Week 12

Wow! I am here. If you were to ask me what day it is I’d tell you that yesterday was when I got here so it must be sometime around Wednesday or Thursday...no. its Monday! I’ve been here a week. What?! The jetlag really hasn't had any effect on my body, but I lose my mind about 7:30 every night. But that's okay....alright shall I start at the beginning?...

I landed in Kiev Wednesday afternoon at a very small terminal and no one was there initially to pick me up, so I started my hunt to find this "important" customs paper I had to fill out if I ever wanted to leave the country again (thats what the mtc told me) so I used my Russian right off the bat. I was directed to three different places with no luck. Then I found the missionaries waiting for me!!! yay!!!! and the mission president was there too!!! yay!!! We load up in a van to head out. (They said I didn't even need to fill out that paper) first few things I noticed- Ukraine definitely has a smell. I know I’ll get used to it because the AP’s I was with had no idea what I was talking about, but that’s okay, and it is very dusty here. So they drove me around all day-went to a grocery store to pick up some things for dinner, and drove around downtown Kiev, again I thought this was a cool orientation to the city, but no, they were just trying to keep me awake and busy for another 8 hours. The mission president is extremely “gung ho” and excited about the work. He kept bringing up that the summer I spent in Germany was the best mission prep that I could ever have. "You’ve probably seen a lot of stores like this since you lived in Germany....they have the best candy bars here! They are called "bounty" and they taste like, oh wait, you've probably tasted them before since you lived in Germany..." I couldn't really say anything to negate his assumptions, but I wanted to be like,.." um, I don't remember anything from that trip really, it was 5 ago. I have no idea what you're talking about" kinda funny, so I just went with it.

The mission home looks very similar to our homes in Vegas and its right next to the temple, and about 10 minutes from Kiev proper. And in Kiev its only apartment buildings. everywhere. very city like. even driving around the first day I wasn't convinced Kiev was a beautiful city until.....we were tracting Thursday night on a top floor of one of the buildings in our area and I looked out the window at the city lights at night and I was awestruck. My companion asked me where the spirit was telling us to go next and I couldn't even answer. Just beautiful. I think it’s because I’m from Vegas, I think I am really drawn to a city's skyline at night and really judge the city off of that. And Kiev is just beautiful-so many lighst, so many people. that’s the moment I really got excited to be here. yay. So my area is in 'east' Kiev, the part of the city that is east of the Dnepr River. and it’s been described to me as the 'sleeping section' of the city- so where everyone lives that works in 'center' or downtown Kiev. and it’s so true-there are so sososososo many apartment buildings here and it’s all our area!! So big! So many people to find!!! So exciting.

The first mission related thing we did was Thursday’s transfer conference. It was like a mission prep rally. I felt so overwhelmed and awkward-like I didn't belong. They kept talking about their incredible goals for the year and kept quoting a general authority that had recently visited the area, they are all in the middle of a 40 day fast, and they sang a song they wrote about their big goal-200 baptisms in 2011. That’s all great, but honestly in that moment I couldn't identify with any of it and knew that I should be, but just couldn't. It was like jumping into a boiling pot of water of everyone’s emotions and excitement, and I couldn't escape. But this is my home now- the Kiev Ukraine mission, so I better get excited...so its was hard. still is hard. one the biggest things I had a hard time accepting was this 200 baptisms in 2011. Why that number? I am sure it has a lot of significance to everyone here. I think its double last year’s number or something, but I really was not excited about it. Our first opportunity for personal study was Friday morning, so I decided to read one of my fav chapters for some comfort- mosiah 18 and I got to verse 16 and read it and read it and reread it. Okay. I like this number. If Alma can do it we can do it. it was just a cool moment where I knew the spirit was with me telling me that I could fit in here and do this work, and do it of my own willpower, not just because someone else decided for me.

My first lesson was with a babushka. I actually testified twice about how I know God has a body and the restoration, and then again about baptism, then I read from the Book of Mormon. So I really felt like I participated. And we invited her to be baptized and she said yes :) we just need to get her to church 2 more times but she has really bad circulation/diabetes and cannot walk to church. I think we are going to find her a wheelchair somehow. Then we had a lesson on Saturday and the investigator knew I was new to the country so she cooked me a very Ukrainian meal and let me enjoy it. Very tasty. She has a baptismal date but needs to come to church 3 times before she can be baptized- and we got her to come yesterday, so yay. And Saturday night we went to visit a less active which was a wonderful visit. Sorry I don't have more details...I don't remember the names of any of these people yet and I kinda just follow my trainer around all day and I my understanding is in the 25% range. I have actually surprised myself at how bold I am with street contacting and tracting in Russian. I feel like a salesman though, so I am working on improving my vocab to contact more effectively-you know, actually testify how the Book of Mormon blesses families when I talk to families on the street.

My trainer is awesome and very positive. She is from Utah, has been here 6 months and has served her whole mission so far in this same area, so she knows the area and the members really well. I think the fact that she isn't perfect in Russian yet is inspiring and motivating to me to really speak up whenever I can in the lessons and when contacting. We’re trying to make it fun.

Today we got to go grocery shopping!! yay!!! its like the one thing I have been waiting to do all week to make it feel like I actually live here. I bought my bundle of vegetables for my stir fries so I am happy. I have no idea what the week ahead holds for me, but hopefully I will survive :)

I love you all!! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!!

Sister Little

Oh yeah, Kiev will be beautiful in May because their was the country wide service day on Saturday for all the members of the church and I got to meet everyone and see their unity as they cleaned up parks around Kiev. Awesome! and here there is so much Ukrainian!! All of our hymns we sing in Ukrainian and about 40% of prayers/lessons are Ukrainian and all the street signs/store signs are in Ukrainian. I can't tell the difference yet, but I’ve been told by my second transfer I will. They say it’s much like English/Spanish in America. There are a lot of coganates, but they are different languages.