commandments. The big highlight of this week was the branch party that was on Saturday. It was to celebrate both holidays, the 23 of February for men and the eigth of March for women. They did a talent show and some little games and stuff, it was really well run and well attended. I juggled at the talent show and all of the missionaries did a number together. We sang the classic Russian song Katyusha, mixed with Called to Serve, I think everyone really liked it. I only dropped once on my juggling routine, so I was pretty happy about that. The best thing was that we had a great turnout at the party. P came with his girlfriend and their daughter. A came and brought his mom. One of our new Muslim investigators came, the husband in a part member family that we have been trying to work with, and a few people from English came, we were really happy about the turnout and it was all really well done, so everyone had a good time.

Elder Terry and I had some good exchanges. I guess the only thing special that we did was that I made one of those Reese's desserts, and that for dinner we went out to a little pizza place.

 

 

This week we won't really be in Krasno at all. Wednesday there is a zone conference in Novosibirsk so we are leaving tomorrow night for that. Then Elder J and I fly out to Finland the next morning, we fly directly back into Krasno on Saturday morning. Then that next week will be the transfer. The bad news is that Elder J and I have to go separate from the other people on the visa group, the good news is we will be able to spend a little more time in Finland maybe long enough to go to the temple, I hope the stuff we have to do with him at the travel agency will go quick so we can do a session at the temple.

Other than that, not really too much new going on here. That's nice to get the updates about Matt and Dani, sounds like they are doing really well. Have a good week.

Elder Topham

 

Me by a tank at "Victory Park."

 

Birthday

Hey, so here's some good news, when I was in Novo last week that package was already there so I got it before my birthday. Thank you very much, I already opened it and have been enjoying it.

Also thank you very much for getting that apartment situation worked out. I know you put a lot of time and effort into that and to me that solution that worked out sounds perfect. Thank you so much.

Well, Elder J and I had a really tough end of the week. We were out of town for most of the week in Kemerovo and in Novosibirsk. We did the exchanges with our zone leaders in Kemerovo. And we had to travel through Novosibirsk to do so. The exchanges went well and we had a good time out there.

But we were really disappointed because in our next lesson with A he told us that he felt like he wasn't ready any more and he wanted more time to research. It turns out that his mom convinced him that he wasn't prepared enough to make that big of a decision and that he needs to study the Bible more. That part was understandable, but then it turns out that his mom has been pointing out some of the classic anti-lds verses in the bible, and kind of pointing him in that direction, so I was very disappointed to hear that, because he really respects the opinion of his mom. And unfortunately he is paying more attention to her right now than the Spirit so it is causing him to question everything that he had a testimony about. So that was really disappointing, almost even devastating that night when all that stuff came out and we had to cancel the baptism. The good news is that he is still working with us and should still be coming to stuff (although he didn't come to church this weekend.)

The assistants, Elders Blake and Johnson came out to Krasno this weekend and it was really nice having them with us the next day after we found out about A. They did a good job keeping our spirits up.

Sunday was nice because one of our other newer investigators made it out to church. He's been through a lot and is making slow progress. We are helping him get through a lot of problems. We are going to see him tonight. Other than that it is just the regular stuff I think.

It's gotten warmer and alot of the snow and ice is starting to melt so it is pretty slushy and gross out on the streets.

At district meeting we celebrated Elder Terry and my birthdays at the Noel's. It's really funny because we have the exact same birthday and last year we were both in Novo and celebrated it together at the Webb's. I actually planned an exchange with him tomorrow on our birthdays, so maybe we'll do something fun too tomorrow. I'll for sure make one of those Reese's things. Ok, that's it. Hope everyone has a good week. Thanks for emailing it's always fun to read them.

-Elder Topham 

Here is one of elder terry and I at the birthday. I have a video but it didn't send so you can see it later some time.

 

Fairly Successful

Either of those two apartment options would be great. I am going to try to play basketball which would mean going to the Marriott Center often. But we would also do weightlifting at the student athlete building. But on the other hand, I don't know if that would work out, and my back up plan would be to teach at the MTC. So with that being said I really have no preference, it is actually kind of hard for me to picture everything anyway. So choose whatever, especially if you think one or the other is better, but if not, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to thank you for all of the time and effort that you are putting into this, I really appreciate it.

That was really cool to hear about Craig's little bit of fame. I really like him, and I'm glad that he got so experience that.

Good job being goalie Matt, and Dani the Air Alert will start getting really hard at week 6 or so. And it sounds like you made wise choices on your classes.

And Sam it's totally fine that you won't be at the airport, this way when I see you then you can get all the hugs and you won't have to share time with Mom and Dani. Oh yeah, and did I tell you I got your letter with the BYU decals in it? Well I got it not too long ago and now they are on the back of my tags and they look really cool

Everything this week went really well. A is still doing really well, he brought his mom to church again this week. We finished teaching him all the lessons because we are heading to Kemerovo tonight and will be there for a couple days, because that is where our zone leaders live now. Then right when we get back he should have his interview. Then hopefully the baptism next Saturday.

Our Chinese investigator is doing really well. We found out that he lives on left bank, so when I was on exchanges with Elder Jones over there we taught him, and now the left bank elders will take over. We were teaching him the plan of salvation in his dorm room and he was really into it and had some really good questions.We had a little display thing layed out on the table,then two of his Chinese buddies walked in, and he started explaining the whole thing to them in Chinese, one of the spoke Russian well, the other one almost not at all. So he is doing really well, but he didn’t make it to church this week.

Other than that the week was fairly successful in getting some first lessons, some of the people we taught are very humble and hopefully we will be able to help them. I think that's it. I'll send some pictures now.

Elder Topham



A picture of me and Elder J "thrusting in our sickles."

Here are some shackles that people got shipped to Siberia in.

 Me the hammer and sickle at the museum.

And me by a soviet rocket that is right by where we live.


 Some pictures of the baptism

 

 

Hey how's it going,

That is awesome news about Ms. Lewis and her daughter! I remember one of our trips to a Nevada student council conference and I think it was Chandler (but possibly Trent) had a really long conversation with her and explained a lot to her about the gospel and gave her a Book of Mormon. And from time to time throughout the year little things came up and we would talk about them. That is so awesome, she always seemed to think very well of the church and that is awesome to hear how everything worked out. That makes me really happy, I will love to see her and talk to her when I get back.

This week was really cool because A is doing really well. He is really on board with everything. He came to church again, went to Institute and went to the baptism on Saturday. He is accepting everything really well and it is very exciting. He lives right by us so we usually walk home together after our lessons, one time we ended a lesson at about 8 or so, and we told him that we were going to stay out and go contacting for a while before we went home, so he says, "Oh can I come too." I was like sure, but it's not very fun. But he went and we actually had a really good time together doing that. He is great because he always comes to lessons with really good questions and concerns, and he just listens and soaks everything in really well. It's made us really happy to have one really good investigator who we know won't cancel our lessons or not show up or something, and it has been a great experience for us to teach him. We are shooting for March 9 for baptism.

Other than that we have the regular grind. One investigator has been falling away, he's not really serious about being baptized enough to come to church or try to quit smoking, or even meet with us, when he has something more interesting to do, so that has been disappointing.

The other highlight this week is our new Chinese investigator. A foreign exchange student, he doesn't speak Russian very well, but we communicate all right so hopefully that will keep going on.

We went to a little museum this week with some old Russian peasant stuff. I thought it was really cool, because you could touch everything there. And a member of the branch works there so she treated us nicely and explained everything.

Then Saturday night was awesome. The sisters had a baptism, a babooshka. I did her interview last week and talked to her at church before. And she had me baptize her! It was really unexpected and really cool. It was a great experience and really powerful. And a little bit awkward and funny trying to get her to understand the hand positioning, leg bend and nose hold stuff, but it all was good. I'll attach some pictures of that and the museum.

Oh yeah, nothing here with the meteorite. I just heard about it from some people, that's all.

Have a good week. Love you

Elder Topham

Ok well I cant get the pictures to work here, so I'll send them another time. Sorry

God Saw Our Efforts

Hey thanks for your emails.

This week was pretty good. We still had a lot of the same challenges that we have been having, but there was some really cool stuff that happened too and some really cool new investigators.

Tuesday was a rough day and we had one lesson with a part member family that night, but we couldn't get anyone scheduled during the day. So we just contacted in the cold all day. It actually wasn't too hard to stay out that long, we both dressed really well and every once in a while popped into a store to warm up. But it was really hard to go back out after dinner.

Then on Wednesday we ran into the same situation. We had English in the evening, but we couldn't get anyone for the day, so we set out to do the same thing again. Luckily (or maybe God saw our efforts from the previous day and felt bad for us) the second guy we talked to was really interested and had just left that day to go look for work, not really knowing where he was going. He agreed to go to the church nearby and take a look and we were able to teach him a full lesson in the nice warm church.

Then that same day, we had just arrived to open up the building for English and the first guy came in, I had never seen him before and we started talking, he asked me when the next baptism is, and he said that he had promised Elder Fitzgerald that he would be baptized a year ago but it didn't work out and now he his ready. That's one of those times that you don't really know how to react, quite the pleasant surprise. We went to his home later that week, set a baptismal date with him and taught him. He has the desire, and I'm very grateful that God led him back to us.

We also had a great first lesson with a young guy that goes to English. He accepted everything almost better than anyone that I have taught a first lesson to and is a very bright guy. He is 17 and he came with his mother to church on Sunday and they both stayed for all three hours. His mom is actually a Baptist, which is very rare for Russia, she doesn't seem like she is looking for a different church, but she seemed to like everything that went on. We should be going over to their place to teach both of them later in the week.

I did another baptismal interview this week, for the sister's investigator. She is a sweet old lady, and she will be baptized on Saturday.

So other than that, it has been the regular day to day grind. But we are very grateful and optimistic about our two new investigators, and it's really nice to have a couple that you are really optimistic about to keep you happy and excited.

I appreciate the advice that you gave at the end of your letter dad, and I'll try to do that. It actually hasn't been too hard, usually on Mondays I think about school and basketball and stuff a lot, then by Tuesday morning I forget about it all.

My tooth feels good, it doesn't hurt at all.

The schedule looks good. Thank you for doing that.

I don't know about who I will room with, I'll probably just tell you in March if that's okay. There is zone conference March 13, so I'll make a decision by then. If I know earlier I'll let you know.

Ok I think that's it. Love you all, have a good week.

Elder Topham