ELO!
A big PRIVET from the cream of the cream, sevastopol! Life here is just one big surprise every single day...a little more about the city...
The crimean penninsula used to be Russia I guess...I think I mentioned that they hate Ukraine...and the missionaries told me they hate America, but everyone that i've met have been welcoming about my americanese culture (those who actually take the time to talk to us) As you can see from the pictures, its absolutely gorgeous here. Down by the coast, its more like san francisco than anything. It's boiling every day...i love it! Where I live is a little more run down and dirty, so i really do get the best of both worlds. There are soooo many dogs and cats roaming around here...and goats...the dogs howl and howl all night long, and when they finally stop at like 4, thats when the roosters start cock-a-doodle dooing welcoming the sun! The people here are great and they dress REALLY flashy. They would LOVE genx clothing. sparklies and jems and dicso balls and everyone is really dark thanks to the heat. Fruit markets are on every corner and the peaches and watermelon are amazing. We buy our food in all different stores...the butcher, the fruitician, the moloko man, the xlebywek (bread)...its great...those grocery bags come in handy mama! For work...most people work in the renok (big massive market where you can literally buy anything you can even think of...they've got fish heads) or random stores...
The teaching pool is okay...we're having a month long fast in our little branch to find more people to teach (i guess summer is hard) but we are still teaching enna...she is the kindest lady...she's always sending us home with weird aromatherapy remedies and cookies. She and her husband have two kids (13 and 5) and her husband doesn't ever sit down with us, but he respects us and understands that this is important for enna. She's coming to church with us this sunday and we're really praying for her testimony to take root. I just look at her and her family and I KNOW that this will help them. I look at our sweet members in our branch and the literal light they have with them...enna already has that...we need them there!
We're doing a ton of contacting and tracting...it is so ridiculously fun...except, ha, one kvarteera we went up (a apartment building with about 10 or so floors, 3-4 rooms on each level...this is how everyone lives!) no joke, everyone came to the door close to naked...oh man...we were laughing so hard and just holding our book of mormons ever so strategically. I guess I don't blame them...its so stinking hot...but still...not too pleasant when an old babyshka welcomes us in her bikini...uhhhhhhh...We recieved an awesome contact in that building though...she was clothed :)
The language is my number one obstacle right now...it's like my rock wall that I've got to tackle. When you climb, if you develop a steady pace, pushing yourself, making a little goals to your next handhold, and swinging back when you loose some footing, you'll get there. Try and sprint it, your body will give out. Russians my wall, and ever so slowly, I getting it. The Lord called me to preach the gospel in Russian, and with every single task, he provides a way. This way normally takes everything we've got, so I'm just dealing with the brain beating. I won't lie, its so easy to get down on ourselves. I want to share the gospel and be an effective missionary in the lords hands, but I'm not quite sure how. I read D&C 123;16-17 again when i was feeling particularly russian challenged...even the largest boat in the midst of the biggest storm needs that tiny helm for guidance...so do everything you possibly can and be still, and wait for the Lord to bring to pass his glory! Why is it so easy to forget that this work is unstoppable, no matter how well I speak, no matter how much I know! I can't expect to be less than effective when I'm a tool in the Lord's hands...this is God we're talking about....all he needs is will, dillegence, and faith on my part! oora!
i'm so happy to hear that everyone is working so hard in school...good job j! tackle that physics class... i really wish i took that! And no worries with the card, it wasn't a big deal...we just ate blackberries and the candy and goods from you and andrea for the plane, and rotten potatoes (bad idea) but we have money again and we're celebrating today with a tort...cake! The members always feed us little goodies pastry things too...yum yum yum...and theres this drink her called kvas...man alive its deliciouso. Its made from bread, which is weird...the elders are brewing some right now...i bet theirs is nasty
My district is me and cectpa kondratyeva, ct. belnap and ctarsheesha or something, ct. fluellen and makloop. Wonderful elders, wonder cectpa, and fresh off the block jonesy. They're a huge help to me. We had a couple contacts and church on sunday, meaning i was sitting by one, and cec. kondr had the other one. hmmm...i don't speak russian. but ct. beln helped me a lot and apparently he's coming back next sunday for sure! uuuura! We invited this crazy babyshka to church yesterday...we found her by the fence growling at the cats. she really wanted a book or mormon, so we're like, SURE...come to church! She was hilarious and crazy and had a full on mustache...we gave her a book of mormon like we promised and she sat through most of sacrament meeting reading it. I marked some pages for her, and then she left. Maybe she'll share the message with her cats.
i'm so happy sister johnson got a hold of you mama! ct. johnson is my fav...he's the elder you talked to on accident at the airport...he's like a little brother to me...i'm glad all you mamas can chat about us! I don't know any of the elders except my own district...we're in the boons down here...look our for ku, slaeker, anderson, johnson, and dibb...they are my mtc district...
welp, i'm happier than ever! love you all sooo mucho, and keep working hard! stay strong...like always...oh and take a look at "on the lord's errand" movie about pres. monson...it's incredible...i think...we watched it in russian...but our stake center is in it!
schastleeva
lyoubove
cectpa jonessky
ps...I took a massive fall in ultimate frisbee during sports with the members... I was diving (hard core) for our last point, but st. straweeshasha whatever dove too, and then i tripped on his flailing legs and ATE it...my arm is a massive scab with all sorts of rocks and diseases in it...haha...everyone was dieing of laughter...i guess i'm not too graceful in mid air...=
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