Zone Conference

Hey, Hey, Hey!

How is everyone doing?  I'm in a good mood today... Why? Because last week we had zone conference and President brought down our BRAND NEW DEHUMIDIFIER! 

our dehumidifier! My new best friend :)

Woo-hoo! That may not seem like a big deal, but now my sheets on my bed are actually dry and my towel dries! It is a little miracle!

Ok...I'm actually happy for real reasons, not just the dehumidifier, although it is pretty awesome! :)

This week was really good! (I say that every week, but it is true!) This week was also a little crazy! We had an exchange planned but then at the last minute, one of the sisters got sick, so we had to move the exchange to later in the week! That made it crazy!

Some highlights of this week!

- We did Service this week for Vika! It was so fun! We got to help her sort grapes. SO SO SO SO many grapes. They filled up her whole kitchen. It was funny because we were sorting them into firm, soft, and bad. But after awhile I couldn't tell the difference between what was firm and what was soft. But I sure tried. I told her about how grandpa makes grape juice. She thought that was fun! It is fun to talk to her and practice my Russian while we serve her! I am so impressed by her strength to be active in the church even though she has a disability! What an inspiration!

 Grapes! They grow everywhere here!

-We planned some awesome activities for this transfer! We will be doing a Halloween Party for kids, a game night, another pancake night. We also will be holding a fireside, my first one that I will plan! It will be called "Missionary Heritage in Suvorosky" and we will talk about RMs in our branch, the current missionaries, and the future missionaries, and how we can all be member missionaries! Also, I think we will feed dinner! It will be crazy! Also, our ward mission leader wants us to do a Thanksgiving Dinner, but he thinks we should serve Mexican Food. And call it a Mexican Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what I think about that... What do y'all think?

- Wednesday we had a great day planned...but then every lesson but one fell though. The only lesson that we had was with a less active named Valentina. It was my first time inside her apartment. To my utmost surprise, I discovered that she is a hoarder! Oh my! So much stuff! But we still taught a really good lesson. She was touched that we still remembered her after all those years that she hadn't been. She loves that we care enough to come and meet with her. Even more crazy, she still remembers her first Elders names, "Allan and Schmidt". Crazy how much of an influence missionaries have on people! :) 

 Our pipe that we walk along to get home. In the morning, when everyone is walking to school and work, it is like the "fast lane" haha :)

- ZONE CONFERENCE! It was so good! We learned about repentance and how we can more effectively use repentance in our lives and when we do, we can teach it more effectively to our investigators. It was really insightful! I love being able to learn from President and Sister Klebingat! They are awesome! And we get to have another zone meeting again this week when they are here! I can't wait! :) 

 Our empty bus! I forgot to talk about this! We got on a bus with a ton of people then everyone got off. I was worried that it was the wrong bus! Thankfully it wasn't! The driver took us speedily to our stop. It was like personalized. Kinda awkward. But funny :)

- We had a game night! It was so fun! We had people from English come. We did a Ping-Pong tournament and Sister Kelly won! All the men couldn't believe it! After that, they asked me to tell more about my life in America. So I started answering questions and they asked questions for the next hour. They wanted to know about everything. America, my car, my job, my parent's jobs, my family, my school...everything. They were so intrigued about why I was in Ukraine. It was really interesting to talk about. One said to me afterwords, "Normally you missionaries just try to shove your church down my throat, but you just answered my questions and as a result, I am more intrigued about your church" Interesting, right? They like knowing that we are real people and not fake or brainwashed. 

 I think my planner is cute this transfer, don't you :)

-Also, I spoke in church! SO SCARY! But it went really well! I think...I spoke about how physical pain can be healed by doctors, just like spiritual pain or guilt from sin, can be healed through Christ and His Atonement! I was so thankful for the members that helped me translate my talk! They were so helpful! :)

-Fun story from Church! After Sacrament Meeting, I went up to a member, Raisa, and was talking to her. She said, "Sister Ford, when you were speaking, I had a thought. It is that if you were here when I was 20 years old, (She is 60 now), we would've been best friends". ISN'T THAT THE CUTEST! It just makes me want to cry :) I was so touched! :)

- Also, we had American visitors in Church on Sunday. Our old branch president is marrying an American girl and her and her mom were here! They are getting married next Tuesday in Kyiv :) Cute! But, for the first time, I tried translating! OPA! So hard! It is really hard to listen and translate and speak at the same time! But it was really good language practice! I learned a lot and I am excited to try again! :) It was funny! I translated Relief Society and it was crazy! People were arguing and talking in Ukrainian and it was crazy. I tried my best....haha :)

Weirdness:
My birthday is this week! Weird, right! 

My birthday presents :)

Also, this last week, I officially passed my date that I will return home in a year! So I have less then 365 days left! Weird! :)

And this week will mark 2 months till I get to skype home! Weird!

I love you all! Have a great week :) Make good choices! :)

Love,
Sister Kati Ford

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