Thursday, May 21, 2015

cherkassy week 1

5/18/15
Dad my friend Sadey just got called to Fortaleza East
mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also reading your email I am just here crying. I am so far away from
you all. It is hard to be so far and the people only speak Russian and
my city is HARD. The people here tell us they do not need the gospel.
but we also have a church building here. It is pink and it is awesome.
We had like 40 some people at church yesterday (all members) we have
no investigators. The members are awesome. I bore my testimony about
the book of mormon for 5 minutes in sacrament yesterday and then I
said a prayer in Sunday School. A man came up to me and asked me how
long I had been in Ukraine (thinking this was not my first transfer) I
told him only a few days and he was shocked at how well I can speak.
It was nice because I don't really feel that way. I know it takes time
but I do not feel that I speak well. But I am happy to be here. I
smile no matter what and it really does help my day be better. i have
only cried 2 days I have been here. Which is a really good thing for
me. Though today we were planning family home evening and I just
started crying for no reason because I am supposed to explain some
foreign concept I never learned how to talk about in the mtc. My heart
sometimes throbs. President Packer warned me it would be painful. I am
started to understand better how Jake felt when he first went out. My
3rd day here my companion was ignoring me and i was sad because
everyone on the street had just yelled at us and I went to the
bathroom and cried because I just wanted you. I wanted my dad because
I know that you experienced this. I don't tell you this to worry you
or to make you feel sad but I tell you because I know that you
understand because you have done this before. I know I will be okay. I
really do love Ukraine and I would not give this opportunity up for
anything. I am realizing now more than ever how much I have to rely on
my Savior. I basically pray all day long. It brings me comfort. It is
really hard for me to just walk up to people and start talking to
people about their salvation in RUSSIAN. But I know that it is God who
called me here to do this and that He knows better than I do and that
these people do need this. One of my goals is to talk to EVERYONE I
CAN. EVERYONE. Talk about facing my WORST fears. It is crazy.

So fun to read your email. You got to eat Brazilian food and talk to
mission guys. My heart is happy. I love the emails. Dear Elders are
good too, but I can only pick them up when I go to Kyiv which is 3
hours away. I will be there thursday though so if you want to send one
before then I can grab it in the office. but then after that I won't
be in Kyiv for I don't know how long. You can do both if you want. I
do not mind catching up on stuff. I love you daddy.

Glad to hear about AK. He is one of my main priorities out here.
Sounds weird cuz I am so far away but I really pray and I study
scriptures for him and I want to be a good example and for him to
realize he needs a mission and so he needs to be worthy. It is hard
but I know that he is amazing person with a really special soul. I
love you and mom so much. Thanks for taking care of each other. I will
try to be patient and happy. I am happy. I will take care.

So great to hear you are visiting grandma and grandpa. I miss them.
Please tell grandma she can't go anywhere until I get back. Grandpa
too for that matter. I need to see them again IN THIS LIFE. It sounds
like you have had a great and eventful week.

Pray for me and my companion. This is her last transfer and I feel she
is ready to go home. She doesn'
t really want to be here and it is hard
because she has to train a new person and I heavily rely on her
especially because she is native. Pray for this area. They need the
gospel.

I will keep going and keep doing!
I love you the most.

Love,
Ky

My Pink Church in Cherkassy

Cherkassy
Sister Fedas


On 5/18/15, Tom Karren wrote:
 Hey bird,

 By the time you get this, you’ll have been gone from Provo for a week (at
 least) assuming your p-day is Monday. We were excited to hear that you got
 there safely and of course anxious to know how things are going for you.
 Sounded like from your letter that things were going to be very real with
 your new area and companion and all.

 I remember how it was when I first arrived in Brazil. Everything so so
 different. It was a real shock and challenge in so many ways. I think that’s
 partly why I turned pale when you got your call. I knew that it meant so
 much change and challenge and I was anxious for you - not because I don’t
 think you are up for it, but just because I know what it is like. So I hope
 it’s going ok for you little, and I know how weird and challenging it may
 feel. We pray for you and think of you constantly so I hope you can feel
 that comfort.

 It’s been raining here non stop for the last week, and really going back a
 couple weeks. This week it rained so much we thought we might need to get
 the boat out. I went on a motorcycle ride with some friends for a couple
 days and we got very wet.

 I might be going to Germany at the end of June to speak at a conference. If
 I do, that would be cool because I’d be closer to you! Mom is super jealous.

 We had a good weekend for AK with his birthday. He is growing and changing
 fast. He went to a party Friday night and had a lot of fun. We found out
 he’s got pneumonia so he’s been really sick from that, but I think the
 medicine is helping and he seems to be improving. It’s a big year for him,
 turning 17 and headed to 18. I remember how much you changed that year.

 I am watching mom write your letter. She has like 5 open screens up on her
 computer. She is watching talks, pulling things from all kinds of places.
 Now that you are out of country, I think she is putting all her 'super mom'
 care into your letters. In case you haven’t noticed, she loves you a lot. I
 do too!

 Mom was at the temple this week and had some special feelings about Austin.
 I have been talking to him a lot about getting more serious about his
 preparation. We will keep reading the Book of Mormon and saying family
 prayers. I hope that as this year goes by AK can grow, mature and prepare in
 quickened ways. I hope he can feel the pull and find within himself the
 person that he needs to become to be ready to serve.

 Parker came by Saturday to give us his graduation announcement and to talk
 to us. He sat in the kitchen as we worked on preparing food for Sunday and
 told us about his mission preparation. He’s made a lot of progress in a
 year. Really glad for him and hope he can have a great experience.

 We had dinner at grandma and grandpas last Sunday for mothers days. The food
 was kinda low tech, but it was fun to hang out there with granny. Faffy, and
 Laura came. The next day we went to the Payson Temple open house. We took
 grandpa and grandma. It was really cool. They have these beautiful stain
 glass windows in the sealing rooms. Very peaceful. After we went to dinner
 with the kids and grandpa and grandma to celebrate Austin and Grandpas
 birthdays. We went to Los Hermanos in provo. It was fun except grandpa
 plugged his ears when they came to sing the birthday song. He is a funny
 grandpa sometimes.

 I went to lunch this week with some guys from my mission at a Brazilian
 restaurant in South Jordan that I like. We talked about the mission days,
 shared some stories and even ran into some Brazilian elders. It was really
 fun and brought back a lot of memories. I have a special bond with those
 guys that goes beyond a lot of even my current friendships.

 Today coming home from Church I noticed Doodle was outside collecting
 rolly-pollies in your old crab tank. He stayed out there for a half hour or
 more collecting lady bugs and rollies. Such a cute little guy. He put some
 leaves and stuff in so they would have a habitat.

 I hope it’s ok that I tell you all this random stuff about how things are
 going here. I know how busy you are and how you just have a little time to
 write, so just enjoy the letters and let me know if you would prefer Dear
 Elders or if the emails are better. I worry that if we do Dear Elder’s you
 won’t get them as frequently. Hopefully you’ll have time to read this - or
 you can just print it off or something!

 I love you sweet girl. Stay strong and stay patient. All things will come to
 you in due time. Please know we love you so much and miss you so much. Take
 care ok?
 Love Dad

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