Week 37: In Nikolaev for the Holidays

Happy Mother's Day all you Moms out there! Especially to my wonderful Mother who has done so much for me in my life!! Thank you for all of your love and for being a great blessing in my life!! Love you Mom!!

We also had another holiday this week in Ukraine! Victory Day День Победы A lot of the Ukrainians took it as an opportunity to quiz me on what holiday it was as I'm an American and speak their language with a hard to hide accent. It was good to know what holiday it was and then wish them a happy holiday as well.

also another holiday I personally love, fresh bread monday. It's this great tradition where we go to the store and buy really good bread по понедельникам 

This week I want to just share a couple of stories!!! So first off we as the missionaries in Nikolaev have been working on this branch list of all the members. Trying to find out information on members so we can get them back to church, know how to help them best etc. etc. This week we really dove in and started going straight to people's houses. (Because we don't have their phone numbers) We were knocking doors realizing we had some wrong addresses but basically all week we were working on that. And on Sunday one of these members showed up!! Dima! He was just someone I felt like I needed to call and I never really got in contact with him but sent him some texts and he ended up just showing up and was super grateful and happy to be there! So awesome!!

This week me and Elder Trounce studied together a lot on finding and teaching and we came up with a bunch ideas and things to try and implement. And we started applying them and they've been working super good so far! One of those is talking with people about their families! There were 2 specific experiences when we started talking to someone just on the street who really wasn't interested and had other things going on but as we brought up their families and how we can live with our families together they became interested and we had these great conversations and they were really excited to learn more and find out about these things for themselves!

We had an unexpected service opportunity as well on Saturday that was really cool!! So this returning member we don't see super often at church is moving from Nikolaev to a different city and she needed a favor so she called up her friend Sister Tatyana who was busy and couldn't help. Tatyana called us and asked us to do it and so we gladly volunteered. 
Step 1 was to find out where this returning member Lena lived. So first I had to talk to some one who knew her/ has her number. So I called Stas. (Stas has been a member here in Nikolaev for a long time. He knows everyone and has all the info.) Stas referred me to Vova who has been to this member Lena's house before. Vova gave me Lena's number. Then I called her and got the address. 
Step 2 Was now find where this address was. it was дом 184. This seemed in principle very easy but did take some time. 
Step 3 Get past the babushkas that were guarding the door to the подъезд (This word doesn't exist really in English so we'll just say: Apartment staircase). They at first didn't believe that we were the people Lena said would come get her stuff. The one babushka said to the other, "They seem like good boys on the outside but inside you can never tell." Eventually they read our badges and realized we were the right guys. 
Step 4 take the stuff and walk home. The "Stuff" turned out to be a guitar! I was excited about that. 
I got to play the guitar later that evening... picture included.

That was a fun little service project. We were happy to help! And we met some awesome people contacting along the way!

Just to close I thought I'd share a spiritual thought with everyone!

I'm ever inspired by the Love of the Savior and Christ's character as I continually study more his life! And testify of him. 3 Nephi 17:5-7
5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were ain tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with acompassion towards you.
7 Have ye any that are asick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or bleprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will cheal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
I know the Savior loves us and knows us so deeply! As Ether 12:41 says we should "seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have testified." As we come to know him better we can become more like him and he can change us and we can "be perfected in him" Moroni 10:32

Love you!
Elder Halls

I bought a вышиванка (vyshivanka)

This place is called "New York Street Pizza"

Just a special one

The guitar!  


Good ole Buckwheat (гречка)

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