This is the first wee that we have been able to spend entirely in Sumy, the city is awesome. We did a lot of work and we were really struggling to reach our goals this week, on Friday night our goals just looked impossible, but we didnt give up, we cracked down on obedience, and prayed soooo... much on saturday, that we were able to almost meet our goal for other lessons, and hit our goal for new investigators. We had another miracle lesson on sunday night about the plan of salvation, the man, Igor, sounded interested and asked where we met for church, we proceeded to give him a invitation because that is how we work. All of our lessons for this week came in the last 2 days! which was amazing. SOme of our investigators show hope of progressing, please pray for them. Especially Lena, and Anton. Anton is way cool, he speaks english well. The problem: His entire family is Russian Orthodox priests, he wanted to learn more, but his Brother took away his book of mormon, he got it back but is afraid to read because of his wife. He still comes to english classes, and we told him we dont want to make problems for him at home so now we are on a program with the new testament. We are reading one chapter everyday together. we hope he sticks with it, hopefully it will bring the spirit into his home. Elder biesinger and I played tennis again today and that was a blast, we are getting pretty good. We have a potential investigator that owns the court. Maybe if he gets baptized, we can play for free(Thats a Joke, Nothing is free in Ukraine(No they dont have drinking fountains)) I love you all!
Hey Buddy,
I can't believe how fast the weeks fly by! It is June 20!!! We are coming up on 10 months out!!! That is just crazy talk!
We had a fun busy week. I took the kids to the cabin for a couple days and we had a blast. Today for Father's Day we took all the kids up to the cabin to visit Grandpa. It was great that Dad actually wanted to do that and chose it. We spent some time talking about Grandpa and Grandma's Father's and then also about our own. It was a special moment. They are all in watching game 7 of the NBA championship now. We had the t-boys all weekend and it has been a lot of fun. Ethan likes his job at Cowabunga Bay. Josh worked every day this week at his new job at Training Table.
We have been spending time getting Josh and Jordy ready for trek this week. They are having youth Ma and Pa's so that will be interesting! Jessica Ralphs and Brayden Gibbons will be their's. They put Thomas in their group too for help with Jordy. I hope it goes ok!
Grandma and Grandpa have their Farewell next week! They are getting really nervous about leaving I think. Well, let me rephrase that...Grandma is getting really nervous about leaving her grandkids for a year! I am really excited for them and even a little jealous. Having two sons serving missions makes me want to serve one as well!
Everyone is doing pretty good and we are all just enjoying summer. We are having the Martineau party tomorrow here at the house. It is instead of the bear lake trip since we aren't doing that this year.
I am so curious about everything you are doing right now! I really need to know if you are showering in that awful water?!?
Dakkon made it out to San Antonio this week. I sent a few of the pics that the mission president sent us. His mission president gets changed in a couple weeks so that will be interesting. He looks like he is having a great time. We were able to talk to him the other day on the phone when he was at the airport. He sounded pretty emotional and nervous. I felt like you sounded super pumped and just ready for the adventure and to share the gospel. I think it only being 3 weeks from leaving home left him a little more emotional.
I miss you so much. When we have all the kids together it is so strange to be missing you and now Dakkon too. It is weird to be counting to 8 instead of 10. Dad was saying last night how he misses having everyone together and we realized it could be years until we are all together again. It is so strange, but also such a blessing to have all you wonderful boys serving the Lord. The best case is that everyone serves and it truly is years before we are all together again. I am really proud of you. I love you so much.
So questions this week-
1-seriously...the water? How do you shower?
2-How is the apartment?
3-What do you cook in?
4-Are you still eating really healthy and working out a lot?
5-I really need to get out your birthday package so I REALLY need some ideas for a gift for you. What can I get you?
6-What food-poptarts-treats-peanut butter etc do you want?
7-How is the mission work going?
8-How is English class?
9-Do you do the activity nights?
10-PICTURES!!!! Please...
11-Audio recordings?
12-Special message for me.
13-Are you still happy and positive?
14-Anything we can pray for specifically?
15-Favorite things about Sumi?
16-Are you hoping for another transfer there?
Well, I love you so much. Thanks for being amazing. I miss you. Work hard, stay faithful, stay positive, pray always!!!
You can do this...you can do hard things. I believe in you! No one is perfect so don't be so hard on yourself. You are doing amazing!
Love you
Mom
Yes we shower, no the water is not always that bad, it is usually clear, thats the worst its been. We do dishes with filtered water, as well as cook with filtered water. The apartment is big, but not super nice, its harder to keep clean, but it is definitely not a bad apartment by Ukrainian standards. Eating Healthy Yes, Working out, yes until I got sick, we are going to start playing tennis for our work out time everyother day.I could really use some AXE messy hair gel(The yellow and black one). Black Nike socks, Vanilla extract. Dont worry about it too much, I dont need a huge package, I would rather have you put money in my account so I can send you home some really cool ukrainian stuff, they have tons of cultural dress type things, the little girls wear tons of flowers in their hair all the time, There is always ukrainian candies and chocolate I can send home, as well as tea shirts that I pick up at second hands. The missionary work is going good. English class is extremely successful, No activity nights. Elder Biesinger is on it, his camera is still better than my nice one, and it is smaller. I love you and I will send the messages. Still happy and positive, IT is way clean hear and I love it so much, people will actually talk to us. Just for our investigators, in general. Yeah I want to stay here until next april. I bought a fanny pack, its pretty convienient for everything. I am so happy you are all a part of my family I am almost done meailnig now because my screen is flipped upside down and its kind of hard to read and type.
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