Dear Everyone! 

This week was CRAZY! I feel like transfer weeks usually are, but I've only ever experienced one so I don't really know! But anyways... 

So this week, Sister Hunt and I said goodbye to Sister Busch as she left our companionship to  train a new missionary down in Illyvtcsok (a small city on the beach South of Odessa).  That was kinda sad.  Our last day, we went out to pizza at Olios.  


 Sis. Hunt and I at Olios!!
 
It was fun, because we decided at the beginning of the transfer that if we had a baptism, we would eat lunch there! We were so excited and we went after district meeting.  That same day, every companionship in our district decided to eat there also. It was kinda funny, the workers didn't know what to think! 
 
 Our district

On her last day, we also had a music practice for a musical number that we did.  I don't know what it is about Ukraine, but musical people here are INTENSE! It was the most intense practive EVER! We started with squats, and stretches, and head swinging, and breathing exercises. It was CRAZY! And not to mention, there was no AC so we were sweating.  It was exciting. 

The last thing we did on the last day with Sister Busch was met with a lady and Natasha, our new member. We had a great lesson and then she fed us these delicious sweet rolls! It was fun! She also has the FATTEST dog I have ever seen.  This lady, baba Gancharova, is short and just about as round as she is tall, and her dog looks just like her. It is funny to see them together. But alas, her and the dog are both SUPER sweet ;) 

OH! Cool story, On Wednesday, Sister Hunt and I were together advertising for English when we came across this bridge! It was one of those Love bridges, where people attach locks and then throw the keys over the edge. It was so pretty! We were walking across it, when one of the locks caught the eye of Sister Hunt. We walked over and it said, "Provo Utah, LDS temple"! Crazy right! Small world! It was really awesome! 
 
 


So anyways from this point forward, my new companion is Sister Leavitt. She is 20 years old, darling, and super sweet! Her family works in Ukraine sometimes, and she studied Russian before her mission. She is super sweet and nice and caring! I LOVE HER! She is one transfer older then I am, and because she already knew Russian, she was only in the MTC for 2 weeks, in Spain.  So fun fact, both of us started our missions on the same day! March 27th! 

So the first night, Sister Hunt and Leavitt and I hosted a music night! It was so fun! We had like 20 members/investigators there. We had a sweet little girl sing about summer, and a couple young women sing/play the recorder, and then missionaries did some numbers. My district leader actually is a really good singer. He has some CDs out (I think) and he sang on a EFY Cd a while back, so of course, he stole the show.  haha :).  

But anyway, after the music night, one of the girls that performed (Lassia) came up and said that she wanted to serve a mini mission and asked if she could use our phone to call Presidet. So we let her and then she did and that was that. A little while later, actually when we got home, we received a call from the Assistants, telling us that either Sister Hunt or I was going to be put with a short term missionary.  Sister Hunt asked if she could, so they told us that in two days, Sister Gancharova, would be serving with her this transfer. It was a really sudden change, but we were excited! 
 
 

Fast Forward two days, when we pick her up and do weekly planning. OH boy! It was crazy! We quickly discovered that Sister Gancharova knows like no English. But we love her anyways! She is a darling 16 year old. It is funny because she is actually serving in the same area that her grandma lives! (See above baba Gancharova!!!!). But Sister Hunt is serving with her and I am with SIster Leavitt. The first day was really hard for everyone.  It was ALL russian and super hard to communicate! But thankfully, things are so much better now! We all are doing so great! 

So then Sister Leavitt and I were all by ourselves. It's been fun, a little crazy because I actually spent most of my time last transfer in the area that is now Sister Hunt's area, so I hardly know anyone, and Sister Leavitt doesn't know anyone either! So we have been trying to get to know people, especially people in the ward and in the Relief Society.  We set up a buch of member lessons this week, which is awesome because we will get fed a lot :)  
Most of the time when we have a lesosn with a member, they feed us because they are nice. I remember one time this week, this lady gave us ice cream, with homeade fruit jam and homeade juice, and candy. And  then as we were leaving, she gave us all the leftovers.  We basically walked home with our bags stufffed full of food! it was so funny! :) 

This week we also took 2 investigators to a Relief Society activity.  We learned how to make Greek Salad.  The ladies in Relief Society love me.  I think it because they think it is so funny because I can't really talk or understand anything.  They also think I am so cute because I am the first 19 year old in this ward so I am so young compared to all the other former sisters there! There is one lady espcially! Her name is Galina, and she loves me! I think she hugs me 6 times everytime she sees me! So cute! She told me that I am her favorite missionary. :) Everytime she sees me, she tells me that I need to relax more often.  It is really cute. 
 
HOW TO SLAM A SUPER KONTIK
Read all directions before beginning :) 
 
Step 1: 
Prepare a cup of Hot Chocolate.
 


Step 2: 
Open your package of Super Kontiks


 

Step 3: 
Find the hole in the super Kontik, where the filling was put in.


Step 4: 
First bit a small portion off, biting off the part with the hole.


Step 5:
Then flip the cookie over and bit off a small part directly across from the first hole

Step 6: 
Then place the cookie into the hot chocolate and suck the hot chocolate through the cookie, like a straw.

Step 7: 
The moment that you taste hot chocolate, quickly put the whole super kontik in your mouth and EAT IT!
 
Step 8: 
Be happy
 

So yesterday, all four of us went to visit a lady in the hospital.  It was a good visit, but the trip there was a little eventfully. I have been debating all day about if I should even tell you what happened, and I decided too, because I think it has a good moral to the story, but you have to promise not to freak out. (Especially you...MOM! Don't freak!)  Good? okay! 

So we got to the hospital, which was a bunch of buildings all in a complex. We were looking at the map of the hospital when two men started to approach us.  They were drunk (of course).  This actually isn't uncommon, people, especially drunk men, approach us all the time. Usually they leave us alone after we tell them to leave. But anyways....back to my story. They started trying to talk to us, you know, telling us that we had nice legs (always the weirdest compliment- we wear skirts over our knees...) and that they could help us know where to go.  We told them that we didn't need help and that we knew where to go but they kept pestering us, so finally we just walked away.  Normally, that is where it ends, but these two men followed us. So scary! I was walking in front of the other sisters and they stopped and I kept walking for about 2 seconds. By the time I realized that they had stopped, these two men had cornered me. I was stuck with one man blocking me from the sisters and the other approaching. They were saying things that I didn't understand and coming closer and closer.  By this point I was praying in my heart so much and I was saying to them over and over (in English), "Leave me alone, Stop it".  I was close to tears and had no idea what to do when suddenly one of them grabbed me.  The color drained from my face and I was more scared then I had ever been in my whole life.  THANKFULLY, at that moment, the moment he grabbed my arm, Sister Leavitt came up and said something and they both ran away. It was such a scary moment and I was shaking because I was so afraid. It took me a while to calm down (actually I didn't talk to a single man the rest of the night) but once I did, I realized how blessed I had been.  After that moment, I asked Sister Leavitt what she had said that was so effective so I could learn it.  She thought for a moment, then said, "I don't remember, I just knew you were in trouble, so I just ran over and words just came to my mind of what to say".  She said, "I know it was the spirit protecting us". And I totally agree. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been there or if she hadn't said something.  I know I was protected, but it was still SO scary! I had a rock in my stomach and it took a while, like into today, before I felt comfortable again.  But I realized that I will be safe, I have the Lord on my side.  And also, I have my companion. She won't abandon me and together, we will be safe and ALWAYS have backup! 

So please don't  worry about me, that isn't common and we are usually very safe. :) Plus we have the Lord watching over us! He really does protect His missionaries :) I know that is true! 

I love you all! Pray for us, and pray for missionaries all over the world! Pray for opportunitues to do missionary work yourselves! I really do pray for you often and love you SO much :) 

Sister Ford 

a late picture of last weeks baptism...