Dearest Family:
I do not have a ton of time but I had an incredible week:
Monday: We went to the doctors got another ultrasound to check out my stomach! I am so healthy! Wahoo!! We went to the biggest mall in Kyiv and we got some summer stuff and contacted there! We ate at a fun resturant, and we got to see Miadan! IT was incredibly beautiful and humbling to know that there was a war there and everything was destroyed just two years ago.
We then had the opportunity to go together as a companionship and visit with a sweet active mother and her less active daughter. They were special people and they immediately latched onto us and hugged and kissed and loved and we felt the spirit so strong as we read from the Book of Mormon with them. WE just read Christs' words and we testified. They were overwhelmed with the spirit and at the end kept thanking us just thanking us for that spiritual lesson begging us not to leave. The Spirit taught through the Book of Mormon and it was absolutely incredible. All we had to do was testify and they did as well. I know that God loves all his children and he is patiently waiting for us. He understands our trials and our sadness and our doubts. He is so patient and He never unrighteously judges. He is so full of mercy that he only judges us according to our knowledge and desires. We just need to keep trying and he WILL help us. I love that.
-Then we head back to the church to wait for the sisters and to get our bags for the exchange we would have the next day and they did not show up forever. We were locked out and we had no idea where these sisters lived but luckily there was one tiny little room open in the church like the little tiny room and we sat in there and waited while I nursed my bruised knee I got from falling up the stairs at Miadan. IT was funny.
Tuesday: I was in Kyiv with Sister Arnell on our exchange and Sister Young was here in Bila. I was in the office for the day because I was with the office sister. I do not sit well. I was trying so hard to be calm. to just do the work that needed to be done there. I got everything done in 5 minutes and I Was ready to run on the street and get to work. But we had to stay until 5:30........... I tried not to let my discomfort show. So I begged people to give me a job let me do anything. I thought Sister Arnell would not notice my discomfort.. She did. OOOOPS. I just dont think I am made to serve in the office.
Funnies though: President and Sister Packer were out working on this puppet show about the word of wisdom so like brains and stuff and cigrattes and everything and it was everywhere on the ground and they were setting up some easter signs when these 4 people walk up coming from Switzerland to do a temple review and we just had our stuff all over the place. IT was funny and we all laughed but I think it stressed President out!
That night we had a conversation with Sister Arnell and she really opened up. Life is not easy,
but if we have desires to move forward and to improve ourselves with Christ's help anything is possible. We had an amazing little testimony meeting together and I had thoughts and things come to mind to really help my sister out. It was amazing. God works through us!
Wednesday: FINALLY in the late afternoon got back to my area and so happy to be here! Missed it so badly!
Thursday: Service for Lida with STAN and the elders! We just are helping this sweet neighbor family of sTans. They really want to help this family convert to the gospel. They are very religious 7th day aventists. At the end stan handed us this 10 page talk he wanted us to give to this woman on the spot. My Russian is constantly tested. IT was difficult! But we succeeded. Though they have a few different beliefs and it was a hard lesson she felt the spirit and love and she cried when we said the closing prayer. Wonderful people I know.
Stan is so wondeful and today just told us how grateful he is for the missioanries and all we do for them. We also tuaght his sweet sick mother in law. He told us that if we EVER need anything we come to him. We call and he will help no matter what it is and what we need. His home is ours. I am just so blessed!!!!!
We had a wonderful lesson with sweet Larissa and it was the first time we had met since we set her baptism date of May 21. She is a miracle for me! We taught about honoring the sabbath and it was amazing to see how God taught her in that very moment. Her brain was turning wondering how she is going to be able to do this commandment now in the spring and summer with a mother who lives in the village with a huge garden and the only days she can go help is saturday and sunday. But she wants to obey! It was incredible and I am so excited for her baptism. We bore powerful testimony about life in general in the gospel and she asked us "HOW ARE YOU SO SMART?" She also makes the best food!
Friday: we met witha couple of members. One getting ready for her mission and is still a fairly new convert so we are trying to pump her with spiritual goodness and happiness.
Then another who was having a birthday and just found out her daughter has cancer and is going to die. We went and she made us dinner and we talked and shared a spiritual thought, but mostly she just wanted to give us so much food. She is so sweet. The Ukrainians here have started to tell us they never want us to leave and that their home is our home. It is so sweet. So meaningful!
I NEED TO ASK A FAVOR. I REALLY NEED YOUR PRAYERS. I AM HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME WITH THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE. I HAVE HIT A WALL AND I AM TRYING TO CLIMB OVER. PLEASE PRAY.
Saturday: We went to Helping Hands with the members and we picked up sticks and shoveled and dumped sand into grass and burned leaves. WHAT?! It was not very understandable but we did it. So that was good! We had such humble members of the church there and after we walked through the park and finally spring at last. I have never noticed so many details in my life from spring. IT was so beautiful. Every single bud is amazing and the sun is out after so long a winter! YAY! I am a happy missionary.
We have been trying to prepare for this huge lesson we had today and every time we had free time. But it was so hard. It is a "Lesson about how to quit smoking in 15 steps" and it is 30 pages long and in Russian. We prayed so hard before this lesson because it is very strict and serious and this woman really trusted in us and needed our help. Her name is Leisa. The one that we met with last week in a park and was nervous she was sinning because she was going against her church to meet with us? every time I think of her I get this huge feeling from God that she is SO IMPORTANT. I love her to death and want the best for her and we taught this lesson with the Prishepchuk family and it was so incredible. WE DID IT! WE SUCCEEDED and LEISA is going to succeed! It was the best most humbling lesson I have had on my mission. She said her first prayer in her own words! She got a blessing. She felt so much love from us and this family she was overwhelmed and began to cry. She felt the spirit so strong. She is amazing. And she is going to make it! PLEASE PRAY extra for her this week that she can give up smoking. She never knew God loved her. She was so religious but believed in a God who was angry and wanted to kick her out of her church because she was a sinner and smoked but she now realizes that she is a daughter of God and he loves her and wants to help her change. She realized our religion is one of change. IT is happy and loving and positive and we can change through JESUS CHRIST. I am seeing miracles. I am seeing people change through Christ! I love this!
We then visited this other humble memeber who fed us and told us that if we had not come over she would not have eaten dinner and would just have been alone. it was so sweet and i am so glad that we went to eat and talk to her.
Sunday: We watched General Conference and planned our next week! Good times :) GLAD TO BE HERE!!!!!
Love you all so much. Praying for you. REVIEW your conference notes please. It was the word of God FOR US. So review it! READ THE BOOK OF MORMON. It is true.
I love you all.
Cectpa Karren
there is one photo included here that sums up ukraine so well i could cry. look carefully through all the details and realize the kind of life i live.so glad i captured this moment. i will explain. there is a man just standing in the background doing his thing. then you come upon the random babooshka with her goats and the little children picking flowers to feed the goat. then you see sister young and this other woman just hugging. and now you understand my life.
|FUN DAY! big fires! lots of service!
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| Service Day. We were even on the news in Ukraine. |
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| Sister Young and the little ones |
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| Don't be afraid to get a little dirty! |
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| Great look for our Elders |
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| Dima and his Mom |
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| Helping Hands Service Project |
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| Love my Dima |
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| My Dima and service |
ON OUR WALK HOME FROM THE SERVICE PROJECT THROUGH A BEAUTIFUL PARK
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| Enjoying the sunshine! |
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| Yay for Spring and Sun! |
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| Can I have a baby goat please?!?! |
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| They are so nice and cute! |
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| They put us in this tiny room at the temple to wait and I tried to take a little nap on Sister Young's lap. |
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| Exchanges in Kyiv with Sister Arnell |
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| Running up some stairs and I fell. Always Special "K". no biggie it is better now! a nice man wanted to come pick me up and carry me up the rest of the stairs when he saw how hard i fell but i said no and i walked |
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| My Kyiv temple |
WE WENT TO MIDAN WHERE THE WAR STARTED 2 YEARS AGO AND THEY HAVE REBUILT IT.
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| Eating at the Milky Bar. It was so much fun! |
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| Midan |
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| More Midan |
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| It was beautiful in Midan |
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| Sister Young and I |
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| I love this country! |
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