I have been working on my cooking skills this month I made Jell-O cake for district meeting and it was a hit. The senior office sister, Sister Park, was impressed that I made it. It tasted so good. I also made Barbeque Chicken and the corn bread mix my mom sent. For Elder Sorenson birthday I made cinnamon rolls. (The missionaries in Justin’s mission do not eat with members so they do their own cooking)
We went over last night to teach Alexsie, they had some guest over that are here getting sealed in the temple. Alexsei's wife saw them at the temple and realized they didn’t have a place to stay so she invited them stay at their house. They are from Moscow, before we started the lesson Elder Doutre showed the couple his pictures from home. The wife said, "Mother Doutre" and pointed to one of the pictures, she was referring to his sister. Come to find out, the lady was one of Elder Dourte’s sister’s mission companions. She was someone that his sister trained. His sister went to Russia on her mission about 2 years ago. I think that was a tender mercy of the Lord for Elder Doutre and it was neat.
I had a great birthday last week and I was so glad that it was on Monday and I had the chance to email you. That was the best. I went to TGI Fridays with Elder Newsome and his companion who is going home after this transfer. It was a lot of fun and I got the chicken sampler and I even got a free ice cream since it was my birthday. That never ever happens in Ukraine but I guess since it is an American owned restaurant they can do stuff like that.
I can hardly believe that I am 20 years old. I am so old, I am no longer a teenager. That is scary.... It really does just seem like yesterday that I celebrated my 19th birthday and that I had my mission call to a place named Kyiv, Ukraine that was in Eastern Europe and that I was going to be learning Ukrainian. Well here I am a year later and I am learning Russian and I am serving in Kyiv where they now have the wonderful blessing of a temple. Now Ukraine isn’t just a place on a map, it is a place that is special to my heart and to the heart of those that I love. Thank you for making my special day so great.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ukraine contributed more than 3,000 hours of community service on 2 April 2011 as part of the first ever All Ukraine Helping Hands Day. Some 50 communities were served by over 1100 volunteers throughout Ukraine. Projects included children’s playground repair and painting, repairing park benches, riverbank and park clean-up and many more things. Wearing the distinguishable Helping Hands white and yellow vests, volunteers worked with community leaders and other organizations to make Ukraine a better place to live.
