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!!

Sofia Bulgaria

It was a crazy week with all the traveling but it was so much fun. Monday night Elder Newsome, Elder Phillips, and I left on an overnight train from Odessa to Kyiv. Tuesday morning all of the missionaries that came to the country with me from the MTC met at the airport and flew to Sofia Bulgaria to renew our visas.

We had a four and half hour lay over in Vienna, a bunch of us wanted to go see town center. It was only 16 minutes away from the airport. The sister missionaries that were with us really didn’t want us to, so we didn’t go. We just spent our time in the airport. SO CLOSE!!

The next morning we started the day early we were out of the apartment by 6:45. We walked around for awhile trying to find town center. People in Bulgaria really didn’t understand Russian at all. All of the signs looked like Russian and it is actually easy to understand written Bulgarian because it is so close to Russian. Spoken Bulgarian sounds like Spanish Russian. It is the weirdest thing in the world. Well we found out that the old people know Russian and that the younger people know English so we were able to get around the city.

We bought a map so we could figure out where we were going to eat!!!!!

Changing of the guards at the Presidents residence

The church is super small in Bulgaria; the office Elders told us that there are about 200 active members in the whole country. It was an awesome trip but it is nice to be back in my own apartment and area!!l