Family and Friends,

Well, i am in UKRAINE!!! We were in phoenix last week at transfer meeting on wednesday, and then we got a call wednesday night saying we were booked on flights for friday morning.  It was crazy fast and busy for a few days and then we left phoenix.  We flew friday morning from phoenix to DC, DC to Vienna Austria, then Austria to Dnepropetrovsk. It was a long flight, but we are soo happy to be here.  We got into Nepper, met our mission President Nielsen and the AP's, then we went contacting around the city, we went out to dinner, and then i went to the mission home and the elders went to the AP's apartment.  The mission home is super super nice, the nicest one in eastern europe.  I took a shower, then hung out with Sister Nielsen until 8:30 pm and then crashed.  We had breakfast yesterday morning with everyone, then we went to church.  The members in Nepper are fantastic and it was cool to be at church in all russian.  I can't understand much but i'm not that discouraged, i know it will come sooner or later.  After church we had orientation, dinner, more orientation, and then we all went to our assigned areas.  We came in a week and a half before transfers so we are all in 3-somes.  Elder hopkins and i are in an area called Zaphorozia aka Zap, the other 2 elders are staying in nepper until transfers.  So last night 2 elders from zap came up and picked us up. It was a crazy night, we left the mission home, got the elders luggage from the AP's, took a tram to the mission office to get mail, took another tram to the bus station, and then took a 2 hour bus ride to Zap.  The night was interesting, here are a few things that happened: i almost got ran over by the tram because i wasn't standing far enough away and then ukrainian guys laughed at me haha, the two elders from Zap had to pick up a drunk guy that was passed out and had no hands (seriously), we got yelled at and overcharged on the tram because of our luggage, and we dragged 6 suitcases and a bag full of packages through all the city of Nepper.  It was full of adventures and it was amazing haha.  We finally got into Zap last night at about 10:40.  I am in a 3-some and my 2 companions are Sister Lacy and Sister Clark.  We are all super similar and having a blast thus far.  I am still so tired and my body is sore from traveling across the world and dragging luggage through broken cobblestone streets, but i feel so good to be here and i am ready to work.  We are lucky we came in right before P-day to have a day to unpack and get settled in.  We have 8 missionaries in Zap now. They say the work is going well and they are pushing hard to get more baptisms by the end of the year.  The weather is cold, but there is no snow.  It is definitely the wind that hits you hard.  They say the work is going well and things are progressing.  I might be here for awhile because i think president likes to keep missionaries in an area for awhile to get things moving and gain trust.  The missionaries i have met so far are all solid, fantastic missionaries.  I am so blessed to be here and have this experience.  It's been a little bit of a culture shock, but i love it.  It looks like europe a lot, but just older.  I am alive, doing well, tired, but ready to get to work.  I appreciate all of the prayers towards our visas and for the missionaries everywhere, we truly need it! It is amazing to be united in bringing people unto Christ. I love you all, and I will have more updates after my first week in Ukraine!

Love, Cectpa DeMille