Thank you for all the emails, they are great as usual. And mom, yes i did get the package as i came through moscow last week.; Thank you!! it was fun to read all those letters!!! And the only thing that you might want to stick in the other package is just another bottle of the multi vitamins. I am good on everything else. And ange, the address is the same. When someone comes to kazakhstan they just bring us everything that went to the mission office. Actually i heard there might be an address here too for packages. i will ask and let you know.
So kazakhstan is good. We have a lot more investigators here, which i am not used to. And most of them are english investigators like I said, and then we also teach them the gospel. Some of them are progressing very well,and others are not quite as accepting. But we continue to work as best as we can with the investigators.
I like how joe called this place "the other part of Russia". To be honest it is nothing like Russia! it is crazy different. People speak Russian, but mostly the native language here is kazak language. All the signs and things outside are in kazak, and if you are a native you know how to speak kazak. So usually when we hear people talking outside or when we hear music outside it is always in the kazak language. I would say the language sounds like some kind of mix between the russian and chinese languages. So, people will talk to us in russian though. And english. There are a lot of international schools here and A LOT of people learn english. So in all of kazakhstan our city, almaty, is the only open city to missionaries right now. There are a total of 10 missionaries here in the city. A senior couple, 3 elder companionship's, and then one sister companionship. I think they are working on opening other cities, but i am not sure how soon that will be. Sometime i think they want to make kazakhstan its own mission, and the missionaries will learn the kazak language instead of russian. I heard that the kazak people here are very very patriotic, and a lot of them don't like it when russians and other people come to live here. I heard that they are slowly trying to make it harder and harder for other nationalities to come and live here as registered citizens. So yes, a lot of the people here do look chinese, but they are kazak. As we have been outside, the people seem to be a lot more open too. The culture is just very different. This city has many more rich business type people, and some really really nice cars!
Right now, for the first two weeks, I am not allowed to wear my name tag,and I am not allowed to talk to people about the gospel. So i just talk to them about our english club and lessons. So in about a week I will be able to wear my tag (i feel so weird without it!) and then not too long after that I need to make another trip to moscow to get my full 6 month visa. (They only give you a one month visa first, then you have to leave and get your 6 month visa and come back). Kinda crazy and a lot of traveling. But its all good i guess. And yes, there is only one branch here in almaty. It is not like huge, but it is not small either.
Last friday and saturday the mission president let me and sister chetina go to the relief society conference that they have here in almaty every year. It is up in the mountains in like a cabin type thing, and we went there and spent the night and did spiritual things with the women in the branch. It was fun to get to know some of the wonderful women here. They have very strong testimonies and really love the gospel. I am excited to get to know them better. Also, when we had conference with the president last week, for p day he wanted to do something fun with us, and so he took the district to these like grand canyon stuff. Of course it is not as big, But it was beautiful and i got some good pictures. We had a fun little picnic there also.
Let's see. I don't really know much of what else to say. Im sorry but i have the hardest time concentrating in here with all these gamers and loud music!! So i can't really think about what to say next.
Oh i forgot to tell you that there are a lot of muslims here. So it has been very interesting to talk to them and to learn about their traditions and beliefs. We know some islam people who their parents still choose their wife and husband for them. Crazy huh? Oh, and i can see mountains from my window here. cool huh!
I love the people here, and I love working with our investigators. My companion is great, and I am excited to be serving with her. She goes home in 2 months and i think it is very hard for her. She loves it here. I really miss voronezh, russia, the branch there, our investigators, and sister gorkavenko. But...the Lord needs me here in almaty now and I am doing my very best to stay focused and grow to love the new culture here. So far, i like what i have seen. But yes, I hope that I can grow to love the place and people here just as much as i did in voronezh. I love this work, and I know that it is the work of the Lord.
I love you all! Stay safe and do what's right. Remember to always say your prayers and read your scriptures. Live worthy of the influence of the Holy Ghost in your lives. God loves you! Show your love to Him by keeping His commandments. My prayers are with you, as always.
all my love, until next week!
Sister Brown
ps...funny story. I was talking with our mission president, and somehow the subject of xango came up. You remember how you told me that zach baxter's family was moving to moscow? Well, they are the neighbors of President wolley and his wife!!
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