back in the USSR

oh hi, family and friends.

just another week in this place we call ukraine. kharkov to be exact. plus thanksgiving, of course. all my thoughts for this week are kind of random, so i'll just make a little list, i suppose. my apologies.

-- to celebrate thanksgiving on thursday we had a thanksgiving potluck after a zone meeting. delicious. and being around other missionaries is always rejuvinating. not to mention that it really does feel like family to sit and watch each little group taling to each other. there's something about this new transfer that a least for right now, everyone really is just doing okay. it's like there's a sigh of relief in the air, or something like that. on saturday night the branch had a thanksgiving celebration that included a talent show of sorts beforehand. oh, goodness. be jealous. it involved multiple old men getting up and singing russian songs while wearing suits. just picture that. it's just as priceless as you're imagining, i promise. we were dying.

-- saturday night we had our first snow! it wasn't really much of anything. just magically falling from the sky, and only a little bit stuck and was still on the ground sunday morning. but we all know there's something magical about the first snow of the season and watching it fall through the winter night sky, especially when it appears in the light of streetlights. i adore it.

-- weeks go in cycles here of different things happening. there was the week of more couples around the city than usual, the week of seeing people signing in russian sign language to each other more than ever before, and this week was the week of talking to multiple old grandpas that tell us all about how everything was so good back in the ussr. how things were cheaper, life was better, something like that. bless their souls. and the alcohol, smoke, or goat cheese on their breath. or all of the above. true story.

-- people keep telling me i look like their relatives. a few weeks ago someone told me i looked like their daughter. on saturday, someone told me my face looks like their babushkas. and someone else told me i have a soviet looking face - when they asked about ancestry (which happens more often than you'd think) they gave a big 'ohhh, there it is.' when i said greek. ha. and sasha told me he has relatives that look like me. yessss. blending in with the locals. kind of.

-- in our winter coats c.armknecht and i look like purple marshmallows walking around the streets. good thing everyone looks like multi-colored marshmallows on the streets. it still makes me feel like i'm five, though. ha.

-- i got a letter from my mtc companion this week and another sista from my mtc district! i squealed in delight and i think i freaked ct.johnson out a little bit. it's fine. they're all still alive, so that's what matters.

-- this week i taught ct.stoker and arrington how to knit. they're kind of obsessed. like, they walk around talking about knitting ALL. THE. TIME. it's hilarious. also, fun fact. ct.errington is from tulsa, oklahoma! woot.

-- speaking of sasha. he was doing so well. and almost quit us. and then was back on the bandwagon. and then we think he has a protiv (against) wife. so we'll see. darnit.

-- in case you were wondering, tomara is a rock star. i love that woman so much. on friday we went over to her place and gave her a framed photo from her baptism of her with us, and i gave her the extra triple combination of russian scriptures that i had from the mtc since mom bought me one before my mission. she was absolutely overjoyed beyond explanation. she adores the scriptures. and she adored the gifts and said no one ever had given her such a gift. it reminded me of what mom always says about hoping that if there's one book we wear out, she hopes it would be the scriptures. and tomara talked about how when she got baptized or is in other situations, she doesn't always feel that different. but when she can read the scriptures, it just brings her so much joy in learning and everything else. i can't even describe it all. fulness of joy. i love her. and it's amazing to see how visibly calmer she is since before she was baptized. with this woman, that's a miracle. she sometimes freaks out about things, but when we were with her on friday she was just so calm. also, we watched legacy with her this week. i love that movie. raise your hand if you remember the phase of my childhood when i wanted to be a pioneer! childhood obsession with little house on the prairie, anyone?

-- we also had a lesson this week with a guy who knows english really well, so he mostly wanted to speak in english. it probably won't go anywhere, unfortunately. but it was neat to have him almost challenging our testimonies and the things we were saying in a way that he was sincerely asking if we truly believed this and if we truly are happy. and in those moments, it's super neat to be able to look him in the eye and say yes. to stand up to that and say, we really are this happy. we really do know god exists. we really do know he loves you. it was just neat, even if it might not mean much to him for right now. a foundation of happiness.

-- this has nothing to do with anything, but ct.borget's sense of humor is kind of cynical and weird like steve's sometimes, and it kills me every time. so funny to me. ha. our stareishini are the best. best district in the best zone in the best mission. :)

and i'll leave you with a few priceless quotes from the past week or so.
"i don't talk to people like you. why? because i'm russian." -this guy loved us, obviously. oh wait.
and then something i said to c.armknecht last night: "he was so nice and normal! well, i smelled beer on his breath. but that's normal." -fun fact. i hate the smell of beer. and smoke. that awkward moment.

just another week has come and gone. days keep slipping by eerily fast. not to mention we find out if one of us is getting transferred in two weeks, unfortunately. and since i'm probably coming home a transfer early for school, today marks one year to the day until i head home. WHAT? time flies when you live in ukraine. though it's not technically early, because it still gives me 10 transfers in country and 2 in the mtc. but whatever. 12 months. there's much left to be done. but feel free to start planning the parties for next christmas. :) by the way, I LOVE CHRISTMAS. good thing c.armknecht and i both are obsessed with christmas and christmas carols.

shoutouts: lauren rose, you were in my dream last night. i was at your wedding reception. there was much gold and white. // lauren celeste, i forgot to mention it last week, but i was sad to hear about your grandpa wertz's passing. he's such a kind man. but at least you know he's happy. :) // jane, your summation email was probably a favorite of the week. hilarious. // kathy, i finally wear boots, a thick marshmallow coat that roasts me, and sometimes a hat. oh, and russian music is the best. and theodore in russian would be something like this: фиодор. // this is to anyone, but can someone email me cousin mikey's emails? i would love to hear how he's doing. besides the little notes we exchange and the fact that there's a letter somewhere in the world on it's way to me, i haven't a clue. so that would be cool.

lots of love from me to all of you!
cectpa em.