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| "WE WILL NOT LEAVE MAIDAN UNTIL THE PRESIDENT FALLS" |
In more than one way are things changing here in Ukraine. If you haven't caught up with the news the violence and civil unrest has picked up during this past week. And there is hardly a time or place that you don't hear talk of "Maidan", the title the Ukrainians have given this revolution of citizens versus the government.
On Wednesday, after finishing tracting a building starting on the first floor with a man saying, "As fast as you can leave my sight, get on that elevator, and i never want to see you again." to another floor of being denied and baba blessed as the door was shut in our faces, to another floor of bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon and making plans to visit again, (it just goes to show you never know what miracles are on the "floors" of our lives. How do you like that mom?) all us missionaries in the Kiev area received a text and were asked to immediately return home early due to the events in Center.
You all may know more than i do actually as all us missionaries are in the scene but not of the scene. As any loving mission president would do we are all forbidden to even go near, and so all the news that we get is either from the muffled news we can hear coming from the TV from our upstairs neighbors, or from the members. Which is actually a great source seeing how almost all of our members spend a good amount of their time at Maidan. The members go bringing food and clothing and even donate money, a couple members of the branch came to church yesterday wearing the Ukrainian blue and yellow ribbon of the flag, and even when calling our Branch President for information of our upcoming temple trip we could here the uproar of shouting and loud voices in the background.
As Mormon's of course we are prepared and all of us missionaries have been asked to make a 72 hour water and food supply! And so we come what may i will be prepared for with my can of beans, instant mashed potatoes, oatmeal, nut bars (gotta get that protein), dried apples, raman (i still got that college student inside of me) and fish jerky complete and all packed into a baba bag. Bring it on. These baba bags can handle anything! Im sure we won't be the most nutritioned survivors but hey, we just got to survive right?
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| 72 hour life supply. Check. |
Not only is the revolution picking up but the temperature is going down! Will i ever feel warm again? All my outer extremities, even in 3 layers of tights say, "NO." But occasionally we get a little blessing and are sent back out into the cold after a lesson with a member with some toasty pickle mayonnaise pizza in our stomachs....mmmmm feel the burn.
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| A classic day of contacting |
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| Heating our bodies on the heaters is our favorite part of contacting |
And to add to all this change i am continuing to feel a change in myself! Never have i had such a craving to learn and to teach the gospel! And not only do i feel the Lord is helping me better myself by helping me obtain attributes but also helping me lose. For instance finding yourself saying, "why did i ever do that?" or "why didn't i ever do that?" Speaking of finding yourself....
Just weeks away from reaching my half way mark and i finally did it......I LOST MY COMPANIONS. My love for the little things is a blessing and a curse as i stood there admiring yet another gold domed cathedral as my companions, not knowing, were hopping on a bus.
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| This is the sucker that did the deed. Blast you golden domed cathedrals. You get me every time. |
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| IM SINGLE?! |
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| Food for the spirit and food for the stomach |
And so for a full 30 minutes i was single. Yes, that horrific word. Now i've gone through break up, but let me tell you there is nothing like this. All of a sudden the world darkened and seemed like it wanted to eat me....i may have some serious problems when i get home. And then once reunited with my companions it almost happened again! No golden domed cathedrals, but baba's feeding pigeons.
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| Feed the biiiiirds, tupins a baaag |
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| Welcome to Brovary |
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| Gotta give it to ya Ukraine, you make some mighty fine sunsets |
There's no better time than a revolution than to seek revelation at the temple! This Saturday we had the amazing opportunity to go into the temple with three of our four recent converts to be with them as they each did baptisms for their deceased fathers and grandfathers. It was an amazing experience as i saw that work being done that would go into eternity! And while in the temple i had the most pleasant suprise of seeing one of the branch members from Illychyovsk!
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| Alex, Austin, Sister Winsor, Roman (WML), Sister Wallace, Me, and Zhenya |
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| WORK IT Austin |
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| Just a small outer extremity of the inner feelings |
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| Even Sister Missionaries like to play pretend... |
Following the temple and after a well rounding ourselves with a Ukrainian buffet we stopped by an inactives home out int he cellos. Those 45 minutes of being lost and shivering out in the dark streets are something that i would rather not relive, but we finally found the little home with the con-caving roof, and while sharing a spiritual message warmed ourselves by the stove, using the four little burners as the only source of heat. And then huddled, and waddled, and scuffled, and all those penguin like adjectives home.
Stay warm this week! And don't eat pickle mayonnaise pizza.
XOXOXOXO
-Cестра Ро
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