Training 4 Ukraine : 2016

This week went by crazy fast. When we travel I feel weird because it is Monday, then suddenly Monday again! We had a meeting in Kyiv as a Zone and it was great but so much English! It made me sad because our natives do not understand English and we are called and then asked by President to only speak Russian. As STL's we gave our portion of the conference in Russian. A sweet Sister from Kazikstan was so incredibly thankful and told us that she felt the spirit so strong as we did some example role plays. She noticed that because we do not know the language perfect we really focus on the important things and the simple beuaitfulness of the gospel. She said it helped investigators more than we can imagine. It was very nice to hear.

This week we had another exchange and I was in Kyiv with Sister Vardanyan the sister from Kazikstan. She is new and she is wonderful. I really hope to serve with her at some point. We also got the oppurtunity to go to the temple and that was so wonderful!

I heard a cool anology I really loved and it reminded me of when I used to swim. "Sometimes it is morning time, you know the water in the pool is really cold, but you have to get in and swim. You can just look at it and slowly lower yourself in, but it is painful and long! Or you can just JUMP IN AND GET GOING." I LOVE IT!

One really sweet thing people do here is when they are grateful for you or love you, even if they have no food they try to give you everything they have and you are not allowed to say no. Then they wish you so many wonderful nice things and traits for your life. I just love these people. So sincere and so loving.

Also a wonderful man named Stan from America has a cute Ukrainian family here and they live out in the village with quite a bit of land and animals and stuff. He was so kind and invited us and the Elders to his home, he even killed a pig for us, cooked us a good ole American Mashed potatoes and gravy and candied yams and pig and it was so good I almost died. He told us he knows what it is like to be away from home for the holidays. He wanted us to have some American food and a piece of home. they also stayed up the whole night before to make these hazelnut coconut cookies and juice and just the whole thing. Homemade jerky and the whole thing. I could have cried it was so kind and he was so grateful we said yes. He hoped it would make you all so happy. I know it did. We are taken care of and there is love for missionaries and the work that we do!

We have this cute 12 year old girl in our branch who is the best missionary and wants to come with us everywehre on her break and just be a missionary. I love her. Also people are starting to bring people to church with them and we are going to teach them. We are also working on finding all the people who are lost or not coming to church and we will know each of them and try to reactivate. God works in mysterious ways and Christmas when we sang contacted we found a Recent Convert who had disappeared. We invited him to church and he came. He does not have support from the leaders or the faith or hope he can gain a testimony. But he is our work and he is the glory of the Father. We find the lost sheep and we do ALL WE CAN to help them return. They are so important. ALSO WHERE IS THE FAITH!? Always working on strengthining my faith. It is the first and most important principle of the gospel. With faith all is possible and then we have love for God and our fellow man.

I am loving teaching the more I know Russian. God is more fully able to tell me what to do and I love the feeling when he tells me what to say, helps me simplifiy my teaching and I love when the Holy Ghost testifies. It is the most wonderful thing in the world. I love this work. I CANT COME HOME this year. ;)

Happy New Year! I love you all.

Love,
Cectpa Karren

Oh! PS THE FIRST SNOW!!! IT IS REALLY COLD. Ukraine at last!