July 11, 2016

I'm feeling a lot better, every now and again I cough and it feels like I can't breathe, but I'm on meds and I'm getting better.  Story of my mission to date is get going doing well and then, completely wiped out with a sickness.  Oh well, it's taught me some humility!

Hey, question.  How's family scripture study/prayer?  I know I asked a while ago, but I've yet to follow up :).  I hope it's happening, and if you meet resistance from the kids about doing it, please tell them that I'm for it too!

Not asthma, not entirely sure.  It's just like twice a day now where I cough and it takes some shallow breathing and water to be able to breathe again, no worries the doctor is aware.  And yeah you're right, you do :).  No worries, I never really understood why it was important before coming on my mission.  I apologize for the grief it must have caused you mom.  It might be a good idea to watch Elder Ballard's talk from last conference.  He just mentions that there are things that we can do that can keep our home safe from the influence of the adversary.  My mission president likes to say, "People complain that we always hear the same things at General Conference.  Well, if everyone actually started trusting the leaders of the church and applying what they said then maybe we would hear something new next conference!"  I love you mom, thanks for the pics of grandma and grandpa, they are too cute.

Dear Family and Friends, 

First off, want to start off my letter with a statement from the church this week: The Church recognizes a new law will take effect in Russia on July 20, 2016 that will have an impact on missionary work. The Church will honor, sustain and obey the law. Missionaries will remain in Russia and will work within the requirements of these changes. The Church will further study and analyze the law and its impact as it goes into effect.

So, if any of you had any questions about that, there's your answer!  We're staying, we'll be legal, and the work will go forward.  Until the 20th of July though, we're going to be out talking to people for about 8 hours each day, my companion and I have actually tried to see if we can hit 9 hours in one day, but because he's still in training we're supposed to do extra studies and so we won't be able to do that.  But, yesterday we just went out and tried random things that we hadn't tried before just to start talking to people normally about this message which we have to share.  It was so fun to see just as people saw that we were doing this, and having fun doing it, they stopped and they talked with us.  We probably handing out over 50+ church materials over the course of a couple of hours, and had several fun, spiritual conversations with people.  It was just fun to see that people could see that we weren't robots, but that we do believe we have something to share and we'll be outside talking to people for 8 hours if need be.  

We also had a really fun conversation on a little маршрутка bus this week.  Elder Ward and I were talking and he asked me about how a word is pornounced and so I just told him in Russian, "there are Russians all around you, ask them!" And then about 6 different people started paying attention to us and he asked his question and we had the most natural and fun conversation with about 6 or so people on a bus that you could imagine.  

I'd like to wrap up my email with a verse that our Mission President shared with us given all the uncertainty from D&C 90:24 which reads, " 24 Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another."

Things are going to be just fine here in Russia, I'm (relatively) back to health again and I'm excited to see what this week has in store for us!  One last verse that wraps it up nicely is D&C 123:17 which reads, " 17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

I love you all and hope that you have a great and uplifting week!  

Love, 

Elder Belnap

Pictures!

1. my companion is short

2. Next 5 pictures are all of our apartment...it's nice

In the last picture it's from when I was very sick and we couldn't leave the apartment.  I promise sleeping is something I've gotten better at, but when I'm sick I think I'll always be out of it :).