End of first transfer in Ukraine- Down to 2 again!

HELLO

Sooo time has gone by so fast! And I am done my first transfer in Ukraine already!! Also sad news: " my mother" (AKA Sister Bolingbroke) will "die" tomorrow!... (Sorry- mission language!! ) And me and Sister Savran "kill" her.. ( sorry also mission language, lol don't you love it? ) It means she's my trainer and she's going home because she's done her mission, all 18 months of it. I love her, and we're going to miss her a lot!! Although she plans to move back someday so maybe I'll see her on my mish again who knows haha. We had a fun last week together though.

It is also transfers today and I'm staying here, with Sister Savran!! :) It should be awesome. Busy because we still have the whole city to cover but good.

We had zone conference this week. It was really fun and I learned a lot. We also saw a couple miracles. One night, Sister Bolingbroke really wanted to give out a Book of Mormon to someone before she left so we went on the street in search of someone who would listen to us, not much luck so we were heading back to the branch, where we said we'd come back to join the elders English class. And right before we got there we found this man, from Kiev who seemed interested in what we were doing, so we brought him back to the English class and gave him a Book of Mormon. Hopefully the missionaries can teach him in Kiev!

This dog loves cupcakes! :)

Also funny and awesome story, we were teaching a little girl the lessons of this member who just recently started coming back to church and they have this freaking insane dog. haha like he's super hyper and barks really loud if you don't pay attention to him so he was basically biting me the whole time but I was just keeping him busy so we could have a decent lesson without him interrupting haha they thought I loved him..but it was a good lesson on prayer and when we were teaching her about faith that just like how she knows her grandma is in the other room even though she can't see her, Heavenly Father is there listening to her prayers, she went to go check where her grandma was haha. But then her grandma ( who we didn't know wasn't a member) stayed for the lesson and when we were leaving she asked us what she has to do to be baptized!!! 

Have a great week everyone! Don't forget to pray! God always listens to our prayers!

Cecтpa Xopн​​​​​​​​

We bought pokemon socks :)

TRIO

привет!

So fun and crazy week! Cause guess what? I'm back in a trio a again (ещо раз- yeshoraz)! One of the sisters who were serving on the left bank of Dnipro got her Visa to go to her originally assigned mission at temple square- Salt lake City so she left Tuesday morning and now her companion and also Sister Bolingbroke's previous companion Sister Sevran is with us! She's a convert from Moldova and she's super fun. That also means we now have 3 areas!! Just for the next week actually, but we definitely have our hands full. So it's been interesting trying to figure everything out but we've had some fun times!

On Wednesday it was international Women's day but in Ukraine it's a big thing! Almost like Mother's day in Canada but maybe even more, you can go around saying Congratulations and it's not weird haha, also holidays here are almost weekly so it's been nice :)  We had district meeting with one of our districts that day and the elders are super nice and got us gifts! One of them also has bought so many fur shapkas here for his family and tried them on. I didn't know how to feel about it because it's a super cool part of their culture but  I also don't necessarily approve and... some were bunny furs.... :(   .. when in Ukraine right..? but I didn't buy any! But I did buy myself a Russian bible that we finally found!

Pretty Russian Bible



Hanging out at playground












Shapkas !

Blessed with the spirit because I don't know what anyone's saying :)

Hello everyone! 

So things are still really great here! Sorry I didn't really get to explain my investigators at all last week! First of all we have been meeting with this amazing woman named Yulia. She has a pretty sweet story because she has known about the church for about 7 years because she is married to a member who is less active and she has already investigated the church, but for some reason stopped, although for the past few months she has been coming to church.  Then just recently came to us because she decided she wanted to be baptized! So we've been teaching her  and she is really awesome and has been reading the Book of Mormon and is basically already living all the commandments and she knows a lot already. She's doing great and wants to be baptized on April 6th, It has been an amazing growing experience for me in learning to listen and act on the promptings of the spirit, because in our lessons even though I usually don't know what they are saying, I receive promptings to say or share things and then Sister Bolingbroke tells me after that it worked really good with what they were talking about and it is what she needed to hear. She has a 4 year old daughter who can't walk and she is so cute and hilarious! 

We also started meeting with this lady named Yelena, she smokes but wants to quit, we gave her the first lesson  and a Book of Mormon and taught her how to pray. She told us of how hard life had been and that she was looking for something that can bring her hope and I felt the spirit super strong the whole time. What was super cool was that sister Bolingbroke called the next day and she said that after we left, she felt so light, that she had never felt anything like that before! And that she hadn't smoked because when she thought of it she felt sick! We have been fasting and praying for that and hopefully it will continue!

BTW, everyone's names here are all the same!! ahahah it's true! and it is so hard for me to know who people are talking about but hopefully I'll learn aha.

-Cecтра хорн

1-3 We went out to the country side to visit a member and took some cool pics and met a babushka holding a rooster who let us pet it:)

4- I felt like drawing this while Sis. B was making some calls and it has John 14:27 on it, and we gave it in a Book of Mormon but I took a pic first!

5, they have juices from everything here! haha. I had to try banana juice! It's pretty good!

6. Our Hezyka (landlady) made us pancakes for the pancake day! ( they have holidays for everything here aha) 

7. cute mini van!

Also good news from Morgan I have received!! : Tony received the Aaronic priesthood and is going to the temple to do baptisms and has already found a name from his line to do! Also little James who I told you guys we started teaching, got baptized! Super awesome!

Goglia! Gogoglia!

Hi everyone!

It has been an awesome first full week here in Ukraine!! It feels like I've been here forever, but in a good way, it's so weird! Everyday is an adventure and so fun with Sister Bolingbroke and with the hilarity of Ukraine. Something funny that happened was on the way to meet the branch president and his family ( his wife and daughter are not members) to have family home evening  with them and the Sullivans ( the mission president) we were supposed to get off of the marshootka at a stop called something like Gogollia and we didn't know how to say it or where it was and it was so crowded that we couldn't ask  the driver so I started yelling goglia! goglia! kto nibood! (anyone) ahaha and it worked lol, a babushka said we just passed it aha.

Super cool we have two new investigators!

sorry I still haven't gotten the hang of writing in this time frame still. And the computer at the internet cafe even turned off on me! So I'll try something different next week!

Sorry!

 Heavenly Father is aware of us and loves so much!

Cectpa Xoph

Soviet commander E. G. Pushkin T-34 tank memorial

The ancient kurgan stelae near the Historical Museum

Cathedral of the Transfiguration 

I made it!! I'm in Ukraine!

Jk! I have some pics from Morgan first! 

We had a super fun last p-day there! We went to RUSH again! (1) with our district and Sis Novotny came!

(2) Had dinner with Bonnie, I love her so much!

(3) Saying goodbye to President and Sister Jaggi who are amazing!  I haven't gotten a picture with President and Sister Sullivan ( new mission president) yet but I will!

Priviet everyone!!!

I'm finally here in Ukraine and I'm loving it! The flight was probably  the longest I've ever been on, totally about 2 days with the time change but about 18 hours of flying I think and alone. Haha, I tried to sleep most of the way. I had to change planes four times which was a pain with my (probably 40 pound) carry on etc. and went through security about 3 times, I had no idea where I was going most of the time but some how.. I made it here in one piece with all my luggage! Yay! 

My companion's name is Cectpa Bolingbroke ( pronounced like bowling and a brook) and she is so awesome! She's super funny and chill but a hard worker and teaches me a lot about how things work here and the language. She even made me green russian pancakes (basically crepes:)) for my first being a greenie! She's actually from Layton, Utah, so that's funny because that's apart of my Utah, Ogden Mission. She's a little bit of a prankster ahah. And so when her and her two previous companions came to pick me up from the airport, while they were bored waiting in the airport they thought of switching things up so the sister from Ukraine was the one talking to me and said that sister sevran was my companion but couldn't speak so she was speaking "sigh language " with her and Sister Bolingbroke just couldn't speak english... lol it was interesting but I think it didn't go as well as they planned because I fell for it, I was just super confused what was going on so, I just went with it ahahaha. I thought it was funny though! 

I'm living in the big city Dnepropetrovsk!( You can actually just say *Neper* now though, so don't worry about trying to pronounce Dnepropetrovsk) Aha actually it's just about half the size of Calgary I think, quite different though. It's been a fun time here! Even though I have no idea what anyone is saying I have already made a couple of friends:) The members are great here! super friendly! On the street... not as friendly... but I still think everyone here is just so much cooler then I ever will be haha. They all wear big winter coats, lots of fur here, big shopka (fur hats) and toques with big fur pompoms, even though it has actually been pretty warm (considering my face isn't frozen lol) the last couple of days! 

We are actually in 2 districts because we're over 2 areas so that's cool. More friends! All the missionaries have been super nice and welcoming. Something unique about Ukraine is the public transport system. There are little (and big) buses called marshootkas everywhere! There are mostly little ones and so they're basically big vans and tons of people just squish in so tight! I was surprised because you just pass the money up and say "peredightye dva pajalsta" and they pass it up to the driver and then they pass the change all the way. Everyone is very trusting!

I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday and everyone said I did really well so that's a good sign! I also gave out a couple of English cards out ( we teach free English classes)  so I'm proud of my first week being an extreme amateur in this cool country. Life is great. The Lord helps you when you pray! Pray always!

Dang I hate that I now only have 1 and a half hours to write!! There's so much to say and not enough time! I'll tell more about Ukraine next time! 

Love you!

Сестра Хорн

Sorry the pictures wouldn't download but I will take lots this week and figure it our next week!

My Visa waited for Tony to get Baptized!!! 😁🌈

"I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain, and ponder on the beauty of earth made clean again. I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain, I want to be the best I can, and live with God again." 🎶

^^ One of my favorite  primary songs ever! We sang it at my baptism when I was 8 and now almost every time I hear it, it makes me tear up.  On Saturday we sang it again because.. Tony got baptized!! It was such a happy day! :))  A lot of people came to support him, from his ward and also all our wonderful senior missionary couples who's sweet sisters have been a part of Tony's teaching process by always being so willing to drive to Layton and be with me for our lessons. I'm not worried for him because he has a great support from his ward. The bishop baptized him and the members he lives with each gave great talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost, in Russian which was good so Tony could understand... I didn't understand much except certain words but we could still all feel the spirit. 

I thought that song was also relevant because it has rained so much this week and warmed up so almost all the snow - the 6 feet high piles of snow - have melted away!! We can even see  some green grass here, coming out from hiding. The earth is clean. Tony has been washed clean, reborn in Christ and has entered the strait gate, and started on the narrow path that leads to eternal life. 

And me... I'm about to start a new journey as well! IN UKRAINE. Yup that's right.. I got my Visa! 

Everyone I hope you realize that you are witnessing a pretty awesome miracle right now. I don't know if I have ever seen the hand of God guiding His work, so apparent or clear before as I do right now. Heavenly Father knows and loves Tony so much. No it is not a coincidence that   my visa didn't come and I was sent to this mission a week before the missionaries found him. I was sent here to teach him. I know it with all my heart and I am so grateful  that the Lord gave me that opportunity. I'm crying right now as I write this because I have gained such a strong testimony this week that Heavenly Father is aware of us.

 He was aware of Tony and his willingness to accept the gospel but also his need to hear it taught in his native language. 

He is aware of me. That I really wanted to see Tony be baptized but also that I felt ready to leave and didn't know if I could keep my Russian for much longer. - Transfers were this last Wednesday and the Sister from the MTC who were going to my mission as well left on Tuesday. My mission President called us on Thursday saying my visa had arrived and he said that the travel people could have booked the flight for that day, Friday, Saturday but they booked it for Tuesday afternoon. Allowing me to go to the baptism ( and I'll even be able to go through the temple Tuesday morning! :) )

I testify that Heavenly Father is aware of you. He knows you and has a plan for you. As you put your trust in Him he will lead and guide you. I know He is there, watching over us.

My time in the Ogden Mission has been amazing. I have learned and grown a lot. I have met so many amazing people.  Although I was a little upset upon finding out I wouldn't be going to Ukraine,  this entire transfer has been a miracle and I wouldn't trade the time I've had here for anything. I am going to miss the mountains and the people, those others who we are working with but I have confidence that the Lord, and Sister Tayco and her new companions will take care of them. I have accomplished what the Lord needed me to do here and now I'm looking forward to experiencing even more miracles in the land of perogies across the sea!

Happy Valentines!  I love you so much! 💗💗

-(Last time I'll be " Sister ") Horne


- Tony's baptism! 






- A couple of our senior couples whom we love




- Service at Bonnie's again:) ( I got to see bunnies!)



-  Beautiful Morgan Valley mountains




- Bye Sister Tayco♡♡





- all my name tags!

Tony

YOOOOOOO, 

It has been a great week!! Sister Tayco and I are getting the hang of everything here but it has also helped that we've seen a bunch of miracles! So first is... guess what?! Tony is getting baptized!!! This next Saturday!! I am so excited for him guys. Even though his wife isn't here yet, he had been talking with her about the gospel and praying to know what to do. He knows it's true and has a strong desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ!  He decided that this is what Heavenly Father wants him to do and what he wants to do and since then we've been preparing for the 11th! He has such a strong faith in Jesus Christ, and everything just clicks with him, and he's so willing to obey God's commandments and, really,  the gospel is something that he knew before this life and we're just reminding him of it. I can see that. Tony is just awesome and I'm so excited for this next week to see him enter the waters of baptism! 

Yes, I'm pretty sure now that I will be staying here for another transfer. I mean technically if I get it in the next couple of days then I could still go but, I have a feeling I'll probably stay.

Another awesome thing is that we have a new investigator!  He's in our area now and speaks English haha, but he's a super cute little ten year old boy named James and he is also on date for a few weeks from now!! 

We went to a baptism on Saturday of the little eight year old daughter of one of the ward mission leaders  we work closely with. It was a really spiritual experience. I cried a lot haha. Even though I don't really even know her, they sang "Gethsemane " and that song always gets me, like I have no chance once I hear the chorus.. I'm gone.  Haha. Also it was really cool cause she was actually adopted from China and all the family has worked to learn mandarin after getting her so her one brother baptized her in mandarin. Also their oldest son is just about to leave on his mission to Korea so he was able to confirm her and give her the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

I know the church is true. I have received even more witnesses of it just in this week.  I love you all!

Сестра Horne

Our district!

 

Bowling on p-day:)