We celebrated Thanksgiving by having a dinner in our apartment for the young elders and sisters. I really worried about this because it has been hard to cook chicken here in Russia and still keep it moist and tasty---unless I put it in soups! Angels attended us and Heavenly Father inspired us and we had the most succulent chicken you could ever imagine. Now you might say, "where was the turkey?" We don't know if they even have it. Russians eat tons of fish, even fish soup. They also eat tons and tons of veggies. Vegetables are fixed differently and many ways. I can't wait to come home and be able to make yummy Russian dishes.
Well, I tried to add photos to this post, but it won't let me, so I will share those later. Matt said the same thing happened to him.
I will just tell you that we have two native Russian missionaries. Elder Naumov and Sister Kovalevskaya are both originally from Ekateringburg and are fantastic missionaries. We are so blessed to be able to work with them. They have tremendous testimonies of the gospel and are great with people. We love them.
As you know, we have a new assignment to be a Mission President couple. We will be going home to Salt Lake City, Utah to be with family. We report to the MTC June 24, 2010 to be trained as Mission President and wife. We continue to be in awe that our Heavenly Father has that much faith in us.... so we will too. "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies" [Pres. Thomas S. Monson] We have found so much personal support from our Heavenly Father and from our Savior, Jesus Christ. We feel so blessed to be able to continue to serve. We love you all and will be looking forward to coming home to some warm weather!!!.... :) The temperatures in our Khabarovsk, Russia have been -20 degrees F to -25 degrees F. We walk everywhere so we bundle up and we are loving it!!! See you soon - we fly into Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
OUR NEW BAPTISM
Dasha and her family and this also includes three of our elders - Elder Temus, Elder Bendixsen [who performed the baptism] and Elder Naumov [our native Russian elder].
Our member and investigators at Dasha's baptism. We have no font, the Amur River is too dirty [and ice is forming on the shore], so we must rent a sauna in a hotel to perform our baptisms. It works fine. We have a song, prayer, short program and the Spirit attends...what more could we ask for?
Our very dear friend, Dasha, got baptized on 31 October 2009. We love this young lady!! We love her family. Dasha is only 16 years old, but she knows the gospel and has a strong testimony. She is a delight!! We are so proud of her and how she is becoming such a special young lady.
Our member and investigators at Dasha's baptism. We have no font, the Amur River is too dirty [and ice is forming on the shore], so we must rent a sauna in a hotel to perform our baptisms. It works fine. We have a song, prayer, short program and the Spirit attends...what more could we ask for?
Our very dear friend, Dasha, got baptized on 31 October 2009. We love this young lady!! We love her family. Dasha is only 16 years old, but she knows the gospel and has a strong testimony. She is a delight!! We are so proud of her and how she is becoming such a special young lady.
TRAVELING FOR 3RD VISA TRIP TO KOREA
E/S Sartori with Stanislov
Our group from the Vladivostok Mission.
Elder Sartori and Stanislov in front of the Seoul Korea Temple.
Sister Sartori and Stanislov showing the temple name.
Elder Sartori lovingly talking to our Stanislov.
We must share our wonderful experience as we went to the Seoul Korea Temple with a member of our Khabarovsk Branch. Stanislov went to the temple for the first time and we were blessed to experience this wonderful event with him. Stanislov is such a spiritual giant and one who is a great example to us. Stanislov speaks very little English, we speak even less Russian, but we had the Spirit to help us communicate. We were alone with Stanislov for three days until others from our mission came - including those who speak Russian. We had two sisters from Ussurisk receive their endowments also.
Stanislov entered the temple and IMMEDIATELY felt the Spirit. He loves the Holy Ghost and is very in-tune with it all the time. He loved basking in the Spirit and was privileged to receive at least one spiritual experience. We learned so much from Stanislov and will be forever thankful for our trip with him.
Our group from the Vladivostok Mission.
Elder Sartori and Stanislov in front of the Seoul Korea Temple.
Sister Sartori and Stanislov showing the temple name.
Elder Sartori lovingly talking to our Stanislov.
We must share our wonderful experience as we went to the Seoul Korea Temple with a member of our Khabarovsk Branch. Stanislov went to the temple for the first time and we were blessed to experience this wonderful event with him. Stanislov is such a spiritual giant and one who is a great example to us. Stanislov speaks very little English, we speak even less Russian, but we had the Spirit to help us communicate. We were alone with Stanislov for three days until others from our mission came - including those who speak Russian. We had two sisters from Ussurisk receive their endowments also.
Stanislov entered the temple and IMMEDIATELY felt the Spirit. He loves the Holy Ghost and is very in-tune with it all the time. He loved basking in the Spirit and was privileged to receive at least one spiritual experience. We learned so much from Stanislov and will be forever thankful for our trip with him.
ANOTHER SPECIAL CALL
As many of you know, we have received a new Mission Call. We have been called to serve as Mission President couple. We do not know where yet, but have again said that we will serve anywhere the Lord wishes. We do know that our assignment begins 1 July 2010. The brethren like Senior Couples to be home at least 6 months between missions so we will be coming home the first week in December 2009. We have loved serving here in the Russia Vladivostok Mission and it is hard leaving dear friends, but as we all know...that is the one thing we can take with us when we leave this mortal existence is our friendships. We will know one another. We are excited!! We have met so many wonderful people all over the world in our lifetime and we cherish the friendships. We are getting excited to come home and spend time with family and friends. FRIENDS - WE would encourage all of you to come into the mission field and serve a mission! It will change your life even better! It is humbling to feel the Lord's influence even stronger in our lives and our testimonies grow so strong. We are truly humbled by our many experiences and would encourage you good people to experience great things for yourself!!
I will share a little about how we got our call. Elder Russell M. Nelson [yes, an Apostle of the Lord] called us here in Russia (well, his Secretary called and we returned the call) and asked if he could speak to us. He asked us questions about our family, my Mom, and if we would be willing to serve as Mission President couple. He said that it was just gathering information at that point. Two weeks later a Bro. Fife called us and asked other information. Then on 24 October 2009, Pres. Henry B. Eyring [yes, another Apostle of the Lord] called and officially extended the call to serve as a Missionary President couple. We have been trying to humble, refine, sanctify, etc., etc., ourselves for this. We have the desire, but we need the Lord's guidance every hour. We will 'go and do as the Lord commands' and we do know that 'He will provide a way for us to accomplish'.
It will be good to see family and friends.
I will share a little about how we got our call. Elder Russell M. Nelson [yes, an Apostle of the Lord] called us here in Russia (well, his Secretary called and we returned the call) and asked if he could speak to us. He asked us questions about our family, my Mom, and if we would be willing to serve as Mission President couple. He said that it was just gathering information at that point. Two weeks later a Bro. Fife called us and asked other information. Then on 24 October 2009, Pres. Henry B. Eyring [yes, another Apostle of the Lord] called and officially extended the call to serve as a Missionary President couple. We have been trying to humble, refine, sanctify, etc., etc., ourselves for this. We have the desire, but we need the Lord's guidance every hour. We will 'go and do as the Lord commands' and we do know that 'He will provide a way for us to accomplish'.
It will be good to see family and friends.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Our Mission Continues
Sakhalinsk, Russia
We have visited many cities, but we are not always able to take pics. Here are a couple pics of our Sakhalinsk, Russia. This is a city on an island. Many Americans have lived here and worked here with their Exxon Oil Company. There are three families right now in this position and are such a help to the Branch.
It's good to say hello again. We hope all is well with our friends and family. Another month has almost come to an end, but this one is special, because it is our halfway point. Our mission is an 18 month mission and as of two days ago, we have been on our mission for 9 months. We entered the MTC for training on the 26th of January of this year. We arrived in Russia on the 13th of February. We have had many wonderful experiences, but we think the hardest part of a mission is teaching the people the Restored Gospel and for some reason - reasons - they choose not to accept and embrace the gospel. Life is full of ups and downs and the gospel enriches those ups and carries us and lifts us through the downs. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is literally our life saver!!! THIS LIFE IS THE TEST...AND THE GOSPEL TEACHES US HOW TO PASS THE TEST!! We are so thankful for the many prayers of you, our family and friends, and for your kind words of love. Our mission is like any other righteous endeavor - hard, but rewarding!! Mostly we don't even label it hard, because it rarely feels that way. We have been humbled many times at the miracles we see daily. We know angels have attended us on this journey and we are forever grateful for their presence AND BEING ABLE TO FEEL THEM!!
We send our love your way and please know that we think of you often.
We have visited many cities, but we are not always able to take pics. Here are a couple pics of our Sakhalinsk, Russia. This is a city on an island. Many Americans have lived here and worked here with their Exxon Oil Company. There are three families right now in this position and are such a help to the Branch.
It's good to say hello again. We hope all is well with our friends and family. Another month has almost come to an end, but this one is special, because it is our halfway point. Our mission is an 18 month mission and as of two days ago, we have been on our mission for 9 months. We entered the MTC for training on the 26th of January of this year. We arrived in Russia on the 13th of February. We have had many wonderful experiences, but we think the hardest part of a mission is teaching the people the Restored Gospel and for some reason - reasons - they choose not to accept and embrace the gospel. Life is full of ups and downs and the gospel enriches those ups and carries us and lifts us through the downs. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is literally our life saver!!! THIS LIFE IS THE TEST...AND THE GOSPEL TEACHES US HOW TO PASS THE TEST!! We are so thankful for the many prayers of you, our family and friends, and for your kind words of love. Our mission is like any other righteous endeavor - hard, but rewarding!! Mostly we don't even label it hard, because it rarely feels that way. We have been humbled many times at the miracles we see daily. We know angels have attended us on this journey and we are forever grateful for their presence AND BEING ABLE TO FEEL THEM!!
We send our love your way and please know that we think of you often.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Night time in Vladivostok at the Pier
PICTURES OF VLADIVOSTOK ...THE PIER BY THE TRAIN STATION.
It's nice. The weather was beautiful also.
This is night time at the pier at Vladivostok. We had time before our train left, so we captured some beauty.
It's nice. The weather was beautiful also.
This is night time at the pier at Vladivostok. We had time before our train left, so we captured some beauty.
Visits to Other Cities
This is our wonderful group of saints in Usserisk. We felt the great love they share in their Branch. We visited Artyom first, but did not take pics.
We visited two other cities...Artyom and Usserisk. Artyom has saints meeting in a rented building also, but it is not a Branch..just a group. There were about 16 people in attendance at Sacrament Mtg. at which we spoke. Half of those in attendance were missionaries. Our office couple leaves Vladivostok each week with the assignment of attending in Artyom. This began with a taxi for us..but on the way home I don't know how many busses we rode??? I think it might have been three!! ..that is dedication when it takes you ALL DAY to travel to church, be there for two full meetings (a reduced block schedule) then travel back to your apartment!! Elder and Sister Magill are AWESOME!!! TOTALLY AWESOME!! [Kinda like a couple other Magill's we know!!!!]
Friends and Family --- The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is TRUE and is vital to our eternal salvation! We love you, we pray for you, we love the Lord and our Heavenly Father. May you be blessed to know of a surety what we must do to obtain our blessings of exaltation, we pray in our Savior's Holy Name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)