sister fedas's baptism

June 8, 2015

Dearest Family in the whole wide world,

This week was crazy. I was only in Cherkassy 4 days of the week. So what was I doing the other 3 you ask?! Well, we went up to Kyiv on Wednesday morning and did a split. I was with the STL sisters and Sister Fedas went with some other Sisters. I got to teach English there and talk to a lot of people it was the best. Thursday me and Sister Fedas met back up at another Zone Conference. It was seriously such an incredible zone conference and it already made me want to change. 

I had the thought that I have not completely given myself to God to let Him work as He will with me. I need to change. Already! I prayed and promised God to give myself completely to Him. I only have so many more months to be able to do this. So I prayed and promised God to stop thinking of myself so much. I am on a mission for a total of a year and a half. Do I want to waste His time? Do I want to have regrets? The work we have been doing is good. But I also feel I am holding part of myself back and that makes it so the miracles can not happen. I figure what is the harm in just speaking- in just letting myself be completely His, because even if I make a million mistakes in the language or whatever it is God will make up for it if I just try completely. sometimes I think, maybe I shouldn't talk to this person because they may not want the message, so what is the harm in just trying, if they don't want it it is just one more step. It is not about me. I didn't come on a mission for me so I am not quite sure why I have had so many thoughts about just me. I know that if I just completely dedicate myself to God, He will bless and trust us with His children that He HAS prepared even here in Cherkassy. I have faith. Because I know that He is working here and I have not worked hard enough. Those are kind of my thoughts this week of how I want to change and hope the "stereo type" of this city can change also. It is an amazing place and we have to just give ourselves to God so that He can continue His work here. 

President Packer is absolutely amazing and we so needed this conference as a mission. We set the most amazing goal also. We have usually had about 28 new investigators in a week between all the missionaries here but after hours of studying and working on our mission Thursday we decided to take a real leap of faith. Me and Sister Fedas are going to find 2 new investigators here in Cherkassy by Sunday and as a total for the mission instead of 28 we went up to 78. I know that if we plan and work as hard as we can with faith that GOD with help us with this great task. There are people here who are ready and the culture of this mission needs to change because we are not doing enough. I am pumped to work SO HARD. At this point I am ready to give it my all. Everything I have got. I don't mind sore feet and sore legs. I do not mind some tears with the language. But we will find the people the Lord is preparing in the country of Ukraine. I just know it. So I am feeling a whole lot of excitement about changing and about being SO DILIGENT no matter how long or what it takes because I want to do this for God.

Friday President gave Sister Fedas and I permission to go to Zhytomyr (a city north of Kyiv) for a baptism of a mom and a daughter. That was an incredible thing to be a part of. It was so inspirational to see this mom and daughter who have completely changed their lives comes to God all because they want to. And the turn out of people from this branch was amazing. Right now there are no Sister's serving there. But I really hope one day I can go back. I talked to everyone for hours and hours all by myself in Russian (without sister Fedas's help). When we went to leave the people were so sad. It was the sweetest thing. One girl made me play the piano for her and she recorded it. 

(mom I can't remember my DYW piece can you send me it through email? like a copy so I can print it?)

Anyway seing this baptism was incredible and it really got me so pumped to just do this work. When they both went down under the water I just felt God smiling from heaven. 2 more souls found God!!!! I am so happy.

It was a really incredible week. The hardest part was when our investigator called and told us he got an answer about truth and that the Book of Mormon is not true or the word of God. I prayed about it and I really felt like everything will be ok. Patience and love are so key to this work and I feel that we need to have patience and need to love Andre and that everything will be ok. We met with him again and he felt better and came to church but called upset again yesterday. I was able to ask just one question. I said, "Andre, do you have the desire to know God and Jesus Christ better?" He said of course! I told him "Then you need to have patience. We are here to help you come closer to Christ and to God and you can only do that if you pray if you are patient." It was awesome and I just bore my testimony to him and he calmed down. Please pray for him. I feel it will just take time with him and some clarifaction but I know this is where he is supposed to be.

I have 2 favors to ask. Will you as a family pray everyday for me to have the gift of tongues? I know real power comes from prayer and you are my family and God will help me as we kneel together and pray everyday for this gift. Maybe you already do, but I just wanted to ask because I need this gift. I am working hard. 

The other favor is to just love each other so much and have a great summer. I hope the boys realize how important it is to love each other and to cheer each other on. When you leave home and you don't have your family around you realize how much every moment meant and means. Don't waste any moments with useless contention because you are the only people you have and you are the best people in the whole world. I love you so much. I also know that the more peace and love there is at home the better I can work here in Ukraine too. They way you act and treat each other really does effect the way I work here so it is important you are always living in a way and treating others in a way that the Savior would. 

I love you guys so much!!! have a wonderful week. I am sorry I left stuff out I do not know how I can possibly write everything I need to! It is craziness!

I love you!!! LET'S DO THIS!!! :) 

Love Сестра Кэррен

Я люблю тебя

Also another silly thing here is they were wedding rings on their right hand so everyone kept asking if I was married so I had to move my CTR ring to my left hand and now I feel like I am married ahahah. 

Reunited in Kyiv with Sister Rubio

Zhytomyr (Sister Fedas's first area)

I got to go to a baptism in Zhytomyr. A lady and her daugher that Sister Fedas taught for a long long time are finally members!