Fruits and Vegetables

I don't even know what to tell you about this week. I laugh at all the letters I get from all of you, you make it sound like I am this great missionary, and I don't do anything it is all the Lord, I am just the lucky girl that gets to witness the miracles. I don't know why I am the one that is so blessed. I think that I am the one that goes in and teaches the lessons, but I know it is not me, nor my broken Ukrainian that does it, it is the Spirit, and the ones I go into teach end up teaching me. Same with this training thing, I am supposed to be training my companion, but she really is the one that is training me.

This week was  wonderful, as they all have been, and time is just passing by so quickly! This week I have been out 6 months, that is scary! My lovely companion likes to keep reminding me. It has been such a blessing to be here, I love this place so much, I don't know that I ever want to leave, these people are really just the best!

So let me see, this past week.... So last Monday, Sister Garret planned our P-day to a "T." We had this great idea for the Elders, we wanted to make them home made cards because of all the hard work they put in, all of them are so amazing, we just love them, they are the greatest and put up with a lot from us, so we had a plan. Elder Naumann can make brown sugar, so we had him make us some, so that we could bake chocolate chip cookies, and make some cookie dough for Elder Tribett since that is his favorite. Long story short, it took us pretty much all day to cut out and scrapbook these cards, make them cookies and also cook some zuchini bread for later that night. We got it done though and they are amazing! I wish I had the pictures, they are on Sister Garrett's camera, but we personalized each one for their personality, they were all so great, we couldn't pick a favorite! Elder Johanson's was a computer, with the tag line "Take a Mega-Bite out of this!" Elder Nauman's was sheet music, I literally cut out a G clef, that was a miracle, with the tag line "I hope this is the high note of your day." Elder Terry's was a tennis racquet and it said " Thanks for serving up a 40-love everday." And then Elder Tribett's was a GQ magazine, and his had a few tag lines on it, but it said "Men's fashion; Do's and Doughn'ts." We thought they were quite clever and they looked so good!
That night we had FHE because on Wednesday we were to be in L'viv, so we met at the church early so that we could eat our fruits and veggies. Sister Lattin had this game she wanted to play of "Stand for fruits and veggies" and so Elder Tribett took in very seriously, so for the past 2 weeks we have all, everyone in my district, eaten 80 DIFFERENT fruits and veggies. Not kidding! We have eaten them ALL RAW! Here is the list, some you have not even heard of;
Banana, nectarine, plum, pear, apricot, apple,  orange, manderine orange, pineapple, guava, coconut,red papaya,  yellow papaya, avacado, tomato, watermelon, muskmelon, brussell sprouts, beats, potato, cabbage, lettuce, peas, green beans, bell pepper, onion, leek, eggplant, dates, cucumbers, carrots, corn, lemon, line, grapefruit, olive, grapes, cauliflour, broccoli, squash, mango, kiwi, garlic, radish, turnup, horseraddish, cherry strawberry, red current berry, black current berry, purple onion, white onion, peach, fig, bulgarian pepper, chili pepper, other pepper that we didn't know the name for, pomegranate, raspberry, purple cabbage, ginger, cherry tomato, celery root, fezaleek (ukrainian), fig peach, kumquat, spinach, pumpkin, Kabaloba (ukrainian), cranberry, pomelo, mushroom, green onion, blue berry, bilberry, zucchini, shepovi (ukrainian), horlposharn (Ukrainian). We have all eaten those, all raw, it has been interesting, some are truely awful, some are actually not too bad! Like fig peach, that was actually really good!

Anyway, so Tuesday it was pretty normal, we got caught in the rainstorm of the century coming home from the church though, it was insane! We got SO wet! We got home at 9, planned then packed for the night train into L'viv. We made banana bread too while we waited. The Elders came and got us a little after 11, the train left at about midnight. It was fun at first, we had to wait for our sheets to come, so we talked in the coupey with the Elders and ate some warm banana bread while we waited. That was probably the worst train ride though, I was freezing all night! We got into L'viv at 6:30 in the mornina. Sister Garrett had to play piano all of Zone Conference, so we had to get ready as fast as possible and head to the church for her to practice. She had to play the hymns and for the musical numbers for the Sisters and Elder Naumann.

Zone conference was really good, except I started to get a cold. There was a lot about our purpose as missionaries, it really stuck out to me. We also did a lot on planning, how we can be more effective at it. That was really helpful, it answered a lot of questions Sister Garrett and I had about planning. After Zone Conference, which by the way the "Stand for Fruits and Veggies," ended up being nothing like what the Elders had thought, so we ate a lot of random stuff for the experience, but hey, why not?! After Zone Conference I tried to find Olya, all around L'viv in the freezing rain, and I forgot my coat in Uzh. It was an adventure, and I never found her. We still are not allowed to proselyte in L'viv, so we did a lot of English Contacting. For dinner, we ate at McDonalds, no joke. The fries are still the same here, and I still love them! That was interesting though trying to order in Ukrainian... we had fun though!

That night we left on another night train for home. We got in that morning at 6. That night we had english, I can't really remember too much about it, I wasn't feeling well, so I sat in the corner by the heater and pretty much looked like death. Elder Naumann offered a blessing, but I had too much pride for that. The next day at MCM though he offered again, telling me I looked like I had been hit in the face with a baseball bat, no joke, isn't he just the sweetest! He still feels bad for saying it, I tease him for it often. I did take them up on it though, it was a little rough. I feel a lot better now, don't worry!

Saturday President Lattin and Sister Lattin came into town, and they are still here. We have been having planning sessions with them and some meetings. They are so funny, they have a translator with them, but we translate a lot for them, that is hard! I was helping Sister Lattin on Sunday, that was a difficult thing, I could tell her what they were saying, but what she wanted to say back... not so well. We survived though. Just this morning Sister Lattin was sitting in on our companion studies, it was really great! She is just the funniest lady, so bubbly and just that mormon mom type, just loving everyone!

We did receive some new rules at Zone Conferenced, we have to speak our language from 10am-5pm Tuesday through Sunday and 6pm-9pm on Mondays, that will be interesting, Sister Garrett and I will learn fast that is for sure! Also, no haircutting. Elder Naumann gave me this Ukrainian Sign Language stuff that he had, which is really cool, so I am trying to see if that will help me memorize the words faster; I will let you know how that goes.

This week was so crazy! We went to L'viv, President's been here, I looked like I got hit with a baseball bat, baked a TON of banana bread! All sorts of exciting things, you can never be bored in Uzhorod!