tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41490425093786618672024-02-07T05:36:26.188-08:00Sister Shaughnessy goes to UkraineKissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-90071738081558106462014-10-09T04:36:00.000-07:002014-10-09T04:36:05.763-07:00The Final Email<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Alright, so that time has come. I have decided that this will be the final big blog email from Ukraine. Next week I will send a quick little shout out, spend my day in L'viv Ukraine, speaking Ukrainian with these lovely people, be with some of my most amazing friends from my mission and then see you all later in the week.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I am sitting in front of the computer almost in tears as I write this, I can't believe that it all really comes to an end. This week was a great week, we had fun and we did missionary things. We had random crazy events happen, we talked with people on the street, I gave my last thoughts in district meeting, and a million other amazing things and opportunities to share testimony with those around. It was great!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Things all came together for me on Sunday. Because of the translation we had a normal church week and this up and coming week will be general conference, so yesterday was fast sunday. I went to church and everything was fine. I knew that I wanted to bear my testimony one last time, my last time as a missionary in Ukraine. The meeting started, I sat by one of my favorite members, and things were great! So many people came, 54 was the count. For those of you in America you probably think that is nothing, but for us that is a miracle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">During the sacrament prayers I was listening to the words, I have heard them so many times, but this time I realized this was the last time that I would hear them in Ukrainian, atleast for a while; I started crying. I love this country and the people here so much!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I was listening to what they were saying and I could just feel the love that Christ has for us, He performed the Atonement for us, because He loves us so much! He wants us to come back to live with Him and our Father in Heaven. Every week we have the opportunity to partake of the Sacrament and to remember what He did for us. He did it for ALL of us! The past 18 months I have shared that message with so many people, some have accepted it and others have not. It is always incredible to see the change that happens in the lives of these people when they truely take upon themselves His name and covenant to always remember Him. There is a light that comes into their eyes that is unmatched when they truely find out who they are the divine potential that they have.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I have been blessed to see this in the lives of so many faithful people here in Ukraine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Like I said, it was fast Sunday, so many people got up and bore their testimony. It was just one after another, I loved it! I would much rather have heard their testimonies than shared mine. Finally a member tapped me on the shoulder, he is one of the most amazing kids ever! Love him, anyway he asked when I was going to go, I had promised him I would. I finally got the chance to get up there.... and I made them laugh. There is an Elder leaving in my group as well, he bore his testimony at the start of the meeting and didn't cry, I told everyone that it wasn't fair because I knew that I was going to cry! They all laughed at this and then I started crying. It was short and to the point. I was a mess, however I told them that I know this church is true and that I loved them. I don't think that I needed to say much more than that. The spirit was so strong in that meeting! Such a miracle to see all those people come and worship together! The rest of the meetings were great, I got a lot of hugs and cried a lot more, the funny thing... I will still be here for part of next Sunday and I have all week to be visiting them, but that is okay. Maybe I will just run out of tears before next week..? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> One of my favorite families came to church and I got to play with their 2 girls, oh my goodness! I was in heaven playing with the kids and having so much fun with them! Their uncle, he is 19, the one I promised I would bear testimony, pretty much he is my favorite person in this city! He is incredible, him and I had a blast playing with them. I showed him the picture of my family, the one with all the kids lined up, he was in shock! He told me that I have a family full of super women if they all have more than 2 kids. He is right, smart kid!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> We had choir practice as well after church and that was so fun! The little girls love singing, one fell asleep on his lap and the other colored in my journal and every time we would sing a new hymn she would look at me and ask "Знаеш цу пісню?" (do you know this hymn?) I would answer, "Так, знаю" (Yes, I know) then she would yell out, "Вона знае!" or she knows it! It was so cute and happened every time! We walked them home and had a great time talking and laughing! I love them so much!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It was just a perfect day in so many different ways. I was able to talk to one of the sisters going home with me later that night, we talked about preparing to go home, how we feel and everything. I was happy to say that I know it is time to go home. I am sad that I have to leave a country, culture and people that I love, but I know that I have to go, all good things come to an end. I can look back on my mission with no regrets, I gave it all, I learned a lot and there is nothing that will compare to my mission. I was not perfect, I made mistakes, there are things that I wish could have not happened or gone better, but I learned, I repented and I know that repentance is real. The Atonement is real. Missions really are the best 18 months to 2 years. It is something that has changed me forever. The members of the church here in Ukraine are incredible, the friends that I have made here, in and out of the church are eternal. They have all impacted me in some way and changed who I am. I look back with no regrets, just with a grateful heart that I was able to serve and love these people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I feel like the longer I sit here at the computer the more cheesey it is getting, but I love you all! I will check my email for a quick second next week, and then see you all soon after!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> з любов'ю</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Сестра Шанесі</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Welcome Home Sister Shaughnessy. She arrives Wednesday, October 15th at 9:10 pm. Her Home coming talk in church is scheduled Sunday, October 26th at 1:00 pm. The church is Lehi 5th Ward church building. It is the church building right across the street from Lehi High.</b> </span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-15714788188435693342014-09-30T06:27:00.003-07:002014-09-30T06:27:57.884-07:00Three weeks, Who is counting?<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Okay, wow! I literally do not even know where to start this week! It was pretty much incredible. First of all, I had exchanges, my last exchanges ever, at the beginning of this week. They were with Sister Garrett, my little trainey, who is not so little anymore! It was SO. MUCH. FUN! First of all, we were together, which I just love being with her. Second we set some pretty awesome goals, and third... so many things just fell into place or came full circle it was almost commical. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So, we are together we set a goal to SYL all day, or speak your language, as in speak ukrainian from 10-5. I kind of do it all the time anyway because I have had native companions for a while, but I really do enjoy talking to another American in a foreign language, but whatever. We did it! We were laughing because I read in my journal about what we were doing a year earlier on that day when we were both new and I was "training" here, and it was the day that the SYL from 10-5 rule first came out. We did it then, but it was terrible. I am sure the Ukrainian that we said on that day was just.... yeah, we won't go there. This time however, we totally did it, without a problem, told stories, laughed and joked the entire time, in Ukrainian.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Also, we went home for lunch and the power was out. The power was out the first day she and I were in Uzh together. So we had to cook lunch in a dark kitchen, which is what we did the first month we lived together because we didn't know where to buy a light bulb in Ukraine and we thought we would get in trouble for buying something not on a P-day. Yeah, so we cooked in our dark kitchen and had a picnic in the bedroom to eat in the light. It was great, we were laughing and just remembering all the good times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We saw some really awesome little miracles and got a few numbers of some potentials that we will be working with. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">After Sister Crane and Sister Garrett left for L'viv it was just Sister Bandja and I. And as usual things are just crazy! A couple of random high lights, we had a great lesson with a J.W. Those are always fun! We were so excited to get a lesson from the area book with this lady and teach her all about the Restoration and it just.... she was J.W. She was still super nice, but when people don't listen you can't really do much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">My favorite random part of the week... so for weeks now we have had our street completely torn up. Sister Bandja and I always joke that it looks like there is war going on where we live. Holes everywhere, muddy, piles of dirt just everywhere... it is kind of just a joke. One day this week, Friday, it was raining and just kind of a muddy day, we are on our way home for a late lunch/dinner and walk around the corner and low and behold they are filming a movie about WWII on our street! There were people dressed up in military uniform, normal civilians all dressed up, there was even a horse, some tanks, old army vehicles and cameras everywhere! We were in shock! It was kind of really funny, they were using our street to film a war video, we had always said that it looks like a war could have happened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So, we were only allowed to walk to our apartment in between scenes, so we would walk, have to stop, they would film a quick scene, then we would walk, be pulled somewhere else, wait for another scene. It took us a while to get in and out of our apartment. It was kind of so much fun though! We had to text the Elders and tell them that we would be late for english because we were only allowed to go so far so often. We had picture evidence that they were filming a movie about the World Wars outside our apartment. The Russians even tried to kidnap my companion! It was so much fun! We were able to talk to a lot of the people as well, they wanted to know why we were carrying around these books and why in the world an American would come to Ukraine and live here for over a year. Never an ordinary day on the mission.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This is my embarrassing moment for the week. Sister Bandja and I went to the store really quick for something and ran into a member. Katya, she was on her way to teach Spanish at the church. She invited a lot of people to come to the church and learn Spanish, she said that she invited a lot of non-members so it might be nice if we came. We didn't have any pressing plans, so why not? See if we could find some people maybe interested in more than just Spanish. So, I am sitting in this class having them teach me in Ukrainian and Russian, which is my second language (Russian is like my "I pretend to know it but don't really language"), how to speak spanish. Let us talk about kasha in your head. It was a mess, I had 4 languages going through my head, I didn't know what was going on. So my companion and I start speaking to each other in "Spanish" to practice. These two girls, one speaks english natively, the other Russian, we communicate usually in Ukrainian, are now learning how to speak spanish. Did you follow that? It confuses me too and I lived it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The practice was going, everyone was quite impressed with my great "spanish accent!" I must not have that good of one in Ukrainian....? And we are going along great, I can count to ten no problem (only known that since I was 5), then we got into some other stuff, like asking how old a person is, I was asked to ask a couple of other people in the class how old they are, I say it and everyone just starts laughing! I have no idea why, I am just sitting there wondering what I said, what happened that was so funny, Sister Bandja finally calms down enough to tell me that I said something in spanish wrong which made it sound like I swore in Russian. Awkward... Moral of the story, stick with your mission language.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We also had the opportunity to go over to the Hawkins this week. We had waffles, I wanted to cry! I forgot how much I loved waffles; actually I forgot about their existance as a whole, then to have them... There may or may not have been actual tears. It was such a wonderful time. I am loving it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This week I was sitting in sacrament and I just looked at all the members there, Sister Snyder, one of my former companions that I absolutely adore, was speaking. She rocked her talk, her language is just amazing now, and as she was speaking, I was looking at everyone. All the members and missionaries and wow... I was just overcome with this love for these people. They are all so amazing and such examples to me, I am grateful for every single one of them. In some way they have all changed me and helped me become better. This gospel in so amazing and I love it! I love these people and in the end, it all goes back to love!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Sister Shaughnessy</span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-64270895739968297352014-09-22T06:00:00.002-07:002014-09-22T06:00:59.235-07:00Just a few left<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This week has been crazy incredible! I don't even know where to begin.... We went into L'viv this week for a mission conference that literally changed my life. I will start with the funny stuff and then work my way up to the really good stuff. First, we were on a train for 7 hours, we met this girl that spoke english, Sister Snyder found out for us that she is from England. We helped her with her bags, and talked with her for a while. Sister Snyder and I still got it, we pretty much taught a fairly solid first lesson, in english to her. She was curious about why we were here and what we do as missionaries. She was also very curious about temples, good thing I just so happen to have pictures of the Nauvoo and Kiev temples in my journal. The temples, she thought, were just beautiful! Planting seeds...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Then in L'viv we got in at about 9 at night, the mission driver was kind enough to call the AP's for us and ask if we would be able to swing by McDonalds before going to our hotel. We felt pretty awesome that we thought to go to McDonalds and the Elders wouldn't have an opportunity because they were taking taxi's. We got to the hotel and they showed up with their McDonalds too. This time we stayed in a hotel for mission conference because there is just not enough room in the L'viv apartments. It was quite wonderful! We had a balcony and right across the street was this beautiful old church, all lit up at night. I loved it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We got up at 5 in the morning to get ready for conference. We had to be at the church by 7:15. President Klebingat, my first mission president in Ukraine, who just happens to also now be in the first quorum of the 70 came back and taught us. It was incredible, if nothing else he has only gotten more amazing! By the way he totally remembered that haircut that I am supposed to give me, I don't think that I will be getting out of that one.</span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1411390584769_3039">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">He talked with us about repentance, as he was calling us to repentance. I have never been so excited in my life to repent and change, it was awesome! Honestly, nothing he taught us was new or these secrets that have been hidden for centuries, but the way that he teaches.... I wish that I could describe it, but I don't think there are any words in either of the languages that I speak that can describe it. He literally motivates you to become a better person in all aspects of your life. He is super straight forward, makes you laugh and says it with such love that wow.... I feel like I will just insult him by trying to explain it to you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">My companion and I have just been talking about the conference all week, it was so great! She had served under him when she was in the Kiev mission and also she lives in the Kiev mission boundary, so he has known her for a while and actually sent her on a mission. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We got home on Thursday night and on Saturday we had a baptism here in Chernivtsi. One of the Elders investigators got baptized! It was incredible, the service was small, but it was a baptism. The ones here in Ukraine just have a special spirit about them, I was thinking about it and talking to our branch president's wife about it. Baptism is such a life changing thing for everyone, but it really is only a second. 18-24 months out of your life to serve the Lord, it isn't that long, but it changes who we are. 70-80-90-100 years on the earth is nothing in the span of eternity but it determines who we become after this life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It really is all in the little things that make the difference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Yesterday, I just have to add this because my uncles will laugh and think that it is funny! I hate giving talks, it has been something I have disliked my entire life. On my mission it has gotten better, but still, not my favorite activity. When I was preparing my farewell talk and complaining my uncles always asked what I would do if on my mission I was just randomly called up to give a talk in a foreign language. I said I would face that trial when it comes. It came. Yesterday on sacrament meeting. It wasn't terrible. Can I tell you what I said? No. Did it make sense? I have no idea. Did I survive? Yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">That is it for my week. It was wonderful, remember repentance is a gift from God. I love you all! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-16680010421956388332014-09-18T13:21:00.001-07:002014-09-18T13:21:33.856-07:00Sick again!!!<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1411062389326_21278" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACIA, NATASHA, LISA, and MOM!!!<br />So, I am sure that you have been waiting without patience to hear about this wonderful week and all the miracles that we have seen here in Chernivtsi as we work as hard as we can to help, serve and love these people. I hate to break it to you all, but my life is just not simple. I have literally gone through 500 different ways to break it to you all in a very humorous and sarcastic way, but sorry I just couldn't find one good enough.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Here it is, I got bronchitis. Again. Not kidding. Trust me, if you are sick of hearing that I am sick again, you should feel even worse for all the missionaries that I have served around. It has now become a mission joke that we are going to put instructions of how to deal with me on the GoogleDrive of our mission because it is just a topic that is all too often frequented.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This time around, I have given up. I have done everything that is possible to get healthy again. We are talking antibiotics like the doctor and mission president said to take, to sleeping with a warm bag (yes, milk in Ukraine comes in bag) on my chest to get rid of it, according to the Ukrainian homemade remedies. It has been an adventure.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I have pretty much been dead, my companion had world wars in our kitchen and our study tearing them all apart and cleaning and putting it all back together. I got to do an exchange for a day, kind of, with Sister Snyder so that Sister Bandja could get out of the apartment for a little while. It was fun to be with Sister Snyder again, I have really missed her. She also knows the drill of me being sick, when we got together I was just getting over bronchitis. Her 2 transfers of hard work getting me healthy again and it is all wiped out.<br />The Elders have been great, they brought us food and tried to do all they could to help us out. I was able to get a blessing from Elder Ballif, that was incredible! The Priesthood is real and this is the Lord's work, He really has a plan. He knows us perfectly and knows what we need to hear, how to comfort and guide us. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The few times that we were able to get out of the house we attended the weekly Youth Night, always just a blast! Our branch is incredible and they love to have fun with one another, and always manage to succeed. Sister Bandja came with new games to play and everyone was laughing and having fun!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We also had the opening of institute here. That was a fun night, Church Histoy Jepordy (I have no idea how to spell that, my english is getting really bad!), that is right up my alley! My team may or may not have lost because we may or may not have been caught cheating because one person was giving all the answers..... It could have happened. There was also home made mexican food from the Hawkins, that is always a blessing. Not very often do we find mexican food in Ukraine, so you need to enjoy all that you can when you get the opportunity to eat it!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">That is pretty much it for our week. 5 days dying, still feel like I am dying, but I got up, did my hair, make up, studies, put on a skirt and a smile. This will be a good week, President Klebingat is coming, we will be in L'viv and we will have a blast! Health with come, can't let it get me down! </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Love you all, hope you have a wonderful week! </span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-56299372050792872932014-09-08T17:47:00.003-07:002014-09-08T17:47:59.493-07:00Heavenly Father has a plan!!!<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Okay, so let us just talk about the best week I have had in Chernivsti! It has been quite wonderful, I think that it is almost a little too perfect with all the little blessings. I don't know how all of these wonderful things come together, Heavenly Father has a plan! His plan is truely so much better than what we could ever dream of!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So, this week I said goodbye to Sister Matsiyashik, that was kind of sad. I will still see her one more time before I go home. President Klebingat, remember him? My first mission president who just got called the Quorum of the 70, well he is visiting our mission on the 17th of September. Kind of really excited for that, I get to hear from him for my last mission conference, ironic because he was the one I got to hear from at my first mission conference, and that means that I get to see ALL my missionary friends one last time before I leave. It was a tender mercy from the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So, after our companions left for the train Sister Moffitt and I were left on a 2 day exchange that was pretty much a blast! I have never eaten so much amazing food in such a short amount of time. She introduced me to a Ukrainian dessert that pretty much changed my life, and all I am saying is it is a good thing it was discovered in my last transfer or else.... it just would have been bad. We spent 2 days together talking it up and getting our area books reorganized, which included a lot of time in the area book to get it up to the new mission standard. It was worth it! We made it fun and it was so nice to have 2 area books and 2 phones to be working with. It made it just so much more convenient. Plus if you make a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough with brown sugar from America, it can help!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Thursday late night, we got to meet our companions at the train station. I got to see Sister Snyder again, kind of hugged her forever and was way beyond excited to see her! Oh, how I love her, she is the best! I am so excited to have her in my city! Then I met Sister Bandja for the first time, we went home and just went to sleep we were so tired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">However, Sister Bandja and I have a HUGE problem.... WE NEVER STOP TALKING!!! We have had so much fun together after that first moment that I am almost thinking that there is something wrong because it has just been so good! She is from Odessa, in the Kiev mission, she is 23 years old, been to American twice and speaks Russian as her native tongue, knows Ukrainian, and speaks fairly decent english. We speak a fluent Ukraine-glish at home and I love it! The only thing that is suffering from this companionship is my journal because at night we are talking and telling stories all the time, I never have time to write in it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The last couple days we have been together we have cleaned our apartment and done some weekly planning and sports day! I love sports day! (Sarcasm) And, I would just like to say that on this sports day I went from always being the last one picked to being team captian. I thought they were kidding when they said that I would be captian, however I was. I was awful at it, but I did it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">That was pretty much our week. Not a whole lot, but a whole lot! We are ready to take on the city of Chernivsti (or maybe just our area that we are confined to), but it is going to be great! I am so excited! I love the people here so much!</span></div>
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Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-41251349273181529462014-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:002014-09-04T10:48:07.894-07:00Last Transfer<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409849708983_26747" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />Another week down and guess what?! I got my last transfer all from President and the verdict.... I AM STAYING IN CHERNIVTSI!! Kind of super excited and also, one of my favorite companions ever is coming down here too, so I get to serve around her before I leave, that will be a blast!!!! She is not my companion though, my new companion is Sister Bandja and she is also from Ukraine. I have seen her maybe twice, so I literally know nothing about her, but I am excited, it will be good.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This week has been crazy stressful, we can start by saying that we had an open house on Saturday and so we spent all week getting ready for that. This included a musical number. Our district is great, we have very talented people in our district when it comes to music, but still when I am one of the more musically talented in the group we have a problem, understand? So, anyway I can now say that I have a piano solo.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">No, you read that correctly. We did musical number and we were to sing "Joseph's First Prayer," just so happens that is one of the only hymns that I know really well. So.... I played the piano for people including my nice little solo parts that were just.... yeah. My mom will be so proud, but let me tell you it was just awful! We survived and it really wasn't that bad, but it was still not the most professional thing, I wouldn't count on it being sang at a sacrament meeting or zone conference any time soon.<br />The open house went great though, we had a blast putting it together as in it was stressful, but it all came together and was worth it. We didn't have the best turn out, but people came and this was just the first one of many that will happen here to get the word out about our little church here in Chernivsti.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This week we also got to visit a lot of people because my companion is leaving. We got to visit my favorite little family this week, they have the most beautiful little girls and we had a blast taking pictures with them. Edik, the 18 is my favorite person ever in this branch, literally I love that kid!! He is a rock star and just the most solid person, helping his 20 year old sister with her 2 girls... AH, I seriously there is so much I could say... It was just a wonderful time with them. I would send a pictures, but my camera is currently with Elder Kelley getting fixed and debugged. Next week.<br />We also had Zone Leaders here this week, Elder Peterson, from AF and also was in my MTC district, that was fun to see him and catch up. It was kind of just a crazy week overall, extra missionaries as well as trying to get things ready for the open house. It was just the kind of chaos that I am known to thrive on, so I loved it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I am so exhausted though, I think that 18 months has finally caught up with me. It has been great though! This next transfer is going to be a party and we are going to be seeing some of the most incredible miracles around here!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I hope that you all have a wonderful week, pay it forward and do something nice for someone else this week. It may not change them, but it will change you!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">LOVE YOU ALL!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Sister Shaughness</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">y</span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-2343836439464768092014-08-29T13:21:00.001-07:002014-08-29T13:21:30.965-07:00Ten weeks to go<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409343623811_5100" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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!!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> LOVE</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-37248562456716530512014-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:002014-08-29T13:05:34.022-07:00This is a big deal<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1408925275417_70412" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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! :)</span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-32751137811935530752014-08-29T12:56:00.002-07:002014-08-29T12:56:49.308-07:00Single digits and then home bound<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1408925275417_61895" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">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!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> What else... my ukrainian companion still likes to eat hot borscht even when it is hotter than hot outside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There was man that came in from Kiev and talked to the branch for 4 hours about family history work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> 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! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I hope that you all have an amazing week!<br /> LOVE YOU ALL!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-80427546192521811772014-08-04T07:59:00.001-07:002014-08-04T07:59:25.592-07:0011 Weeks left<div class="thread-item expanded " data-action="select-thread" data-mid="_AEy+imIAAA+MU99YSgAAADfTDP4" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1407164270427_5055" role="section" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-transition: none; background-color: white; border: 2px solid rgb(51, 46, 56); color: black; cursor: default; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; height: auto; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 6px; orphans: auto; outline: none 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 6px 10px; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; transition: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" tabindex="0">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">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!!!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">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.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">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.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">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.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">LOVE YOU ALL!!!!</span></span></div>
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Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-10224536492533661672014-07-28T16:32:00.000-07:002014-07-28T16:32:24.168-07:00Only two transfers left and home<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1406589624524_14708" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">WOW, we started a new transfer this week. I only have 2 left, let us just talk about that for a second... I am in SHOCK! Where did time go? This week some of my favorite missionaries went home, I started my mission with them and now they are home. When did this happen? Missions don't come to an end, they was just a myth and rumor that I had heard. It is crazy to think that I only have two transfers left... Do you know how fast transfers go?! Kind of freaking out here, I can't believe it!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Okay, mental breakdown over.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />This past week has been incredible! First of all, it was Pioneer Day. I love pioneers, so that is always a great holiday in my book. My companion doesn't know a whole lot about pioneers and I have had a great time telling her EVERYTHING that I know about pioneers all week. For one, I have learned a lot of new words so that I can explain the stories appropately and also, it is just something that I love to do; tell stories, just talk in general, actually, and also, I get to strengthen my testimony and be continually grateful for their sacrifice. Getting to share my testimony of the pioneers just strengthens me, especially on a mission. If they did all that for the truth, I can be here and share what I know with the people in Ukraine.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This week has been amazing! I feel like so many things have happened! On Pioneer Day, actually this was kind of ironic, we went with a potential investigator of ours to help her clean up the gravesides of her parents. We helped pull weeds and plan flowers on their plots and she told us all about her family. It was really cool to be there on that day for many reasons, it was just an amazing experience for me personally. After we had finished we sat on a bench and talked with her. She has before expressed no interest in learning about the gospel, even when we have asked her about it, but she had asked us to help her today and we are here to serve. As we are sitting on the bench with her she just asks us, tell me something about God. I want to know what you believe about life after death. So, we told her a little bit about the plan of salvation. You could just feel the spirit, it was so amazing to have that experience. Now we are going to start working with her so that she can know that she will see her parents again.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As we were helping her clean the grave it was interesting to hear her talk about her parents. They lived in the communist age, they had no belief in God and lived basically their whole lives that way. It gives you something to think about when you hear about how they lived without God.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">That was one amazing miracle this past week, then.... On Sunday we go to pick up this older lady in our branch, she has recently had a stroke and has a hard time getting around. We helped her get ready and to come to church. This was our first time doing it, and we tried calling her, but her phone was off. We decided to just go anyway, what can it hurt. We get there, she tells us that she wasn't expecting us, she had already called a friend of hers to come and get her to come to church with her. Turns out.... that friend would be a former investigator we had found in our are book, that we had been trying to work with. She has two boys that we had gone and picked up last week to come to sports day with us. It was incredible! They came to church and stayed all three hours.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">After church we were able to meet with them and they introduced us into their family. We talked to them about the Book of Mormon. It was such an incredible miracle that we had! Things are happening here, people! This is amazing!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Anyway... this week has been amazing! Things are working out. I finally have gotten over the loneliness of being with an all ukrainian speaking ukrainian and now, you know what... Life is good!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!</span></span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-59215417241458779062014-07-28T16:30:00.003-07:002014-07-28T16:30:15.874-07:00Heavenly Father knows best<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1406589624524_14219" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">You know, you think that you are doing pretty good and then Heavenly Father has a way of just knocking you right on your butt again. Sometimes it is even literal. So, let me just start out by saying that this past transfer has kicked my butt. I decided that I just wanted to be the most unhappy person in the world and see what it was like. I hated it.So many different things were just going on and I wanted to shy away from the trials rather than face them. I was wanting to look inward rather than out at others and serve them.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">From this, I have learned that I would much rather be happy. I would rather face hard things with a smile than a frown, and you truely are more happy when you are in the service of others. It is hard to be doing things when your heart is not in it, it really is, and it just took me a while to learn this. SO... at the beginning of this past week I got a blessing, decided that life was going to be great! Guess what?! It is! And guess what?! I still have a knack for attracting some of the weirdest experiences ever, I don't know how it happens, but it does. I have seen SO MANY miracles this week, just little ones, but they were still there (I totally include an elder giving us a kitkat that he got from a member as a miracle on a Sunday when you are craving chocolate and there is none at the house! I am a sister missionary okay, I still love chocolate.) I have learned that the promise "Ask and ye shall receive" is some serious business and it happens! Oce, the chocolate!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This week, I don't even know where to begin.... We went to a bag remont place to get Sister M's bag fixed and there we had the best conversation with this kid and he just happens to be from Khmelnitsky, that was my home for 4 months, I love that city! He was also totally interested in our message, that was even better! From there we leave and there is this guy speaking english, we follow him for a second and I wanted to go talk to him and then he ducks into a building.. Dang. I turned to my companion, who speaks little to no english and said to her in english, "Dang, I wanted to talk to some Americans today, I kind of miss english." She gives me a funny look and we move on. We are walking down to the church and all the sudden I hear "Hey, do you speak english?!" I pause and turn, because I forgot, but I do speak that language! Turns out this lady is from california. She came to Ukraine with her husband to visit the city from which they had adopted 3 of their 8 children. She was leaning against a building smoking. I talked with her for a while. Turns out that she is LDS, her brother is on a mission in Philipeans and her neice is on a mission in Russia. She has been inactive for years, but was more than friendly. We had a great conversation, once I got over the shock that they were American. Americans are so loud!!!!! Wow, I didn't realize how odd it would be to talk to Americans again. I am in for culture shock when I get home. It literally was the weirdest thing ever.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Also, this week I did get a marriage proposal. That was great! You know I always welcome those, this guy asked me to marry him, and this was all said in english, so I understood perfectly, because I am an Irish girl and he could tell that I was not lying because of my..... you think that I am going to say last name, but no, because of my teeth. Apparently I have irish looking teeth. I don't know what that means, but I have them. (I didn't think they had yellowed that much but....)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Then on Saturday we had a huge miracle! This family that we have been trying to work with came to sports day! It was so great! The boys had SO MUCH FUN! They are so cute as well and they had a blast getting to play with the big kids.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">There were so many more miracles that happened. Just little things throughout the day that were just perfect! I was SO happy, my companion and I were having so much fun, we were working hard. No huge baptism or crazy things like that, but those little moments that just let you know that God is there, for everyone. It was incredible!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I was thinking about that a lot yesterday, it really is incredible how much God loves us! He also has a sense of humor too!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Because... we went to choir yesterday with the branch. Only 2 members and 1 investigator showed and Elder Mollinet and Elder Obiux, and us. So, I get called upon to direct the music, no big deal. I stand up and start directing. They didn't need it, so I was going to sit back down. I grab a chair go to sit and the next thing I know... I am on the ground. THE METAL CHAIR BROKE UNDERNEATH ME!!!!!!!!!!!! No, I am not even kidding. It kind of was the funniest thing ever. I was dying. Ukrainians however, do not think this is funny! They got mad at Elder Mollinet for laughing at me, and he was like (we served together in lutsk, when I was on my death bed) are you kidding, that is not the hardest fall I have seen that girl take, she is fine. It was funny! We were laughing. The best part about the entire thing is that all the ukrainians made sure that I was okay and just went on singing. They did not even skip a beat or laugh or anything, once they new everything was fine they just wanted to start singing again and nothing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Elder Mollinet and I were dying. The only Americans and we are just thinking this is the funniest thing ever! The ukrainians did not say ONE WORD to be about it the rest of the night! That is what made it even funnier. They didn't think that it was funny! I called Sister Moffitt and she and I were like rolling on the floor no one else got it!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br />Anyway, moral of the story.... I don't really know. But I just attract humorous situations. Anyway, this upcoming week is going to be great! This work is true, love you all!!!!!!!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-39034111907732870822014-07-15T05:59:00.000-07:002014-07-15T05:59:17.547-07:00Work is going Forward<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1405346928652_54701" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA, TODD, COLBY AND TERESA!!!!<br />Well, I don't know where this week went! It really just flew by and I don't even know where to begin! First of all the Sister Training Leaders were here, which ment that Sister Garrett was here! My first little trainey is all grown up! I love that girl so much and I got to spend an entire day with her and we had a blast! We went with one of our investigators here, Ilona. She is wonderful and also happens to be the Ukrainian Women's Tennis Champion, not even kidding. She is awesome, but can't get baptized because of her parents right now. However, she is just amazing! We had her take us on a tour of the city just to be with her for a little bit.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We went to the university! OH MY GOODNESS IT IS BEAUTIFUL! That place was seriously straight out of a Jane Austin novel. It was lovely! We walked the grounds and it was beautiful! Seriously, we just took so many pictures of the grounds, there is a church there. They have a sealed well outside of the church and the legend is that they took all the vampires in the city and put them in that well and sealed it. It was quite cool!<br />The grounds are just beautiful and green, we had a blast walking around and talking with Ilona. She soon is going to the US to play tennis at University and is hoping to be baptized there. We want to help her stay in contact with the church in the states so that she can be baptized! She literally is the coolest. At one point we went into the university and into a corridor... just my luck, we get locked in the corridor and had to literally bang on the doors for someone to hear us to be let out. Sister Garrett and I were just laughing, it would be out luck to get locked in the university! We were just laughing!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">After the sisters left we had a little miracle. A lady that we contacted from the area book a couple of weeks called us and wanted to meet. That does not ever happen! It was quite amazing, we were in shocked and ran to the park to go meet with this lady. It was so great! She took a couple of pamplets and we were able to just have a good conversation with her and set up another time to meet more formally. It was amazing!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Also, this week we had a culture fair... let us just talk about that for a second! That was the coolest thing ever! We contacted at the fair and talked to so many people as we enjoyed ourselves at the fair. It was so great! You just have to love Ukraine! The culture here is so rich and they are all just such wonderful people and so religious! Ah, just the best!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We got to have dinner with the other sisters as well at the Hawkins house. The Hawkins are the senior couple here. They made us a roast with potatos and carrots in a crock pot and jello. Pretty sure Sister Moffitt and I were in tears! It was like being home, both she and I were just eating it and loving it so much! Probably more than was necessary, but we were just like "Home." Our native companions were thinking we were crazy, but you know... it just happens when you are away from home for a while!</span></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Pretty much, I think that is it for </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">this week! We literally just have been having a blast and the work is going forward! LOVE YOU ALL!</span></span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-53500532308429236092014-07-07T13:27:00.003-07:002014-07-07T13:27:35.113-07:00Zone Conference<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404764786712_1787">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">HAPPY 4TH OF
JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another week has come and gone! I honestly don't
know where it went, but it was SO MUCH FUN!!! We had Zone Conference, I
don't know if you know this, but in our mission socializing is a BIG
don't. Obviously between Elders and Sister, but even between other
sisters. We do not text, call, meet up, nothing other than the meetings
at church or to communicate information, that is it! So, Zone Conference
is kind of a big deal, we are able to see other missionaries and catch
up, make sure that we are still all living. Then, to top it off.... We
have this AMAZING zone conference, we talked all about the temple, which
I miss so much! And how we can be better missionaries, it was great! I
got to push my language skill and kind of translate for my companion.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">THEN, after Zone Conference they had an activity for us
missionaries. As in we could socialize! That is crazy and rare and it
was a blast!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We had sports going on, ate some pulled pork
sandwiches and enjoyed it! And we also got to watch a movie.... that
doesn't happen either. It was Ephraim's Rescue, all about church
history. I was not disappointed when I think of a movie a church history
movie is perfectly entertaining for me, whether on a mission or not! It
was such a great time! AND I also got to see Sister Petersen, kind of
like the best thing that had ever happened to me! I LOVE THAT GIRL! It
was so great! I also got to spend some time with Sister Moffitt, she is
so great! Never served with her, but we have now become lifelong
friends! We spent a day in center L'viv. It was so great! We had lunch,
talked to some people about english and witnessed some beautiful
Ukrainian folk music. It was so great!</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Because of Zone Conference we were on the train and in L'viv for
most of the week, it was such a great time! We talked to the Hawkins,
the senior couple that is in our city. They literally are my new
favorite people. Elder Hawkins is also a chiropractor.... needless to
say we are friends now.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">It was such a good week, things are coming along, summer is definately here!<br />LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!</span></span></div>
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-3119894103476058942014-06-30T07:45:00.003-07:002014-06-30T07:45:22.198-07:00Olya in Town<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404139321973_4258" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Another week has come and gone and I don't know where it went! It has been quite a week, we have had some great times!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">First of all, let us just talk about the Armor of God lesson, pretty sure that my branch now thinks that I am officially crazy! We had an 18 year old member here, Edik, the cutest kid ever, we had him help us with our spiriutal thought for game night. So we made these little clothe ball type things and got his armor all ready to go. So, at friend night we gave everyone a ball and had them throw the balls at him, he had to block as many as he could. It was a little difficult... So, we then took him into the hall and put him in his armor. This armor consisted of Elder Mollinet's belt, a sword made out of a wooden spoon covered in tinfoil, a pot for his helmet of salvation, and a back pack put on backwards, also covered in tinfoill for his breastplate and don't forget the shield from cardboard covered in tinfoil. Yeah, it was great! He was eating it up as everyone was laughing at him as they again got the throw the balls at him and he was protected more from them. It was so great! I am kind of loving this companion thing that she speaks well enough that if I can get my crazy idea across she can explain it a lot better than I can. It was so great!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We also had the AP's here this week. Elder Jolstead and Elder Lippert, I served with both of them in Lutsk. I was SO happy to see them again, they are so great! They were the ones that were with me when I was in the hospital, so I love and adore both of them, they are great! For some reason though, whenever they are around I decide that I need to visit hospitals. Don't worry, I am not sick. We just have a couple of members that are in the hospital and one investigator as well. I met them for the first time this week, and we also took Elder Newton and Elder Lippert (they were on exchanges) to meet them as well. Elder Lippert and I were just remembering the good times, I told him for some reason whenever he is around I feel this need to go to the hospital. We laughed. Then we made this great joke as I asked him a question about my apartment contract and needing to get that done. He thanked me for always being on top of everything... except maybe the stairs. So funny. (Remember that one time I passed out and fell down the cement stairs)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Also, this week one of our members had a birthday, Natasha is her name. She is really great, return missionary, actually she is even a really good friend of Olya's, my friend that got baptized in L'viv in March. Anyway, it was her birthday and I wanted to do something nice for her. So, we got balloons and posters and colored paper and made some phonecalls. We didn't know where she lived, but her brother said that it was okay if we decorated her door for her birthday. So, we called a taxi to take us, figuring he would know where it was and we wouldn't have to figure it out ourselves. Well.... turns out he had no idea where it was, so just imagine... we are on this dirt road in a lada, a lada people, it is muddy and rainy and we are going up hills and just in this random, village part of town. I have no idea how we were getting up these hills, trying to find this address, the taxi driver was getting frustrated because he had no idea where he was going, Sister Matsiyashchik was getting frustrated because we were not finding it... I was sitting in the backseat with a million balloons, a poster and paper hearts thinking this is the funniest thing ever. Go figure, only the American would be the one crazy enough to laugh! Let us get real though, we were in a lada! You can't not laugh!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Also, on Friday I got a phone call from Natasha, the same member whose door we decorated for her birthday. She wanted to talk to me, strange, most of the members are content talking to my companion since, I don't know, she speaks the language better. So, I take the phone and she tells me that she has a favor to ask of me, okay, I am a missionary, I kind of do service for a living. Turns out, OLYA WAS COMING IN!!!!! She was taking a train down to stay with Natasha over the weekend for her birthday! Ummm...... YEAH!!!! I was on cloud nine, she needed us to pick her up from the train station and keep her entertained until Natasha got off work. As big of a sacrifice as that was, I think we handled it well. We picked her up, ate dinner with her and just talked! Ah, I have missed that girl SO much! We wanted to have her sit in on a lesson with us as a member, but the lesson canceled. So, we taught her a new member lesson because she hasn't had all of them yet. Then we played ping pong with a couple of the kids from english for about 20 minutes before the class started! It was wonderful!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Saturday was sports day. Ukrainian women for some reason do not play sports. Like at all. It is a culture thing, they don't play sports. Men even are not very good at sports in Ukraine, it is kind of weird, well, they are good at soccer, but that is about it. We went to sports day and played volleyball, others were playing frisbee. I chose volleyball, I like it a little bit better. Just to tell you how it goes, I was one of the best players playing. If I, Sister Shaughnessy, am one of your better players on a sports team there is a problem. It was really fun though and everyone had such a great time! I got to be with Olya again, so I was happy.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Olya left yesterday after church. It was still so great to see her again! It was quite the week, I loved it! Next week we are in L'viv for Zone Conference, that will be a great time! Love you all, until next week!</span></span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-68529546214973356932014-06-23T07:21:00.001-07:002014-06-23T07:21:06.451-07:00Back to K-Town<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403532594011_8173" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">PREEVEET! I sure hope that you all had a great week. I am sitting in the internet cafe trying to figure out what I did the past week of my life. I literally have no idea...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I got to go back to K-Town!!! That was the best! When I got the call that I had to go back, I literally called the AP's to make sure that this was not a joke, I wanted to know that this was so real before I started getting myself excited! Elder Jolstead probably didn't appreciate my screaming into the phone when he confirmed it.! I was so excited to have to go back and see my old companion, apartment, and Sister Lewis. She was in my MTC district, but I haven't really seen her since the MTC and now she is in my town. It was so fun to see her and everyone. I had to say goodbye to a few people that I am sure I will not see again until America and some that I don't know when I will see them again.<br />It has been a good week, taking the time to go to K-Town was a lot of time out of our schedule. We took a bus, like 5 hours, through some of the most beautiful country side that I have ever seen in my life. It was really fun, I pretty much just stared out the window trying to ignore the very drunk men that were sitting just opposite of us. Ukraine, oh the adventures that we have had!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I got to K-town just in time to sit in on their Family Night, LOVED IT! I was so happy to be back, and not a thing had changed. I guess no one told them I was coming, I walked in and the branch president was in shock. He told me he was planning on never seeing me again, He is kind of a teaser and loves my reactions. It was so fun, we had a seat and played our traditional "Uno Crazy!" President still cheats and looks at everyones cards....yup! It was home again!<br />I was only there for a day, we had to get some legal things worked out so that I didn't get kicked out of the country. You know, just the little things. It really was quite the miracle to get to go back! I even got to sit in on a district meeting, loved it! Probably a little too much! AH!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Well, back to Chernivtsi... It has been a good week. All of our investigators have dropped us. I have been told that I don't speak the language well enough to be here, so what am I doing here, we have done a lot of time on the streets... Yeah, you know. It was all good.<br />Saturday we had a service project, we cleaned up a lady's yard and weeded it for her. She is a member and had a stroke just a month or so ago and has been really struggling with half of her body being paralyzed. We went over and had a great time doing service for her. It was so fun, and she is Ukrainian so she had to give us something to drink and eat, so we hate cherries fresh off her tree. We literally stood around the tree and would take some down. It was so fun! She also has chickens that ran freely around her yard as we weeded. Apparently Elder Mollinet speaks chicken as well, he gave us a great demonstration on his "chicken whispering." I don't know that there are words for that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We also have just the best members ever, honestly. They do so much with each other, it really is quite amazing! I am in shock at how often they come on lessons and activities and everything else they do; they truely have caught the fire of building the kingdom here in Chernivtsi.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This week I have had a lot of time to study because rides and stuff, I was reading this one talk that literally has changed my life, then we have a relief society lesson that is all on the same subject. Hands.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Weird, I know. I have had this obsession with studying about hands lately. Hands and love have literally been themes for my studies on my mission. It has been awesome, and I am obsessed with President Uchtdorf; literally I have read every talk I can find from him. I was reading this one, and literally it has been amazing!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">You are my Hands</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Presdient Uchtdorf<br /></span></span><div class="yiv3688169937" id="yiv3688169937p1" style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="yiv3688169937" href="http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ" rel="nofollow" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: medium none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Jesus Christ</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We Are the Hands of Christ</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">There is a profound lesson in this story. When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. And He always talked<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>with,</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>never<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>down to,</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>people. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Without this love for<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="yiv3688169937" href="http://lds.org/study/topics/god-the-father?lang=eng" rel="nofollow" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: medium none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">God the Father</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and our fellowmen we are only the form of His Church—without the substance. What good is our teaching without love? What good is missionary, temple, or welfare work without love?</span></span><div class="yiv3688169937" id="yiv3688169937p37" style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits; it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to make Himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation; it is the source of happiness, the ever-renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">If you have time, read this talk! Honestly it is amazing! I have been thinking about how much it is true! LOVE is everything in this gospel and we really can be the hands of Christ!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">LOVE YOU ALL!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sister Shaughnessy</span></span></div>
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Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-87532804410131270782014-06-16T06:08:00.002-07:002014-06-16T06:08:52.306-07:00First week in Chernivtsi<span class="lozengfy" data-action="contact-card-menu" data-address="fsutah@yahoo.com" data-name="Me" title="fsutah@yahoo.com"></span> <span class="loader"></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Well,
another week has come and gone! It has been an adventure and so many
great things happened! So, on Monday we did the normal things and then
Tuesday we said my final goodbye to a couple of members and then that
was it. My life in K-Town was over. Wednesday morning I got on a train
with Sister Wallace and the Elders and headed into L'viv.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Funny story.... we literally almost missed our train! We had to
hop train tracks with all of our baggage (Sister Wallace had to be
wearing heels that day as well). Literally, it was getting ready to pull
away and we had to scream and wave to get them to wait for us as we
jumped tracks and hopped on really quick. It was quite stressful!</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The train ride was great into L'viv, we had a lot of fun talking,
Sister Wallace and I, also with Elder Terry. In L'viv we got all our
bags off and it was great, we were waiting for the mission driver to
come and pick us up. As we waited a little gypsie boy came to beg.
Sister Wallace and I successfully ignored him (missionaries can't give
money out), so he decided to go over to Elder Terry and would NOT leave
him alone. It was SO funny! He was punching his arm and begging. At one
point, Elder Terry the mission President called him and as he was on the
phone with President a huge spider was crawling across his face, so I
start freaking out and was like screaming that he had this spider on his
face, meanwhile this kid is still hitting his arm and begging for money
and he just remains completely composed. So, to get the spider off,
since we can't really touch him, we grabbed a shirt that was in a
plastic bag that we were using to transport things and smacked the
spider off. Mind you, this ENTIRE time he remained completely composed
and did not do anything out of the ordinary as he was talking to
President. It was so funny! When the mission driver finally come to get
us the little boy tried to jump on the suitcases and tried to ride them.
It was quite hilarious. We tried to get a picture, but it didn't work.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">L'viv was so great! I got to have an interview with President. It
was so awesome and he literally is just the best. I don't know how he
does it, but he always says exactly what I need to hear. It is
incredible. I got to be with Sister Petersen for a day as well! I LOVE
SISTER PETERSEN! She was sick while we were there, so she slept and I
studied and cleaned after having all those sisters in the apartment. It
was still so great to see her though, we caught up and just laughed. We
had so much fun! I also went to dinner with Sister Wallace, it was so
great! There is a restaurant in L'viv that is owned by an American and
it is a mexican restaurant. I literally cry everytime I walk in, there
is just so much good about it! You have to love Mexican food in Ukraine!
(Especially when they play American Country music at the restaurant,
not that I listen to it...)</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We also had a traumatic
experience getting onto the train. We had so much stuff with all of us
moving, we had two elders with us as well, and all the mail and Books of
Mormon and everything else. It really was incredible to see how much
stuff we had. It literally took the mission van and 2 taxi's to get all
the stuff there. Also, they forgot to give us our train tickets, so as
the elders are taking trips to the platform with the luggage Sister
Moffit and I waited for another set of Elders to bring us our tickets
they had forgotten to give us. It was SO crazy and SO stressful and I
was laughing with Sister Moffit the whole time over it. We literally got
all the stuff loaded on the train 2 minutes to spare, and it was not
placed correctly yet, just thrown on. We had to orginize it later. It
was just crazy!</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The train ride into Chernivtsi was quite long, I was with Sister
Moffit, a sister that is going to be a companion to Sister Radjhabova,
another native. Those two are the other sister companionship in the
area. It was really cool, I didn't know here very well before, but she
is a sweetheart and really funny! She was coming from Uzh as well, so we
had a lot that we could talk about since she just spent six months in
my home city. It was really fun! We got into Chernivtsi super late that
night.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I met my companion, Sister Matsiyatschik. She literally is the
sweetest thing ever and she speaks NO english at all! Like, not kidding.
She can count to 10 and say a couple of animal names and a few other
random words, other than that, nothing. We are working on it though. So
yeah, I speak the language literally 24/7 and the first day it killed
me. I fell in bed at 10:00 and my head was just killing me. It has
gotten better and I can also feel that my language has already gotten so
much better and it is a lot smoother to speak. I genuinly miss english
though, it sounds weird, but I sometimes put music on just so that I can
hear some english words around me. Missionary work with a native is
also very different. They are just treated differently than we are, it
is really interesting how they do treat her verses how I have been
treated before like a missionary.<br />
Cultural things at home are weird as well, it is kind of funny! I don't
think that she comprehends that I have already survived Ukraine for a
year, like I know my way around and how to do things. It is so funny,
she is shocked that I can and will do certain things and know how to do
them. I am like, well yeah.... I have been here for a while. Also, their
cooking. I LOVE UKRAINIAN FOOD! I mean, traditional dishes. On a
regular basis it is just a ton of butter, rice and macaroni. That has
been a bit different. Ever since being with Sister Edwards I have always
eaten mostly just veggies and eggs and chicken, some fruit as well.
Sister M, told me that it isn't healthy to eat just that everyday...? So
I was like okay, well then lets do some macaroni with veggies and
chicken that would be great and healthy, I can handle that. Yeah, butter
in the noodles and the veggies and chicken were fried in oil. I was
like, well, I tried. Needless to say, it is really good, but there are
just some funny cultural things that throw each other off. She is SO
BEYOND SWEET! I am suprised at how much we talk though, pretty sure that
we are talking all the time. In Ukrainian. LOVE IT!</span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So, let us just talk about the city for a second. WOW!!!!!!!!! I
literally just stepped into a postcard! Honestly, it really is beyond
beautiful! Everytime we are on the street I am just looking around at
all the architecture and the gardens and everything! LOVE IT! Then, the
branch! WOW, it is a HUGE branch compared to the 6 active members we had
in K-town. It pretty much functions with only the members and the
members are just champs. A lot of have served missions and are endowed.
They also are rockstars at missionary work! Really, incredible. We were
on a lesson the other day and this lady started asking about God's wife
and all these crazy things, like just imagine all the questions posed in
the hymn, "If you could high to Kolob," (pretty sure that is what it
would be in english) and that is pretty much what she was asking. Thank
goodness for native speakers!!!! Like I would be able to answer that?!
After the lesson the member set up another meeting for us with the
investigator according to her schedule and then asked us if that would
work so that she could help us again. I was like in shock! Ummm... yeah.
That is what we are talking about people, member missionary work! It is
just so incredible! I am excited to be here and to be doing this work!<br />
How can you not love being a missionary!? </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So, I have decided
that I am in LOVE with LOVE! Like, have you ever heard about this
gospel?! IT ALL GOES BACK TO LOVE! Let us just talk about it for a
second... because I am obsessed with love! Everything, God created us
because He LOVES us! We have free agencey because He LOVES us! Christ
suffered for us because of His LOVE for us! I could go on and on...
pretty much, just so you all know. It all goes back to LOVE! Love is the
greatest commandment!</span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">.....anyway....</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> LOVE YOU ALL!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-29797184715935228772014-06-09T16:23:00.002-07:002014-06-09T16:23:28.410-07:00Being Transferred<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_5439">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Well, I don't even know where
to begin for this week. It has been a week, that is for sure! I feel
like a lot of things came together and a lot of things fell apart. It
was good though, all are learning experiences right?! Well, let us start
with the big news..... I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!!! Yup, next week at this
time I will be going to a new area, my 4th area, and the weird thing,
this will probably be my last area. Only three transfers left and I have
spent 3 transfers in every area that I have been in. So that is weird. I
am NOT old enough in the mission to have this happen. I may or may not
been in denial!</span></span>
</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_5518">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">However, I am SO excited
to be transferred! Honestly, I am so sad to leave K-Town, part of my
heart is being left here. However, there are so many exciting things
that are coming up in the next couple of transfers that I am just SO
excited!</span></span>
</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_5520">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Let us start with where I
am going, I will be going to Chernivsti. Which, I heard, is beautiful! I
will also be training, again! I guess that is my calling in life, to
train. (I complain, but honestly, I really love training.) Just so you
know, my new companion, Sister Matsiaschik is a native. She also speaks
little to no english! WOW! President told me I was put with her because I
like to talk so much, so I will learn Ukrainian better and she will
learn english. Or he just wants me to be quiet for once. I don't really
know. I am SUPER excited though! All of you who make fun of how bad my
english is right now... oh you just wait. It is all down hill from here,
my friends!</span></span>
</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_5522">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Yesterday, I gave my
final talk in K-town. It was an interesting experience. After speaking I
was sitting in Sunday School and the lesson was on Gifts of the Spirit.
I specifically remember this lesson from Uzhgorod. It was given on the
first Sunday I ever spoke in Ukraine. Elder Terry was there as well, he
was with me in my first area. We were talking after, we both remembered
it. Really weird, things are coming full circle. It is so weird to see
how much I have changed in this past year.<br />
I have had to come to terms this week with the fact that I am just an
old missionary! That is just how it is... I was on exchanges with Sister
Wallace this week, we were companions in the MTC. We were talking about
how tired we are, missionary work is just tiring. It is kind of cool to
see that we literally have worn out everything that we have to this
work. On that depressing note...</span></span>
</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_5524">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">It has been a good week
though, we did exchanges with the other sisters, that was fun! I colored
some hair, putting my hairdressing skills to use and had a great time
with Sister Jardine. I have never served around her, so it was so fun to
get to know her. She has also spent a lot of time in Chernivtsi so I
got to hear all about it from her. It was so lovely!<br />
Then, I got to excersize one of my other "talents" as my companion,
Sister Snyder, likes to put it. I got sick. again. I spent days pretty
much in bed dying from some kind of flu that killed me. I was so tired,
headache, I felt like I had literally got hit by a truck and some
throwing up in there for good effect. It was quite fun, I just love
being sick. :( Don't worry, all is good now. Sister Wallace had been
sick earlier in the week with some kind of bug, we think that is got
passed along from exchanges. You know, my luck here in Ukraine.I am good
now, so that is a plus. It gave me time to pack as well, so that was a
plus.<br />
That was pretty much it for the week! I am getting old, I have to leave
part of my heart in another wonderful city in Ukraine and fall in love
with another. Crazy, at the beginning of my mission to leave a city was
the worst thing that could happen, now I am always sad to leave, but I
know that where I go it is where the Lord wants me to be and there are
amazing people there that I get to love.<br />
I hope that you all have a great week!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sister Shaughnessy</span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-18316961956762638332014-06-09T16:21:00.002-07:002014-06-09T16:21:41.878-07:00Encourage us to read the Book Mormon<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">WOW!!!!!!!!!! What a week... I literally don't know where it went!
Sister Snyder and I have literally had an adventure full week. First, we
got lost trying to find an investigators house, on what I think was the
hottest day of my life. We had totally forgotten to write down her
number because we had rushed out the door for registration things that
morning and just never had the chance to run home. We finally got to her
house, 2 hours late. We made it though and were able to have a lesson
with her on the Plan of Salvation. We also got to meet her two neighbors
that were sitting out front. They were so nice and sweet! They were
just so cute, sitting out on the benches and talking in the shade trying
to find any relief from the heat.</span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_3979">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Wednesday was just the best day of my life. Literally, it was so funny!
We spent most of the day out contacting. It was hot and muggy, but fun!
We randomly ran into SO many people that we knew, being able to help
them with a little thing here or there, so those were mini miracles that
were lovely. There is also a park here in K-town that has bears, so we
went and contacted there. We got to see bears, swans and some ducks. Oh,
and turkeys. It was so fun! It was a good chunk of time to be out on
the streets, but we just had so much fun, laughing the whole way! We
talked to a few people, but no one was super interested.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4137">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">On the way home, we took a
very long, round about way that made no sense. We, ourselves, got
contacted by this perfume sales lady. That was weird. I really hope I do
not sound like that when I talk to people about the gospel, that was a
strange experience. Walked away from that one laughing. We were almost
home, so hungry and ready to eat dinner and then Sister Snyder said
hello to this lady on the street. She stopped and asked from where she
knew us, I told her that we didn't know each other. We are from America
as missionaries and we just simply like talking to people on the street.
Her name is Maya and she is super sweet.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4139">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">She was on her way to her
great-granddaughter's dance concert and asked us if we would like to go
with her. I told her "Sure! Why not?!" So, we just follow this randome
lady we met 2 minutes before to a concert hall to watch her 6 year old
great-granddaughter's dance concert. Funny story, we actually ended up
running into a girl and her mom that we had been working with. That was
fun! We talked with them for a minute. So, we go to this concert, and we
meet her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter. They were all
super great and nice! We had a great time talking and laughing as we
waited for the concert to start!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4141">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The concert started.... the
first number -no joke- 12-14 year olds doing the chicken dance. Second
number, the macarana. WE WERE DYING! Sister Snyder and I were like, what
did we get ourselves into, this is hysterical! We were thinking it was
going to be some kind of really great cultural dance thing. NOPE! The
chicken dance!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The little 6 year old, she was a doll. Her group was all dressed
like gnomes and they did their dance. It was cute. Sadly, we couldn't
stay for the full thing, we had to go to family night. So, we leave
early and walk outside. Downpour! It was raining SO hard! It was
ridiculous... oh and I look down. Totally was wearing a white shirt.
That was embarrassing! Wel literally ran to the church and were
completely soaked by the time we got home, it was ridiculous! It was so
fun though.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">It has not stopped raining since, that is incredible! It was so hot
last week and this week we are back to coats and boats. Ukrainian
weather, what the heck!?</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4143">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This
week has been full of adventure and miracles, we have had so many
tender mercies. We were able to find a new investigator and have a
potential from one of the Young Women in the branch, she is a rockstar!
We went to her friends house the other day with her and we colored her
friends hair. It was so fun to have a good time laughing with them, and
just rejoicing in the light of this gospel as we drank tea and ate
polish chocolate.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4145">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This gospel truly is such a
light in our lives! I am so grateful for it and the opportunity I have
everyday to grow and to share this message with people, whether in a
lesson, service or even a smile! :)</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4147">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Keep on smiling!</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4147">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1402355823671_4147">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I would like to encourage everyone to read the Book of Mormon with me. I have about four months left and I am starting to read it again, so I would like to come home with everyone just finishing the Book of Mormon. Take notes. </span></span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-45424239926751014322014-05-30T11:04:00.002-07:002014-05-30T11:04:25.426-07:00Hottest week yet<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Another week has come and gone here in K-town and it is pretty safe to
say that summer has come! I think that it is safe to say that summer has
come as well! I think this has been the hottest and most painful week
of my life! I am just going to say that I am not complaining, even
though I am. :)</span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10766">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
This week Sister Snyder and I made a goal to be healthier and work out.
We are lucky enough to have picked the hottest week of my entire life to
do it. Here we have have a track, so we have been running on that a
couple mornings a week. That has been great! I actually have not minded
it, I enjoyed it. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10765">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Saturday, that was a day
though! It was SO hot and we went for a run in the morning, then, after
studies, we had sports day. We played ultimate frizbee for about an
hour, after an hour of kicking around a soccer ball. I was so sore as
well! It was death! Let us just say, walking up the stairs and laughing
hurt. A lot. I also got what Sister Wallace calls "cute sun." I don't
know what that means, but I do have red cheeks and my freckles are
coming out now.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10589">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">One morning this week we got a
call and were lucky enough to have an investigator call US for a
meeting, that doesn't happen very often. She met with the missionaries
back in the Donetsk mission, before she moved here. They passed her
number to us and we had been trying to reach her for a couple of days.
Then, out of the blue she just calls us up and said that she would like
to meet, in 10 minutes. Well, luckily we were able to do that. It was
just amazing!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10793">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">She was the sweetest lady!
Older, and I think that she just needs some love. She loved the
missionaries and the support that they gave her during all the stress in
the East and was happy to find us again. The meeting was short, but it
was great! She said that she would be on church in Sunday.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10794">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sadly, she didn't come.
Church was quite the miracle this week though. A couple of weeks ago the
other sisters had an investigator who was supposed to be baptised. She
then disappeared. It was quite sad, she was such a wonderful person.
With time, hopefully things will happen with her. Well, at church
yesterday we were sitting at church waiting for the meeting to start and
her sister came walking into the church with her 2 children! It was
incredible!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10795">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">She stayed for the first hour
and it was so wonderful! The kids were young, 2 and 4. I played with
them so that the mom could enjoy the meeting. We sang primary songs in
the corner really quietly, and they also colored on a chalk board and
also looked through ALL the pictures in EVERY Liahona that we have. They
were the cutest! She said that she enjoyed the meeting and afterward
our branch is just the best at friendshipping. It is incredible! Maybe
this is the beginning of getting both of them into the church! This
branch is so ready to have families!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This week I have been having the most incredible studies; thank you
Sister Petersen and your obsession with light! I have been studying
light and it is just incredible. I am so grateful for the love that I
have found of the scriptures on my mission! They truely hold the answers
for all things and can bring us comfort at all times! I have truely
gained that testimony over the course of my mission and especially this
week! I cannot seem to get enough time to study them, it is just so sad
when studies come to an end!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I hope that all of you have a great week, read your scriptures and smile! :)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Oh, and if you are in America....enjoy your A/C!</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10803">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">LOVE YOU ALL!</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401465248286_10801">
Sister Shaughnessy </div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-950483228136433082014-05-19T07:27:00.000-07:002014-05-19T07:27:17.191-07:00Here in Kmelnitsky<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">What a week we have had here in Kmelnitsky! We have had a mission goal
to have 100 member lessons, 50 members on a lesson with members, 50
members on a lesson with investigators. That has been our focus this
week, which has been a little bit of a challenge. When you only have 14
active members and 6 missionaries we have had to plan and coordinate
really well to get things all going. We have had a lot of miracles this
week though. I am trying to just think of all the highlights, there were
just so many. I look back on the week and I am so tired and I know I
did something, but I don't ever really know what we do!</span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6354">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
Sister Snyder and I made a goal to use our talents this week with our
missionary work... so first thing is first, I made banana bread. We took
that to a couple of the members and they have started working with
their friends and are getting ready to introduce missionaries to them.
This week we will be following up with them and are hoping for a lot of
appointments.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6355">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The hot water in our apartment
went out for a couple of days... that was fun! Our showers were ice,
finally we went to the sisters one morning to shower because we couldn't
take it anymore, we wanted to be warm while we showered. We called our
landlord, thankfully she was able to come and turn on our water heater. I
have never been so grateful for warm water in my life!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6356">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We got to visit the Ternovi
family, a less active family that had wanted to come back to the church.
That was just a tender mercy from the Lord! Sister Snyder and I LOVE
children and teaching, so be with their two young girls was just a
blessing. The dad was at work, and the mom took a phone call for work
that turned into an hour phone call. So, we colored with the girls
trying to keep them quiet and busy. They colored a picture of Sister
Snyder, giving her quite the lovely necklace to go with missionary
ansomble. It was so much fun! We had to keep the two year old away from
the brownies that we made and quiet and it was just a little crazy, but
so much fun!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6357">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The little girls are just the
cutest and they love us, we love them too! We taught the little seven
year old girl how to sing "I am a Child of God" in Ukrainian. She loved
it! Next time we are going to sing it with her, she needs to practice
it. It was so cute how excited she was to sing the song with us.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6358">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">She loved singing so much,
Sister Snyder and I decided to take some of our language study time and
practice singing Primary songs in Ukrainian. I LOVE IT! We are trying to
get a couple of them memorized. The first day we practiced singing it
we went over into our lunch time singing because we loved it so much.
The Elders actually called us and asked what we were doing and we were
like um... singing primary songs, can we help you with something? They
had wanted us to go meet the mother of one of their investigators at
sports day. She was such a nice lady and we were able to give her a Book
of Mormon. Sadly, she doesn't live in the city so meeting with her will
be a little bit more of a challenge. She was such a nice lady though.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6359">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">English!!!! Oh my goodness,
english was the biggest miracle this week. We had SO many people on
english this week! It really was incredible, so many people have been
coming and loving it! We almost ran out of chairs in our main room
because we had so many people between the two classes. Now, our focus is
getting them to meet with us and talking about the gospel. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">On Sunday we had a member of the mission Presidency here in K-town.
That is always just a blessing. He really is the best! Every time he
comes his messages are just exactly what the members need to hear. It
truely is such a miracle and he teaches in such a way that it gets
people so excited to get out and do this work! We were on our way to
church as well this week and that was interesting actually. Our church
is in a stadium and over a bar. There was something going on in the
stadium, there was an announcer and a bunch of people all dressed in
suits in the stands. We were wondering what was going on, why would
people be getting dressed up for a soccer game and where were the
teams?! We walk in and ask the branch president what was happening,
turns out that the Jehovah Witnesses were having a conference in the
stadium.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6360">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Only in K-Town would you be
having church above a bar and on the opposite side of a Jehovah's
Witness conference. Yup, that is how we do it here!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I has been such a great week! It is only getting better as well! LOVE YOU ALL! I hope that you have a wonderful week!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6365">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">LOVE </span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400509274092_6364">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-79255912691700606932014-05-12T17:41:00.000-07:002014-05-12T17:41:08.538-07:00Mother's Day<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!! I hope that you had a wonderful Mothers Day and I wish all you mothers a Happy Mother's Day!</span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_5991">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I
am sure you are curious, they do have mothers day here, the same as in
America, however, it is not a big deal. In fact, not one word was
mentioned about it at all yesterday. I pretty much even forgot that it
was here. They do have Women's Day, which was celebrated a few months
ago and that is definately a bigger deal than mothers day here.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6443">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This week has been a little
crazy, I feel like I just wrote to all of you, because I pretty much
did, but from now on our P-days will all be on Monday's until something
else happens and then our schedules get messed around again.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6444">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">It has been quite the week.
Last Wednesday when we left internet we also left our phone here. That
was adventure, my companion left it next to her computer and it was gone
by the time that we returned. So, we have been going without a phone
for the last couple of days and that makes missionary work pretty hard
to do actually. There were just so many little things that made it
really hard to get things done, or it took us a little bit longer to do
things because of our lack of ability to communicate with the other
missionaries. It all turned out okay though.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6471">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">When we had to go back to the
internet cafe we got to watch the security footage of our computers and
everything, that was so crazy! It was quite weird to watch and we had
this nice little gentleman offer to call the police for us, it was just a
phone, so we held off on that. It was just a crazy thing, because we
couldn't even tell anyone that we had lost the phone itself and if we
don't text in at night then the Elders have to come find us, so that
would have been kind of a crazy deal. Luckily, we found them at the
church and let them know what had happened.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6472">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So, we have had no life line
all week and have just been doing our own thing in our own little area,
totally cut off from everyone. It drove me crazy. You know, it was a
good test of patience. We survived though. It actually turned out to be
kind of fun, we found a lot of new areas in the city that we had never
been to as we were out on the streets a lot because we didn't have any
phone to set up appointments with members. We found some very nice
people to talk to, and some very beautiful parts of the city. The
weather here is warming up and it is SO green here around the city and
there are so many pretty, green parks that are in this city.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6473">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">At one point we ran an errand
to get some keys copied for the Elders because we didn't have any
lessons. So we took the keys, knowing only the general direction of
where we needed to go was, and just talked to people on the way there,
asking for help to find the store that we needed. It actually turned out
to be a huge miracle. We ran into a member's mother that we had wanted
to start working with in the coming week. That was so cool! We were able
to just talk to her and she helped us find where we needed to go to get
the keys copied. It was so great! Hopefully we will be able to meet
with them tonight.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6474">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Yesterday at church we had a
good day. All the new missionaries got up and bore their testimonies. We
actually gained a new Elder this week as well, I cannot remember his
name, but he is the most awkward person in the world and I LOVE IT!!!!
It is so funny, he just thrives on making things awkward and it is
honestly the funniest thing ever. We met him for the first time on
Saturday when the Elders came in from L'viv, picking him up, and getting
our new phone for us. He is Ukrainian, but speaks english, and has
served in Russia, then in Kiev and now is here in the L'viv mission. He
is originally from Kiev and is pretty nice, from the 3 times I have seen
him.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6475">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So this week, Sister Snyder
and I decided that we were going to go on a "Diet," which really just
means that we were going to not eat as much chocolate and then maybe eat
a little healthier. It was going so good, we felt better, we have been
out running, just all these great things were happening with it. If we
really felt like we needed chocolate then we would get it, but if it
wasn't a good reason and just a want then we would just get busy with
something else and control our impulsese. THEN, last night happened. Oh
my goodness, I think that it is safe to say "Hi, I am Sister Shaughnessy
and I have an addiction to chocolate." Because we came home from MCM,
made the phone calls that we needed to and then we NEEDED chocolate. We
were dying, but we had cleaned it all out from our house. We literally
had NO chocolate at all. So, we go through everything, cupboards and
all, then we found cocoa. Okay, so we could make brownies. However, we
only had a cup of flour and the recipe calls for 2 cups, so yeah.... you
guessed it. We just halved the recipe and literally made the smallest
pan of brownies you had ever seen in your life. We didn't care tho, we
wanted brownies so badly, it was ridiculous. Am I ashamed of this? No.
Nope, not at all. We were laughing the entire time, and saying how much
of an addiction that we had. It was SO funny! Just saying, the things we
do as missionaries.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6476">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This week has truly been a
great learning experience and I am so excited for this next week, I
think that I will appreciate the phone all the more! As a District this
transfer our theme is "To see miracles." This week I know that they are
going to happen as well! I have been studied miracles this week in the
scriptures and it is just amazing how many miracles that are written are
linked to the ultimate miracle, that of Christ and His resurrection. It
is just incredible! How can you not love this gospel?! </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6477">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I hope that you all have a great week and look for miracles!!!</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1399936322390_6478">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">With love,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Sister Shaughnessy</span></span>Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-42953624712569348912014-05-07T16:21:00.003-07:002014-05-07T16:21:30.612-07:00First ever Mission Conference<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Hello all, sorry that this email is coming a little bit late. This week
has been a little crazy and I forgot to warn you all that our P-Day was
changed because we would be in L'viv and all this other stuff that has
happened.This has been the craziest week ever and the funny thing is
that I really can't even tell you what I did!</span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12354">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
We spent most of this week trying to get ready to go into L'viv. L'viv
was such an amazing experience and the hardest thing I think that I have
ever done! It was incredible though, oh my goodness!</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12234">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So
we went into L'viv on Saturday, it was us and the Elders. The train
ride into L'viv was about 5 hours for us, that was fun. Pretty much
spent most of it talking and laughing. Elder Asay was super sad to be
leaving his first area. I felt so bad for him, it is so hard! The
trainride went really fast though and we had a lot of funning laughing. I
was trying to get caught up in my journal as well, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO
behind it is kind of ridiculous.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12364">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Saturday in L'viv I got to go
to TexMex, best place in Ukraine. It is a guy from American who opened a
mexican food restaurant that is pretty good for Ukraine. You have to
give it to him. I loved it! I had been there once before, but that was a
while ago. The best part of the entire place is that they have some
great mexican food (my favorite) and they have country music going on in
the backround. Sister Petersen and I were almost in tears the entire
time out of pure happiness. Her and I got to be on exchanges for a
little bit that day, which was a blessing. I literally miss that girl so
freaking much already! She and I got to meet Olya in L'viv, which was
so great! I just love Olya, she is still just the best and I am so
excited to see her in L'viv as always. I got to introduce her to Sister
Petersen, since Sister Petersen will be in L'viv now working with her.
That was so good for the both of them.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12365">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Saturday just kind of flew
by, we had to get food and all other things because we would be in L'viv
for so long (until Monday night).</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12366">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sunday...
let me just talk about Sunday, pretty much was the best day ever. L'viv
had a mission conference. Like a full on stake conference, except we
are not a stake, so it is a mission conference. But still, it was
amazing! Members from EVERY city, every city! Do you know what that
ment?! I got to see ALL my friends from the other cities that I have
served. It was the best thing ever, I was SO happy! I got to see
everyone from Uzh and from Lutsk that I love so much! It was the best
thing ever, it was so crazy, there were so many people in that church,
it was incredible! We had President Lawrence from the 2nd qurom of the
70 come and speak with us. It was incredible! They had a little boy that
I love from Lutsk speak as well, and Olya got to speak at the
conference too. It was all just so amazing! The spirit was just so
strong as all these people gathered and listened to the talks.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12367">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The people here in Ukraine
are just so special. There is a spirit among the saints here that is
just unmatched. I love it. I sat in the back with Yeva and before the
conference was over I had all the kids from Lutsk sitting around me and
coloring on my journals and on pretty much every other notebook that I
could find in my bag. It was a little cramped, but I loved it so much!
It truely is just such a blessing to be among these people. As we sang
the hymns in Ukrainian I was just overwhelmed by the love that I have
for these people. I really wish that all of you could just come and feel
of the spirit that is with them. I love them so much, it truely is the
biggest blessing in my life to have the opportunity to be part of the
work here in Ukraine.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12368">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">On Monday we had the amazing
opportunity to have a great joint Zone Conference with President and
Sister Lawrence. It was absolutely amazing! Just so you know, we are
kind of the coolest people in the entire world! Sister Lawrence talked
about the 12 tribes of Israel and what it all means and all this other
stuff that totally blew my mind and has completely revelutionized my
scripture study. President Lawrence said that he wanted all of us to
know where we come from, he believes that by understanding that we can
better explain our message and it would increase our urgency. All I can
say is, I think that it worked. The things that were said were just
incredible. I literally had my mind blown and I still just can't wrap my
head around how cool it is to know what are lineage is from the tribes
of Israel. It was incredible!!! I have only had 2 days of study since,
but it really changed my view on everything! As I read through Preach My
Gospel on "God is our Loving Heavenly Father" my view point on it all
was altered and I was just in awe about how much our Father in Heaven
loves us! It is truely an amazing and perfect love that He has for us.
WOW! How lucky are we to know who we are and what potential we have?!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12369">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">After the conference on
Monday we had personal interviews with President Lawrence, just quick
couple minutes, asking us like 2 questions and so on, but it was still
really special experience. Our train left quickly after the interviews
started, we were some of the first interviewed so that we could get out
of there. I had to say good bye to Elder Asay and Sister Petersen;
hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I literally cried as I hugged
Sister Petersen, she cried too (that is saying something, she never
cries) it was so hard, I love that girl so much, my long lost twin, for
real! We will all see each other again, but it is really amazing to see
the comradery that you have on missions.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We got back into K-town late on Monday night, got bags to the right
apartments, we hope and then crashed! We were SO tired, L'viv wears you
out! Yesterday we had cleaning and some weekly planning, setting goals
and everything, wanting to implement EVERTHING that we learned from the
conference. K-town is just starting to grow and it is looking so bright!
I love this little place!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399504199326_12370">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I hope that you all had a wonderful week! Happy Birthday to Dason and Mark as well! </span></span></div>
Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-63912239756386998352014-04-28T06:17:00.000-07:002014-04-28T06:17:09.494-07:00Miracles Everywhere<div class="body undoreset" id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398690410235_6746">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">What a wonderful and miracle filled week we have had this week here in K-town. I literally sat through sacrament meeting in tears of pure happiness, it was all just too perfect! I will just start at the begining and work my way through them, and I am sure that there were so many more that we are not even aware of!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Last week we were supposed to have had a shashlik but that didn't happen because of the rain and I have now come to realize that that was such a HUGE blessing and it needed to happen this way! <br />To start out, Tuesday was a rough day, we had district meeting and I was just not in the mood. I was just not wanting to do anything and kind of frustrated with my life and all this stuff. Whatever, so I had like this 5 minute cry, Sister Shaughnessy hates the world moment and then just picked up, took what I have learned from life and moved on type thing. I have developed this habit on my mission, let myself feel it, learn from it, pick up and move on, so I did that. And afterward, Sister Snyder and I wanted ice cream to take a break and start the day over, so to speak.<br /> On our way to ice cream we were talking in english and we get stopped by this guy who is a translator. We talked to him for a bit, and he had once met with the missionaries and was interested again in doing so. WHAT?! Are you for real?! Yes, we have Elders that can meet with you, it was perfect! That was really just the beginning for a great week!<br /> On Thursday Sister Snyder and I were sitting in personal study that morning and we got a phone call from the other sisters telling us that a inactive family had just called our branch president asking to meet with some of the Sister missionaries if we had time.... Um... yes we have time! We called the family and set up an appointment for that night!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The family has been inactive for 3 years and have two young girls, one is 7 and the other 2. We had such a blast with them! It was the best time EVER! There girls were so cute and we just went over and talked with them and got to know them. We shared a very little spiritual thought at the end. The "Because of Him" video in Ukrainian. It was wonderful and the husband offered a prayer at the end. It truely was so amazing!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The next day we had english practice! It was really quite fun! We really had quite a few people that came and it was great! We played the "what if" game, and I pretty sure that they think we are just crazy, or at least I am, but it was fun, everyone was laughing. The man we had met on the street that was a translator he came as well. And Nastya, the 7 year old in the inactive family we visited came with her dad as well! It was such a great class! AH! Things are coming together here!<br /> Then we had Saturday and Sunday! Saturday was just a blast! We had a shashlik with so many members, but I think that members may have even been outnumbered by the investigators that were there. It was such a miracle to see the inactive family came as well! Nadiya, Alecksi and Nastya all came! I couldn't believe it! Our branch president's kids came as well and they are not members, it was just truely a blessing to have everyone there and it was so fun!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The sun was shining, there were so many kids running around, everyone was laughing, we had volleyball going, Elder Asay had his american football he was teaching people how to throw, there was food and we had a little spiritual thought. It truely was wonderful! Shashlik had to happen this weekend so that Alecksi and his family could be there with the members. It was just too perfect!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Saturday as well we got transfer information, I am will still be here in K-town, however, my two FAVORITE people in the entire world are going to leaving and I am devastated! I will still be with Sister Snyder, which is great, she is so awesome! Elder Asay, my newly adopted little brother, well, BIG little brother, and my long lost best friend forever, Sister Petersen are leaving! I am so sad! Literally, the three of us are like siblings, kind of ridiculous how much we love each other and how well we get along. It will be hard to see them go, but I am so excited for both of them. They both started here, so this is their first time leaving a city and they are having a rough go, I am having a rough go of it for them! I don't want to see them leave! It will be great though, Elder Terry is coming here, which will be fun, I started my mission with him in Uzh, so it will be great to serve with him again. Elder Asay is going into Ivanofransivsk, which will be weird. He is in another zone, probably won't see him again on my mission. Literal tears have been shed over this fact! Sister Petersen is going into L'viv, that will be an adventure for her. Good thing we will be friends forever so I can whip her back into shape after her stunt in L'viv.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398690410235_6809">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Sunday was THE biggest miracle EVER!!!!!!!!!! There were 22 people at Sacrament meeting, including three children! K-Town had children here. At church. On Sunday. Can you believe it! I was so happy I was crying. There were children in this branch, we are growing. All of this hard work we have been putting in, we got a miracle. A HUGE miracle. it was truely was so amazing to have them there. It was perfect, Elder Asay was so happy, he has been here for 7 months and he got to see that miracle. It was such a great day, I was crying out of pure joy! It truely was so great to see how many people that were there, Alecksi came with Masha, his 2 year old (the family that we met with) and the sisters investigator came as well with her two children. It was just too perfect!</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398690410235_6810">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">When things like this happen it makes me realize again and again how little I really do for this work. This is God's work and I am just blessed enough to be part of it!</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398690410235_6811">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I love you all and I hope that you have a great week!</span></div>
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Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149042509378661867.post-78671211258294871602014-04-21T06:24:00.000-07:002014-04-21T06:24:23.033-07:00Birthday and Easter Week<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Христос Воскрес!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">First things first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN!!!! I hope that someone gave you the 12 kisses for your birthday since I couldn't be there. I haven't forgotten! And now.....<br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I hope that you all had such a wonderful Easter in America, it was quite wonderful here in Ukraine. We have the week of events here in K-town this week. It has been so much fun and I don't even know where to begin...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It was my birthday this week, that you all for the birthday wishes. I had a blast celebrating it with all three of the sister here in K-town. On Tuesday I was on exchanges with Sister Petersen and we decided that we need to be companions one day because we pretty much are the same person. I have NEVER had SO much fun in my life, it really was a party. We had district meeting, went to lunch, made coffee cake for my birthday cake. We cried as we got to listen to my country church music that I haven't been able to listen to because my companions have not enjoyed country music. We literally cried and talked about country music all through dinner.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I think that it is funny that we all have things that are in our lives that are just "home" to us, and I have now decided that I just love my country music and small towns and trucks and camping (yes, I know. I miss it A LOT though). I miss my boots too. Oh, and for my uncles to know, Sister Petersen is from Alaska. I already have talked to her, don't worry, she has a cabin that I can come stay in and go fishing as well if I wanted to. We have a plan, I am so doing it. I just thought I would let you know. I have hook ups in Alaska now! :)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We had a lot of fun and got to visit a few of the less active members here. It was really fun, one of the ladies that we visited was quite the interesting character. We had a lot of fun with that, then leaving her, taking the wrong bus and getting lost in the city for a good hour. It was a great day!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Then Wednesday, my actualy birthday! I got to spend that day with Sister Wallace, my MTC companion. We had a lot of fun. Her idea of contacting is shopping and talking to the people in the stores. She got a lot of clothes and I did pick up a pair of orange flats for myself. I couldn't resist. I am debating whether I want to wear them here or just save them for when I get home. We also went out to lunch and enjoyed talking to a lot of people. Sister Wallace had a great time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">That night was family night, and only in Ukraine is it ok be sitting above a bar, which happens to be your church, drinking tea and throwing dice. Sounds pretty funny, right?! Let me explain now, we played farkle for family night and it was a big hit, we had a lot of fun with it. And Ukrainians just drink tea all the time, especially when it is cold. It is just herbal tea and I must admit, we need to get a tea pot for when I come home because I am an avid tea drinker now. Farkle is a huge hit in this small town amoung the members now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Thursday I got to spend the day with my companion, Sister Snyder. Our exchange was over, it was a really great exchange, but I was happy to be back with my companion! We went out for lunch and then we decided because my district leader who, (he needs to just admit it), is super protective of his sister, which is great. I know that nothing will happen to me, however, I like pushing his buttons, so I decided that we would go to the selo, or village, to visit a non-active member out there. It drove him crazy that we literally had no idea where we were going or how we were getting there and he was in a different city (on exchanges in another city), so had we really gotten in trouble we would have had no one to save us. Whoops.... I like living on the edge a bit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The selo was a really fun experience though, we didn't know how to get there. We bought tickets that I couldn't read, so we asked people, thankfully they were on the same bus as us, so we got on and headed out to this village. When we got there we had no map of the village and we had to find this lady's address. We had tried calling, but she wasn't picking up, so we just decided to do a stop by since we were in the village. We asked a million people how to find the street and no one really knew. So, then we said a prayer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We found a taxi guy and hopped in the taxi with him. Still, I had no idea if he really was a taxi guy, but he was really nice and we got where we needed, so I say that he was a taxi person. I paid him, so it worked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">When we got to the house he had taken us to, knocked and the lady had no idea who we were, knew nothing of the church. We talked with her and she told us at the end of our conversation that it was the wrong street. Dang it! Okay, so we left and ran into this really nice old man that invited us in for tea, I told him no thank you, but I would appreciate direction. He gave us the directions and we headed that way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Finally, we found the house. She had a gate. A huge dog, and ankle biter dog and so I called my district leader and was like, how brave do I want to be? He told me to walk away. I told him that I would call him back once I had made my decision. So here I am gearing myself up, deciding whether I want to go face this huge dog and knock on her door or just leave..... my companion and I went back and forth deciding, I mean we had come all the way out there and this and that... we got brave and.............................................. the gate was locked. Heavenly Father decided for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The member's neighbor happened to be out, we asked her if she knew if the lady was home and all things like that. We talked with her through the phone of her neighbor, and it sad to say, but after that conversation, I got the feeling that she is just not interested right now. It was really sad, but a day full of adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">On the way back I got to see chickens, cows and goats on the side of the road. I love the selo!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">On Friday we had the Zone Leaders here, Elder Jolstead was here!! My district leader from when I was really sick, he is now zone leader, I was so happy to see him. We had such a great meeting with them. They talked a lot about goals for ourselves, companionships, mission and eternal ones as well. It was really amazing to have them talk about that. I feel like my prayers were answered in so many ways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Right after the meeting with them about goals Sister Snyder and I went and volunteered as native speakers on an english lesson. They were talking about goals as well. It was really interesting to me to just hear the difference in our goals and the goals of those in attendence. We talked about it for a long time afterward of just how different and how grateful we are for what we know about the gospel and who we are and what really matters. I am so grateful everyday for this gospel and the opportunity I have to share it with people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Ukraine loves Easter, just so you all know! Easter, as all other holidays are celebrated 3 days before the actual holiday and 3 days after as well. On Saturday we were supposed to go and have shashlik, ukrainian shishkabob's, I guess you could call them. However, it rained. We through together a change of plans quickly, and decided to just have a game day at the church and watch "Finding Faith in Christ." It was really fun! We had quite a few people show up, we played pingpong, crazy uno and farkle of course. It was such a blast! All of us were laughing and enjoying our time together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">On Sunday, they have a greeting here in Ukraine where you say "Христос Воскрес" and reply with "Воістину воскрес." You can say this to anyone, and every greets you with it all day everyday. In case you can't read that it says "Christ has risen" and the reply is "Surely he has risen." It is really cool, we said it to everyone! They also have special bread that they eat, Paska bread, which Paska is Easter in Ukrainian.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Like I said they celebrate three days before and three days after, Thursday was cleaning day, where they just clean, Friday was baking day and Saturday was eggs day, when they decorate the eggs.They decorate eggs with wax that is melted onto to the egg. Saturday and Sunday was just a ghost town, everyone is out in the selo. Yeva called me yesterday to say that Christ has risen. I talked with her for a while. I miss her. She did warn me as well for today... apparently today they have a tradition where men throw water on women randomly on the street. I am not kidding. Yeva wanted to make sure that I was warned so that if I get water thrown on me it will all be okay. You have to love that tradition. So far I am safe, we can see if I make it through the full day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As you can see... this week was full of adventure and was perfectly enchanting and wonderful! I am so grateful everyday that I have to be here in Ukraine and to LOVE these people. They love the Lord and want to serve him, it is so evident, they need this gospel. This is just a wonderful country full of rich tradition, family and love.<br /> I hope that you all had a wonderful easter! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Sister Shaughnessy</span></div>
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Kissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12012545732215669177noreply@blogger.com0