Training 4 Ukraine : a change of pace!

AND SO TRANSFERS arrived....

ODESSA. I am going to ODESSA and I will be with Sister McDermott. God answers prayers. Maybe it is strange, but I was praying that God would either send me Sister McDermott or send sister McDermott to me. And GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS.

After a hard hard week, SO GOOD but so hard, I finally called my President in tears.

He told me he is not worried about me one bit. Talked to me for an hour let me just tell him everything I feel gave me some advice and told me it is the 11th hour and the 59th minute. We think we can go no further. And then God pushes us a little bit harder. But we will not break. WHY NOT I asked him? HOW?! Because GOD DOES THE WORK HERE SISTER KARREN NOT YOU. How true. I am so grateful for all the hard moments all the good moments because everyday at the end of the day I have an opportunity to get down on my knees and pray and thank God for the miracles, to plead with Him for strength and to help me be better, to forgive me for my weaknesses and mistakes. And then I go another day and then another day and everyday I realize how lucky I am for the opporunity to be a missionary.

There is nothing else quite like this. And I KNOW this gospel is true. It is so real for me now.

I got to go on an exchange this week in Kyiv with Sister Truax and I watched her smile and talk to this one lady in particular on a bus trying so hard to understand her Russian and just sharing genuine love. I saw Christ there. I saw my Savior so many times throughout this week giving love to these people He atoned for. Every single soul on earth that was or is, or will be. He did it all and He understands it all and He did it out of love for us and the Father. Oh if only I could love like that!

Today is my last day in Cherkassy. Sunday our branch President called me up to the stand to share my testimony. i looked out and realized how blessed I have been to be here. My sweet investigator Tatyana was there (60) and she didn't know I was leaving (we had just found out) and she did something I did not expect. she burst in to tears. She is having a hard time with so many things but she really is trying to change. Her life is not easy but she puts a smile on and she goes on. She is beautiful inside and out and she told me after sacrament with tears in her eyes (embarrassed because people here do not cry in front of others) that she does not quite understand why but that with me she feels something special. something inside her feels warm when she is around me and she feels like she new me before but thinks that is not possible. She told me she does not understand why but feels so close to me and feels I am like her daughter. I can barely speak Russian yet this woman felt this about me. My heart ached. I am sad to leave but know the work here will continue to go on. I have met people and had experiences in this area that will forever change my life. I am so grateful.

I am also so excited for this new experience. Cherkassy has had so many amazing things, but I have also had some strange and uncomfortable experiences here. I know that will happen everywhere but like my District Leader told me we all felt it was just "Time for a change of pace for me." I will continue to move forward, with new knowledge.

I am happy.

how could I not be? I am a missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I get to see their hands everyday, everywhere I go.

This is the best work. We are all a part of it. Never forget who you are. And never forget what that means. GOD LOVES YOU. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. I know it. I have a testimony of the reality of the Savior. He lives. He will return. I gladly await that day and will continue to do the work so that we are prepared.

I love you guys and I am so grateful for everything you do. You are all my missionaries. Helping me to become stronger and to keep going. Thank you! I LOVE YOU.

I love you guys so much I am going to explode!!!

Сестра Кэрен