Week 28: 20 Бабушки strong... and counting!

Hello Hello Hello!!! 

Now coming in from a little more Southern, a little more Eastern, a pleasantly warm, wonderfully smelling, good aired, plentifully populated... NIKOLAEV, Ukraine

haha. Yeah I guess so first things first I ought to tell you a little bit about the new city and then I'll go into the week! SO...
Nikolaev is a really great place! There weather has been so good ever since I got here the coat is up on the rack and now I'm pulling out the sweaters and the light jackets and it's feeling really nice and pleasant I'm not exactly sure how warm it is but today it was kinda feeling like high 40s I'd say and that ain't nothing to frown upon. 
Nikolaev is a pretty cool city! There are 500,000 people that live here and it's right on the a river that feeds into the Black Sea so we aren't quite on the ocean but we are real close and they actually build a bunch of boats here it's a really cool looking spot I'll try and get a picture of it later.
People here are super nice which I can't complain about! haha. The branch is a little smaller than in Pobeda here there are just under 30 but they're still strong! We've got the strongest Relief Society in the mission here! Most of our members here are older ladies (Бабушки) I love them they are all so sweet and nice it's the best! The city is pretty nice and big there are another set of Elder's in the city with us too! It's been really great so far it's a really great place to serve and I'm super excited and happy to be serving here!

Elder Pedersen is awesome! He's from Norway, But in school he learned English and he watched a lot of Disney Channel back in his day so he can speak perfect English. Pretty much sometimes he asks me what words mean every now and then which is acceptable like this week was, 'Weasel' 'condemn' and a couple others too! Sometimes he says words a little wrong which we both laugh about too! For example, In Ukraine there are these stores called, "Second Hand" so like Savers or DI back home and we were walking to go check one out and Elder Pedersen says to me, "You never know we might finds some jams." He meants Jems but it's all good haha it was a good laugh we had. We get along really well he's a good worker and we've been able to get a lot done so that is awesome!

We've had tons of success this week! It's been super great! We taught 3 lessons one day which was super good! We have two investigators right now that are really progressing well I'd say! Dimitry and Constantine! We had 2 lessons with Dimirty this week and we really told him how great a blessing the gospel is and the gift of the Holy Ghost and he really started to understand what this all would mean for him. He committed to pray about being baptized so we are excited about that! Constantine has told us he doesn't know if he is quite ready for baptism but has committed to keep reading and praying and he made it to church this week so I think for him it's only just a matter of times! We have quite a big teaching pool and we found 3 new people this week as well! So the work continues and goes on!! It's been super exciting and we are seeing lots of success in all of the aspects of the work! 

I've again been assigned as the branch pianist and that's been fun! Our branch are the loudest singers I've heard! I was so surprised! The first song started and I was playing and they just started belting it out! It wasn't the most pretty but I'll take volume over pitch any day!

This week I've really just had one things that has stuck out to me over and over again that I want to share as my spiritual thought! Today I wanted to write a little bit about the joy of the Gospel! We have been given the gospel and the teachings of Jesus Christ by a loving Heavenly Father! He knows what we need and he knows what is best for us! As we follow and live the principles we learn in the scriptures and from the living prophets and apostles. We will feel the greatest, realest, and most true joy! The gospel is the best answer/solution to ANY problem in our lives!! I know that living the gospel brings great blessings of joy and happiness!! That is why I am here serving my mission! Because I know this knowledge can make other peole happy as well!!

Love you all and I hope you had an amazing/spectacular week!! 

Love, 
Elder Halls
The Nikolaev District

Elder Halls in a couple places around town


Elder Pedersen and an Orthodox Temple

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