I Am In Kyiv!!!

This week my companion has to go to Bulgaria for his visa trip. Here in the mission everyone goes to Bulgaria around there one year mark to get their visas renewed. My companions visa expires in about 2 days so they were cutting it really close. Yesterday after church we received a phone call from the Assistants to the President and they told us to go down to the train station and buy tickets to come to Kyiv that night. That was around 1:30 the tickets we bought were for a train that left at 8:00. We got to Kyiv at 10:30 this morning. That means that it was a 14 and a half hour train ride!!!! Haha, well the nice thing about the train ride was that I was able to sleep in. That felt really good. While I am in Kyiv I am going to be companions with Elder Monson. He is a Ukrainian speaking elder so that should be interesting. He is also a zone leader, so tomorrow I am going on splits with another elder. I don’t know how that is going to work but it’s like a double exchange lol. I should be back in Odessa Saturday morning. After Email today the zones in Kyiv East and West are going to play an American football game so that should be pretty fun.

Justin's Apartment

This is a picture of Justin's Apartment Building notice all the pigeons!!

Chapel in Odessa

There are several Branches of the Church in Odessa, and two chapels. This is a picture of the one that Justin attends, there are two branches that meet in this building.

L'viv Ukraine

After Zone conference we were challenged to hand out a Book of Mormon and some other things. We handed them all out although everyone in L'viv prefers to speak Ukrainian. We walked around the city and it was SO pretty. It has a Western European look and all of the roads are cobblestone and there are a lot of churches.

Zone Conference In L'viv

So this week I had zone conference. Zone conference was on Thursday and it was in L'viv. Wednesday night we went over to the train station around 6:00 we were running there because we left a little bit late but we made it there by 6:00 and our train was leaving at 6:12. We were on the train and on our way to L'viv. It was an overnight train and it took 12 hours to get there so pretty much we just slept on the train.

Odessa Opera Theater

The Odessa Opera Theater is one of the greatest architectural monuments in Ukraine and one of the most beautiful theaters in the world.

Odessa

Odessa is the 5th largest city in Ukraine and the most important city of trade. Odessa is the largest city along the entire Black Sea. Many years ago, Odessa was once the 3rd leading city in old Russia, after Moscow and St. Petersburg. Odessa looks more like a city located on the Mediterranean, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Odessa has always had a spirit of freedom, probably endowed to her by her location and by her ability to accept many different peoples. The city is a diversity of Ukrainian, Russian, Moldavian, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Caucasian, Jewish, Turkish, Vietnamese and so forth.

Modern Odessa is a city rebuilding herself, and her downtown is slowly being revitalized. Odessa is well-known as the capital of humor, probably due to the great variety of people and her southern location on the Black Sea. Today, Odessa is referred to as the "Pearl of the Black Sea", "Odessa Mama" and "Southern Palmira" by many.

I Am FINALLY Here!!!

Hello!!!!!!

So I finally made it and I am here in Ukraine!!!! It has been a crazy last few days for sure. I got some sleep on the plane but not much. I woke up an hour before we landed in Kyiv. At the airport we got off the plane on the runway and got on a bus that took us over to the terminal. We had to wait in line and show them our visas and stuff. Once we made it through there we all waited for our bags they took forever to get out. Everyone had their bags beside two elders, each of them were missing a bag. Well after that we walked through the airport and were met by the AP's, President Steinagal, and the mission driver. We went straight over the mission home and had a delicious dinner prepared by Sister Steinagal it was very good. Then it was off to the mission office. On the way to the mission office you could see the temple. It looked like the road led straight to it. The mission office is in the church building right next to the temple. The temple is beautiful. Well we went into the mission office and did something’s and then it was time to meet our trainers. We went into the chapel and all of the trainers were already sitting there. We all sat in the row in front of them. One by one we got up and shared our testimony in the language. After a new Elder would share their testimony their trainer would stand up. My trainer is Elder Stokes. He is from Kingston, Washington. He has been out on his mission about a year and has trained one other elder. He is the district leader. I think that his first name is Ethan. He has been in Odessa for only three weeks. Well after we met we went and took pictures in front of the temple. Then we had to run, we had a train to catch at 10:00. We walked over to the bus. We talked to some members at the bus stop that were going home from the temple. I even said a few words to them. The bus came and it was a little bit crammed. I noticed while I was on the bus that my nametag was missing. I had my clip on tag on my suit and it was gone. I said a little prayer that I would find it. After that the thought popped in my head that it could be on the step on the outside of the bus. And sure enough when I got off the bus I looked and it was laying there, what a miracle!!!! Another tender mercy of the Lord. Well we got off the bus and went on the metro to the train station the metro is a subway. We stopped at McDonalds and my companion got some food, I wasn’t hungry, I ate a lot at the president’s house. We got on the train we had a compartment. It was me and my companion and Elder Newsome and his new companion. Elder Newsome is serving in a city that is a little south of Odessa. It isn’t that far away from where I am. Well the train wasn’t that bad. I was pretty tired. It was an 8 hour train ride then at 6 in the morning we were in Odessa. We took a taxi to our apartment. Then we did some study and got on a bus and went to church. They have a church building and there are about 40 to 50 in the branch. They have some strong members and the President is great. I shared my testimony during sacrament meeting. Afterwards we went to Sunday school and priesthood. Then we had a little meeting after church and went back home and did some planning. Then we went out that night and handed out fliers for English class. I even passed some out. There are 12 missionaries in Odessa and 2 sisters. So I think 10 elders and 2 sisters. So I have had juice and it is amazing. It is really good. The kind I tried was thick. It almost tasted like a smoothie. I will take pictures of where I am living for next week. It has been a crazy last few days and I can’t believe that I am finally here. I am still a little jetlagged but all is well. I know this is where I am suppose to be. I miss you all and love you all. Odessa is pretty much 100% Russian speaking. I have been writing in my journal every day and will have a lot to share with you when I get home. Well sorry if I missed anyone’s questions but I am doing well and Odessa is neat. I love you all and thank you so much for that travel pillow mom. It is great and a lifesaver. Okay I have a few more moments it looks like. The church members are great here. My favorite person in the branch is this 12 or so year old boy. He is funny and was talking to me on Sunday and he would open the Hymn book to what song we were singing and pass it to me. He had suspenders on. There was a little boy too in a green suit and in the middle of sacrament he came up to me and asked me where I was from. it was funny. Okay I got to go. Oh yeah we are having a zone conference with 3 zones in L'viv here in a few weeks. I am excited for that. Anyway I love you!!!!!

Love Elder J

This is the group of missionaries that arrived in Ukraine with Elder Larimore.


This Chapel is next to the Temple, the mission office is located inside the building.


Here is the apartment. I will get one of the outside for next week. Here is the inside. It is pretty nice.

Odessa Here I Come!!!

After a slight delay at JFK airport he arrived in Kyiv Ukraine today. We received the photo and email below.

Dear Parents,

Your wonderful son, Elder Larimore arrived safely in Kyiv today at 12:17. We met him at the airport and then drove with the eleven new missionaries to the mission home where Sister Steinagel fed them a good dinner. Then the missionaries were driven to the mission office where they did some paperwork and then had a testimony meeting in which they met their new companion. Elder Larimore’s new companion is Elder Stokes. They will be serving in Odessa. They leave shortly on a train to travel there. Attached is a picture with President Steinagel which was taken right after they were introduced to each other.

President Steinagel had a chance to visit with your son and will interview each of the missionaries more thoroughly in the coming days as they gather for zone conference. Thank you for sending us such a wonderful missionary.

Sincerely,
Sister Park
Ukraine Kyiv Mission Office

Elder Larimore Is On His Way To Kyiv Ukraine

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me…my banner will be clear!”

— by Dr. Robert Moorehead