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