Last August 2 missionaries were standing at a bus stop and Viera (Russian spelling is Вера) noticed that they were wearing name tags so she moved closer to see what the tags said. She introduced herself to them and asked if they represented a church. When they told her the church name she said that she knew all the churches in the city but didn't know that one!! "I'd like to learn more about your church." so she wrote down her phone number and gave it to them. Well, somewhat typical for missionaries, they didn't call her for a couple of weeks and when they did she asked what took them so long - she wanted to learn about their church.
She came to English Club a few times and then started to come to church and take the lessons from the missionaries. Soon she had read the Book of Mormon and asked if there were other books that she could read. She was invited to be baptized and said that she was not ready - she wanted to learn more. We gave her a Doctrine and Covenants with the caveat that she bring it back the next Sunday. The next Sunday we asked for the D&C and she said that she left it at home because she was not done studying it and was afraid that we would not let her borrow it again. That next week she finished the D&C and asked if she could take some Book of Mormons to some of her friends. She continued to attend church and help out at church during meetings and potluck lunches but was still not ready to be baptized when 5 other were baptized in December.
By April she felt ready to be baptized but we were then having visa problems with the missionaries and for the next couple of months both they and she came and went a bit randomly. Finally when a new set of missionaries asked what they could/should do I told them to get Viera baptized. When they approached her she said "Today!!??" they said "No", she said "Tomorrow?", they said "On June 30th" and she said "OK!!".
She wanted to be baptized in the river like Jesus but the spot that she remembered was now overgrown with bushes so she found a 'bath house' near her home and she was baptized. She is amazing and we love her a lot.
This is the pool inside the bath house.
From the left - Zhanara, Galina and her granddaughter, Viera, me, E Turner, Viviane, E Harrison, E Romero, E Jensen, Zhana.
Elders Harrison, Turner, Jensen, and Romero with Viera (she never smiles for a camera - one reason is it is the Russian way and her front teeth are gold so her smile looks funky in a photo).
“That man [woman] is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, blessedness, joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life.” (Ensign, Dec. 1988, p. 2.)
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