made in ukraine

fam bamily,

oy. first of all. next week pday is on wednesday instead of monday because of the end of the transfer. sorry i forgot to mention that last time. but now you're warned. :) and now. i don't even know where to begin! sometimes i wish it was thursday or friday that i could write home. that's always when the best things seem to happen. last friday - march 8th - was women's day in ukraine. translation: fresh flowers EVERYWHERE, usually tulips. men walking around with bunches of flowers in their hands to be taken home to their beloved women in their lives. tulilps everywhere. could there be a better holiday?

last week we spent a lot of time with natasha. some favorite moments.

on monday evening when we went over, she said, "i waited for you. i've been waiting for you to pray with me." she was agitated and had been crying. funny how our investigators so often reflect ourselves. i was agitated and had been crying too.

on wednesday she accepted a baptismal date.

on friday, her daughters were there and we taught the plan of salvation and used the little mini-diagram steve and kenzie gave me for my birthday last year. the highlight comes as we laid each part out, and since we'd already taught her the first half, she took over in many ways as she and three of her daughters sat around on the floor around this mini plan of salvation. she said the words we'd told her, restating it as fact. i love her daughters. they're so beautiful. it was so neat to teach her and them together, though of course their attention span didn't last long and they ended up on the side - one drawing in my planner, the other playing with cards with c.bull as we still talked to her.

a few thoughts from the planner that i've had this week/inspirations from our experiences:

• there's wonder in the sprouts. seek God. this is how you stay alive. seek his face.
• a clear and piercing blue sky has never meant so much.
• i love the rusty color of the trunks of the trees in a forest in our area that gives the appearance of the forest being illuminated by a golden and pink morning sun.
• i felt warmth in the sun this week. not just its presence, but actual warmth.
• it's all going to start passing by so fast, isn't it? i love to love these people.
• sometimes telling someone to have faith and trust god in his omniscience takes every bit of faith that i have. to tell them that god has a specific plan and that everything will be okay, even though everything around them tries to prove the opposite. he has a plan.
• 'it just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride. everything, everything will be just fine. everything, everything will be alright.'

c.bull and i are very much in the middle of this experience. we're not old yet, but we're not young anymore. it's an interesting perspective.

january is over. and it's never coming back. even though it's been snowing the past few days and today is quite the windy winter wonderland. spring is coming. she always does.

we can't decide which of us is staying or going, but no matter what, all will be well.

i got mail this week, and it's fine. my district hates me because i get so much. just kidding. they don't hate. but they were a little jealous. in case anyone was wondering, c.coulson (my mtc comp) is doing well! she's setting russia on fire. :)

for those of you who remember sasha from my xtz days - he's on date for baptism this coming saturday! which means he quit smoking last saturday. in true stubborn sasha style, he's just going cold turkey. he's obviously going crazy from what i hear, but hasn't smoked yet! he'll be conqueror. but if anyone has a spare prayer to offer, please pass one along for sasha! i love that man. he'll win. and someday change the world. he already is.

my favorite demographic to talk to is old/middle aged men. though they can be mean, often they're the jolliest and kindest in initial contact, even though it often doesn't go anywhere.

hannah hales parkinson, i loved your letter with your puzzle piece and on the puzzle piece. it made my day. also, my biggest advice for you is to study preach my gospel. learn to love it, because it's a gold mine. also, more than anything, my advice is something you don't even have a problem with: nothing is more important  your own testimony. you can't last a day on the mission without it when everything around you will try and tear it apart. know who god is. know what that means for you. don't let people tell you that no one will listen to you and what you have to say. there are people waiting for YOU. i promise.

welp. all of these lines across my face, tell you the story of who i am. these stories don't mean anything if you've got no one to tell them to. much love to one and all from a little girl in ukraine.

all my love,
cectpa em.