KHERSON!!

dear family and friends..   I thought our lives here couldn't get any more crazy, but oh how wrong i was.  Our week last week was going awesome.  we were meeting with less actives, contacting a lot, and really making progress with our branch in Nickolaiv.  Then friday rolls around and we get a call from Pres. Nielsen..he was like "sisters, i'm sorry but you're getting kicked out of nickolaiv." WHAT!!? long story short, there are some big problems with registration and the police department was making things really difficult, and denied to register us in the city.  so president told me that i was going back to Zap and sister johnson was going back to Nepper and we didn't know how long we would be there for. so we pack our bags and get ready to head out the next day.  we were soo sad. i loved zap, but both sis johnson and i knew we were supposed to be in nickolaiv.  so then saturday morning comes and president calls again and tells us that they worked it out so that we could move to Kherson (hersone).  we were sooo stoked! it's where we have district meeting once a week anyway, so it works out great.  the best part is that our apartment is like a palace! i feel bad because the elders who were living in it had to move out into the other elder's apartment, but they said its fine and stuff.  our apartment used to belong to a senior couple, so it is really nice.  i have a huge bed! we have electricity! and a washing machine that works!! it is great. seriously i almost cried when i saw it.  Kherson is a really clean more european city.  I love it so far!! The branch is quite small, but there is a lot of less active work for us and we will keep busy.  eventually we hope to be able to work here and again in nickolaiv and go back and forth.  there is so much work to do in both cities, so who knows.  i feel bad for the elders in nickolaiv, they got kicked out too and don't know when they are going back.  the government here really makes it hard for missionaries to do work.  sister johnson and i think that because there has been so much opposition here, we are definitely supposed to be here. satan tries to win and he loses!  another downfall.....mosquitoes. i am getting eaten alive.  i got bit a hundred times (ok a bit of an exaggeration, but a lot), and then i broke out into hives. yesterday i took a benadryl, and it made me sooo loopy. sister johnson wrote down everything that i said and it was really embarrassing and we both laughed really hard.  gotta love it. another super funny thing. we met with a less active in nickolaiv last week named Olyessa.  she is really awkward and it was funny. her prayer at the end was "dear heavenly father we are thankful for this day. in the name of jesus christ amen." then she looks at us and smiles and says "i don't pray for very long". hahaha we tried so hard not to laugh, it was great.  we told our branch pres there that we met with her and he was like "oh olyessa..she is one french fry short of a happy meal" hahahaha oh gosh, i love when ukranians can speak english and throw out random idioms.  so funny.  we also met with another less active and she wanted to pray at the end, but she didn't pray out loud. she kind of just looked at the ground...and 5 minutes later said amen. haha, long awkward silence.  love it! well the work will move forward we hope with not too many more interruptions.  i can feel all of your prayers and i really appreciate the support. please pray that we can stay here in kherson!! i hope all of you mothers out there enjoy mothers day coming up! the gospel is true and if we are on God's team we will always win. love you all!!!   cectpa demille