Week 37: Subway Debacles and Transfer News

Hello all! Happy almost August! This week we had some crazy things happen, weird and awesome. We had transfers on Saturday and nothing happened with Sister Rawlinson and I (no surprises there), but we did get a call from President Wirthlin saying that Sister Rawlinson and I will be spending part of the transfer in Sumy (the northernmost city in our mission) and work with the members and investigators there! We're super excited!!

This week we met with one of our investigators, Oksana, and read 2 Nephi 31 and talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's so cool to see how the scriptures teach the missionary lessons for us. I've been reading lately in The Book of Mormon marking in different colors where it talks about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, endure to the end) and it has been SO cool. Highly recommend! I'm planning to finish on my birthday in September so I'll let you know the final verdict ;)

We also met with Жанна (Zhana) and Пётр (Peter) and there son Даня (Donya) and talked about Jews and Gentiles (because they had a question about that last time, they asked if God loves the Jews more than the Gentiles) and we talked about how it's like when you have two kids, you don't love one more than the other, but you do parent them differently, and are dissapointed when one does something wrong. But no matter what they do you will always love them equally. I think it clicked with them. Every time we meet with them I am reminded just how stinkin COOL they are.

Sunday Зоя (Zoya, one of the people we're teaching but who wants to get baptized with her children, so she hasn't gotten baptized yet) brought her daughter настя (Nastia) to church and we taught her the first lesson after church! Woo. It was a great lesson, and настя at first was like "yeah, my church believes that" but as the lesson went on she started to say more "woah, that is so cool, I didn't know that!" We challenged her to pray about The Book of Mormon and we're going to try to meet with her this week again. She is golden, so awesome.

Some more random stuff:
-This week on the metro we were rushing (as usual) to a meeting and we barely got on the metro train before the doors closed, but my shoulder bag... didn't quite make it. So I just held onto the strap inside the train as my bag flapped in the wind (see picture below). Everyone in our car was craning their neck to get a better look... haha. And then we got to our stop and the doors opened and we went on our way (no damage, miraculously, was sustained to said bag). I feel like I have an embarrassing thing happen to me at least once a day here, it's great.
-My sister sent me a package of american food (box stuffing, fishy crackers, nature valley bars, poptarts, etc.) and this week I think I ate more processed foods than I have in these last 6 months here haha. I had mac n'cheese yesterday for lunch and it was AMAZING. Thanks Hannah.
-Our mission is converting all of our paper area book records to online and it's been a little tedious but it will be really nice once it's all done! But this week when we were looking through old records I saw a familiar name of an elder who wrote one of the entries--Дафи! (Duffy) and for those of you who know the Duffys, I am in the same apartment that Matthew Duffy was in on his mission in Donetsk Ukraine! Small world, so cool!

That is all for this week! I love you all so much!!
Love,
Sister Kropelnicki

Sport night

"Happy city"

Our branch president and Maxim, a super funny member

Sunflowers!

Yep, that happened

Week 36: Bookshelves and Tree Spirits

Доброе утро всем (good morning everyone)! Hopefully summer isn't going by too fast, but with my experience it always does so enjoy it while it lasts :) Today is Elder Rogerson's last Pday so we're doing a lot of stuff with the elders today.

This week was full of lots of contacting because most of our lessons fell through, so twas a good time. I also had my first exchange as a sister training leader, and it was actually super fun! I was in Saltivka with Sister Carpenter and we had a lesson with a member that hasn't been able to come to church for a while because of her health. But she is super solid and we talked about prophets and she talked about what it meant to her when she learned that we have a living prophet on the earth again today. It was cool for me to hear because I grew up knowing that President Hinckley was our prophet. I'm so grateful for prophets!

We also talked about revelation in our district meeting this week and it was a really good discussion. We talked about how a lot of times when we're praying for answers we won't really get a super distinct answer, and sometimes its because we already know the answer, and he's just waiting for us to act. If we're making the wrong decision, He will let us know, but a lot of the time we can decide and trust in what we feel and already know.

We also met with Peter and Janna on Friday and we went in thinking that we were going to talk about baptism and how they are already ready, but they ended up having really out there questions and we spent most of the time talking about if trees have spirits. It was still an ok lesson, but hopefully next time we will be able to talk about baptism.

This week we also met a girl whose Mom is taking the missionary lessons right now and she is so cool! Her name is Nastia and she is working here now. We exchanged numbers during sport night and she came to church with her mom! We invited her to family night tonight and so hopefully she will be there. We also met a girl whose dad just decided to come to church last Sunday and she came with him. They immigrated from Belarus and her name is Polina and she is also super cool. She's 16 and hopefully she'll come to family night too!

Some other stuff:
-I ordered lemon juice from a restaurant, thinking that when it said "fresh" juice, they meant it was made with fresh lemons and I was right! Except it was literally ONLY lemons, no sugar hahaha. Who on earth would order that?? So I poured it into Sister Rawlinson's empty water bottle and we made lemon bars that night;) When life gives you lemons, make lemon bars.
-Don't have a ton of time but long story short I was trying to get a book off the top shelf of our missionary supply cabinet and it kind of came off the wall and fell on me (and dumped SO many books and English cards and Ensigns and everything else all over the floor. All is good now and I just have a couple of bruises :) pictures will be attached.

That is all for this week! Kharkiv center is a blast and I love serving and learning from the other sisters in our area. My companion is so kind and works so hard and I love the people here. And I love all of you!
Have a great week!
Sister Kropelnicki

Sister Rawlinson and me contacting

The aftermath of my cabinet accident

This was after we cleaned up a little

Week 35: Temples and Edible Cups

Hello all and happy Monday! This week was a lot of learning about my new area and getting to know the members and people we're teaching and lots of contacting on the beautiful streets of downtown Kharkiv :) It felt really long but I learned lots and lots and it all ended on a super high note so all is very well!

Kharkiv Center is really different from Novy Doma even though they are only 30 minutes away on the metro. They feel like different worlds. Novy Doma was more of a family community with lots of kids parks and little shops, but Center is a full on huge ol' city. It's weird to adjust to, but it's lots of fun and there's always lots going on and always lots of people to talk to!

This week we contacted a lot because most of our investigators wern't able to meet this week, but we had some good conversations and even sat and talked with a Jehovah's Witness and her son for a solid 45 minutes. She was really nice and it was probably the single most civil conversation I have had with them. It's refreshing to talk to someone who believes differently but can still have a conversation with you.

We also met with a young couple here that have been taking the lessons and meeting with the missionaries for almost 9 months. They are the COOLEST. Their names are Janna and Peter and they have a little son. We met with them before English practice and we got to know each other and talked a little bit about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and it was really great. They also came to church on Sunday and stayed for both hours (something they don't usually do)! We're trying to figure out what to do with them now since they've had all the lessons twice already and they are sooo ready to be baptized but Janna says she doesn't feel it in her heart that she's ready. More on them later though.

After English practice we did a tour with the new people of our church building and talked about our church a little bit. Sister Rawlinson and I were a little nervous to do it but it actually went super well! Everyone took a Book of Mormon at the end and two of the women were really interested and said they wanted to come next time and learn more. Sister Rawlinson also accidentally asked them if we could hug and meet up when she meant to ask if we could exchange numbers and meet up hahaha (the verbs are very similar:). They got a kick out of it.

Sunday was the best day by far. The Kiev temple president and his wife came to our branch and then did a fireside for the area in the evening. It was SO cool. President and Sister Roti are my new favorite people, I could listen to them speak all day! They said a lot of great stuff, but I really liked when Sister Roti talked about how if we make Jesus Christ the focus of our lives, our circumstances aren't important. If He is the focus of our lives then we will always have joy because He is the source of lasting, true joy. So goooood. During the fireside they talked about temples and they even invited our investigators, Janna and Peter, to come up and introduce themselves! He told them that when they know that this church is true they need to tell the missionaries and branch president and then get baptized and be sealed for time and all eternity. Woah. It was super straight forward but I think it might be good for them since they've kind of stagnated a little bit. President Roti also talked about how the temple is like a magnifying glass and helps us to realize what the truly important things in life are. I also got to see Sister Bevziuk (!!!) and some of the people we taught together. It was the funnest reunion! It's nice to not be super far away from them so I can still see them once in a while.

Other stuff:
-We had sport night and it gets intense haha. They take their volleyball games very seriously and it was a lot of fun. We also had over 20 people come which was awesome! Also, the cardinal sin during sport night is if you are responsible for losing the volleyball over the fence--everyone will low key hate you for a little (it takes like 15 minutes to get it back).
-We ate dinner one night at this cute little coup cafe and they put the soup in little edible cups! It was the coolest!!! And tastiest. Genius.
-Sister Rawlinson and I were walking home one night and there were these two guys standing to the side and one of them (in English, not realizing that we spoke English) that we were pretty and so Sister Rawlinson stops and says hello! And the guys freeze and just stare for a second and then Sister Rawlinson kept walking hahaha. It was so awkward but ah so funny.

That is all for this week! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week:)
Love,
Sister Kropelnicki

Left to right, Sister Bevziuk's new greenie, Sister Bevziuk, me, and Sister Rawlinson

Me and Sister Rawlinson

Week 34: Новые Дома--> Kharkiv Center?

Hello everyone! This week was awesome but bitter sweet because it turned out to be my last in Novy Doma! I am so sad to be leaving after just five weeks, but Sister Бевзюк's (Bevziuk's) greenie finally got her visa and so I got transferred to Kharkiv Center to be a Sister Training Leader (woaaaah) with Sister Rawlinson, whose companion finished her mission and left yesterday for home. I'm not gonna lie I feel so not ready to be an STL but I'm excited to work with the other sisters and learn from them. It'll definitely be an adventure. But Novy Doma will always have a place in my heart... that place and the people there are just the best.

But rewind to when I thought this week was going to be just another normal week. It was a really solid one. On Tuesday we had exchanges and so Sister Rawlinson and I were companions in Novy Doma for the day and it was a great day! I was nervous to be without Sister Bevziuk but it went off without a hitch. We met with Nastia and did a post-baptism lesson and we had her teach us the Plan of Salvation and she did it perfectly, she had good teachers ;) After, we had English practice and we gave the new people a tour of the building afterwards and set up a lesson with one of them and we're planning on meeting with her tonight (Sister Rawlinson, Sister Bevziuk and I are in a trio right now until Sister Bevziuk leaves tomorrow to get her greenie).

We also met with Tanya from english twice this week and they were really great lessons. We talked about Jesus Christ and had a member on the lesson with us and she was so helpful. Members are the best!! The second one we talked about The Book of Mormon. Tanya is always really busy with her disabled son and so she hasn't been able to read it very much, but at the end she said that she would read it every day and would try to come to church! And she did come! And she really liked it, and she stayed for second hour and the members all sat around her and introduced themselves and it was great. She also talked to us about how when we say the opening and closing prayer during our lessons, her son always is really calm. It's really sweet to see a physical manifestation of the effects of the Spirit, so cool.

We also had a few lessons with Tatiana and we talked about commandments and they were good lessons, we also had a really awesome member help us with one of them and she was so helpful. Tatiana doesn't feel like she's ready to make the big changes in her life to be able to be baptized and that was a little sad, but we're (now, Sister Bevziuk and her greenie) are going to keep meeting with her and try to help her see that with Jesus Christ we can change even if we don't think we can.

On Thursday we had a 4th of July party during English practice and we played games altogether and us and the Elders made apple pies and people loved them. It was a really good time and we just talked and ate and had some really good conversations about the church and also about how to make apple pie :)

On Friday we had a lesson with Anya who is a 13 year old from English practice. She asked for a Book of Mormon a few weeks ago and on Thursday she said that she had read a few chapters and wanted to talk more about it (like what she is 13!? It's so awesome). We taught her about the Restoration and she said she would pray about The Book of Mormon and she told us (before we even asked her) that she wanted to come to church on Sunday. We met her in the metro on Sunday and she even bore her testimony during fast and testimony meeting! (??) It was so awesome! She is the coolest 13 year old ever. And she also came to our Sunday Snack later that night and we read The Book of Mormon all together and talked about it. She wants to meet again next Friday!

On Saturday it was one of the Elders in my districts birthday and we got lunch together (he picked Mcdonalds...no comment) and later that day we had sport night and a lot of people came and brought food for his birthday and one of them even baked him a cake! It was awesome. I also got to call my little sister because it was her birthday! WOOT Happy Birthday Sarah!!

On Sunday I said goodbye to the Novy Doma branch, that was sad. But I told them to visit the Center branch any time they wanted! One of the members had been to the temple a few days prior and had seen a member that I knew in Odessa and she gave me a sweet note from her. It was so nice of her! I love people.

Also, Ukraine's version of Subway gives you the option to put corn on your sandwich and a lot of people take them up on that offer... thought I should share.

Weell that is all for this week, I already said goodbye to our cute little apartment in Novy Doma (cockroaches and all) but luckily I don't have to say goodbye to Sister Bevziuk until tomorrow (but I'll be back with her on our next round of exchanges so that's fun to think about :) I am more than a little nervous to be STL, and Sister Rawlinson and I are both still kind of new to the mission, but I am excited for this next part of my mission. And Sister Bevziuk's companion is so lucky to be going to Novy Doma--there is such great things happening there with some pretty great people. Ukraine is a great place.

I love you all and hope you have the most wonderful week.
Love,
Sister Kropelnicki

Sister Bevziuk and me

Week 33: Zone Conf and Winter Came Back?

Helloo everyone! Hope you had a solid week of life last week (and if not, you still got next week woot). This week winter decided to come back for a few days and it was weird. We even had to wear sweaters one day, and then the next day I didn't and Sister Бевзюк (Bevziuk) did and the whole day she thought I was going to get sick:) Haha stay tuned.

This week we had some good stuff happen here in Novi Doma. We were able to meet with Tanya and her daughters again and we taught the Plan of Salvation and they really liked it. Tanya's husband passed away a few years ago and so this lesson brought her a lot of comfort I think. She's pretty quiet, but she asked a lot of really great questions. And her daughters were especially interested about whether or not animals will go to heaven, and while we couldn't find a specific verse in the Book of Mormon about it, we told them that they would definitely see their pets again:) They were very relieved.

We also met with Tatiana a few times this week and she learned about family history and we also had a lesson on the commandments. We talked about the quote of how commandments are a manifestation of God's love for us, and obedience to them is our manifestation of our love for Him. It was a really great lesson and she had a ton of really great insights. She's had some struggles with keeping the commandments in the past and at the beginning of the lesson she told us that she didn't think she could really change and keep them, but at the end we talked about how Christ will always provide help and a way for us to acomplish everything that He asks of us. She also agreed to come to church and she did! She really loved it, and the members were the BEST. They talked to her and sat by her and told us to call if we needed them on a lesson with her. It was awesome. Member involvement is so important with bringing others to Christ. I am so grateful for them!

We were trying to meet with Dasha this week but she's out of town until the end of this week so that was too bad, but hopefully when she comes back we can set up another lesson! I miss her.

We also had zone conference this week and it was really really good. A few days ago was the anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and President Wirthlin (he knows sooo much about church history, it's awesome) made a powerpoint about his life, but also included some stuff that is lesser known that was really interesting. On my mission I have gained (and am still gaining) a much deeper testimony of Joseph Smith and his calling as the prophet of the Restoration. His selfless sacrifice made everything that we have now in the church possible, and I am so grateful that he decided to ask a simple question one day in a grove of trees.

Zone conference was also awesome because I got to see some people that I haven't seen since being at the MTC! It was such a fun reunion! We also talked about how as a mission we are almost already past the number of baptisms that we had last year, and we're only half way through the year! The work is moving along here in Ukraine and it's really cool to be a part of it.

I've also been thinking a lot this week about comparing and how destructive it is. We're told not to covet, and that starts with comparing I think. In life in general, it can be easy to compare where you are at to where others are at. But one of the Elders in my district shared a quote by Ernest Hemingway that has really stuck with me: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” We are all nobility--sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father. We fullfill our true divine potential when we work every day to be better than who we were yesterday. All that He asks of us to be better than we were, and we can do that every day through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He is there to make us truly divine.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful wonderful week.
Love,
Sister Kropelnicki