APARTMENT INSPECTIONS

Today we finished our apartment inspections for this transfer and look what we found...........

more ties..........
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and some interesting home decorating

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.

BAPTISM DAY

WHAT A WAY TO START A DAY. WE WERE SO EXCITED TO ATTEND THIS BAPTISM.
THIS SWEET GIRL, ANYA ATTENDED GIRLS CAMP WITH HER COUSIN AND CAME HOME AND SAID, "I WANT TO BE BAPTIZED". SHE HADN'T EVEN MET WITH THE MISSIONARIES YET. SO SISTER HOWARD AND SISTER CHIRAIC STARTED MEETING WITH HER SO THAT THEY COULD TEACH HER ABOUT THE GOSPEL. ELDER HUNT AND ELDER CROSSLEY MET WITH HER AS WELL. TODAY ELDER CROSSLEY BAPTIZED ANYA. WE HAD A TESTIMONY MEETING AFTER THE BAPTISM AND SHE JUST MARCHED RIGHT UP AND BORE SUCH A SWEET TENDER TESTIMONY. THEN OUR WONDERFUL PRESIDENT FRY BORE HIS TESTIMONY IN RUSSIAN. IT WAS VERY touching. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE DAY. ALEXANDER WHO WAS BAPTIZED A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS A WITNESS DURING THE BAPTISM AND DEEMA WHO WAS BAPTIZED A FEW MONTHS AGO OFFERED THE PRAYER. SISTER VERA'S HUSBAND WHO IS NOT A MEMBER ATTENDED AND OLGA OUR INTERPRETER ATTENDED AS WELL.

The meeting ended with the congregation singing, "I am a child of god" and I couldn't help but remember the first time I heard that song over 22 years ago and how it spoke to my soul.

"I am a Child of God, And he has sent me here, has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear. Lead me, Guide me, Walk beside me, Help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday.

I am a Child of God, And so my needs are great, Help me to understand his words Before it grows too late. Lead me, Guide me, Walk beside me, Help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday.

I am a Child of God, Rich blessings are in store, If I but learn to do his will I'll live with him once more. Lead me, Guide me, Walk beside me, Help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday."

As members of the Church we sing this often. It is probably one of the first songs our children learn to sing. We sing the words but do we really listen to them and think about what they mean. I am a Child of God. Do you realize how awesome that is when you begin to understand what it means to have a Heavenly Father who can lead and guide us through this journey; a Father whose hand is always reaching out to us. and how incredible it is to know that rich blessings are in store for us as we learn to follow him. when you sit in a room of recent converts or people who have not been baptized and you really listen to the inspired words of this song you can't help but be moved.

I looked around the room and was overwhelmed with emotion as I thought about how powerful those words are to someone who is just beginning to comprehend what it means to be a Child of God. I am so grateful to have been able to participate in such a special day. I truly felt the angels rejoice as Anya entered the waters of Baptism.

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