TRANSFER DAY GOOD-BYE'S

WE HAD SOME BIG CHANGES IN OUR DISTRICT THIS TRANSFER MEETING. ELDER GWYNN RETURNED TO AMERICA,SISTER ELLISON WENT TO MARIUPOL, AND SISTER HELELYAN WENT TO KHARKIV

ELDER FEDOTOV WENT TO KHARKIV

WE GOT TWO NEW AP'S

ELDERS NORMAN AND OLDROYD

(ELDER HUNT IS TRAINING IN KHARKIV)

Sister Howard is back. Yeah!!!!!

she will be companions with Sister Glen. (sorry I don't have a photo of her yet, she was in Bulgaria during the transfer meeting)

I am excited to get to know Sister Glen she has never served in the Donetsk area. We are happy to have her in our District

Elder Greener will be serving with Elder Kerr, he will be our new Puppeteer

Elder Fedotov went to Kharkiv where we hope he will still be doing the Puppet show but with his new companion there Elder Thompson (from Hawaii, we have two Elder Thompson's)

ELDER HULET WILL BE OUR NEW ZONE LEADER WITH ELDER JOHNSON

TRANSFER DAY GOOD-BYE'S

I just wanted to add this photo of our visitors who sat in the back of the room at the last transfer meeting. SHHHH.... I think it was suppose to be a secret who they were but it didn't take long to figure out. I mean seriously it didn't take much imagination to think who would come up with this idea. I love these two. We are going to miss them so much.

They just happen to be the very same Elders who came over for dinner tonight and guess what they did? First Elder H----s made some Halloween cupcakes and decorated them and then after dinner Elder H----s and Elder C----le- cleared the table and did ALL the dishes. Well actually Elder C---le- worked while Elder H----s talked and frosted the cupcakes. Elder C---le- said his dad was a great example. He did the dishes and the laundry too in their home. Way to go Sister Cross---- oops almost forgot. SHHHH........ anyway. It was kind of our last time to see them before they go back to the United States and it was really a fun night. Thanks guys. We'll miss you. Oh the other neat thing was Elder Burrup and his mom and dad came by to visit. The Burrup's came to pick up their son who just finished his mission. They have been here about a week visiting some of the places Elder Burrup served. So we got to spend a little more time with Elder Burrup before he goes back to the United States. His mom and dad are great. No wonder he is such an awesome guy.

TRANSFER DAY GOOD-BYE'S

Every six weeks some of the missionaries get reassigned to new areas with new companions. A few days before Transfer day they are told they if they will be transferred or not. If they are being transferred they pack their bags and show up at the meeting with their suitcases. If they are staying in the Donetsk Area they take a bus or marshruka to their new apartment with their new companion. If they are going to the Kharkov area they all take a rented Marshruka all the way to Kharkov which is about a 4 hour drive. We usually meet for a short talk by the Mission President and one of his Assistants and then the transfers are announced. Today was President Fry's birthday so Sister Fry presented him with a tool belt and talked about the "tools" they use from the Preach My Gospel Book to share the Gospel. Each tool that he placed in his belt represented a tool the missionaries will need to preach the gospel. It was really a good analogy. President Fry loves tools and has used the analogy of "putting tools in your tool belt" with the missionaries many times. It is always fun to see the missionaries together. They really do get close to one another. There were alot of hugs as people had to say good-bye to old companions and go to new areas. We even had a couple of visitors in the back of the room who looked a little "spooky" but I don't think I got a picture of them. Maybe if you go here Sister Fry might have caught them on her camera.

TRANSFER DAY GOOD-BYE'S

TRANSFER DAY

sorry this isn't a very good picture and for some reason some of the missionaries think they should make really strange faces for the pictures
I love these guys.

another transfer day!!!

I don't know how the time goes by so fast

This week was our last District meeting with Elder Crossley and Sister Helelyan. Transfers aren't officially announced until tomorrow at transfer meeting so I don't know where they are going. I just know they won't be with us next week and I am sad about that. I love Elder Crossley, he makes me laugh and Sister La La La, as Elder Crossley calls her is wonderful. She is from Armenia where she is an attorney and she doesn't take nothin from nobody. I love her too and will really miss her.

the other sad thing is......

a few days before transfer day missionaries go home. So this week Elders Karren, Burrup, Callister, and Andersen left Ukraine

and

in a few weeks Elders Carlson, Crossley, Harris, and Williams will be leaving. I was talking to Sister Fry (the Mission Presidents wife) who has been here for about 3 months now and she said, "these departures are getting harder and harder because now I know the missionaries and it is hard to see them go". It is so true, the longer we are here the closer we get to the missionaries and we really like them. When they leave I make them promise to write me ...........

at least the ones who have been in our District.

We have had such good times together here in Ukraine and I want to stay in touch. Some of them have written and I am so grateful for that. There are a few that I haven't heard from and would love to know how things are going. I keep thinking about Elder Basset, Elder Crawford, and Elder Permenter. I hope you are happy. We miss you and hope life is good to you.

Which brings me to this.................

I don't get much e-mail. My blog is how I correspond with my friends and family. The only thing is the blog is one-way. You get to hear all about what Bruce and I are up to but I don't know what is going on in your lives. I keep saying, I love being a missionary. We are so happy having so many awesome experiences and meeting so many wonderful new friends, however, we miss you all. I want to know how you are and what you are doing. I have some very loyal friends who are writing regular e-mails and I am so grateful for that.

I really want to ask a favor of the rest of you blog stalkers. (That's the term used for people who just read your blog and don't leave a comment)

Please leave a comment.

That means you moms and dads too!!!

I know you are reading .......your missionaries tell me. I would love to hear from you. Don't be intimidated. It is very easy. You don't have to say much. I took off the word scrambler so it would be easier to comment. my blogging friend Lisa in Poland says, "you may have to click "anonymous" if you don't have a google account or a blog and then sign your name at the end of your post. So try that and let me know if it works. I will also leave my email address in my profile if you feel too intimidated to publicly comment. So to all the parents of missionaries coming home.....

thanks for preparing your sons and daughters to be servants of the Lord, it really is an awesome experience and they grow so much during the time they are on their missions.

TRANSFER DAY

Today was transfer day and the big surprise was who the new AP's were going to be........


President decided to have 2 sets of AP's so now Elders Hunt and Carlson will also be his assistants.

Sister Howard and her Mini Missionary
Sister Dubrovina are going to Gorlovka















Elder Hulet and Elder Taylor















Elder Burrop and his "greenie" (brand new missionary)
Elder Goodfellow















Elders Peters and Brinton

TODAY WAS ANOTHER TRANSFER DAY





THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME NONE OF THE MISSIONARIES KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE GOING UNTIL IT WAS ANNOUNCED AT TRANSFER MEETING

I HAVE TO SAY THE SUSPENSE WAS KILLING SOME OF THE ELDERS. THE BIG NEWS IS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE 2 COMPANIONSHIPS THAT ARE ASSISTANTS TO THE PRESIDENT. THE MISSION IS SO BIG AND SPREAD OUT THAT PRESIDENT FRY WOULD LIKE 2 ASSISTANTS TO BE AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL WITHOUT HIM TO HELP WHEREVER THEY ARE NEEDED. SO ELDERS HUNT AND CARLSON WERE CALLED TO BE THE NEW ASSISTANTS TO THE PRESIDENT. (A.P.'S)

TRANSFER DAY

Some of you may be wondering what Transfer Day is. As you all probably know missionaries are given a companion that they serve with. They do not serve with this one companion their whole mission. They are assigned new companions throughout their mission. Transfers come every 6 weeks. This is a day when the missionaries may receive a transfer to a new area as well as be assigned a new companion. They don't all get transferred every 6 weeks they usually have a change every 3rd or 4th transfer. When we get together for transfer day the missionaries bring their luggage and when the meeting is over they either take a cab, a marshruka or a bus to their new location. If they are going to the Kharkov area, like Aleksevka, Sumy, or Kharkov they have a long bus ride. I think about 6 hours. Transfer Days are always fun because everyone is usually really excited about the new changes. This day is special as well because we usually get new missionaries who have just arrived a day or two before from the Missionary Training Center (MTC). So today was an exciting day. The missionaries met in the Chapel for a talk from our Assistant to the President, Elder Permenter. That was awesome. Then President Fry spoke briefly and introduced the New Missionaries who just got in last night. Then Sister Fry prepared a nice meal and they all boarded public transportation to their new homes.