Trouble With Roommates

Elder Hilton and I actually have a roommate that is living in our apartment with us. He even woke up Elder Hilton in the middle of the night and then just ran off. He woke up Elder Hilton by biting him. Elder Hilton woke me up and I was so tried I kind of just thought that he was crazy and that he had just jammed his finger on the bed somehow. Well you are probably wondering who or what our roommate is. Well it is a big fat Odessa Rat!!!!!! It is a huge rat!!!!!

Elder Hilton has been bit by it three times in his sleep before we discovered what it was. Just so you know we called the mission Doctor and Elder Hilton is fine. I guess rats aren’t as bad as I thought. They only carry the Black Plague! Doctor Mayberry insured Elder Hilton that he hasn’t heard of any out breaks lately.

So this is how we found out that it was a rat. I was sitting at my desk filling out our progress record for our Branch President and MCL (Missionary Coordinating Leader) and I heard a noise in the hallway. Elder Hilton asked me if I saw anything and I said no but that I had heard something. He told me that he had seen something so I went out in the hallway and started moving things around. I saw a huge tail sticking out and I tried to pin down his tail with a mop that we have. It didn’t work and he ran away and I saw that it was a rat. It is HUGE. Anyways he ran into the bathroom and ran into this hole that houses some pipes in the wall. The hole was covered with a vinyl covering and the rat had made a hole in it and had been getting into our apartment.

Well I wasn’t sleeping in the apartment with that rat so I told my companion that we were going to go stay with the zone leaders Elder Ure and Muir. Mom you asked and yes Elder Muir did have bedbugs and they just moved to a new apartment yesterday. When we stayed with them Elder Muir was sleeping on an air mattress because of the bed bugs, I ended up sleeping on the ground. But bed bugs seem like nothing now after having this rat.

We stayed the night with them and in the morning we set up some traps in the bathroom.

While we were gone the rat tried to get through the bathroom door and ripped it up pretty good.

Last night one of the traps went off and the rat stole the cheese that we had on it. So we tied the cheese to the trap and now there is no way he is going to get it unless he steals the whole trap. Don’t worry about the rat we are going to get him and plus he seems to only like Elder Hilton!

Another Great Week

This week was great the leadership meeting in Kyiv went really well I am so impressed with President each time I meet with him. He really is called of God and this mission is heading in a really good direction, he knows what he is doing. In the meeting we talked a lot about what we need to expect from the branches and how we need to help them. One of the Elders shared this, “Each time you open your mouth fear decreases and love increases until it consumes you completely.” That is so true. I remember being so scared to talk to people but now I hardly think about it. It is cool. I have seen a change in myself and I really love these people. They may seem rough but they are nice and for the most part all have a belief in God.

A Glimpse Into My Week

On P-day we went as a zone to the castle that is about an hour and a half south of Odessa in a city called Belgorod.

At the castle I shot a crossbow. It was 2 hriven for one shot, that is about twenty-five cents.

Then it was back to work, study, teach, testify!!!!

I love training. Even though it is a lot more work for me it is helping me to grow so much as a missionary. Elder Hilton is going to be an awesome missionary he is a great kid, he has desire to be better and better every day. Want to learn Russian? Here is a sample of what we study each day.

This is food that a member made for us this week, it was really good!

This week has been filled with a lot of finding. We found two new investigators and we gave out even more Book of Mormon's. I know that the Lord is really blessing us right now in this area. The last few transfers here have been pretty slow but things are really starting to pick up and it feels great. Honestly it feels amazing. I don’t know how to explain it but there is just nothing better than being an instrument in the Lord's hands to bring His children back to Him.

Random Pictures

This is the Chapel in my area in Odessa

Some of the homes in Odessa

Don't worry it is just graffiti!!

Inside a stairwell

Stray goat!!

Bowling on P-Day

Down Pour!!

This is what hot looks like! (Video)

Introducing .........

Elder Hilton  my new companion!

He is doing great and speaks Russian pretty well already. All of the members were actually shocked at how well he speaks for just coming to the country. He has a really good attitude and that is a good thing. I am glad that I have the chance to train him! It is going to be a great growing experience for me as well.

Sister Lena Evonuk is a home-bound member that we take the sacrament to each Sunday.

I Have NEVER Been So Hot In My Life!!!!

While on exchanges with Elder Western we got on a bus and let me just say I have never been so hot in my life!!! I was sweating like crazy and was dripping on this guy’s bag. He got mad at me and moved his bags. It was funny and it makes me wish that it was winter. The buses here don’t have air conditioning and people will not open the windows on the bus. They keep the windows closed because they think that a draft is dangerous for your health. If you want to get a bus load of Ukrainians mad just open a window!! (video coming soon!)

Watermelon Season!!

We were on our way home from doing some early morning service and we saw this

Which means it is watermelon season in Ukraine!

Elder Jentzcsh

Elder Jentzsch was my companion last transfer. He is from Idaho, and his Dad is a potato farmer. He comes from a huge family of about 10 kids. He is a Moldavian missionary and was in his last transfer before he went home.

Look at this steak it was Elder Jentzcsh 21st birthday so we went out to eat it was so good!!