This week was pretty great! Thanksgiving was really good...We had a Turkey Lunch and a sack dinner. It was all worth it thought. Elder Oaks spike to us about Thanks and Gratitude. He brought along his family as the music for the meeting. We got to hear things from his family and we also got to hear his daughter, Jenny Oaks Baker, play her violin. I love that through music we can break down the wall that people even countries have. There are lots of examples where the work of The Lord has been testified of through music. I love being in the MTC Choir, it is such a blessing to my life. Drew is also in the choir as well. Who knew that he would like singing in front of General Authorities every week.
After we had lunch on Thanksgiving and after the devotional, we had a service project. we made 357,000 meals for kids in Utah that don't get food on a regular basis. It was so fun to forget about myself and help those who are in my home state. It was a surprise to me that so many kids go without. I want to help with the relief effort when I get home.
Update on my investigators:
Vitalli:
We went a week and a half without teaching him. I was really sad because he had told us that we wouldn't be able to teach him on theFriday after Thanksgiving, but then he showed up and we had to reschedule for the next Monday. This taught me to always have a lesson planned even if the investigator says that they can't be taught. I was humbled and will always try to better myself. Vitallli has not told his wife or his son that he has been meeting with the Missionaries. He fears that if he tells his family, things might end up going south on him. please pray for him and his family. Pray to give him courage. that he may overcome these challenges. It may be easier to teach Katya, but I love teaching Vitalli. He stretches me and makes me think more and harder. He wants to know what language the Book of Mormon was translated from. I told him that I understood his question, but I didn't know how to say it in Russian. I told him that we would answer that in our next appt.
Katya:
Katya is amazing. She came to church with us this week. She loved it. I am so proud of her willingness to keep her commitments. She still is having questions to know if God loves her. We tell her to pray and she is having a hard time with this. I have faith that she will keep her commitment to pray this week. I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and almost started crying in Russian...I guess you can cry in other languages too. haha.
On Monday we had over 170 senior couples come through the doors. This is the most that the MTC has had in one day. My companionship's job was to greet them and help them through their registration. I made quick friends and when we pass each other on campus, we greet each other. I greet them in Russian and they greet me in their language. It is kinda dorky, but then again look who is talking. I love them and the examples that they are to me.
The Subject Line:
In Choir we were singing the song, "Behold The Wounds" I want you all to look up the text and to study it out. Our conductor compared it to the story of the Bridegroom. Look up the way that the marriages were in Jesus' time.
They would covenant with each other
The Groom would pay the price to redeem the father for his daughter
The Groom would go to his fathers house and he would build a house for the two of them onto his father's house.
The Wife would have to wait without knowing when he would come back
When the Groom was finished, he would gather his friends and they would sneak into the nigh tot he house of the bride and start yelling to wake her up.
If she was prepared, she would be in her wedding dress and they would go to the engagement ceremony and be married.
Now I want you to apply this to the Atonement. Don't you think this is the reason that they call The Savior, "The Bridegroom"? This was a really great thing to learn. Please study the words of the song and apply them. I promise you that you will receive blessings!
Until next week I send my love,
Elder Collin Hawkins
Russia, St. Petersburg Mission
The following pictures are from Drew:
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