APARTMENT INSPECTIONS AGAIN

We always do apartment inspections of the missionary apartments the week before transfers. There are some things I love about this time during the transfer and some things I really don't like at all. I like apartment inspections because I love going to visit some of the missionaries that we don't get to see very often. I like that we can take a few minutes to talk, look at pictures of their families, and share some of their goodies sent from home. (like peeps, or tootsie rolls). Thanks moms, dads, and siblings. What I don't like is having to inspect the bathrooms, I have assigned that task to my Companion. I stick with the kitchens and the bedrooms.

We call the missionaries a few days before we come so they have time to clean. Most of the missionaries do a pretty good job cleaning before we come. Elders Howard and Eckersley had an appointment at an Institute talking to students about the church this morning before our visit so they "didn't have time to straighten up" before we came. However, overall their apartment didn't look bad just a little cluttered. I have to give Elders Green and McKinney cudos for washing their sheets. We (the adult couples) were beginning to worry that the younger missionaries weren't taking the time to do this. Well, at least now we know that some missionaries do.

I know....................................gross huh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well we are working on hygiene around here in the Donetsk Mission.

Your missionaries are in good hands with Sisters Fry and Salamonson in Donetsk and the Mead's and the Crittendon's in Kharkiv. I mentioned before that most of the missionaries "pick things up" well but they aren't so good at scrubbing. I did see one apartment that was really clean and that was Elders Summerhays and Cullen. Way to go guys.

WE WENT TO FINISH OUR APARTMENT INSPECTIONS TODAY AFTER THE BAPTISM
AND GUESS WHAT WE FOUND??????????
more ties .....................

"Lucy, you got some splaining to do!!!!!!!!"

I hear you all saying,

"what is up with this tie thing?"

I think I need to explain.

There is a great Reenik in Kharkov where the Elders buy ties. They are able to purchase these amazing ties for 20 griven, that's $4.00 friends,you can't beat that.
We were so impressed when we arrived at almost all of the apartments this transfer they had beautiful spiritual music playing, the dishes were done, the desk were neat and orderly, beds were made, clothes hung up, garbage emptied, and the walls were nicely decorated with pictures of Christ, the Apostles, or quotes from church leaders.This is one of the Elders study desk. Not too bad, a church magazine, hymn book. Russian Language Study Book, and Scriptures.

AFTER APARTMENT INSPECTIONS WE WENT TO THE OBEDENYONI BRANCH FOR A PICNIC BUT ..........IT WAS RAINING SO WE HAD TO HAVE THE EVENT INSIDE

BRUCE AND I ARRIVED ABOUT AN HOUR EARLY SO BRUCE DECIDED TO SHOW ME HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO. WELL... WE DIDN'T REALLY PLAY... WE JUST KEPT PLAYING THE SAME NOTES OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WE DIDN'T EVER GET PAST THE FIRST LESSON. IT WAS REALLY KIND OF FUNNY AT ONE POINT BRUCE SAID...." you really need this".

I think he meant the BRAIN EXCERCISE. There seemed to be a bit of a disconnect between the brain, the eyes, and the fingers... he kept showing me how to do a very simple tune over and over again, I don't know what the problem was, his brain seemed to be able to manage the whole eye, hand coordination thing........well let's just say, it was best for me to just watch.

after about an hour the members started arriving

It is so interesting when they arrive to the church functions it is a little different than what we are use to in America there are no minivans or suv s the members either walk or ride the marshruka.

TODAY WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT WAS A DISTRICT ACTIVITY 2 BUSLOADS OF MEMBERS WERE DROPPED OFF RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BRANCH BUILDING.
It was a fun activity. We were so impressed with how well planned it was. they divided us all into groups of about 10 or 12 people. Maybe 6 groups. We had to go around the building to about 6 locations and in each location meet a character that was from Church History. Each room had someone dressed in a costume and we had to ask them questions until we could guess who they were.We felt sorry for the people in our group because they were "stuck" with alot of Americans and most of the time we didn't really know what was going on. The other people in our group seemed to be doing great. We just kept following them from room to room trying to read the body language.

APARTMENT INSPECTIONS AGAIN

WE WENT TO INSPECT APARTMENTS
TODAY AND THIS IS WHAT WE SAW

TIES......TIES...AND........ MORE TIES

HAPPY ELDERS AND CLEAN APARTMENTS

AND THIS

AND OUR NEW CHURCH BUILDING

 

lots of potatoes for sale
These cute little children holding hands

and this darling little girl with her grandmother