From Russia With Love: 5 months down!

Well Hello my FABULOUS family

I have now officially met my new sweet trainee. Her name is Sister Henriksen. She is such a go getter! Things have been a little challenging for her with the language and adapting to Russia, but Heavenly Father has blessed me to know what she needs to hear. We have been working really hard this week, and wow, the Lord has been helping us to do his work. It has been incredible.

While I was with Sister Young, I had her to rely on and to fall back on if I didn't know what to say or if I didn't understand, but now.. I am the one that she falls back on. The Lord has blessed me an incredible amount to be able to understand and to be able to speak. I can't even describe how much my understanding and language skills have increased this past week. I know it is only because of my Father in Heaven that I am able to do all things that He requires of me. I have hard times many times a week, but I have received so much strength and peace from my Savior. It is only with Him that I can have the confidence I need each day to walk up to random people, get rejected hundreds of times a day, and then continue forward with a smile on my face. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I feel so much happiness and joy each day because of the work I am doing. I am thankful for the blessing to know that Heavenly Father is with me each step of the way. I am still experiencing hard trials, I am still pushed everyday, but I have realized more and more each trial how important it is to trust the Lord. He knows better than I. He doesn't and will not give us trials that we can not handle. I know that each trial I face is for my own good and that as I endure them well, I will find a reward. It may come immediately, maybe it won't come for a week, a month, a year, or in this life time, BUT that reward will come. We have a young, hot, and on fire district. The oldest, our district leader, Elder Campbell is only on his 7th cycle, but he has been such a great help to us. We have 4 Elders and Sister H an I in our district. I love it!

This week we had such an incredible experience. We were really trying to focus on where the Spirit needed us to go. I felt a strong feeling to just talk with everyone and to invite them to learn more (this is a hard challenge on some of the main busy roads). We took an interesting turn where we haven't gone before. As I was walking I saw a lady walking into her apartment and felt a strong need to talk with her. She ended up wanting a Book of Mormon, committing to coming to church, and asking to meet again. I know it is not by chance that we came across Ctaleana. She is incredible and I know that Lord has great plans for her!

UPDATE for the young man that was in the Hospital. It has been a miracle recovery. He is out of the Hospital after some major surgery on his face. He is recovering very swiftly. He is blind and can't walk because of his broken legs, but the Doctors are shocked that he lived. I know that this is a miracle from God. What a testimony to me that he truly does love us and listen to our prayers! Don't ever hesitate to pray. One of my good friends once said (not quoted exactly), "When you feel like you can't stand, kneel". I know that you will receive the strength you need to do all that the Lord asks of you. I do.

I love you all. You are in my prayers!

Love always and forever,
Dev

One of our sweet investigators.

We have a tradition to decorate our planners. These are pictures of my planners the past three cycles. My favorite is this cycle. It is a picture of a guy jumping over a ledge to the other side with the sun under him... this cycle I have had to take risks and I have had to be courageous--with my Heavenly Father (the sun) giving me that light and strength, i can endure anything I am asked to do! The back has a picture of a beach...it is to remind me to relax :)