Love From Ukraine!!

Dear Family and Friends!

This week was awesome! I don't even know where to begin! I guess it wasn't that different from weeks in the past, but it was still a really good week! I hope that everyone at home also had a good week, despite illness, leg infections, broken bones, and anything else that may have happened!  

So the highlight of this week was that we found FIVE new investigators! The Lord blessed us so much! It was a testimony builder to me because we didn't spend 20 hours every day trying to find new people to teach. Instead as we went around to visit less actives, or do other activities that we needed to get done, the people that were interested in the gospel landed in our path. So we are excited to teach them and serve them this week! Their names are Nastia, Neonela, Vlad, Nina, and Laressa! Nastia was a referral from a former investigator, Neonela we talked to on the street, Vlad and Nina were referrals from a member, and Laressa walked into church on Sunday. 

Vlad and Nina have a really cool story. They are friends with a member named Katia and every time they are in Odessa they meet with the missionaries. They are really interested in being baptized, but there are no missionaries in their town (called a selo here). In fact, from what I understand, they aren't even part of a mission at all. It is so sad. So we are trying to teach them as much as we can before they return home. Vlad is only 11 and he is the cutest kid ever! I will take a picture with him next time we are together! He loves the missionaries! In fact, not only did he tell us that he wants to serve a mission, but he said that someday he wants to marry girls like us! It was so cute :) 

I don't know if you know this, but now that there are so many sisters serving, there is a missionary leadership position called a Sister Training Leader. They basically do what a zone leader does, but for the sisters.  Sister Leavitt is a sister training leader, so the next few weeks we are going to do a whole bunch of exchanges because she has to be with every other sister. So that is a little crazy! So we did our first exchange this week and we have another one starting tomorrow. I've gotten much better at packing lightly, thanks to these exchanges! 

 Sister Robertson

 Service during our exchange! service was wallpapering but then it got cancelled.  

 

On our exchange this last week, I started a conversation with a lady! She was super interested in the gospel, but the problem was that every 5 minutes, the conversation would start over because she didn't remember anything from before. I think that poor lady had short term memory loss. The positive news is that she wrote down our number like 5 different times, so hopefully someday she will call! 

 

 Odessa is bursting with tourists right now, which is kinda fun! We had an older couple come to church yesterday! They were from Las Vegas, only here for one day on a cruise stop. I thought that it was very cool that they came to church even though they didn't speak any Russian! We tried to teach them how to say Hello, but they couldn't even learn that! It was a good effort though! 

We are teaching an older couple, named Valia and Meheighal.  They are so sweet and always worried about our safety. It is cute :) Meheighal came to church yesterday, even though His wife had to go to the doctors! We gave them some banana bread so hopefully they enjoy it! 

Other news from this week... We spent a bunch of time trying to find less active sisters. We always take a member of our branch with us, which makes it so much easier! But it is such an adventure! Many of the sisters don't live in the same place anymore, which is sad, but good to have an update. On Saturday, we went with a lady names Galina. We went into like the oldest building I have ever been to in my life (Probably older then America..seriously) and climbed up these sketch stairs, and then come to a padlocked door. We can't get through so we just stuck an Liahona magazine in and a little note. It was so sketch! Seriously, part of the floor had fallen through!! CRAZY! 

Also, the Elders in our branch had a baptism this last Saturday. it was an awesome service! I was asked to play the piano for the opening and closing song so I got all ready to do that. Then while they were changing after the baptism, a member was like, "ok, Sister Ford will play and we will sing". So I picked a couple of songs that I knew that I could play, then towards the end, The member (Lisa) started saying no to every song that I offered. So I asked her what she thought and she picked a song that I had never played before! I was so nervous!! But the Lord blessed me because I was able to sight read better then anything that I had ever sight read before! It was a little miracle in my life! 

So... I am so excited because this week, English starts again! I am so excited! We have been doing a lot of advertising for English, which is fun! 

 

 Getting my haircut in Ukraine! So scary! the scarest part was when she styled it! It was SO ugly! Luckily it looked ok once I fixed it! We found like the nicest salon in Odessa, and it was only 100 g. So like 12 dollars! crazy!

 

 

 celebrating the 1025 (i think) anniversary of when the Kyiv empire became a Christian empire. It was a celebration. It was cool. We just walked by but the choir sounded so pretty! 

This saturday is Sister Leavitt's birthday! We are going out to eat next Pday! Also, this Thursday, our landlady is giving us Pedicures!  Also, today Sister Leavitt and I are going to go SHOPPING in Center. They have all the good stores here! Most are SUPER pricy but there are some cheaper ones too! I don't know if I will buy anything or not.

 

 

 taking pics before church on Sunday 

unfortunately, my clothes this morning. I don't know if you can tell, but it is pouring rain. I hope they will dry again someday. 

Sorry I don't have much to say this week! Just know that I am happy and enjoying the work!

Write me :) 

Love you all! 

Sister Ford! 

HAPPY JULY!!! Week 5!!

Dear Family, Friends, and Everyone Else!

Can you believe that it is July already??  Crazy?!?!  Less then 6 months until Christmas...

I hope that everyone is having a good summer!  I would love to hear about what is happening and vacations! :)

This week was really good!  I am loving being a missionary!

I think I will begin by sharing an experience from last night.  Sister Busch tells it in a very humorous way, so I think I will quote her here:
"It was a wonderful week here! Among the myriad and marvelous miracles we encountered, a particularly funny happenstance went down just last night. A dear sister in the northern branch in which we work was admitted into a hospital in Center last Thursday, so we decided to use the remaining time afforded to us last night to pay her a visit, as said hospital wasn't terribly far from where we live. When we left the apartment, rain threatened, but nothing ominous; we're talking light umbrella and/or poncho weather maximum. However, as we walked up the street, the Lord decided that a monsoon was in order, so the windows of Heaven opened and what must have constituted at least 500 years worth of angels' tears cascaded down on our relatively uncovered heads from that vast celestial reservoir. Of course, given that the evening was already hastening on, we opted to brave the deluge and continue on with love of God and love of all mankind burning brightly in our hearts. However, when the time came to disembark from the bus (the rapidly rising water level turned the 127 bus into something akin to the Good Ship Lollipop as it sailed down the street running parallel to the hospital), the rain had only intensified in its desire to moisten us and flung itself all the more vehemently down upon the streets of Odessa. Returning to the nature of our lack of preparation for such a ferocious downpour, I became wetter than I've ever been in living memory in a matter of roughly 30 seconds (and that's saying something, as I bathe very regularly). And, wouldn't you know it, but the bus overshot our stop entirely, meaning we spent another 20 minutes meandering through the flood-washed streets in search of this hospital. As luck would have it, my companions were both equipped with a poncho and an umbrella--that kept them considerably drier than myself; my intense wetness enabled the mood to remain light and we walked on with light hearted and very, very heavy feet (both Sister Hunt and I had be-YOND water-logged shoes, Sister Ford had rainboots :)). When we finally found the hospital, it was coming up on 8 o'clock, and we feared that some sort of visiting hours policy would be working against our desire to visit the sick and afflicted. However, as good fortune favors the soggiest missionaries, this hospital was true to Ukrainian form and admitted us without the slightest hint of resistance. While the whole trek to the hospital had been highly amusing and thoroughly enjoyable, nothing could compare to the feeling of being greeted by the huge smile of our sister who had been confined to her hospital bed for the past four days. She was so excited for visitors, especially visitors of the sister missionary variety. We shared a message with her about the Atonement, which invited a really sweet spirit into the rather depressing hospital room, and we promised to come see her again on Thursday with banana bread, as per her request. It was so sweet to know that every walk through the cold, dark, wet night, when done in faith, will lead to the light of a miracle on the other side."
 

 

Pretty good telling of the story...although she left out the sketch taxi ride home so we could make it on time, which required us running in the middle of the street to hail down a cab.  and the fact that true to the nature of Ukrainian hospitals, I saw a cochroach like 4 inches long.  And the nurse just smashed it.  And left it squished on the ground. Gross. I know :) But an exciting night! I also stepped in a puddle up to my calf! Thank goodness I had my rainboots :)

So one other thing that we did this week was meet with an active member and discuss how she can help do missionary work.  We asked her to share how she learned about the church, and her testimony of the gospel.  The spirit was so strong and although I didn't understand all of it, I could feel the power of it.  And in addition, the Spirit was teaching me and I received promptings and answers to prayers because it was such a spiritual enviroment. 

The first big prompting that I received was just to be grateful for blessings I had in my life, mainly the blessing that it is to be a missionary in Ukraine.  It became real in that moment, having a lesson with a modern day pioneer, in a Ukrainian kitchen. I'm so blessed to be here!  Especially right now :)

The other major prompting I had was to record my testimony and send it home this week.  I don't know why but I'm going to do it! Hopefully it blesses somebody to hear my testimony of the gospel!

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's restored church on the Earth today. I know that it was restored, meaning that all the power and authority of God was restored through the prophet, Joseph Smith.  I know that as a young boy, he had a question.  I know he prayed in faith and asked God.  I know that he recieved an answer to that prayer. In answer to his prayer, he saw our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. They appeared to Joseph Smith and through him restored all the fulness of the Gospel, including the Book of Mormon. 

I have a strong testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It works together with the Bible to truly testify that Jesus is the living son of God. The Book of Mormon is holy scripture that compliments the Bible. It expounds on what the Bible teaches and together the Book of Mormon and the Bible explain how we can find happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God because I read it.  I read about the prophets teaching the gospel, I read about Alma the Younger receiving a remission of his sins, I read about the promised signs of the Savior's birth, and about the fulfillment of those signs.  I read about the Savior's personal ministry among the Nephite people (the people on the American continent) after His resurrection.  After I read, I took Moroni's (a prophet from the Book of Mormon) challenge, which is, after reading from the Book of Mormon, to ask God if the Book of Mormon is true with a sincere heart and with real intent and desire. He promises that if you ask, you will come to know that it is true.  I did ask, and I did receive an answer. I know that the Holy Ghost testified to me that the Book of Mormon is true.  The Book of Mormon can bless the lives of all who will read it. Every aspect of my life is improved through study and reading of the Book of Mormon.

In addition, I'm grateful for prayer and how it blesses my life.  I know God hears and answers my prayers.  When I pray in faith and then sincerely listen for an answer, he always answers me. The answers I receive guide every aspect of my life.

I'm grateful for my Priesthood leaders.  I know that they are called of God.  I  know our prophet, Thomas S Monson is a living prophet on this Earth today. He and the apostles living today are special witnesses of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We can become closer to our Savior by following the words of our living prophets. I know that they receive revelation from the Lord.

I know that this Gospel brings happiness and peace to those that embrace it. Through this gospel, I know that my family can live together forever. Thanks to the sealing power available in temples, my family does not have to be seperated at death, but rather can be an eternal family. I love my family and I am grateful for their love and support. It may be hard to be seperated now, but the time passes quickly when I keep things in an eternal perspective.

I know that we are Spiritual sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father.  I know He loves us. I know that He wants us to be happy.  He hears our prayers and He cares enough to answer them.  He loved us enough to send his son, Jesus Christ, making it possible for us to gain eternal life. He has a plan for us and I testify that it truly is a plan of happiness.

I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I testify that He was chosen before this life to be our Savior, that He came to Earth, lived a perfect life, suffered in the Garden, and was crucified and killed. I know that He rose again after three days, overcoming all that stood in the way of us returning to live with God again.  Thanks to Christ, and His atonement, there is no need to return to feel dispair. Not only does the Atonement make it possible to return to live with God and repent of our sins, but the Atonement can also comfort us and bring us peace. Christ knows exactly how we are feeling and can comfort us.  I know he comforts me when times are hard.  Christ is my Savior, my Redeemer, my brother and my friend.  I am grateful for His love, His support, and His comfort in my life.

I know that God lives and that His son, Jesus Christ lives.  They know us and they love us! I  know that this church is true and that through living the gospel, we can return to live with God and our families again after this life.

I'm grateful for this opportunity I have to serve a mission.  I love helping others come unto Christ. I love how my testimony has grown simply by sharing it with others.  I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing right now!

I promise that the Gospel will bless the lives of every person in this world. Please share your testimony with your friends. The missionaries need the help of the members! In the ideal world, members would do all the finding and the missionaries would do all the teaching! Help your local missionaries! :) Please :)!  It isn't hard to share the gospel and I know that you will feel joy as you bring the gospel into their lives! And if you aren't a member yet, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon and ask God about the truthfulness of this gospel.  I know that you will receive an answer of its truthfulness.

I know this church is true! The gospel is true! The Book of Mormon is the word of God. God lives! He is our Heavenly Father and He loves us! Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior. I love this gospel and the light and happiness it brings me.  This is my testimony and witness that I give in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen!

Love you all! have a great week! (Sorry I don't have time to write more!) If you want to know how to help me, write me, send me recipes, and watch the Hastening the Work of Salvation Broadcast on LDS.org, tell me what you thought and the  apply it in your lives! Also, if anyone has a burning desire to send Peanut butter, Mac and Cheese Cheese Packets, Taco Seasoning, or American measuring cups and spoons, I would love you forever and maybe repay you with some Ukrainian chocolate! :)

Love,

Sister Ford

PS-  Write me :) I would love mail and email! kati.ford@myldsmail.net

Also, no pics this week...Our internet club won't let us send them :(  I will have a ton next week!!