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
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