Well hasn't this been a tough but fast six days? I say six because last P-day we weren't even able to do our emails as Sister Anderson was sick and i spent my fulfilliny my duty as companion nurse caring for her as my greasy bangs are being held up with last resor office supplies because of unsolved case of the bobbypin thief. Even being indoors all day Ukraine never seems to give you a little culture shock as i looked out our kitchen window to see....an open coffin funeral service? It would appear so as i watched black cladded spectators, and a poor weeping dedushka (grandpa) weep over the open coffin as little children watched as they walked home from school.
In celebrationg of April Fools i made a fool of myself in a Ukrainian version of Best Buy as i attempted to buy a new camera. All pride down the drain, and becoming a more and more of a professional of charades with each passing day, i walked out with a newly purchased camera! And let me tell you, it's a beauty! And just in time for exchanges too!
Our sister training leaders made the two hour trip to have a two day slumber party and exchange, and i got to spend an entire day preaching the gospel and digging up setting weed piles on fire, digging up strawberry plants and the occasional frog with her! She is such an awesome sister and a great example of hummble leadership. My favorite quote from her, "Im the kind of sister training leader that makes sisters love their companion when i leave."
This week has really been an up and down week with Sister Anderson and her health. For the past month it has been a roller coaster of staying inside, going outside for literally 3 seconds, getting a sniff of fresh air, and having to go back inside to have your companion collapse on her bed. This week held a particular strange day when all of Sister Andersons emotions gave in and after peeking in a room to see what appeared to be a sobbing rabid raccoon i scooted in our last chocolate bar, my jar of JIF peanut butter and put a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the door. Time, chocolate, and peanut butter...give me a time when a situation can't be fixed by these things. We still don't exactly know what the problem is but just this past week she went to the hospital in Kiev, coming back with a bag full of medications and still no solid diagnosis, as i was on a day split with Sister Winsor and the Elders learning how to plant potatoes!
What do you get when you put a German, a New Zealander, and two Utahns around a slab of wood, call it table, and in the middle of the Ukrainian cellos? A Ukrainian tea party! Probably one of the most pleasant times of times of the mission knawing on chicken, mashed potatoes seasoned with melted sala, cracking walnuts with nothing but the pure muscles of our thighs, and sipping fresh from the bush mint tea.
For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory."
Now none of you know this but MY temple is the Provo tabernacle temple, and it's not even yet a temple! A little more than 3 years ago a fire gutted the interior of the historic tabernacle in Provo. Many wondered, "Why did the Lord let this happen? Surely He could have prevented the fire or stopped it's destruction." 10 months later, during the October 2011 conference President Monson announced that the destroyed tabernacle was to become a holy temple. Suddenly we could see what the Lord had always known! He didn't cause the fire, but He allowed the fire to strip away the interior. He saw the tabarnacle as a magnificent temple...the Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maxium capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones-and mayve our own-figurativly burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But He does not leave us in the ashes...He is building our lives into magnificent temples where His Spirit can dwell eternally...the Lord has a plan for each of our lives. Nothing that happens is a shock or a suprise to Him. He is all-knowing and all-loving. He is eager to help us, to comfort us, and to ease our pain a we rely on the power of the Atonement and honor our covenants. The trials and tribulation hat we experience may be the very things that guide us to come unto Him...and we bind the Lord to keep his promises when we keep our covenants to exercise our faith...but we sometimes, as woman, have a tendency to be very critical of ourselves. During these times we need to seek the Spirit and ask, "Is this what the Lord wants me to think about myself, or is Satan trying to beat me down?" Remember the nature of our Heavenly Father, whose love is perfect and infinite. He wants to build us up, not tear us down."
I could go on and quote the entire talk (Claim the Blessings of Your Covenats) but i just know that the Lord is teaching me and preparing me for things i can't even see. I relate to my temple. From the day i heard that the tabernacle was going to be a temple i hopped into my Ford station wagon and drove downtown, parked my car, and just stared at that empty but soon to be transformed shell.And thanks to often updates from the pops i get to feel that me and my temple are being built up together! Ok, i guess im not quite done quoting this talk, ""Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions...lift up your heads and recieve the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love."...I testify of the strength and power of prayer as we express our deepest pains and desires to our Heavenly Father and of the answers that are recieved...and He has helped me to feel great peace about prayers that have not yet been answered."
My trails are not gone, infact i know that there are more ahead of me than i can even imagine. Some trials i have had and am going through now i still can't understand, but i feel the Lord teaching me that when all is said and done all Heavenly Father wants is for us to ove and trust Him more than anything else and in all that we do. Our times of trials are for us to depend and come closer to the Lord. Like my mom said, "Trust in the one who sent forth the winds and the waves." and embrace Moses 6:34, "Thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me."
And now for the big news....for any of you who were actually paying attention to the announcments of the new additions to the General Authorities you might have caught a name that sounded slightly familiar....does Jorg Klebingat ring a bell? Let me tell you it was caused quite an uproar as we were sitting watching General Conference to hear and then see OUR MISSION PRESIDENT taking his seat as one of the newest additions to the first quorom of the Seventy! He was a sneaky president, sneaking away on "vacation", but even he couldn't trick us. Little did he know that bets were going around the whole mission as to him becoming an addition to the 70. I mean come on, it's President Klebingat! Needless to say he is going to get a piece of me in his letter this week. Well that's my week for me! Im still a missionary under construction, but the Lord is working on me from the inside out, and fingers crossed the Lord starts working on the outside soon...
XOXOXOX
-Cectpa Po
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