MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Dear Family and Friends, 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'm so excited to celebrate the birth of the Savior today! :) 

The other sisters are all Skyping home right now so I'm just chilling here emailing, I'm so excited to skype home in just a few hours! It is a lot of fun watching them talk to their families. It just makes me really excited to see you!!!! :) 

I'm doing super great! It is so fun to be a missionary right now! It is really interesting to be a missionary in Ukraine at Christmas because everyone here celebrates on the 7th of January. So today is just a regular day for everyone here! I'm so excited to be able to continue celebrating Christmas for the next two weeks still! It will be really interesting! 

This week was really good. We spent a lot of time preparing for our Music Night. It was a big activity planned, it was a little crazy! :) It got super intense, because in the space of just a few days, almost all of our music numbers called and cancelled. Thankfully we have a lot of musical missionaries here in the Odessa, so it still worked out really well! :) The people that came LOVED it! In fact, I was asked to organize another one for the Ukrainan Christmas! I'm not sure if I'm emotionally ready for that...I never want to make another phone call again.... :) 

One of the miracles from this week has to do with music night. As of last week, we were still trying to find a viola for Sister McInnes to play. We finally heard about a guy and that we could rent from him. We went and met up with him and then he agreed to give us a viola. When we walked into his house, we just saw violins and violas, a bass. SO MANY!!! It was so cool. And they were NICE too! So we got a viola and then He saw me looking at the violins. He asked if I wanted one too. And i said yes and he gave it to me to rent for the week. What a blessing! It is probably the nicest violin that I have ever had in my life! And he just let me take it! It was insane! It has such a beautiful tone and was so fun to play for the week! Oh, and he didn't charge any money!!! So crazy :) This man, he plays the bass at the Opera House!!!!!!!! It made us so much more excited for when we go NEXT WEEK! I am so excited :) 

 Also a gingerbread tree we bought! Yummy! It says happy new year on it! :)

 BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT! Seeing Sister Lee and Sister Hunt 

last night! It made me so happy :)

We bought a little tree! It is just a bunch of 

branches attached to a stick but cute! :)

This week we had a lesson with Katia and Sophia. It was SO GOOD! We taught about accountability, as a request from their grandma! It was so fun! We started with 3 different boxes and asked them to each pick one. Then they got what was on the inside. We talked to them about why they chose the one that they did. Then we talked about how we could know the correct choices in our lives, how we can't just make a choice based on what is cool, or pretty. We talked about how we need to follow the Holy Ghost and listen to the still small voice. They loved it! We played a little game where we hid a picture of Christ and then had one of us say the right way to go really quietly and the others talk really loud and the wrong way. It was so fun! They kept playing after we left :) Then I gave them the Russian CTR rings that I had. They had never seen the russian rings before! Maybe you can send me a bunch more??? I took off the green and painted in coral, and everyone loves them! I think I could make a business selling those... hehehe :) Just kidding... 

I can tell that the holidays are coming because people are drinking a lot more! We have to be really careful when we are outside! I can tell that the Lord is protecting us! We never really have any issues, and we just laugh it off! I don't know if the point will come where because of the holiday season we will have to go in a little early at night... Who knows!! 

So... this week, I thought a lot about Christmas (wonder why)... It's been a little strange preparing for Christmas because no else is celebrating. It is different being away from home!!! My package never came (if's sitting up in Kyiv right now) and it is just different. But I find that I'm so happy and I love this opportunity to be here! I don't even care about the presents or anything... I just love this opportunity to teach people and share about Christmas and about Christ!!! Yesterday, I was thinking about the feelings that I have had about Christmas and just felt to write a poem.... Yeah, I know that is weird! I don't know if I have ever written a poem before. Don't judge... It's really rough but I think it accurately describes my feelings at this Christmas season. 

My Missionary Christmas

I sit here and think

"What is Christmas this year?" 

I have no presents, no wish list, 

and my family isn't near. 

The bustle and hustle 

the shopping for friends, 

the lights and the Christmas trees,

I miss it to no end. 

There's no one here that celebrates, 

it seems like no one cares, 

But then I realize, They just don't know, 

The reason I am here. 

The Savior was born, He lives today,

He loves us, everyone! 

God loves us all so very much, 

that He gave his Son! 

That is why we celebrate, 

To remember that great gift! 

And that is why I'm serving here

to share that Christmas cheer. 

Cheer not brought by presents, 

not brought by a beautiful tree, 

But cheer in knowing that there is hope

and peace for all that see.

Cheer that can spread all year long, 

not just through Christmas seasons

It's worth being gone, being far away

Not distracted by other reasons.

To share that cheer I'll talk with all

I'll knock a million doors. 

I'll love and serve with all my heart,

I'll go 'till I have no more. 

I don't need those presents, 

for I've already received 

The grace and mercy of my Lord, 

what more could I need? 

And with this in mind, I say

a prayer of gratitude

for this chance to learn and grow

to see my testimony renewed. 

And so as I head out the door, 

I smile as I think

I'm blessed to spend this Christmas here, 

there's no better place to be! 

Family and friends, that is true! I love this chance to serve here! To bless the lives of people here! To share the great message of Christ with people that need to know! I think that it truly takes a Christmas away from home to truly understand how important family is and how easy it is to take the love and the company of those close to us for granted! I've been able to realize that the Lord loves us and is always there for us!!! :) 

Have a great Christmas! I love you so much! 

Love,
Sister Kati Ford :)