back to Nickoliav

dearest family and friends   things are always changing in the life of a missionary, and last week was no exception! we got a call saying that the members in Nickoliav had found an apartment for us, and so we took Elder/Sister Maxwell with us to go check it out.  It's pretty nice, big, and good news, the electricity is fantastic and everything works.  So, we are moving back to Nickoliav on wednesday.  I feel like this transfer has just been a moving transfer, but hopefully we will have some stability soon.  We plan on spending equal time in Nickolaiv and Kherson.  Looking back, it was a big blessing we got to be in Kherson for a few weeks. It gave us a great opportunity to get to know the members here and to get a feel for the city.  Had we not spent time here a lot, we would have put Kherson to the back burner.  Now we know both cities fairly well, and starting to build relationships with members in both branches.  I have a feeling it is going to be craziness going back and forth, but craziness is awesome.  We had quite a bit of extra time this last week, so we went contacting a lot.  Contacting is hard, takes courage, you never know what you are going to get, but it feels good to do some finding and we had some great conversations with people.  We saw this one Babushka eating this ice cream thing, and we were like "cool, she is a babushka who likes ice cream, lets go talk to her" so we pretty much sat with her on a bench and had a 45 minute lesson with her haha.  I don't know how "interested" she is, but she loved what we had to say and she loved us.  We showed her a mini Strength of Youth pamphlet, and she lovveeedd it! She was like "we need to teach these things to the youth in ukraine! Look at this, i even just love the title of it!" haha we had a good laugh and it was great.  It's interesting to go around talking to people who are living normal lives, when we are set apart from the world.  But it's all part of the work and we love it.  Last week we helped the Maxwell's out with Family Home Evening, and we talked about the Plan of Salvation.  We gave the rundown of the plan, and then we topped it off with "Pin Yourself in the Celestial Kingdom"! Oh yeah, leave it up to sister missionaries to think of awesome games to play.  Haha the people loved it and it was a big success.  Yesterday President/Sister Nielsen came to church and it was their last time in Kherson, and my last time seeing them.  It was not cool to say goodbye to them, but these things happen.  Us missionaries up and  decided to do an accapella (spelling???) version of "God be with you til we meet again" it was pretty awesome and it brought tears to some people in the congregation. tears=success.  We met with a lot of members last week to get to know more people, and it was great.  We have been a big hit in Kherson, seeing as the last sister missionaries here were here in 2008.  So we really have tried to help the women and we love it.  There are some amazing people here and we are really trying to find the elect.  I hope you all are reading the Book of Mormon!! I finished Alma last week, and I love it love it.  I am so grateful for the power that the Book of Mormon brings into my life.  We are doing well, keeping busy, and working hard through the heat (it is hot!).  I love you all, you are in my prayers, and it is a great time to be on earth.  I passed my half way point last week, and I can't believe it.  I love you all!!   Cectpa DeMille