Merry Christmas

It was so wonderful to talk to you all yesterday!!!  It was really good to hear all of your voices and to hear that you are doing well. I can’t wait to spend Christmas with the family. I love my mission though. I have learned so much that I wouldn’t be able to learn anywhere else. While being on a mission sometimes you only have yourself and the Lord. In short, a mission can really be a character building experience at times.

I know that the Lord loves us so much and that angels are round about us. I have seen them round about our family these past few months and I have seen them here in Ukraine round about me. Thank you so much! I love you all!!! I have the best family in the whole world!!

Our Beautiful Cardboard Christmas Tree

Christmas Morning

Our Christmas Eve dinner, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, and salad

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas!

I Love My Picture Garland!!

A Tour of My New Apartment

This is our study room

This is my desk

My Bed

Our Bedroom

This is the living room and the room we dry our cloths in is on the other side of the door.

The washing machine

Hello Cherkassy

 I am now serving in Cherkassy and I will be with Elder Stroud! I have heard it is a way awesome branch and that the members are very supportive of the missionaries. So I am excited, Cherkassy is located about two hours south of Kyiv along the river.  The closet missionaries are two hours away we are a district of two!

Elder Stroud

A few of the sights around Cherkassy

Cherkasy's Motherland Statue

This is our Church Building

Good Bye Odessa

Denis L., he is in my branch. He served a two year mini mission in my mission. The last day of his mission he spent with me and Elder Bangerter. 

Sister R. and her grandson

 Our investigator A.

A family in my branch. Misha their son, , Natsha the wife, and Vova the husband

Sasha G., our Mission Coordinating Leader.

Its Sergei!!!!!!!!!!

 Sister Lena E.

Vova T.

This Grandma loves me. Sister L. I  was her Home Teacher.

It feels kind of weird that I am finally going to be leaving this area. When I first came here I had mixed feelings about it. I think that every single Elder that had served in this area told me good luck before I came here. This area was hard but not impossible. I have seen a lot of growth in the branch and members here and I am so grateful I have had the chance to serve them and grow with them. When I first started serving in this area I thought that the day that I got word  that I would be leaving would be a great day but it wasn’t, don’t get me wrong I am excited to go to a new area but when I got the call that I was going to be transferred  I felt an overabundance of love for the people here in Odessa. I know that was a tender mercy of the Lord.

Love These Guys!!!

My district in Odessa

Elder Ure

Elder Ure and Elder Duncan

Elder Arht

Elder Hilton

The Elders that I was with at the MTC!

Preaching the Gospel......

Till the cows come home!!!

Doctrine and Covenants 4:4

For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving here was great!  In the morning Elder Hilton and I headed to the center of the city and played some American football with our district.  I out scored the other team with my touchdowns alone!  Anyways football was fun. At noon we went to Brother and Sister Gregory's, they are the senior missionary couple and started our Thanksgiving feast with the rest of the zone. We had mash potatoes, chicken, bread, stuffing, pies. I made a vanilla Oreo cream pie; it seemed to be a hit. We also played board games for a few hours. It was a really good day and a great day to remember everything that I have been given and have been blessed with.