Siberian Winter in DC

This week took our winter to a whole new level here in the District. As I was typing my last blog entry we got hit with our first storm Monday evening and we were told to stay inside our apartments and not drive. The ban wasn't lifted until Wednesday when most of the roads were cleared. On Wednesday I got to go on exchange with my old companion Elder Spencer Ng! I can't believe a year and a half has passed already, we are now two very different missionaries. We got to visit with some my favorite families in the mission and catch up on the past year. Those are the kind of sweet experiences I've been having lately, to go back to the places that you have lived and served in before. When you give something of yourself to the people and return to visit there is a special love and joy that you feel. That inspires me to choose to participate in opportunities to help out others no matter where I live or how old I am. There is a sense of fulfillment and peace that is unlike anything else. I also had the privilege to go back into the city ward I served in my second transfer with Elder Synelnikov. I miss that guy! We visited the same couple that I went and visited with my
zone leader when I was on exchange with him as a new missionary. I was surprised that after these two years they still remembered me! They said that they remembered my face. At first she said the same thing she said when I first met them, "welcome to the third ward!" I forgot how fun and exhilarating it is to ride around on a bike and just talk with people. Sure it's cold, but it makes me feel like I'm on an important mission. The next morning we were riding back from the church and we started getting pounded with snow. It stung my face try and ride a bike through it, and I could hardly see anything! Before 3 pm there was already more than 4 inches accumulation so we were grounded once again. We spent another day studying and planning, it
was tough to stay motivated. I was trapped there for an extra day and the singles ward cancelled their sacrament meeting. Elder Fuller and I met back up and decided to attend the third ward church service! It's
a very unique congregation because among  the saints are many converts from traditional baptist congregations so when the speaker says "good morning" the audience will respond good morning! I miss that ward a lot so it was such a pleasure to go there. Every year I think I appreciate more and more the time that I'm blessed to spend with people. Sure we might get snowed in, stranded, or left behind but it's
fine if you make the most of it with the people around you. I definitely won't forget these days on my mission in the best mission in the history of life!