Fwd: Letter #36 - 12/9/13

I love her personality that comes out in her letters!  Enjoy!!! 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 8:55 AM
Subject: Letter #36 - 12/9/13
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>

Dear friends and family and fan clubs all across the globe,

To make up for my lack of letter last week, I shall make this letter especially awesome. Are you ready for this?

First off, Genadi got baptized on Wednesday! Go back and see "Letter #10 - 6/10/13" for the first time I met him (he's the paralyzed man, the brother of the Lena that I taught). Anyway, it was amazing. We got a portable baptismal font and brought it to his little apartment, and then it took eight or ten men to lift him up on a stretcher and immerse him in the water. Elder Romney was the one the baptized him (rather, said the ordinance while the ten of them baptized him) and conferred the Holy Ghost afterward. At the very end of the service, I was able to read the journal entry that I wrote on the day I met him (the spiritual experience I had in his apartment; again, see Letter #10), and I was holding back tears, seriously. What an incredible man. The best word I can find to describe him is "transformed." He was a burdened and broken man when I met him six months ago, and now his spirit is healed and elated while his body awaits the healing of the resurrection. What an honor it was to play a small part in such a transformation.

Also, I haven't written much about Alisa, but she's our awesome progressing investigator. She's 53 years old, and came into the church for English but was also interested in the gospel. She already knows the Book of Mormon is true, and she really enjoyed our church services the other week. We'll be meeting with her again tomorrow to talk about the Plan of Salvation. She's such a sweet lady, and I'm looking forward to offering her even more blessings of the restored gospel. :)

Oh, by the way I'm staying in Voskresensky yet another transfer (and it might be an 8-week one because we just had a 4-week one). I almost forgot to mention that because it's no longer "news" to me. I swear, if President doesn't pull me out of here by the end of this next transfer, I'm personally sneaking into his office to rearrange the transfer board. Just kidding, just kidding, I'm happy about it. :) Also, Sister Hunsaker is a fantastic missionary, and I'm glad to be staying with her too.

Spiritual thought for the week: Jeremiah 20:7-9. Here Jeremiah is having a hard time... he was cast into the stocks and is pondering about his predicament. He complains for a few verses: "I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily." And then he appears to make a decision: "Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name." That's it, I've had enough, I'm done with this! It's too hard, everyone rejects me, and now I'm even stuck in the stocks. It's over! But then we see what actually happens: "But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." In other words, I imagine something like this...

Jeremiah: "Man, this is horrible!"

Jeremiah's prison-mate: "Yeah, life stinks!"

Jeremiah: "Yeah! Life sti--... hey... do you know the purpose of life? God has a plan about that, you know..."

Anyway, I know that I have certainly felt what Jeremiah has; the word of God has been like a fire in my bones, and I've barely been able to contain myself. And that's exactly how I'm feeling now. The church is true and amazing, and the world's gotta know about it!

Alright, we'll call that quits for today. Thanks for all your prayers and letters and support. I love you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much (blame Mom for that many o's...) :)

Love,

Sister Montgomery

PS -- Funny random addition: you may have wondered if I ever think about "life after mission." Well, this was my train of thought last time when I tried to attempt such a feat (one night as I was trying to fall asleep).

• You know, one day I'm going to start dating again
• That means I should probably buy some cute clothes or something
• I can probably get a bunch of stuff at DI
• Hmm... I'm probably not going to be in Utah until January, because...
• I'll be visiting my sisters around the country before then
• That mean I'll be at a bunch of different airports
• Which means I can totally share the gospel with the people I meet there!
• I should bring lots of pass-along cards and some copies of the Book of Mormon
• What was that about dating?

Yep... not only is my body 6000 miles away from home, but a lot of times my mind is too. Not to say I don't think about y'all, but... yeah, I'm pretty focused here. :)