Real quick to recap my last days at the MTC, we had our last lessons with our investigators/teachers and they went really well. We really lucked out with our teachers and I miss them a lot. They helped me with so much more than just my Russian and I will be forever grateful to them for that. I learned so much at the MTC and I know that everything I learned will be so helpful in the field.
On Monday morning my companions, Sister Richter and Sister Thompson left for Rostov which was bitter sweet but I know they will be such a blessing to the Russian people. They are some of the kindest people I have ever met and I feel so lucky to have been able to spend 10 weeks with them.
I am still extremely embarassed about Tuesday morning and I debated even putting it in here, but long story short, I shut off my alarm at 2:30 (I had to be to the travel office at 3:45 am) and accidentally fell back to sleep for another 2 hours and woke up at 4:30 (such a miracle that I somehow woke up on my own at such a crazy hour even when I was so tired--I know it was not me that woke me up) in full panic mode. The STL's called the front desk and I threw everything together and we ran to the travel office (thank you Sister Gehring and Sister Bowers, you are angels). They told me that I possibly could make it, which was all the encouragement I needed. I got on the bus to the train that took me to another train, which got me to the airport with 20 minutes until my flight boarded (despite being stressed out of my mind, I was pretty calm given the circumstances. It was tight, but I knew I was going to make it, because why else would I have woken up without my alarm?). As I was sitting on the train and I watched the minutes tick by I thought "oh boy there are going to be some miracles in order for me to make my flight!' And I was right. There were so many miracles that happened and without them, I would have missed my flight--and I don't even want to think about what would have happened if that had happened! One of which is that the lady that checked my bags let me go in the TSA Precheck line, and the Elders going with me to Dnipro were waiting there for me. They were a beautiful sight.
The rest of Tuesday was a long day of traveling, but it was so nice but also so weird to be out in the real world again. Everything went smoothly on our three flights, and on our Chicago to Vienna flight, there was hardly anyone on the plane so we got to stretch out and take entire rows for ourselves--it was so nice! We also agreed that our in-fight dinner was probably the best meal we've had in 10 weeks haha. The MTC food wasn't really that bad, but it did get a little old.
From Vienna we flew to Dnipro and our Mission President, President Wirthlin and his wife were waiting for us along with the AP's, the STL's and the missionaries that would be our companions. The Wirthlins are really nice and they gave us little welcome gifts and took pictures with us at the gate. I also got to know who my trainer would be there since she was the only sister that wasn't an STL:) Her name is Sister Larson and she's from Utah and she is THE BEST. She only has 2 more transfers so I will probably "kill" her (I will be her last companion). She is really really good at Russian, she is so funny and kind and we are basically the same person (seriously, we literally like all the same things it was a little weird when we were getting to know each other). We're already best friends and I love her to death and want to be just like her when I'm getting to the end of my mission! I also found out that we will be serving in Odessa, which is the southernmost city in our mission and everyone says it is the best city with the best people!
From the airport we went to the mission office and did a little orientation and then went out into the blizzard to do some contacting. I was really nervous for it, but it ended up being ok, and we even placed a Book of Mormon. Sister Larson did most of the talking, but I was able to bear my testimony and it was nice to be able to say something! The people were all really nice though, even if they weren't interested. Afterwards we had dinner all together (I had my first borscht, it was actually not bad) and then we slept at the STL's apartment.
Wednesday we had some more orientation and sent my luggage to Odessa (they have this really cheap system in Ukraine where you can mail stuff all over the country and it gets there in like a day or two. I was still a little nervous about it though), got some pizza for some of us and ate it with a 14 year old girl named Katya that Sister Larson taught when she was serving in Dnipro.
From there we left for our night train to Odessa which would leave at 7 and arrived in Odessa at 6 am. The moment I saw the train, I knew it was not what I was used to haha. Thus began a very memorable night in Ukraine. I won't go into a lot of detail but it was a very old train and I after that night I will forever be grateful for clean sheets, mattresses, and blankets that don't feel like they are made of steel wool haha. There was no running water and when you "flushed" the toilet, it actually just emptied onto the tracks below (going to the bathroom at a stop is discouraged and now I know why). It was just a little different than the spotless bathrooms at the MTC. It was another reminder of how stinkin far from home I was, but it didn't make me very sad because mostly I'm really excited to be here.
Sister Larson and I talked for a while because the train was so loud it was kind of hard to sleep, and it was great. She was at BYU a year before me and she likes horseback riding (she did show jumping), soccer, hiking, dancing, and the Office and Psych, so it's going to be a fun time:)
Once we got in Odessa, we took a taxi to our apartment (news flash, no one wears seatbelts here and they drive like maniacs) and got ready for the day! The next few days were a blur but some highlights were meeting with some of the members (they are all so nice and are very understanding of my Russian), tracting (knocking on doors) into a lady that Sister Larson had met in a park here almost 3 months ago and having tea with her and her husband (of all the apartments in Odessa we tracted hers and the right floor, what are the odds), and meeting all the members of our branch. There weren't a lot of them there this Sunday because it snowed pretty hard Sunday morning but the people I did meet were so welcoming and spoke slowly for me and it was great. I can't wait to get to know all of them (and be able to understand them!). They are so faithful and there is so much I can learn from them. We also contacted a lot and that had its ups and downs. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's not so great, but in those times I was so grateful for the Holy Ghost and Sister Larson, because without them I'm not sure how I would be feeling at this point.
This week was just a lot of new stuff and trying to understand what was going on all the time, but even with my struggling to communicate and understand, I knew I wasn't alone and I knew that the message we were sharing with people was true. I know these next weeks and months will be hard, but I know that if I put my trust in the Lord, I will be led to people that are seeking this perfect gospel. It has blessed my life and I am excited (but also a little nervous) for the next 16 months.
Sorry this email was so long and a little scattered, next weeks will be more organized:) I left my journal at our apartment (yeah I know, killing it).
I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!
Love,
Сестра кропельниски
No comments:
Post a Comment