JANUARY- RIP Sister Roe

      Did i die? If not i feel like i should have by now. Maybe all those homeless men with the cardboard signs were onto something when they said "2013! THE END OF THE WORLD!" So either i didn't make it to the top, or i walked through some  portal into the fiery depths of trials and a test of patience that this world has never seen. Or of course this could just be the Lord putting me into the depths of the furnace to mold me into something better, but the whole portal thing sounds pretty cool too. 
Lunch in the Brovary sister home usually turns into a daily replay of the scene from Major Pain. If you have not seen this movie than i order you to get down and give me 20 tubby tubbies (curl ups). Remember the scene where Major Pain and (oh good gosh i forgot her name) well...the woman are on a date at the disco club? Remember when Major pain inhales that spaghetti like a vacuum on steroids? Remember the face the woman makes? Yup. Me. Everyday. I will tell you that i have never in my life felt more like a lady.
Tender Mercy intermission: After fiddling, grunting, sweating, wiping sweaty hands on skirt, grunting some more and trying to get the blasted key to work to open the church for five minutes an old man walks up. Didn't quite understand but he either thought the church was a store or that the building was on fire...ok, so i dont understand Russian. Well in either case i gave him a Book of Mormon, and it...felt...good. Im tellin you guys, missionary work is tough, but when you actually have even the slightest success you honestly forget all the not so successful moments. I dont even know if the ol' man is gonna read it, but all we can do is invite.
How did i spend my New Years Eve? Oh you know, just washing the piles of dishes that have mass produced overnight in our bathroom sink. It was at that moment that i understood in full my father and the meaning of therapeutic dish washing. Me and those lemon scented bubbles had some good thinking time together. When my lemon scented prune fingers finally dried out i stood from our "fridge" watching the sky light up with flashes of light and loud bangs. Even the cars were feeling the New Year spirit and each was ringing off it's own merry tune. Whether Brovary was celebrating or being bombed im sure i could never have told the difference. Oh! And i saw Santa! Caught the sneaky bugger crossing the street with a sack over his shoulder with a lighted staff and i immediately went from Sister Missionary mode into Buddy the Elf mode....not my proudest moment, but you can sure bet i got Santa blessed that night. Thanks Santa.
The best part of the holidays as a missionary in Ukraine? The babushka blessings! With every exclaimed, "С НОВЫМ ГОДОМ!" (s-nOvim gOdam= Happy New Year) you receive even merrier blessings of "much health", "best of luck", "happiness to you", and "may the Lord have mercy upon your souls...." well....you can't win them all.
You know you are struggling Sister Missionary when: the mission president calls just to say "i love you, the lord loves you, keep that chin up", and when one of the sister training leaders comes to have a 24 hour evaluation of the companionship...
For all those current, ex, or soon to be missionaries out there who are, have, or will think on the future, "Do i have a companion or was i just hired as a babysitter?" Well, i know exactly how you feel, felt, and will feel. Asking a priesthood blessing because of a slight temperature, accusing me of being "unfeeling" when i would not order Domino's pizza and pay to have it delivered from Kiev an hour away, when she took a 3 step tummble down the stairs and then yelling "fine! When i die maybe you will care about me!" when i chose to not take the elevator up to the second floor, and then being told that she dreams of being wrapped in darkness only to hear the sound of goats....yes, goats....in the distance. Well with all of these things being stacked upon each other it is only natural and healthy for a heated, broken Russian, broken English, with a dictionary in between companionship inventory. 3. Nights. In. A. Row. I guess you can say it was quite the growing experience as i dont think either of us have ever tried so passionately to speak (and argue) in a foreign tongue. Argue with the fire and passion of a true Ukrainian in Russian? Check.
So after all of these past weeks events i have found my New Year Goal. Charity. This year i want to spend more of my thoughts on others (in a positive outlook of course). Charity never faileth. "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth no in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, hopeth all things, endurath all things." -Moroni 7:45 Honestly verses 45-48 really capture the true essance of Charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. Can you imagine that? If that is true than i was really underestimating the power of Charity. Like me, i hope all of you have made a goal, or will right now, make a goal to become a little more like Christ this year. Go to Preach My Gospel, go the chapter titled "Christlike Attributes", take the test in the back, and where you see you are lacking, study it, make it a goal that by next years time you will have taken just one step closer to becoming more like Christ.
Happy New Year friends and family!
XOXOXOXO
-Сестра Ро

Well it's 2014! And a Happy New Year to you! There is no better way to start out your year than with the the hardest week of your life. Yes, not mission, but life. Can the words, "tough", "difficult", "trying", "good grief this is tough" even begin to describe it? I think not.
First of all. I will never marry a man who eats twice my body weight in a day. I life full of every day waking up in fear that my hidden peanut butter stash will one day be gone is something that i could not bear. I have already borne it enough...Woman! Don't you know that you dont mess with Americans and their peanut butter stash in foreign countires?! And so, with a cupboard full enough of chocolate to even satisfy Willy Wonka's tooth, two liters of Pepsi MAX, and enough toilet paper to wipe an army the week began!

I am proud to say that i am now quite an expert at making true Ukrainian bortsh, and Olivye, a salad consisting of boiled chopped potatoes, boiled eggs, peas, chopped pickles, kalbasa (Ukrainian bologna sausage) and more mayonnaise that i would like to say. Never thought i would say this but...not. too. shabby. A native companion may be tough but even the toughest situations has its perks! Listening to a black pop version of "Angles We Have Heard on High" playing on repeat for an hour strait however, maybe not so perkish.

This Sister Missionary has quite a ways to go, but hey, we can do this together! If anything i hope i can help you say, "Hey! If Sister Roe can do it, anybody can!"

XOXOXOXO

-Сестра Рo