DEDICATION OF THE KALININSKY BUILDING

Today was the dedication of the Kalininsky Building. President Mikulin of the Area Authority Seventy came to do the dedication.

It was so incredible. We arrived to find the whole building was packed. I mean there was standing room only for most of the missionaries. There were so many people it felt just like home. I saw children sitting on laps, heard babies crying. We had a few rows of Deacons in the front ready to pass the Sacrament. The music was beautiful. It was so moving to see that the Sacrament was being blessed by Alexander and Deema who are both recent converts. It is the first time I have seen so many Deacons pass the Sacrament they even had to go back because their trays were empty. There was a beautiful full choir that sang the most heavenly music. They asked the women to stand and sing "the errand of angels". I stood, but I couldn't stop the tears so I ended up sitting down. The spirit was so strong. President Tehemera (our District President) spoke as well as President Fry, who read his talk completely in Russian. The dedication was done by President Mikulin. When it was all over my friend Tanya who is not a member came over to me and said that she really enjoyed it and she was going home to tell her family what she felt today. When I asked her to tell me what she felt she explained that she felt the Holy Ghost. She said, she always knew about the Holy Ghost but could never imagine what it felt like. She said when the dedicatory prayer was given she really really felt the spirit. It must have been very moving because her parents live a 4 hour train ride away and she has to be back for school tomorrow. She is 19 years old. Once again, I am so grateful to see the work move forward here in Ukraine and to be a part of it. We were so blessed to be there today.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN THE KALINSKY BUILDING

Saturday we had a leadership meeting at the new Kalinsky Building.
When the meeting was over the members, and the missionaries changed into their work clothes, grabbed the shovels, rakes, and brooms and got busy cleaning up the outside of the new building.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN THE KALINSKY BUILDING

Yuri Orlov, President and Sister Fry, President Manzhos, and President Tehemera








Today was such an amazing day!!!!!

We had our very first meeting in the Kalininsky Building. It was a Leadership Training meeting.

I was so happy for the members. As we were setting up for the meeting there was beautiful music piped in to every room. You could really feel the members joy and appreciation for this beautiful building. As we sat down and watched the members arrive I just kept thinking, "someday this chapel will be full". We had a brief welcome and then the men went to meet with President Manjos and the women went to meet with Sister Fry. We thought maybe 30 women would come but we probably had 50 or 60. Sister Fry asked me to speak about Family Home Evening, and I shared a little bit about the "Strengthening Families" classes we are teaching in the branches. As I stood to teach I just felt so impressed that this room was filled with some very special women who were called to not only lead the women in the church but also to raise up the future generation of missionaries, Relief Society Presidents, Elders Quorum Presidents, Primary Leaders, and Branch and District Leaders. I was so honored to be able to teach them. Sister Clark presented the Young Women leaders and Primary leaders these wonderful bracelets along with pictures and testimonies that were written in them that were made by some young women in Las Vegas. I think she had about 125 bracelets. They asked if we could have our young women (here in Ukraine) send the girls in America a note and a picture and if they could correspond by e-mail or postal service. Remember the days of pen pals? Well, that's what they want to do. How amazing is that? So I mentioned that some of the women in our ward at home (Woodside Ward) would like to do something similar if any of the ladies were interested. I had several come up and talk to me about it afterwards. The only challenge is we would have to have someone translate the letters in America and once they arrive here so postal service would probably be best. Many people here have to go to an Internet cafe to use the Internet. I met one Sister Olga who is a returned missionary (she served in Salt Lake during the Olympics then Arkansas) she is the mother of a 3 year old little girl and she wants to write another young mother because, "it is not common for women to be stay-at-home mothers here or to have a large family", she wants to do both. She asked me if I knew someone she could correspond with to share parenting ideas. She feels like she doesn't know anyone in her situation and would love to correspond with another LDS mother raising small children. We ended the day with the members changing into grubbies and working around the grounds of the building. It was quite a sight as we left the building there were clusters of people still in their church clothes visiting and many others in small clusters with rakes, brooms, and garbage bags cleaning up their new church grounds. I just have to say, that it was a happy day for all of us.

THE KALINSKY BUILDING IS OPENING SOON

IF THE SLIDE SHOW ISN'T PLAYING JUST CLICK THE X IN THE RIGHT HAND CORNER AND IT WILL START. ONCE IT STARTS IF YOU WANT TO READ THE CAPTIONS JUST MOVE THE CURSOR OVER THE PICTURE AND IT WILL STOP AND SHOW THE CAPTION. IF IT IS TOO FAST CLICK ON THE + OR - IN THE LEFT HAND CORNER TO SLOW IT DOWN OR SPEED IT UP. ENJOY

KALININSKY BUILDING

Kalinsky

Building

NEW CHURCH BUILDING

This is the new Church Building that will be opening soon. We haven't been told if we will be meeting in this building yet. It is two stories. There is a large cultural hall and a baptismal font. The second floor has classrooms. This building is located in a park. It is so wonderful that it is located in a place where people will see it and have the opportunity to learn more about the church. It is impossible to see this beautiful building and not in vision the future growth of the church in Ukraine. I am so happy for the people of Ukraine to be given the opportunity to come to know the Savior and feel his love for them. I know that the presence of the church here in Ukraine will bring a joy and happiness that so many are seeking. One of the sad things the missionaries encounter when they talk to people is a belief that life is just not meant to happy. Many people have given up on hoping life can ever be better. They have such a hard time believing that the Gospel can bring them peace. I am so grateful to be able to share the good news of the gospel with the people of Ukraine.

Bruce and I with the Ray's at the New Branch Building opening in May

KALININSKY BUILDING

This is the new building we went to see. It is going to be so nice. It is suppose to be ready the end of May. I don't know yet if we will be assigned to this building.