Memory Week

Week 22-

SO Elder Bates and I are staying together again for this transfer!  So I will finish his training, and now I am no longer considered a Greenie, becaue I have been here for 2 transfers, which is crazy, thats so long, but I look back and it feels like it all happened so fast.  I am gonna get home and be like, wait that was it? 2 Years used to be a lot longer.  Alright, there are a couple reasons for the subject line.  

   The first story concerns the Preach My Gospel, and Companion Study.  SO Elder Bates and I found out that there is an area here on left bank we have never been to, so we planned the night before, to go there, and check it out.  We decided we would study finding in preparation for the day so as to help us find some people. There is a story about a Taxi Driver there.  We read it and analyzed it, and got ready to go.  That story is on like the 3rd page of chapter 9, you should read it, and compare.  So we get on the street, grab a marshutka which we think might get us there.  After about 30 minutes we cross a bridge.  The way Left Bank works, is if you cross a bridge, you are no longer in your area, so Elder Bates and I get of ASAP.  We pull out the map, figure out where in the world we are.  A native aproaches us, he speaks english and helps us figure out how to get there, then he wanted us to come speak english for some kids at his school to see us. He gave us his number! First person we found! We finally get where we are going, and there is just nothing there... so we start walking back to where we usually contact, it would have been about 4 hours in the pouring rain, and we would be late for dinner:( that would have just been the worst thing that could possibly happen.  So we walk, Elder Bates was determined to find someone in this place I would call the Land Desolation.  After discussing whether or not we should take a marshutka the rest of the way, we decide to keep walking, in the rain, with no one there (I wanted to take the marshutaka).  After about an hour and a half of this, we see a Taxi pulled over, and the driver is working on something under the hood.  He looks up and sees us, and the biggest look of relief comes over his face.  He explains his starter is out, and that we need to push start it, and that if we helped him he would give us a ride to wherever we need to go. We get it going, and we are sitting in the back, and as soon as I had seen the taxi I thought to myself " Oh, I see what you did there God, well played, inspired study is a funny thing." Eventually we start talking to him, we get his number, and a ride to where we needed to be.  I basically said the same things as the elders in the story.  We get out, and I am just beaming at Elder Bates.  And I was like "Wow isnt inspired study cool" and he said yeah, he didnt realize quite how deep that went until I was like, remember that story about the Taxi driver that I thought could never happen here? That just happened.  Then understanding came into his eyes and we laughed about it.

Well the other thing isnt so happy, unfortunately Elder McCleary, who wants to serve the Lord SOOOO bad, is sick.  He could really use your prayers as he is trying to heal, Elder Bates and I have visited them a few times, they have been Grounded(Not aloud to leave the house) for 4-5 days now. He is getting better, and I gave him a blessing, so he should heal up, but we all know the power of prayer is incomprehensibly helpful. 

NOw that there is a lot of snow, the natives have started using sleds instead of strollers for their children, its funny!

Weirdest thing this week about ukrainians, IF they tell you they will be there anytime between 9-12, that means they will be there at 8:45.  Very different from america where 9-12 means 1. Well that is all, I love you all!