Tuesday night Sister Hatch and I got on a 12-hour train for Dnepr and then went on splits with the Sister Training Leaders there after having a "train the trainers" meeting. It was super fun to be in Dnepr and Sister Kelly and I went on a 45-minute marshrutka ride outside of Dnepr to a little village with some Elders so they could interview someone for baptism. We talked to the grandma while her son was being interviewed and she was great. She had a lot of questions about the Book of Mormon and we taught her about the restoration a little. We also met with a woman from Nigeria who's studying in Dnepr and so we taught her in english and it was so weird to teach in english but also kind of nice because I could say everything I wanted to! Our lesson went really well and she wants to take all the lessons!
On Thursday Sister Hatch and I met our baby! Her name is Sister Butler and she is from California. She is totally fearless and during our first contacting together that day she talked to so many people and we get a contact as well! She is going to be such a good missionary. She is also hilarious so our trio is a party. Sister Hatch and her are so fun to be around!
After we had orientation together we got on a marshrutka for a (guess how long) 13-hour ride back to Odessa. WOOT. I can't really describe just how amazingly awful that ride was. We were crammed in this old Mercedes van with 13 other people, plus the driver's pitbull (he was friendly) plus old Ukrainian roads which are not the greatest. It was a fun night! It was kind of like a 13-hour rollercoaster ride in the dark (where the only bright spot was the bathroom stop) and all I can say is that I will never complain about traveling by train ever again because those old soviet trains are luxurious to me now! In all of this crazy, Sister Butler took it like a champ! We all agreed that we aged about 10 years on that ride but worth it because this is the best work! And it makes a good story (but still not worth it).
Once we got back to Odessa we met with a sister from the Center Branch (Katya) and it was an awesome meeting (and a really good first meeting for Sister Butler--she bore her testimony and it was so powerful!). The sister told us about a time when she was really having a hard time in her life a few years after she got baptized and she prayed to Heavenly Father to help her and that Sunday she went to church and BOTH of the missionaries that taught her (they were both from America and had gone home a while ago) were at her sacrament meeting! One of the sister missionaries told her how she felt impressed to come to that branch even though they had originally planned to go to a different city that day. It was an awesome story. I know Heavenly Father knows us perfectly and completely! From just these past months on my mission I have gained a deeper understanding of just how much (hint hint it's a lot).
Sunday was Easter! In Ukraine they actually celebrate it this coming Sunday but we still had a special sacrament meeting and it was so wonderful! I love how Easter coincides with spring and new beginnings. And because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all begin again.
This week was weird because we didn't really have any meetings with our investigators, but we've been keeping in contact with them on the phone and we're hoping to meet with Alina tomorrow and Zeena on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to this week because it will be our first normal week together and we can get back into the swing of things.
I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! Sorry this email wasn't super missionary-y, next week should be normal!
LOVE,
Sister Kropelnicki
My two new companions--Sister Butler in the middle, and Sister Hatch on the right.
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