My companion makes fun of the way I speak English now...Jan 31

Well, hello!
This has been a great week, a difficult and tiring week, but great. We still don't have the highest of numbers but we are working really hard and trying to plan really well in order to get our numbers up. We have a goal for 4 baptisms in February! So far, we only have one baptism date with our investigator Vladimir, but the last meeting we had didn't go very well. Something happened this past week and we couldn't figure out what it was, but he got scared somehow. Last week, when we met, and we set a baptismal date, he was very sincere and humble. He even kneeled in the family prayer. However, when we met with him on Friday, he went back to saying, "I'm not ready" meaning, "I don't want to give up my lifestyle yet." We adjust the lesson to his needs and the spirit was strong, but his fear closed his heart from it. He wouldn't kneel to pray with us at the end. My heart was broken. BUT, he agreed to read and pray this week and the family is reading and praying together so hopefully when we meet with them again tonight, things will be better and he will have a softer heart. There is still plenty of hope, please keep him in your prayers. We have a few new investigators and some progressing. So...I think four baptisms in February is very possible, and if I ever have a doubt, I just have to look at my companion because she has more faith than anyone I have ever seen. We also have a lot of good potential investigators!
We are trying to work a lot more with the members. We had a few inactives come to church on Sunday and that was miraculous. And we have a few who are planning on talking to specific friends this week to see if we can meet with them. So...hopefully we will see some more referrals this next week. Mom, you asked how the church is doing here in Perm...I think it's great. My ward here in Balatovo is pretty small, and we just rent out a place to meet - i think it used to be a medical clinic or something. But the other branch here in perm is a lot bigger and has a church building. So...together...Perm has some really strong members and it sees the most success of all the cities in our mission, as far as church growth goes.
My companion and I are doing great. Sister Whiting is incredible. She truly is such a good missionary. She works so hard and she tries so hard and she truly loves these people. I love her so much and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with her. I am trying so hard to help her adjust. Being from Hawaii, she is having a hard time, but she is always so positive about everything. Yesterday, almost all of our meetings fell through, so we stuck to our backup plan - which consisted of searching out some inactives who have fallen off the face of the earth. There is a reason no one knows about them...they all either moved away, or didn't want to talk to us, or were quite grumpy that we had disturbed them. We spent almost the entire day out in the cold, walking around, finding their houses. There was a biting wind and I was fine...but later found out that my Hawaiian companion had forgotten her warm socks and was not wearing her warm tights. The poor thing was freezing! I hope that the coldest months are past already. If so...we are so lucky because this year wasn't even that cold.I love you all so much! I miss you and pray for you! Have a great week, ok?!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
love always,
Sister Hansen