Friends!
Thank you for your letter. I have been thinking: Wow, I'm a missionary? NO WAY? Seriously, when did that happen? It's even more amazing now that I am here in Ukraine, surrounded by the people I have been called to serve.What I'm in Ukraine...see...it's still happening. CRAZY! Can you imagine? Well, you probably cannot unless you've been to Ukraine. I'll try to set the scene for you. By now, you've heard about our crazy night in New York. I wasn't very happy. But, I've made a transfer goal to be happy with every circumstance the Lord gives me, or I cause myself, or maybe even those unavoidable events that are "thrust upon us." (what am I quoting there...I'm sorry if it's "Babylon") So, I believe 100% we can find the good and even the better in every circumstance. For example, as we waited in the airport the Next day I met a beautiful girl and her sister who just enjoyed talking to us. She was extremely happy to show me pictures of her family and her other sister who was just married. Speaking of pictures, can you send me a few pictures; maybe of us at your wedding, a few taken in Arkansas and Tahoe, and a few from school friends and family. It's a great way to start lessons (I learned this from my wonderful companion) (oh and while you are at it can you also send one of the temple). THANKS! So, it's summer here. It's hot and humid and I LOVE IT! I hope you all know how weird I am - and if you need proof: I LOVE TO SWEAT! There is no lack of it here! I love public transportation. Ukrainians are amazing, wonderful, and I cannot understand them. I'll get to that in a second. First - public transportation. It consists of little yellow boxes with wheels filled to the max with hot sweaty people. You cannot beat it! I'm excited for more embarrassing stories to happen but thus far include face planting into some man's harry chest, or tripping, or not balancing through the sudden random stops. I'm clumsy.
So far I've been not to forward. I think I've been holding myself back. I'll get to that in a second too.
Next, my companion: We didn't get to catch up on sleep. I'm totally okay with that, who needs sleep? (Although I have been 99% converted to the 8 hour theory, only because our brain works harder during the night. I need my brain to work for me right now.) So, we woke up the next night and had zone conference. OH you don't even know which zone i'm in. Well at this point I also didn't know, we were just all going to attend our first zone conf. together. So, we go to the stake center (with the temple right next door) and meet other missionaries and more importantly my companion. She is amazing. We are twins! (Well, people keep asking us if we are, and yesterday we both wore orange!) I am serving in Kiev. In the best area with the best ward, right next to the temple. Unfortunately, she is also new to the area, so we don't have an apartment yet. We are staying with the Bairds (senior missionaries who work in the office) I'm not complaining. They are wonderful and they have a beautiful apartment, it's just so far away.
The only other problem I have...Everyone speaks Russian. A little hindrance to my study of the Ukrainian language. WHICH is WHY:
Today, I've made a goal to be courageous. I absolutely love it here. I love the people, my companion, the humidity, heat, and sporadic rainstorms. I love walking forever to knock on a door that no one answers and I even love crowed marshutkas. (How do you spell that?) (Editor's note: I think she is referring to public transportation.) But, I do not like that I cannot understand people. So, I'm going to talk to everyone. (That sounds scary to me, but it will help me with the language.) That's what I imagined missionary work to be anyway - talking to everyone. And I suppose, even in a language I understand, there is still miscommunication and interpretation.
So, I guess that is all you need to know. I'm doing great. I just need courage to start talking to people and then I'll be doing 10000 times better!
I hope you have a great day! I know I can too. It's all about my attitude, and I'm working on developing courage!
Okay now my companion, CECTPA MOVCHANYOK, was born in Ukraine. Her mother was baptized when she was 13 and it took her 2 years to understand the truthfulness of the gospel. Then her mother, sister and she moved to Italy. So, I have a Ukrainian/Italian companion who is fluent in 4 languages. Unfortunately English is one of them. I wish I was forced to speak more Ukrainian.
But, she is great. She loves to work and knows how to do it. She is getting right to work in this area and dragging me along. Fortunately, although I don't understand a thing that is happening, people should be able to understand me when I speak and respect me a little bit more b/c I'm speaking their national language. Now, I just have to speak more. Pray for me. I know that is what I have to do to start understanding people, now I just have to do it.
Today, I've made a goal to be courageous. I absolutely love it here. I love the people, my companion, the humidity, heat, and sporadic rainstorms. I love walking forever to knock on a door that no one answers and I even love crowed marshutkas. (How do you spell that?) (Editor's note: I think she is referring to public transportation.) But, I do not like that I cannot understand people. So, I'm going to talk to everyone. (That sounds scary to me, but it will help me with the language.) That's what I imagined missionary work to be anyway - talking to everyone. And I suppose, even in a language I understand, there is still miscommunication and interpretation.
So, I guess that is all you need to know. I'm doing great. I just need courage to start talking to people and then I'll be doing 10000 times better!
I hope you have a great day! I know I can too. It's all about my attitude, and I'm working on developing courage!
Okay now my companion, CECTPA MOVCHANYOK, was born in Ukraine. Her mother was baptized when she was 13 and it took her 2 years to understand the truthfulness of the gospel. Then her mother, sister and she moved to Italy. So, I have a Ukrainian/Italian companion who is fluent in 4 languages. Unfortunately English is one of them. I wish I was forced to speak more Ukrainian.
But, she is great. She loves to work and knows how to do it. She is getting right to work in this area and dragging me along. Fortunately, although I don't understand a thing that is happening, people should be able to understand me when I speak and respect me a little bit more b/c I'm speaking their national language. Now, I just have to speak more. Pray for me. I know that is what I have to do to start understanding people, now I just have to do it.
Okay, now about our mission. I TESTIFY and I KNOW that I am serving in the best mission in the world. I know that this is true. This is the greatest mission. Right now. We are raising the standard to these people. Satan is working here like crazy, trying to destroy these people and filling them with misconceptions. Unfortunately, they are used to that, communism and corrupt beliefs are all over the country. But, we are going to baptize and teach! During our Zone Conference Pres. Steinagel released a new goal to us. We are going to double the baptisms as a mission. We are doubling are faith and doubling are prayers--everything we can to bring the people the gospel. I am consecrating my life to the Lord so. I'm going to be busy. (I have a lot of work to do). But, mostly it's going to be a challenge to really give up everything. So, on that note, I should go get started! I love you!!! You are the best family in the world. I know that's true. I know that our reunion will be 200 trillion times better the harder I work here and the more focus I have here. So encourage me. Love you lots!!
p.s. yes I was discouraged at church, I understood maybe 10% of what was said. It was sad. Then we sat in a lesson and I understood, oh, I don't even know if I was trying. It's all in Russian. People don't know Ukrainian that well. So, I'm going to learn Russian!
No comments:
Post a Comment