Week 20: I'm getting transferred

Hello All,

We just got transfer calls and I'm going to Astrakhan, which will take three days to arrive there. It's basically the middle east and it is also way cold there. This is an area where it's basically only Africans in the branch. I hear there are about 20 Africans and 3 Russians. It's going to be so fun. I'm going to be serving with Elder Williams.   Yesterday we had 3 baptisms that the sister missionaries have been working with.  A mother and her 8 year old daughter and a young man named Aren.   The language is still coming along. When people talk to me I understand a lot of what they are saying but I sometimes don't understand if they are asking me a question and what the question is.  So I just say да (yes). And then they say something like, oh I'll just go ask Elder Altuhov. haha It's funny sometimes.

I hope you have a great week!  Love you all.

I'm going to Astrakhan man. Wish me luck!!

Elder Franckowiak

Week 19: Zone Conference

Good Morning,

This week was the week of Zone Conference. We had the Sochi Elders come up 3 days early and stay with us because a train wasn't available until after Zone Conference. The second day they were here the Crimea Elders came and we decided to do some splits. I went with the greenie Elder down there and a Russian Elder. It was cool because we basically did service all day, like digging and raking and sweeping the grass. It was pretty cool and it was all worth it. I destroyed my foot on one of the shovels but its okay. My foot will only hurt for a couple of weeks. 

This week we didn't have a lot of lessons with investigators but this upcoming week we should be doing a lot more of that. 

"Wickedness never was happiness"

Elder M Franckowiak

 

Week 18: он сказал до свидания

дорогие братья и сёстры,

We had a good week and it was kind of all over the place. I went on another split with a missionary who has been out 6 weeks less than me. But it was in our area so it was more intense. We had two lessons set up and I didn't even know how to get there. But the lesson went well and we got there only 15 minutes late. The second guy we went to was also good except we were only an hour late to his house. We went to this small shop that sells goods and when I was buying something she asked for my passport. I showed it to her and she saw that I was American. We talked for like 2 minutes and in the end she told me that my Russian sucks. hahah.

The guy that was suppose to get baptized last week didn't. He texted us and said that he doesn't think that this church is for him. He brought his girlfriend when he was regularly coming and they broke up. So his girlfriend is coming but he stopped. It's all about planting seeds. It's sad to see him go though.

I also gave a blessing in Russian yesterday. It was so bad. haha.

Love this gospel and its blessings!

Elder M Franckowiak

Week 17: Two Months in Russia!

Hey Everyone,

This week was another good one. We got 2 more investigators this week. We taught them the restoration and they both spoke good enough English so we taught them mostly in English. It went really well and they both seemed really interested in the Book of Mormon. We committed them to reading the Book of Mormon and they said they would. Our African investigator, Frank, was baptized on Saturday. We told him the service was going to be at 6 o'clock on Saturday. At around 9 am we get a phone call from him saying that he was there at the church at 6 am and waited outside in the cold for 45 minutes but no one came. We told him that it was at 6 pm and he just laughed. I had the opportunity to confirm him a member of the church on Sunday. I was way nervous but I guess it went pretty well. The senior couple Elder got to baptize him because he would sit in on most of our lessons and that is who he wanted to baptize him. 

One of our investigators has a baptism date for Nov 11th. He is the one that just showed up at church and has come almost every time since.

I also can't believe that my brother is 21 years old today. It blows my mind. 

Love the church and the blessings it brings!

Elder M Franckowiak

Week 16: WOw

Hello everyone,

This week was a good one. We got 2 new investigators this week. One of them we met at a bookstore when we were just speaking English. He came up to us and started speaking English. We asked him if he likes ping pong and lo and behold he is our investigator. The other one came to the church and told us that he wants his kid to grow up with some good friends and how he feels like there is a piece missing in his soul. Well, he came to the right place. Our investigators are so strong and they were definitely prepared by the Lord. I started to learn how to play chess and I can just say that I still suck but I'm getting better. 

On Thursday we went to Rostov because my companion had MLC so I had to go on splits. It ended up being a trio. I was with 2 elders who came from the MTC a week and a half ago. LIGIT that was an experience. I was the man of the house there. While trying to track down a less active, this guy told us to leave and I understood it but the two other elders didn't.  I was trying to get them to leave because they were just standing there. We never found that family but it was a good experience.

Love everyone- keep doing good things!

Elder M Franckowiak

 

 

Week 15: zdrasvute

Hello everyone,

This week was a good week.  I got a new companion. His name is Elder Altohov and he was actually born in Latvia. He moved to the United States when he was 5 though. 

Our baptismal date is now set for November 4th for one of our investigators who is from Africa. We still have to fit in a couple more lessons with him before his baptism. We have also been working really hard to make the branch more self reliant and try to help them ask other members for help as well. I hope that goes well.

I think that that is basically it.

Elder M Franckowiak

Week 14: Transfers

Hey family. I don't have a lot of time this week so I won't be sending a group email. It was a good week. We have a baptism date for the 28 of October for one of our Africans. The weather is definently getting colder. Went to Armania this week and it was dope. I loved it. We had fried ice cream. My companion will be Elder Altohove. My trainer trained Elder Altahove as well. I'm staying here in Krasnodar though. 

Love you guys, sorry I'm out of time!!

Elder Franckowiak

Week 13: Week in mission

дорогие братья и сестры

     This week was good, it was a really long week. On Tuesday we had 8 elders over at our apartment. All 4 of the elders from Crimea and the 2 elders in Sochi. There were 5 Russian elders and 4 of them didn't speak English. That was a crazy time. 2 days ago there was a less active who moved to Sochi who wanted to meet. When he came, he came with 2 other people and they all had bibles. I didn't understand what they were saying but I understood what they were doing. This meeting thing went on for about 2 hours. After, Elder Powell told me what they were saying. They were all worked up and said that our church was false because our Sabbath day is on Sunday and not Saturday. Apparently we will surly die because we "break the Sabbath day" good stuff. It was a good week.  

Love everyone!

Elder M Franckowiak

sup, 

This week was good, we had zone conference and it was good. It was l4 of our youth's birthdays last week so on Friday we had a birthday party for all of them. I was lost the whole time. The young women made scripture cases for the young men a couple weeks ago and I didn't get one so I was pretty confused because Elder Powell got one. Then I figured out who was suppose to be making mine and kind of teased her about it. And then she brought it to the birthday party and it was actually good. I got my pants tailored because honestly I looked like a fool with my pants looking like parachute pants. haha. I also got a track suit that looks way dope. I didn't get a picture though because I haven't had time. I haven't yet bought a huge hat. Conference was way dope, I learned a lot. 

 

love all

Elder M Franckowiak

Week 12: привет!

Hello family and friends,

This week was a good one. We got a lot of lessons in this week. On Wednesday the Sochi elders and we had 8 lessons set up between the 2 companionships. 

I went on splits with Elder Бобровский, a native Russian. It actually went better then I thought and I could communicate more then I thought. It also helped

because he has been learning English in his mission so we went half Russian and half English. I found out that he knew Zack from the Spain MTC.  We had 3 lessons in the branch and 1 at the recent convert's house.

The other 2 elders traveled from one side of Krasnodar to the other and back and got in 2 lessons. I would say that it was a pretty successful day. 

The weather here was super hot and then in 1 day it just turned to windy and cold. It was super weird but I love it. It was too hot here. 

The past 2 Sundays we have had some random guy walk in the church and wants to learn more about our church. It's so cool how prepared they are to hear the

message that we have to share with them. It's getting better to understand Russian and I am excited to learn more.

Love you all!

Elder M Franckowiak

Week 11: Это Самое

Hello, 

This week has been kind of crazy. On Wednesday we left on a train to Rostov because my trainer had Mission Leader Conference. So on Thursday I went on splits with one of the APs. His name is Elder Weston. He was a chill dude and we had a couple of appointments. The next day when all the ZL's and AP's were at MLC I was with a young man by the name of Elder Sweeney. He is also still in training. We went to the store and bought some food and it actually went better then I though it was going to go. Then later that day my trainer and I headed back to Krasnodar on the 5 hour train. It was fun but I was glad to be back at our house. 

The past few days have been way fun. We had a primary program in our sacrament meeting last Sunday and it was nuts. It was hilarious to watch. Some guy walked in right before sacrament and sat down in the back but I was behind him. He sat down and the chair broke and the whole congregation turned and looked at him. I felt so bad but I couldn't help but start laughing. So during the prayers I was laughing and during the sacrament. t was so funny.

I have learned to much since I've been here. It's so fun learning so much everyday. 

Elder M Franckowiak

Week 10: 2 Weeks in Russia

Hello everybody,

Russian is very hard and I do not understand most of it. I hope it will get easier because...wow! Other than that, this week has been pretty good. We had a couple of lessons with less actives and we are trying to set up some appointments with some of our African investigators. One of them came to church last Sunday and he even participated in the Sunday school class. Some days we will eat breakfast at 7:30 am and then lunch will be at 5:30 pm. But other days we will eat like 4 times a day at McDonalds and KFC. The fast food here is so good. My companions name is elder Powell and he is from Las Vegas. He has been out in the field for a long time. He knows Russian. 

We usually have 2 non members show up to every activity we have but they won't agree to lessons because they don't want to be baptized. They just think its just a social club haha. It's so funny. It was a good week here. Good luck.

Elder M Franckowiak

Mom and dad,

I'm just blowing through all my short sleaves. Just constintly sweating. I love it. 

The branch here is really big. We have about 50 active members here and they are all so cool. Some of them speak English and I get to talk to them in English. 

Most days we just try and think of less actives and teach them. We are going to Rostov Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday because my comp is a zone leader and he has mlt. I will be going on splits. Next week I will be in a trio on splits with Russians who don't know English, haha. Wish me luck haha. Love you all and tell Blake whats up!

elder m franckowiak

 

 

Week 9: Holy Crap 1

Hello, I have made it here in Russia. The first day we were here me and my trainer went and visited a member. She is about 80 years old. It was so fun. She seemed really nice even though I didn't understand anything she was saying. She gave me some of her dad's war medals from WW2. We shared a quick spiritual thought and then took a train 4 hours to my new area Krasnodar. It's one of the lowest areas in the mission. I heard it still gets down to -40 sometimes. My trainer is sick. He has been out for 21 months and knows a lot of Russian. He has perfect grammar and a huge vocabulary. I love it here. It's always going. We taught some after-baptism lessons this week. We taught this African in English and that was cool. Yesterday we went over to a member's house to give her a blessing and I ended up eating pig liver. It was cold and I kind of wanted to die but I got through it. I also got some Chinese apple slices. So sour, the 16 year old kid dipped his in salt and ate it. I thought it was sugar because I didn't understand what anyone was saying. I ate it and my mouth took a spin and it was crazy haha. BOOOOOm!   I don't understand most things. And they way they taught us to say our name and where we are from is not the way they say it, hahah. It's chill though and I love it. I'm doing good.  I hope everyone is doing good.

Elder M Franckowiak