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Week 1:
I love Ukraine! I am in Lviv, Ukraine and it is great. It is actually pretty warm right now. When I got here, the whole place was covered in snow, but the last week was warm enough for it to start melting. Now there is really no snow at all. It's nice. It is still pretty chilly in the mornings and at night though.
I have had some interesting experiences this week. We went tracting for the first time last Friday. It is pretty cool because there are these towering apartment buildings and to get in you have to press a three-button combination. Usually the numbers are written somewhere, but sometimes they aren't. So we just look real close at the buttons to see which ones are most used and push them simultaneously and *click*. The door opens and we start spreading the gospel! We have given out many copies of the Book of Mormon. It is such a great feeling to do that. While we were tracking this Padeezd (english spelling, its like a breezeway with a bunch of apartments), we came to a door on the fourth floor (we started at the top). It was my turn so I rang the doorbell and the door opens and I get a huge whiff of alcohol. This drunken man looks at me and yells "WHO ARE YOU?!" I say, "We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ..." He leans in and stares at me and asks me to repeat myself. At this time I can smell his foul breath and notice his eyes can't focus. I can clearly see that he is angry at something, but I repeat myself, "We are missionaries..." He starts saying "no, no, no" and begins closing the door, but before he closes it, he opens it again and kicks me and then slams the door. That was pretty shocking! After that Elder Tribet suggested that we leave that particular building, but I told him that we had to finish the other floors because there is someone who wants to hear the Gospel in this building.
Week 2:
I am pretty much Elder Calhoun out here [from the Best Two Years]. I don't understand the language, I am really putting the fire to my companions bum by how much I push myself, and I have speak Ukrainian with a slight southern drawl.
I met the Ukrainian version of Grandma Kelley too. Her name is Tatiyana and she is a older member. She doesn't go to church but she is still considered active because we bring her the sacrament each week. She is pretty much confined to her home. She calls me "Божествіний" (or Bo-zhe-st-vill-nee) which is such a powerful word English has no true equivalent. But the closet ones are "divine or heavenly or godly". Haha. she tells me that her home was filled with the spirit ever since the first time I stopped by and that where ever I walk, the atmosphere around me is permeated with goodness. I am actually suprised because the first time I visited her she feed a a bowl of mash potatoes and sour cream (no more, no less) and as I choked down my bowl, I tried to say "These are very good!" but instead I said "These aren't very tasty at all!" But I guess my spirit made up the difference of me telling a old Babusya she had horrible potatoes and me being "Godly." She won't let us leave either until we have eaten at least 3 kilos of food. I guess that this is what reminds me of Grandma. So tell Grandma that I am being fed well!
I am glad I have a companion who likes to run! He is actually alittle overweight and has struggle with weight issues, but he is thirsty for exercise. We have been doing companionship runs 3 days a week and District runs once a week. It is fun to run in the snow and ice. I feel like Rocky sometimes when we run through the park and the snow covers my ankles. I try to tell myself that its like running on the beach...without the warm breeze of course. President Klebingat is a machine. He told us the first day, "There is no such thing as bad weather for exercise, only inadequate clothing!" What a man! He wants us running even if it's through 3 feet of snow! But oh well. I didn't come out here to be disobedient.
I am also the Financial Secretary here in the Lvivski Branch. President Roman found out that I was Elder's Quorum sec. for a few years and know how to use MLS (the church admin. computer program) so he called me. Apparently the Ukrainians here have no idea about how to use the program. It's really fun though. I feel like I am doing accounting homework so I enjoy it. I have to spend more time in the church though which has it's pros and cons.
Week 3:
So here is a great story. It is about a little boy named Roman. He is 8 years old and he looks EXACTLY like Cory. It's weird, some Russian natives look Hispanic. On Sunday, when all of the member's were arriving to Church and assembling in the Chapel, we find out 5 minutes till that we have no bread for the sacrament. Oh boy! So we tell the 2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency and he calls over his son Roman and gives him some Hryvna (UKR currency). Then Roman takes off. Elder Tribet and I watch out the window as Roman runs out of the building and we see him sprinting outside. Leading up to the church building is a large U-shaped pathway and a steep hill between each side of the path. (So if you're standing on the right side of the U, you will be looking down on the left side of the U). Roman, instead of taking the safe and easy path, almost literally jumps down the hill which is covered in snow and ice. Crazy kid! I was astonished at the drive of this kid. He is 8 years old! I couldn't see anyone from our ward doing that at age! Then 7 or so minutes later we see him sprinting back with bread in hand. We had bread from sacrament! What an impressive little kid!
Week 4:
I see this work happening every day. I see it in my investigators, in the people that reject me and blow me off, in the small branch here. The work progresses with each Sunday School lesson taught and with each home-teaching lesson. My work is no more important than the work each of you can do. I help teach people and bring them to the waters of baptism and you all, in your respective callings, help members of the church endure to the end and keep their covenants. Enduring to the end is the most important part of our purpose and it isn't missionaries who do that; it's the members! Don't lose hope! Keep working at your callings! Remember the blessings that come as you give yourself to the Lord's "work and glory." And don't forget that you are "saviors on Mount Zoin" every time you go to the temple! I love you all!
It has been a great week! I slipped on ice for the first time! As I was walking on a frozen path on the side of the road, I was thinking about telling my companion that I had never slipped thus far. Then I saw a really attractive Ukrainian girl about to pass us going the opposite direction. I said, "Hello! How ar--SLIP!" My bum smacked the ground and my bag went flying. I don't know if I jynx myself by thinking that I had never slipped or if the Lord was helping me to "keep an eye single to the Glory of God" by making me slip, but it happened! I couldn't stop laughing.
Also this week I had an incredible experience at a service opportunity! The sister missionaries in Lviv called us and said that we could help an old man with his door. So we went back to the apartment and changed into jeans (really weird) and headed over to the old man's place. His name was Oleg. We walk into an apartment building and to our left there is a door leading to a basement. Oleg wanted us to pry the old 1950's Soviet-era metal door from it hinges so he could cut off a 12" section from the bottom. "Sure thing!" We went to work......and didn't have much success. He gave us 2 metal pipes to use a pry bars but those just bent as was used them. Ha! Then we started applying oil to the hinges. That didn't make a difference either. Then Elder Tribet gets an idea to use a sledge-hammer to bang upwards on a ridge at the top of the door while I pry from the bottom. No luck. We spent a good 45 minutes trying to de-hinge this indestructible door. We were making ALOT of noise too and people outside could hear us. So after about 45 minutes, we start to regroup for rest and new ideas when I look up towards the main entrance of the apartment door and see a cop fully decked out in kevlar and a pistol drawn. He yells at us, I guess asking what we were up to. Oleg tells him what we were doing and then ANOTHER cop comes through the door in kevlar and an AK-47! (actually an AK-74U) What in heaven's name?! They give us a hard time but Oleg tells them and things get cleared up. Then, classic to east European culture, the cop asks Oleg, "How much would you pay us to get the door off it's hinges?" HA! So much for being "public servants." But they man-handled that door in a way only Ukrainians could, so, mission accomplished!
Week 5:
This will be a short message today because while sitting here in the internet club a man from Amsterdam heard us speaking in English and starting talking to us for a good 30 minutes. Wow this man blew me away! He is super spiritual and he told us some stories he had experienced and he almost looked close to tears. We gave him a mormon.org card and email address. I also gave him my Facebook account name, so Ashley you can accept it when/if it comes. Ask him what is name is and if he says Hank then accept it.
This week we had a funeral for a member in our ward and Ukrainian funerals are bare-bones. It was a quick service, then we drove 40 minutes to the outskirts of town to a village (where poor people live). Each village has its own cementary. They had a pre-dug grave and then....Elder Hansen and I got to put the dirt in. Interesting. I never thought I would bury a dead man coming to Ukraine. CRAZY!
This Gospel is true! Jesus Christ lives! Stay strong and keep the faith!
Week 6:
Lots of has happened in the past few days! I am in Kyiv right now, on an extended exchange right before transfers. I will be here until Thursday night. It is an 8 hour train ride from Kyiv to Lviv and I think it is a blast. We usually get a train at 1030pm and sleep and then wake up at 630am at the train station. Trains are fun! I also love Kyiv! If I were to live here after the mission, it would be here. There are a few "American" sized wards here and an international branch where they speak English. So far, in Kyiv I have been able to teach 2 Nigerians who speak English and Russian. Those guys are awesome. There is a stark difference between the thugs of Montgomery and true Africans. They are so educated and well-mannered for the majority. Awesome guys. One of them is getting baptized on the 9th.
Well I had interviews with President Kelbingat a couple of weeks ago and he is incredible. I love serving with him and am learning so many lessons from him! After the interview, he told me, "I want your tie." Apparently he likes red. The next day, before he left, he stopped by my apartment and bought it from me! HA! It was so cool and I am glad that he will have something to remember me by.
One night we were trying to be more creative in our finding techniques, so Elder Jolstead and I (I was on an exchange) made 2 loaves of banana bread and took it out to less-actives. We didn't find the less actives but as we were walking out of an apartment building, I saw a group of 4 people walking in a loose formation and as I passed them I heard English. I stopped and when it registered as English, I called out to them and asked (in a Ukrainian accent funny enough) if they were American. They said yes and that they were in the Army. Ha! So I told them I was from Ala. and told them that we had a message to share with them if that wanted to accept some banana bread. They said they would listen. So we taught them that Jesus Christ is the "bread of life" and that we should follow His example and teachings. It was a great experience!
We got transfer info and I will be staying in Lviv with Elder Tribet. I am a super happy about that. I love Lviv and hope to be there a while.
Week 7:
The name for February in Ukrainian means Fierce. It sounds like L-you-tee. But funny enough, the weather hasn't been fierce at all. I haven't been wearing my thermals at all really. Sometimes it gets to be around 28-29 Farenheit but with all of the walking, I get pretty hot with my coat on and all. I'm still waiting for the infamous -30 weather. I'll bite my words though I'm sure.
So I am back in Lviv. I spent a week in Kyiv while waiting for transfers because I had to come back with the one elder coming into Lviv. It was a blast! I taught some great people. I sent a picture of a Nigerian and me. His name is Daniel and he is super awesome. I was able to meet with him 3 times. He had a baptismal date set for February 9th, but we found out that he wasn't legally married. He lived with a woman and had two kids with her and had been referring to his "wife" for the past 3 weeks. It was so sad. We had to tell him that legal marriage is required for baptism, but he didn't' want to "rush into marriage" with his girlfriend. I thought, "What a sad mentality: I don't want to rush into marriage, but I don't mind having kids with her." I hope that he chooses to raise his kids and be a good father within marriage. That was the hardest lesson I've ever taught.
Funny enough, before I left to come back to Lviv, I was in the mission office and saw President Klebingat. He said to me, "Elder Kelley, you need to stop asking people if they are legally married. You're killing our baptismal numbers!" I didn't know how to respond to that, and then he said, "I'm kidding. Keep asking. Good job!" It was pretty funny.
Also, many people have asked me about physical mail. Do I want it? Is there any point in sending it? Well, I know that sending physical things over here (ie letters, packages, cards, etc...) is more pricey and I don't want to ask you to spend more money. But I will tell you that receiving physical mail (even if it's only every 3-6 weeks) brings with it more excitement and joy than anything else. I would love to receive these things, whatever they may be, from you all and from anyone else who wants to send something to me. I love letters, pictures, candy, cool things, pictures, etc.... You name it, I'll probably like receiving it. Don't forget, that you all can still use Dearelder.com to send mail through the pouch system. It's a physical letter at little to no charge. If you really need to pinch pennies and still want to send physical mail, this may be the best option. I don't want you to think I'm am demanding it, but I would certainly love it. I got a letter from some people in Carter Hill last transfer and that was so uplifting for me.
So I am back in Lviv. I spent a week in Kyiv while waiting for transfers because I had to come back with the one elder coming into Lviv. It was a blast! I taught some great people. I sent a picture of a Nigerian and me. His name is Daniel and he is super awesome. I was able to meet with him 3 times. He had a baptismal date set for February 9th, but we found out that he wasn't legally married. He lived with a woman and had two kids with her and had been referring to his "wife" for the past 3 weeks. It was so sad. We had to tell him that legal marriage is required for baptism, but he didn't' want to "rush into marriage" with his girlfriend. I thought, "What a sad mentality: I don't want to rush into marriage, but I don't mind having kids with her." I hope that he chooses to raise his kids and be a good father within marriage. That was the hardest lesson I've ever taught.
Funny enough, before I left to come back to Lviv, I was in the mission office and saw President Klebingat. He said to me, "Elder Kelley, you need to stop asking people if they are legally married. You're killing our baptismal numbers!" I didn't know how to respond to that, and then he said, "I'm kidding. Keep asking. Good job!" It was pretty funny.
Also, many people have asked me about physical mail. Do I want it? Is there any point in sending it? Well, I know that sending physical things over here (ie letters, packages, cards, etc...) is more pricey and I don't want to ask you to spend more money. But I will tell you that receiving physical mail (even if it's only every 3-6 weeks) brings with it more excitement and joy than anything else. I would love to receive these things, whatever they may be, from you all and from anyone else who wants to send something to me. I love letters, pictures, candy, cool things, pictures, etc.... You name it, I'll probably like receiving it. Don't forget, that you all can still use Dearelder.com to send mail through the pouch system. It's a physical letter at little to no charge. If you really need to pinch pennies and still want to send physical mail, this may be the best option. I don't want you to think I'm am demanding it, but I would certainly love it. I got a letter from some people in Carter Hill last transfer and that was so uplifting for me.
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