Ten weeks to go

So, remember that one time when I had an allergic reaction and went to the hospital? Or the other time when it happened to? Or the 10th time it happened that one time. I remember and guess what, it happened again. Don't worry this time, I survived and all is well. And I am so done with Ukrainian hospitals, so that is that story. Nothing more to explain there.

This week was good, I don't even know what we did, but I am tired and I know we did a lot. Those investigators that were going to get baptized... they have kind of fallen off the face of the planet. We have gone to their home, they were home, but wouldn't answer the door. It just breaks my heart to know that they are SO close to the truth and.... we are going to keep trying, we will see what happens.

President Lattin was in town this week! That was a crazy wonderful suprise! It is always to great to have them here. So we had some meetings with him and just a blast and we learned so much. That man is called of God, that I am sure of. We also had Sister Lattin call us one morning while they were here to go on a walk with us. She just wanted to walk with us in the park. That was so much fun and we were able to talk to a few people as well. It was really funny, my companion doesn't speak english and so I was translating back and forth for each of them to have a conversation. At one point my companion did say something in English and just almost without thinking, translated to Sister Lattin in Ukrainian. That was kind of funny! All 3 of us were laughing, whoops... my brain just got a little confused with the 2 languages going back and forth.

 So funny, I feel like we do so much, but when I sit down at the computer today my mind is just blanking out! So, I think that I will just make this short, I hope that you all have a wonderful week and I love you all! Happy Birthday Jamie!!!

 LOVE

  Sister Shaughnessy

This is a big deal

Okay, so kind of a big deal here, I GOT TO SEE SISTER EDWARDS AND SISTER PETERSEN!!! Don't worry, I am not freaking out about that at all, it was just pretty much the best thing ever! I have never been able to see them together at the same time, and I have only seen Sister Edwards for like 2 seconds since we got split up a million transfers ago, so that was a HUGE blessing to be in the same apartment with them at Mission Conference this week.

 We had mission conference this week and it was absolutely incredible! President and Sister Lattin are so wonderful and everyone that helped as well, it was just great! So many of my questions were answered in SO many unique ways, it was just incredible to see the hand of the Lord work, He truely loves each one of so very much it is incredible!

 We talked a lot about consecration at mission conference which has been a topic of study lately for me, I want to understand it better. Not just as a missionary, but as a member of the church. We truely need to be consecrated to this gospel and not just members of the church. There is a difference. Consecration involves sacrifice as well, not the most confortable word for most of us. I am just very grateful that this gospel allows room for mistakes and growth.

 Because of Mission Conference we spent most of our time in L'viv,or on long train rides, which was fun, I got to eat some mexican food in Ukraine, which is a blessing in and of itself. I got to see some of my best friends that I have made on the mission and I got spiritually enlightened by some wonderful people. You have to love being a missionary! :)

Single digits and then home bound

Wow, I am getting down to the single digits when it comes to the amount of weeks that I have left.... that is pretty scary!

This week was good, I got some startling news yesterday. My mission President called to let me know that a member in Uzh that I had taught, she was my first lesson in Ukraine, and helped to baptism passed away. That was kind of startling news, I was in shock to say the least. It was an interesting experience, I shed a few tears, but then it was all okay. I was just so grateful that she found the gospel before she passed away, and now they can do her temple work for her, she has been ill for several months. It really is just incredible to have the knowledge that we do about the plan of salvation. I honestly know that she is in a much better place and that it is all okay. If nothing else it gave me more of a motivation to share this message with others, they need to know this!

 On a happier note, this next week we have a baptism a little boy in our branch. His mom was actually taught and joined the church thanks to my trainer. Talk about many things coming full circle. That is kind of crazy, so we are preparing for his last second baptism and a trip to L'viv all within the next 48 hours. Needless to say, it is going to be a little crazy, but it will work out. I hope amid all the preparation things we will be able to get some good solid missionary work in as well.

 Unfortunatly a lot of our investigators couldn't meet this week, we had a lot of time. A lot of time. I am just grateful that at the end of the week it finally starting cooling down here. One day it was 96, imagine that will almost 100% humidity. All I am saying is... deodorant is a luxery here. It was an adventure. On that day, I literally had the best time. I just chose to laugh and take it for what it was, I couldn't change anything, so I might as well enjoy it.

 We went on an adventure that day, so we got to ride in a marshrutka, a ukrainian bus, that has NO air conditioning for 30 minutes to go and find this lady that was a referral from the Elders. They had talked with a man that was drafted into the war, he left that day, but asked the Elders to send someone over to meet his wife and take care of her. He left no number, just an address. So, we decide to go to this lady, in a celo. Find the street, get the right bus number, sit on this us that was just a sauna and headed out. I was laughing, it was just so funny to me, because honestly it was so much past the point of being miserable that you just had to laugh.

 We rode the bus to the end, got off and asked this guy were the house would be located, he told us down the rode two houses. So, we go down there to find this Baba Anya as he called her (a little disappointed, we thought we were going to a younger lady), turns out that the house we were looking for was ruined. We asked the neighbor and the lady that lived there passed away two years ago.

 So, I don't really know what that whole adventure was all about or who this man was, guess we will never know about that story. We got to take h\our hot marshrutka back home.

 We got to go to a culture museum that was way fun with the Hawkins, the senior couple down here. I love them, they are literally my new favorite people. 

 What else... my ukrainian companion still likes to eat hot borscht even when it is hotter than hot outside.

 I got a suprise opportunity to play the piano on Sacrament meeting, that was just terrible, no practice or warning. We don't need to talk about it.

 There was man that came in from Kiev and talked to the branch for 4 hours about family history work.

 That it pretty much it from our week. I wish that there was more, but it was just a lot of street contacting and more street contacting. Misisonary work! :)

I hope that you all have an amazing week!
 LOVE YOU ALL!!!

  Sister Shaughnessy

11 Weeks left

Well, another week has come and gone! I don't know where it went, honestly, it is crazy! We had exchanges with the Sisters from L'viv this week. That was crazy they where not here very long, but we had a good time. I was with Sister Garrett for a day, my little trainey, who is so not a little trainey anymore. It is always a blast to be around her, love that girl. We spent the whole day doing what we do best; contacting. I swear when we were together that is all that we did, and this week that was the same. It was fun though, it allowed a lot of time to talk about missionary life. We made it fun! Meanwhile, we are out walking the streets my companion and her companion are on a lesson and they set a baptismal date with the investigator that we have been working with for the past two weeks and her oldest boy! No kidding! They are getting baptized on the 16th of this month! Isn't that a miracle?! I am so excited for them and for this branch! What a blessing it will be for this family and the branch here! AAAAAAAAH!!!

So, on Saturday we had huge picnic in a town 3 hours away and with two other branches, one from Ivanofrankivsk and the other in....K-Town! My last city! That was a blast, I got to see all the people that I love there and Sister Snyder is still there, my former companion. I was so happy to see everyone, it really was such a blast! I have been eaten alive by mosquitos and I had to put the shashleek on the sticks. Shashleek is Ukrainian Shishkabobs and are pretty much really good ..after they are cooked. I got assigned, with Sister Moffitt, to put the raw meat onto the sticks. Can we just talk about that for a second, because, literally... I thought I was going to die. This lady is just heaving buckets of raw meat onto the table and the sound of the raw flesh just being mushed around and yuck.... oh my goodness, I thought that I was going to die as I am touching it with my bare hands and stabbing it with a stick. Literally, thought I was going to die. My mom is probably dying and laughing at the same time as she reads this, because it really was awful! She would understand.

I am trying to think what else happened this week. I think that is it... I bought a jump rope, that is a new thing, my goal is to jump rope 500 times a day, and that sounds like a lot, I thought it was a lot, but as it turns out I may need to up that. I also decided to pick up a new talent of Ukrainian cross stitching, that is new thing. I will let you know how that goes.

I think that is it for this week. The work is moving forward here, and it is incredible honestly! This is His work and His glory and I am grateful everyday that I get to come along for the ride.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

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