6 MONTHS!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Can you believe it? I hit my 6 month mark on Friday! Oh my goodness! I feel like I have only been out for a few weeks. I love being a missionary and have so blessed by my service so far! When I think about how much I have grown, I am so glad for my opportunity to be here! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now!

the view through the church keyhole... cool!

It's COLD here now! Like gloves and jacket and tights and fall boots cold. I don't know what I will do when winter comes but at the same time, I love it :) I feel so cute in the fall :) Our house is cold... the government runs the heat and it doesn't turn on until November... Brrr! :) Good thing we have blankets! The really sad news is that our water heater isn't working right now... don't know why... so our showers have been like ICE! It is kinda funny becuase both Sister Nielsen and I squeal when we shower. We have to jump up and down before we get in so that we can stay somewhat warm. Then we bundle up when we get out... It's an adventure. :)

happy birthday tyson! 

 Elders... Ukrainian style

 elders happy!

Elder bolt wishing a happy birthday! 

This week, during a personal study, I was thinking a lot about the phrase "eye single to the glory of God." I thought about how when we devote our whole attention to the "glory of God", or the manifestations of His power, we can more accurately see the good all around us. And seeing the good all around us, helps qualify us for the work, and being able to do the work better. I've really been looking for the good around me everyday, little manifestations of God's love and power in my life and the lives of people around me. A huge way that I have seen this good is through the happiness people experience relating to progression in the gospel.  For example, a recent convert talking about his first time in the temple, A convert's smile as He blesses the sacrament for the first time, seeing members from my old area and having them remember me and my testimony, a member's willingness to help us, the Relief Society President's trust in me and in the Lord. These little things strength my testimony and desire to do His work, and to do His work, in His way!

This week we found out transfer information. Next transfer, I will be in Suvorosky, again! I will be with my trainee, Her name is Sister Kelly. I know nothing about her, but I am so excited to meet her! We are going to baptize Suvorosky! haha :) I can't believe that I am training! I still feel so young! This week will be crazy! We head up to Kyiv on Wednesday night at 11:00 and get there the next morning. Then we have a day full of meetings. Then our trainees will sleep at the hotel again and Sister Hunt and I will find some sisters to stay with (I think...) and the next day we have meetings again! Then we come back on Friday night! It is going to be crazy for sure! I'm excitedfor the train and to be up in Kyiv. You may be wondering, what is up with Sister Nielsen? She will be opening a new area, Vinnitsya! It is up in Kyiv! She will be great :)

This last week was really good! We met with many members, which was really fun! One member of our branch tripped over her dog and broke her shoulder, which we didn't know. 

 prego dog. Is huge. Almost killed her owner...

who btw looks like a human version of this dog :) 

We felt the impression to call her, set up an appointment, and then to bring her flowers. We got there to see her broken arm, and learned that she can't leave the house for the next three weeks. She has been waiting for months to go to the temple, but can't go now because of her arm. We had the awesome opportunity to strengthen her. She told us at the end that she felt like her light was fading, but we brightened her light again, strenthened her and inspired her to share the gospel again! It was so sweet :)

We met with another member and she helped us make our first borsch! It was so good! I'm excited to get home and be able to cook delicious borsch for you :) It isn't even that hard :)

finished borsch

This week we also had a combined activity with the Center branch. It was a PANCAKE NIGHT! It was sooooo fun! The members and nonmembers love pancakes! All the missionaries made like 300 or more pancakes, both American and Ukrainian (crepes) There was about 40 people there, which is huge! It was so fun! It was also really fun to see my friends from my old area. I had so many of the people that I had worked with give me HUGE hugs. Galina, a lady that I met with once, came up saying, "Hello, my favorite, beautiful missionary". It was cute. :)

 pancake night

 

Lena and Vika. Vika, the blond, I don't know...

but she might add me on facebook

Lena is a girl from center is filling out mission 

papers in 3 months!!! 

 me and Zoya and Katya from center

me and Galina...awkward hug picture thing

Who watched the Relief Society broadcast?? I did :) Sister Nielsen and I had the opportunity to watch it during our companion study! It was awesome! And a sister missionary choir! So awesome! We looked for my new companion, but the nametags are hard to read! We saw some russian ones, so maybe I saw her... I don't know! I loved the moment when the showed the Lady from Russia, opening her door! Just so you know, that is exactly what tracting looks like... minus the bright lights, and smiling lady welcoming you in :) Hahaha but the doors are like that, and the 4 doorbells on the side. We ring all of them :) It made my heart smile because it reminded me of Ukraine and the wonderful members here :)

Conference is this weekend! We don't watch it until next week, but I can't wait! I will find out the new temples before then though :) and any special announcements :P haha! I hope they announce a temple in Odessa! How cool would that be... we need a stake first though :) Everyone watch it and tell me their favorite parts!

by our house is this little bread shop. It is only 1 dollar 

(8 grn) for 2 bigstuffed rolls with fruit in it! 

So good! We get them often-ish :) 

Scary part from this week- the Relief Society President in my branch put me in charge of the Relief Society activity for this week. What is it? A discussion on how to be a good mom! I have no idea why I am in charge, because first of all I'm not a mom, and second of all, I don't really speak that much russian to lead a conversation that isn't gospel related at all. I thought about it a lot, and finally decided to cut up questions and pass them out and then have answers from the prophets and my life, and the Klebingat's...when then I got a call from my zone leader telling me that I won't be in Odessa on Friday, but will be in Kyiv. So now...today... soonish, I have to call her and tell her that I won't be here. Sad :( I was kinda excited for the challenge! Next time!

Sister Hunt and I at Olios today! 

I love you all! I hope that you have a GREAT week! Enjoy conference! Enjoy fall!

Sister Ford

What a Week!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Brrr! It is starting to get cold here in Ukraine! I wore tights and a sweater and a jacket and mittens today! It's been kinda rainy too! It is fall now, and I really am loving it!

Us on our street! It's kinda cold :) 

This week was good! One of the highlights of this week was that our branch did an Open House. Although not many people came, I really enjoyed it! THe members put in so much work. They had candy and tea and water and big posters. Many members came to help set up, clean up, and talk to people that came. One of our investigator came and ended up talking with members the whole time! It was awesome. Also, the members went out on the street and invited people to come inside and learn more. They were giving out information and pamplets, it was so cool! :) I love when members do missionary work! Like President Hinkley said, "There is a better way to do missionary work, it is working together with the members!" That is so true!

our smile poster

Another example of the members helping us was during English. We had a member, Ira, come and do the spiritual thought for us. It was so cool! She talked about Family History! The spirit was so strong :)

This week was also took some blankets to a children's hospital. It was really cool. A member came with us and would point out the blankets on the beds that they had donated in the past, and there was a lot of them! It is fun to be able to help do service! Something just as small as a blanket, really makes a huge difference in the lives of those children and for that hospital!

We have an investigator right now, her name is Yevdekeya. She is so sweet. This week we taught her, but instead of teaching her and dumping information on her, we really tried to answer her questions. She was so grateful. I just love her so much! I love how she is willing to read the Book of Mormon everyday and really wants to know the truth of what we are saying. She tells us that she feels happy when she meets with us, which is a huge compliment! We ran into her on the street yesterday and she was SO happy to see us!

Funny Moments from this week:

creepy text messages... hehe 

 * When Sister Nielsen and I were eating dinner one day, we saw an older man that comes to English, on a date!! Haha we didn't want to interrupt! But it was pretty funny!

 

 * I saw a man that I met at English in a different area like 1 time in the park, He remembered me! Sister Nielsen thought that I was crazy when I just started talking to this random man in English!

 * WE FOUND BACON :) and also made crepes. and french toast. Not at the same time though...

we made crepes! Yum :)

Exciting news, I finally worked up the courage to ask the professional violinist in my branch if I could maybe use her violin, she said yes! :) But the down side of that is that this Saturday we get transfer information, and I could leave :( Hopefully not yet, I love Suvorosky!

I love you all! All of you women, watch The Relief Society Broadcast this Saturday! :) Hopefully I will be able to watch it at some point :)

our chicken friend!

ALSO A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUTOUT TO MY FAVORITE ALMOST 13 YEAR OLD BROTHER, TYSON! HAVE A GREAT DAY ON WEDNESDAY! I LOVE YOU!

Also, congrats to my parents, on 4 teenagers at one time! or should I say...good luck! :)

I love you! Have a great week!

Sister Ford

Mission Conference and Temple!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

What a fun, crazy, tiring, exciting week it has been! I had so much FUN this last week, but it was crazy!

I don't even know where to begin right now! Maybe I will talk about the weather first! IT GOT COLD! and rainy! I was actually cold! I thought maybe it would snow...but then I converted the temperature from Cel. to Far. and then I realized that I was just a whimp. I'm not even going to say the temperature... It was that bad! haha :) But today is warmer. Thankfully.

So our branch has a recent convert. His name is Isaac. He is African and doesn't speak very much Russian, or English. But we communicate in English, because he knows enough. He is AWESOME! He spoke yesterday in church about "The Power of God" (And yes, he has an awesome African accent). He speaks in English but then the branch president translates it into Russian. Anyways...This week I helped him find scriptures for his talk. It was fun.

I also did an exchange this week. Back with Sister Leavitt! It was fun! Weird to be back in my old apartment with none of my stuff...I realized how much I love my new house too! It's still nice! :)

Our pool

me in the pool! WHICH IS EMPTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:) Just to make that clear :)

Wednesday when we were walking to the church, we said "Good Evening" to a man walking by. He turned around and said, "Americans!' Which for us, is actually a pretty normal greeting. He told us how he had met with missionaries before and had a Book of Mormon and believed that it was God's book. Then he gave us his number and said we could meet! The best part of this story! He wants us to meet with him AND HIS FAMILY! That's so exciting! He has a wife and they have ben married for 35 YEARS! He has 5 Children and 5 Grandchildren! Families like this just don't exist in Ukraine so this is HUGE! I really hope that this works out! Pray for him (Vlarry)! And pray that we get the opportunity to meet with him! and his family!

Thursday we had a lesson with Natasha and she called before and asked if she could bring a friend. Of course we said yes, so we met Giorgi, her friend from Georgia! He knows some Russian and some English so we can communicate. He is interested in the Book of Mormon so we gave him a Russian one, they don't have one available in Georgian yet. But he was really nice. With Natasha we helped her translate a letter to Stephanie Nielsen. We are going to send that this week. Hopefully it makes it safely!

Then on Friday morning, we got on a train! How fun! 

on the train

at the Kyiv train station (which is so pretty)

We had a 11 hour ride up to Kyiv, so it took all day! Finally we got to Kyiv and it was rainy. So we found our way to the Metro and figured out how to get to the Sister's apartment in Center Kyiv. That night 10 sisters stayed there! It was a little crazy! But good! I slept on the floor but I slept fine!
Then the next morning we had our mission conference. It was really good! Elder Evens from the Missionary Department and the 70 came and President Bennett from the Area Presidency was there. They talked a lot about doing missionary work with the members. It was interesting. I was glad to have been there, even if it was only for 3 hours!

Then we went to Dominoes (it tastes just as good here in Ukraine!)

Then we got the opportunity to go to the temple! It was so great! We walked in and immediately I just felt like home. It was so peaceful. The temple in Ukraine is beautiful! It is very similar to other temples but has some details that make it seem so Ukrainian! I loved it! Because all the sisters from Odessa went and also Elder and Sister Evens, and also President Bennett, the session was in English. But some parts were still in Russian. Someday I want to do a session in Russian. It is such a beautiful language! But then we walked (in a mini flash flood :) ) to the train station and headed home! It was a crazy two days! Our train went all night and we got to Odessa Sunday morning and headed to church! Crazy!!! But so fun! I loved seeing all the other sisters from my district! It was crazy though because when I first came into the mission, I was one of 16 sisters. Now there are more then double that and I don't really know any of them! Hopefully I met them all someday! :)

Anyways, that was this week! I love you all! Make good choices! Be happy! Share the gospel!

Love,

Sister Kati Ford

Mission Conference This Week!!

(So we are going private, If you still want to read her blog please send me your email and I will invite you.  But please do not copy or post anything from her blog.  Thanks and send me your info at jenford1115@yahoo.com so I can get you invited )

Dear Family and Friends,

Hopefully you can all still read my letters, even though from here on out, my blog and Facebook page will be private. It is just to protect the church and the members and the missionaries here in Ukraine -Sometimes it is strange to realize that the rights we have in America of press and speech are not the same around the world, and recently missionaries and the Church in general have faced problems in my part of the world, due to what has been posted online. Scary! But I want all of you to still be able to read my letters so ask my parents or Jacob or someone if you need help to see them! But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not post any pictures or parts of my letters on ANY public website (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pinterest). Unless they are private, PLEASE do not post it anywhere!

Anyway, on to this week! Or this upcoming week -- WHICH I AM SO EXCITED FOR! We have mission conference this week! :) YAY! I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but originally the sisters in Odessa were not invited (just a technical thing). And I was so sad. But then President decided to invite all the sisters! I am so excited! It will be my first time in Kyiv since I got here! Yay! We are taking a train up Friday during the day (a 14 hour train-- it will be a party...) then on Saturday we have a mission conference (with general authorities- I think Elder Evans from the 70...not sure though). Then after the conference, my companion and I and Sister Hunt and her companion are going to go do a session at the Kyiv temple! I AM SO EXCITED! :) I can't wait! It will be my first time at the temple in almost 4 months! and my first time ever in the Kyiv temple! Then Saturday night we get back on a train and get back to Odessa on Sunday morning, just in time for church! Crazy weekend!!! So I can't wait to tell you all about the conference! and the temple! And seeing Sister Lee and Montgomery and all the other sisters! I can't wait!

Also, in other news, In 18 days I hit my 6 month mark! That is INSANE! I can't believe that it is already September! (Speaking of September, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY ALYSSA :) HAVE A GREAT DAY :)) Time is just flying by SO FAST!

But this last week was kinda crazy! We spent a lot of time moving into our house! It took FOREVER! But now we are all moved in and it is awesome. We live in what is called a "selo". It translates to village in english. Basically when we called the taxi, He said, "You don't live in a city". Which is true. We live in the country. Like Hello dirt roads. 

our road...country

It is so great. At night we walk back and we can see SO MANY stars. It seriously feels like we have walked back in time...or that we are on the set of Hunger Games. Seriously though! So pretty. 

 we live by the train tracks too. It's fun! 

Our house is really nice though! HUGE! But really nice. And we do have a pool - but it is empty. I just remembered that I forgot to take a picture of the pool. 

 new house, office and bathroom 

 bedroom and kitchen 

Next week... But we also have a "pet" cat. Technically it lives next door, but every time we open the door, he runs into our house. Then we have to chase him out again. It is an adventure. Oh and did I mention that every morning, we awake to the sound of a rooster!! I tell you- It is an experience I never thought that I would have!

But this week we had a lot of good success with advertising for English. Monday was Odessa's Birthday and we decided a few days before to do some English advertising Monday night. Then, that night we got to Suvorosky and literally 2 blocks from the church was this huge party concert thing. It was SO CROWDED! 

 Concert last monday 

 our free English advertising  

So we wrote "Free English" on a white board and stood next to it, handing out English cards. We were SWARMED! So many people were interested. It was so awesome! Then that English, people that we had advertised to actually came! It was so exciting!

Here in Ukraine, a big problem that we have is that people here have a really skewed perspective of what Mormons are. They often confuse us with other religions. So something we have done recently as a mission is to try and have the public have a better view of us. So one thing we do as a misison is make a sign that says, "Smile" (in russian) and walk around with it! It is so fun! People here have NEVER seen anything like it and they think it is so cool. Then we get to tell them why we are here and what we do! It is really fun! So we did that this week, which was fun!

Also, this week, I tried Tracting for the first time! What an experience. It's like a game... You never know what is going to be on the other side of the door!

And one last awesome activity this week, We did an American game night. It was so cool! In Suvorosky, the church is in an awesome location, with a park/boulivard right outside. So we opened all the blinds (the cultural room/chapel has 2 walls of floor to ceiling windows). It was so cool! We had like 8 people that we had never seen before walk in and ask if they could play! It was so cool! People here love ping pong!!

our game night, visible from outside

This coming week we are trying an outdoor movie! I hope it goes well! Also soon, our branch is having an open house and doing a member fast everyday until then! They are so excited to do missionary work!

So right now, we don't have a ton of investigators, and the few we have are not really progressing! So please pray that we can find the elect and teach them :) I know that there are people being prepared by the Lord to be taught (Alma 13:24), and right now, our job is to find them! So if you know any fun and creative ways to find people, let me know :)

we found an american burger place today! IT WAS SO GOOD! DIVINE :)

I hope you all have a great week! Make good choices, work hard! :) I love you all! Sister Ford

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! Crazy things are happening!!

Dear Family and Friends,

At first I couldn't really think of much to say but then I started thinking back on this week, and seriously SO MUCH HAPPENED! My life is crazy. Seriously! And I am so very, very blessed!
This week was really good. It has been a little stressful for us traveling everyday into our area for an hour in the morning and an hour at night so we are beyond excited that we will receive our keys tonight and will be able to move in soon! Despite the long commute and the difficulty of living outside our area, this week was really good. 

 Soccer jersey! :) hehe can't wait to see the boys in those short shorts :)

I've personally tried to do some things differently then I have in the past and for the most part, I have found a lot of happiness and success in doing them.
The first thing that I have really worked on this week is not being afraid to talk to everyone. I reached a realization that there is no reason not to talk to someone. After all, this could be the one chance I have to ever talk to them. I don't want to miss anyone so I have taken my talking to everyone to a whole new level. Not weird, just increased. I feel like I have talked to more people this week then I have in past weeks and it makes me really happy. I think as a newer missionary, I am often afraid of not knowing what to say, not understanding, or of the actual person. But I find (especially now as the older companion) that the Lord really does bless me more and more as I try to talk with everyone. It's really rough sometimes, but I am making the effort and so happy about that! I still have more to go, but I really do try every day to talk to more and more people.
Another thing that I have been working on is getting better at having conversations, meaningful conversations, with members. This one is really hard for me, especially since I am uncomfortable with my level of Russian still. Talking in Russian is hard, but talking about things other then the gospel (small talk) is especially hard, because I don't know any vocabulary. But as I have tried it more and more this week, I have been blessed with better relationships with the members.

Teacum, our pregnant church cat. She protects the church...kinda. 

but seriously was bought to kill mice. She does a good job
So last Monday night, Sister Nielsen and I were in bed a little early. It was 10:29 when the phone rang. I jumped out of bed and answered the phone. It is Elder Hughes, the AP, calling to tell me that tomorrow President Klebingat wanted me to be on a conference call. I was confused and I thought about it, but couldn't figure it out. Fast forward to the next morning, I call into the conference call. The most random missionaries seem to be on it. I can't sense a pattern to who is on this call. Then President gets on the call and says, "Missionaries, I am calling to tell you that next transfer, you will be training a new missionary. Prepare now. Have a good day" Or basically just like that! So news out that next transfer I will be training! I'm kinda nervous! I will have been in the country for 4 months and will be training! Crazy! There are so many missionaries right now!
Finding out that I was training this week was surprising. I am really excited but also slightly nervous. I know that trainers have a huge impact on the rest of a missionaries' mission. I look back and am grateful for Sister Busch everyday. And I want to be that kind of trainer for my companion. I really want to inspire her. I'm working on being as exactly obedient and hard working now so that when we are together, they will be habits for me!

Today is Odessa's birthday! Happy Birthday Odessa! :) That's the city flag! 

This week, we started our new transfer so we had our first new district meeting! I am seriously one of the only missionaries from my first transfer that is still in the district! And the only sister that it is the same! Crazy how quickly things change! Our new district is good! Lots of new missionaries!

 

 us with giant cotton candy

my quote wall. Being dissassembled tonight

and the one in the bedroom. It's missing the picture of the nauvoo temple because I showed it to someone.  

Tuesday we were in the church when a couple from American walked in and asked the Elders for a blessing. What a blessing to know that missionaries all over the world are always available and worthy to help when needed! We have great elders in Odessa Ukraine, so if you are ever here and need anything, they will be willing to help!

Wednesday we had a little miracle. We were walking down the street and there was this lady standing on the sidewalk, just standing. I went up to her and asked, "Are you interested in growing closer to Christ". She said yes. I gave her a Living Christ and she asked if she could come to Church. We said yes and offered to meet with her, to which she accepted. She said yes, and although it hasn't worked out yet, I'm sure it will. Her name is Olga and because she wasn't stopped on the sidewalk, we call her Olga Stopped in our phone. Makes me smile everytime :)

This week we also got the opportunity to teach Natasha, our recent convert. She is doing Fantastic! We met with her and taught her about temples. We showed her the Kyiv Temple Celebration Video (Makes me cry everytime!) and then talked about how she can go to the temple and do baptisms. I can't wait for that day!! Talking about the temples made me want to go to the temple! I really hope I can soon! I'm so blessed to have a temple in my mission! If I ever make it back up to Kyiv I am going to go for sure! :)

Natasha also gave us her new boyfriend as a referral. We met with him once and he seems interested and really nice! We are going to show him the Restoration video next time (At Natasha's request). Also Natasha is speaking at church next sunday so she wants help preparing! It is cute! Love her!


 Something interesting that happened this week was in Branch Council. I became really aware of how much the Suvorosky branch wants to do missionary work. They have a mission plan and they talked about it. They committed (among themselves) to try and talk to their friends about things that made our church different. They set up a branch open house. Through all this, the missionaries were in the background, there to help, but not at all running the show. It was incredible.

I love you all! I had a great week and hope that you did too! You are all in my prayers!
Love,
Sister Ford