UKRAINE!!!

Ukraine Flag 

All right, to tell the truth...I really didn't know much about Ukraine before I got my mission call.  And by not much, I mean hardly anything!  Which is really sad. BUT now that I have my mission call, I have realized what a beautiful and special country this is.  I am so excited to actually get to go here! And I can't wait to met and serve the people, people who seem just as beautiful as this beautiful country! 

A video that showcases some of the best that Kyiv has to offer! 

time lapse of Kyiv

Lots of veggies in Ukraine

The food of Ukraine - borscht 

I love this picture.  I thought it was photoshopped
but apparently it is just after a crazy snowstorm.  It looks so pretty!

Celebration of the Ukraine temple

Pictures from the temple in Ukraine 

The Kyiv Ukraine temple

 I am so excited to serve here!  I can't wait! 

Exciting News!

So...when I originally got my call, I had to wait for 133 days! 

That's a long time...of waiting. 

But now, I'm over halfway done and better yet, I only have

FIFTY DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!

From the missionary website!

I'm so excited! 

Learning my Russian!

Today at work I keep finding things that I could make say "50" to celebrate! 

The Call

 It was FINALLY here!  But I still had to wait 2 hours to open it.

When the mailman (actually a lady...) drove away, I ran down the stairs.  RAN...like the fastest I have ever run!  I was shaking and excited and now that I think back on it, really surprised that I didn't fall down, crack my head open, and then die.  Thank goodness that didn't happen!

I opened the mailbox and there it was!  It was actually there. I pulled it out of the mailbox, screaming and jumping up and down! I took my first look at it!  It was beautiful!

I saw the postage...$1.90 (supposedly postage of $1.90 implies foreign).  I freaked out a little. Ok, A LOT!  I couldn't believe that this moment was finally here!

I thought about where I would be going.  I took some Spanish in high school, so I thought South America, maybe Spain.  I could see myself going to a Visitor's Center, or in the United States, maybe speaking Spanish.

But I didn't know!
I went back up to my apartment, made the appropriate calls and texts, and waited.  While I waited, I made cookies.  They were shaped like little worlds. While I waited, I cleaned the whole apartment.  While I waited, I held the call. And just looked at it.  (Is that weird??? maybe a little bit...)

Finally it was time to open the call. Or so I thought.  Setting up the Skype, waiting for people to get off work, Making sure my parents could hear...Everything took longer than I wanted it too. I just wanted to open my call already!

Finally we started...We sang Called To Serve.  We said a prayer.  Many of the people that I loved and cared about and that love and care about me were there.  My grandpa and a member of my bishopric said a few things.  And then it was time for me to open my call. 

I was shaking SO much!  I could hardly use the letter opener.  My aunt joked that I was going to rip my letter in half.  I was shaking so much that it could've happened! 

 

Sorry for the poor quality of the video...But anyways...

After I opened the call I hurried and put it under the packet so I couldn't read ahead.  I began reading and this is what is said...

          Dear Sister Ford, 

You are hearby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the Ukraine Kyiv Mission.  It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013.  You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Russian language. 

The Letter, signed by President Thomas S. Monson

UKRAINE! 

I couldn't believe it!  Never in a million years would I have guessed Ukraine!  However when I read it and once the shock passed, I knew it was the right place for me!  BUT I must say that I was a little shell-shocked for probably a week!

Something I love about mission calls is that it is like the ONLY time when the Lord sends you a letter, through his apostles and prophets, that tells you what to do and where to serve! He loves me and is sending me where I need to go!  That is a huge blessing in my life!

Friends there to support me! 

love Lonna and Kelsie! 

Brother Perkins and His Wife both came 

Grandma and Grandpa! 

 It was so great to have the support of everyone that came.  I remember looking up and seeing more than one person crying.  It was a really special moment for me. 

How Book of Mormon, Ukraine, and my name look in Russian! 

 Now it's time to start learning some Russian! 

Russian Book of Mormon! 

Where in the World Will Kati Serve?

So...I know this post is a little delayed, BUT I really wanted a place where I could see that places where everyone guessed!  (It's a lot of places)

 I Bought

 --A map of the United States

--A map of the World

--A 10 dollar Cold Stone Gift Card

--Orange Sticker Dots

And then I told everyone to guess 1 foreign place, and 1 stateside place!  The winner (whoever guessed correctly) or I (if no one guessed correctly) would win the gift card!  It was SO much fun to see where everyone thought I was going to go!  

The Guesses

Person               Stateside Guess               Foreign Guess

•          Colby H.                          Washington                                           Belgium
•          Adam G.                          Temple Square                                      Chile
•          DeAndra                          Oregon                                                  Canada
•          HD S.                              Massachusetts                                        Italy
•          Jacob M.                          Michigan                                               Australia
•          Susan B.                          Oregon                                                  Guatemala
•          Kristi F.                           Temple Square                                      Brazil
•          Cameron W.                    Georgia                                                  Sweden
•          Stacia M.                         California                                               Mexico
•          Kelsie C.                         South Carolina                                       Spain
•          Danielle H.                                                                         Ireland, England
•          Marlee M.                       Temple Square                                      Venezuela
•          Celeste B.                       Ohio                                                      Brazil
•          Aaron E.                         Texas                                                     Chile
•          Issaka A.                         New Mexico                                          Germany
•          Baylie M.                        Maryland                                               Australia
•          Kaiser A.                        Washington                                            Mexico
•          Amy E.                           Minnesota                                              Sweden
•          Tydin J.                          Washington D.C.                                   Romania 
•          Erin B.                            Florida                                                   France
•          McKell S.                       Maine                                                    Peru
•          Tricia J                           Oregon                                                   Europe
•          Jenni (Mom)                   Alaska                                                   Tonga
•          Arlene (Grandma)          Florida                                                   England
•          Sherry H.                        Baltimore, Maryland                             England
•          Parker F.                         Alabama                                               China
•          Tyson F.                         Kentucky                                               New Zealand
•          Zach F.                           Montana                                                Brazil
•          Jim (Dad)                        North Dakota                                        Spain
•          Kelli G.                           Chicago                                                Denmark
•          Mallorie P.                      Indiana                                                  Norway
•          Lonna C.                        Oklahoma                                             Korea
•          Pam J.                             Florida                                                  South Africa
•          Shannon F.                     Arkansas or Maine
•          Michael P.                     Idaho                                            Ukraine, Germany
•          Anna F.                                                                                        New Zealand
•          Doug L.                          Iowa, Wisconsin                                   Canada
•          Crystal H.                       Florida                                                   Japan  
•          Blake L.                                                                                       Canada 
•          Clarissa M.                                                                                  Mozambique
•          Liza S.                                                                                         Australia 
•          Kianna G.                       Washington                       
•          Lindsea V.                      Texas                                                    Argentina 
•          Barb G.                          Wisconsin                                              Spain
•          Sharon G.                 Florida, Alaska                                      England, Jamaica 
•          Issac J.                            Maine                                                    Canada
•          Steve G.                         Florida                                                   Canada
•          Ann N.                                                                                          Japan
•          RaeAnne E.                    Oregon                                                  Australia 
•          Bonner Y.                      Arizona
•          John P.                                                                                Hong Kong, China
•          Jason H.                         Tulsa Oklahoma                                    Argentina
•          Ashley H.                       New York                                             Germany
•          Larry H.                         Los Angeles, California                         Chile
•          Rob C.                           Wisconsin                                               France
•          Kate H.                          Tennessee                                               Italy 
•          Grandpa C.                                                                                   Brazil
•          Marissa E.                      West Virgina                                         Brazil
•          Whitni E.                        New Mexico                                         Paraguay 
•          Nisa H.                          Nebraska                                               Costa Rica
•          Judy C.                          Missouri                                                 Denmark
•          Lacey H.                        South Carolina                                      Chile
•          Steve C.                         Alabama                                                Zimbabwe 
•          Lia F.                             Delaware                                               Japan
•          Kyle F.                          Indiana                                                   Taiwan 
•          Barrett C.                       Maine                                                    Ethiopia
•          Ethan C.                        Hawaii                                                   Panama 
•          Kyle C.                          Idaho                                                    China 
•          Courtney G.                   California                                             Argentina
•          Keslee D.                       Louisiana                                             Argentina 
•          Staci S.                           Oregon                                                 Uruguay 
•          Ashley S.                       North Dakota                                        Brazil, Columbia 
•          Ashley S.'s Dad             Florida                                                  Brazil
•          Blaire P.                         Illinois                                                   Peru
•          Josie P.                          Virginia                                                Honduras 
•          Jacob F.                         Tennessee                                             Canada
•          Tim G.                           Iowa                                                      Iceland
•          Carter G.                       Maine                                                   Algeria
•          Jake C.                          Boston                                                  Russia
•          Alyssa C.                      Tennessee                                               Italy
•          Devin D.                        Indiana                                                 Poland
•          Tyler G.                        Maine                                                    Romania
•          Chad M.                        Washington                                           Finland 
•          Claire P.                        Ohio                                                      Germany
•          India S.                          New Hampshire 
•          Grandma L.                   New Jersey                                           Paris
•          Sam G.                          Kansas                                                  Spain
•          Julie F.                         Nevada                                                   Ireland 
•          Grandpa L.                  Washington                                            England
•          Sadie D.                       Ohio                                                      England
•          Spencer G.                   Florida                                                   England
•          Ashley S.'s Mom                                                                       Australia 
•          Sydney G.                    Hawaii                                                  China              
•          Bro Dowd                    California                                             Spain 
•          Ben K.                          Indiana                                                 Mexico 
•          Allyscha M.                  Illinois                                                  Nigeria 

  It was SO MUCH FUN to put everyone's guesses up!  I loved wondering about where I would go!  I would imagine what it would be like to serve in each place people said! 

The world map with guesses on it! 

Fun Facts About My Guesses

• The most popular state was Florida, with 8 guesses (about 10% of the stateside guesses), followed closely by Washington (5), Maine (5) and Oregon (5).  
• About 80 percent of the United States were guessed at least once! States not guessed include Colorado, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming! 
• 96 people placed a guess of where I would go, and only 1 person won!
• The most popular foreign guess was Brazil with 8 votes! Other popular foreign guesses included Argentina, Canada, Chile, England, and Spain. 
• I had guesses on 6 of the 7 continents (No one guessed Antarctica!) 

M.A.S.H.

So...I have a slight confession to make.  I really didn't want to make a guess myself. I didn't want to think so much about it and then be disappointed when I didn't go to where I thought I would.  So here's what I did instead...

I printed out a list of EVERY MISSION and played a giant game of M.A.S.H.. You know, the game that you used to play when you were a teenage girl where you would write down boys, jobs, number of children, etc, and then pick a random number and go through, crossing out the results until their was only one left in each section.  And then that was your "future life".  I did that!

I only had two sections, FOREIGN MISSIONS, and STATESIDE MISSIONS. 

It took FOREVER!! But it was so much fun!  

MY RESULTS? Salt Lake City South and Nigeria!  Those would of never in a million years be my guesses for myself!  

So once everyone had guessed, it was time to open the call!!