Family Traditions

Hi All - another busy week down!!

We had multiple service opportunities this week! 1st we got to help Rustam, an older Recent Convert with his groceries at the Rinok. Rinok means market and it is quite the experience, there is alive, large fish being sold and some meat that is way fresh, handled by all these ladies, with bare hands. Quite fun. 

2nd we got to serve another Recent Convert named Olya with the Young Men! We got to paint some trees white for her,  while her little kitten sat on my shoulders. Almost every tree in Russia is painted white, she said it helps protect against beetles and some other bugs. 

3rd we served Aleksye like usual. The hole is now much deeper than I am tall and it is pretty fun getting in and out of it. Alexye actually came to the activity Saturday night and then to church on Sunday in a way nice suit and tie! 

As of now we do not have any investigators. But we have been staying busy with service and working with our Recent Converts. The Krasnodar banch is the best in the mission for retention of new members! I love our Recent Converts, they are incredible, it baffles me that they have all been members for less than a year. We have been working with one named Maxim to prepare him to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, when President is here this weekend! Also we have been continuing to work with Mihael, he should be getting the Aaronic Priesthood soon! 

Friday we got to see the Miners for a minute as they stopped by Krasnodar on their way to Tuapse. We had to go lock up the branch, so they gave us a ride home. It was great to see them for a minute and the mission driver Vasili. They will be back at the end of this week!

Saturday night was the big Family Traditions night that our Recent Convert Olya was in charge of. It was an awesome activity. She interviewed everyone, weeks back, about their family traditions and traced everyone's hands. Everyone had their own paper with their name, family traditions, hand traced, and a picture. (picture of mine is below).

Sunday was great. Everyone talked about temples again because the youth in the Branch are all working so hard to get to the temple in July! They have a program that they follow with scripture reading, seminary attendance, etc. and then they will all go to the Finland Temple in July. They are all really excited! 

This week Elder Gerritsen and I will be focusing on finding! We have planned some locations to contact in and we have some new ways of starting conversations with people. We really need and want to find some prepared people! 

This week I had some very powerful experiences while studying the scriptures. I got emotional the other day while studying the Bible because I received such powerful, personal guidance from my Father in Heaven. I love the scriptures and how, if we pray and prepare ourselves, we can receive answers no matter what the question or situation! We have a big zone conference next week, so our P-day will be on Tuesday, instead of Monday.

New church video in Russian - SledovatZahim.mormon.org - check it out.

Love you all soo much!! 

-Elder Tucker//Старейшина Таккер