SCRIPT & POSY: Week 61- JUNE- When Life Gives You A Broken Down Car, Plant Flowers

You know life is full of all kinds of suprises, dissapointments, heartbreaks, laughs, cries, awkward denials, trials, miracles, and well...just about everything else inbetween. The trick of it is making something out of it all. To not only be grateful in the good times, but also the hard times. Yup, gratitude and patience have definently been tested and, im happy to report, learned this week.

It really started last Monday as i was reading some of my emails while wide stancing it on a Metro to keep my balance. I was reading the mothers email when a scripture stuck out to me, "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." Now i thought i knew God, i thought i had Him finally figured out, i knew his character, and how He works and what he wants from me. Turns out i was completely wrong and i still have a lot to learn about the most powerful being of the universe. Fancy that.

Well this realization sent me into a good 2 or 3 day spiritually distraught whirlwind of, "Who is God?" "What is His character?" "What does He want from me?"...."WHO AM I?!" You know...all that good spiritual drama stuff. Thank goodness for fresh strawberries (only 12 grievan, aka 1 dollar, for a half kilo!) and pot baths for helping me get through it all...

I couldn't help myself! This baba was sitting in the rain looking absolutely tranced or merely bored out of her mind while watcing pidgeons peck at soggy crumbs. For a moment i didn't realize she was there as she blent so well into the boxes and crates. These are the moments i think i am going to miss in America.

Yes, our hot water has been shut off for the past 2 weeks now and this has become our daily morning routine. We wake up and starting boiling water while exercising. Then one of us heads into the bathroom with a cup and our two bath pots, while the other washes their hair in the kitchen sink. Then switch. Both of us are complete wimps when it comes to cold showers. No can do.

Anyone care to play in the mustached goblin head?

A classic hallway

A classic elevator

The opera house which is no more than a 5 minute walk from the church

For those of you who can't read in Russian, the white sign in the top right says "Kreshatik" aka "Maidan"

So amid all these distraught feelings exchanges exchanges with Sister Hardy came just in time! There's nothing like a great Sister Training leader and some Kontik slamming to get you back into shape! Spiritually....not physically.

She really helped me put into perspective what "Godly sorrow" is. That Godly sorrow is not a sorrow of pure sadness and hopelessness, but a sadness that MOTIVATES. If it doesn't motivate, it's not from God. And with one 24 hour exchange later i was motivated!

I am seriously blessed with the best district in the world. Not a day goes by that they don't make me laugh

Ok, there is thing that is going around that is called "Marty Arty" which is when you draw what your heart desires as you have been denied and shut down by the person sitting next to you and you still have a 20 minute bumpy martrushka ride ahead of you. Elder Bro taught me this genius idea and i decided to give it a shot using him and Elder Hale as my inspiration

Behold.

Highlights of my week this week would definently be when we spent a day out in the cellos doing service! Picking strawberries, wedding dill gardens with scarves tied to our our heads, and making strawberry filled vereniki with Sister Bevz was a little slice of heaven. I love this woman!