WOW what a Week

Week of October 12-18, 2015
WWW=Wow What a Week!  As you serve in the mission field one week just blends into another and you just keep having these amazing experiences.  As I look back on my journal this past week I'm astounded by the things I read.  I ask myself, "did that happen this week". We were blessed to be a part of some amazing work in the service of God this week.  We have a family in our branch that has four kids one of them keeps getting sick and when you get sick in Ukraine you go to the hospital and not just for overnight but for a week at a time.

Collins and David in the Hospital

So the parents had to take turns staying at the hospital while the other one had to take care of the other three kids.  We watched and participated this week as the Relief Society sprang into action to provide meals and sitting services to help relieve the load on this family. We might be inclined to say well that's just what we do in the church, but here in this country the process of service is not walking across the street to deliver a meal it involves planning your entire day to allow for the 1 to 2 hours of public transportation to and from the persons house or the hospital, then the time to visit and comfort and then there is the trip back to their home.  The family who's boy was in the hospital lives 45 minutes one way from the hospital.  You might say OK that is a challenge, but then you need to realise we have about 40 people that attend each week that includes adults and kids or about seven or eight different families.  When service is rendered here that is all you have to chose from.  They just do it without giving it a thought. These good people don't have a lot but they willing share with each other to make a difference in each others lives. That's what makes them brothers and sisters.  Our eyes have been opened to the real meaning of sacrifice!
Travel is a part of the mission life.  When you look at the missionary records everyone of them says "cannot drive".  The East European area only allows Mission and Temple presidents and their wives to drive. It goes without saying that public transportation is a way of life here (no bikes either).

Public Transportation a beautiful blessing
I love this picture. Fall is here.

Our trip to zone conference this last week entailed getting up at 3:50, getting into a taxi and going to the train station to catch a train at 5:05 AM.  As part of that experience miracles do take place. On Tuesday, the Elders ordered the taxi in plenty of time to make our train. When the taxi didn't show up at the scheduled time, they began to worry and called the taxi company back.  They were told the driver couldn't find them.  It turned out that the taxi company they called was in Kyiv, not Vinnistya.  Oops.

In Kyiv ready for Zone Conference

So they ran out into the street and flagged down the first taxi they saw.  The driver made the 20 minute trip in under 15 minutes and we got to the train station in just enough time to catch the train. When the train stops at our town it stops for about 3-5 minutes so there is no room for being late. To conclude the miracle of transportation, after the conference we had to take a 45 minute taxi ride back to the train station.  By the time we got into the taxi after zone conference we only had 40 minutes to get to the train station.  We arrived with just minutes to spare and as I boarded the train I noticed my camera was missing. We called the taxi driver.  He parked his taxi and ran into the train station.  The train station is gigantic so he had to run most of a 1/2 mile to give me back my camera just as the train was pulling out. So yes, miracles are a daily happening here in the mission field. Zone conference was amazing.  To see all the new missionaries and feel the energy just makes your heart happy.

The Elders are alway eager to eat.  The office
Couple, Elder and Sister Callister, are the best!
They work so hard to make everything
perfect!

Taxi Selfie and also the reason I left my camera in the taxi

President Packer talked about the elders and sisters locking
their hearts while serving on a mission.
It was our 37th wedding anniversary this day and our
hearts are locked together for eternity

Our Elders gave us an anniversary treat on the way home on
the train.  Our first Kinder chocolate egg with a treat inside.

After this next transfer all the missionaries that were here before President Packer came will be home.  At present, every elder in our mission is training, that includes the AP's and Zone leaders. The next transfer will require all those same elders to continue to train and also about 5 missionaries that have only been in the field for 6 weeks to also be training.  These young people are prepared and are serving well.
This week we had a celebration of the conclusion of a Humanitarian project that we started about the first of June. It involved a hospital and the renovation of the fourth floor of the building. The city donated money to redo the interior of the building and the church donated about $25,000.00 to purchase beds, night stands, mattress, special orthopaedic bed cushions, oxygenators, EKG machines, and many other items.

The Humanitarian couple, the Wood's, came on Wednesday night so that they could be here for the early morning celebration.  We had a nice dinner with them that night and had a girl, that just got baptised a few weeks ago, over for a new member lesson.

Dinner with the Wood's and Yuri

It was a wonderful lesson.  The young lady is being tested in many ways. She was given all kinds of Anti Mormon literature to help her see the error in her ways.  But she testified to us that she knows what she knows and it is true, so what else matters.  She has a long bumpy road ahead but with her faith she will be able to overcome.
On Thursday morning, just as we were getting ready to go to the hospital, we got a call that said the dedication was moved back so we had a nice lunch with the Wood's and their driver Yuri.  Yuri is a returned missionary and speaks great English.  He was a big help the night before during the lesson with our new convert.  He spoke to her heart and helped her feel the spirit.  The dedication was wonderful.  They had TV News people there and the Area Director of all hospitals was in attendance. Elder Wood's (former Mayor of Clearfield Utah) did a great job making everyone feel at home.  The staff that was present and was just kind of hanging out in the back ground. He told the director facilities and equipment are nice but the most important thing is the people.  That's what makes the hospital, not the building or equipment.  He insisted that all the staff be included in the photo shoot. They were really shocked and impressed.

Picture taken in June at the start of the project

Picture in same location at the completion of the project
Wow what a difference.  Elder and Sister Wood are in the front
in a suit his wife in on his left and the lady in next to her
is our amazing Relief Society President who has co-ordinated
everything.  The staff was so pleased to be included in the photo

rooms before project

New Rooms with church supplied bed and night stands

RS President stands by
 oxygenator and EKG all provided by
the church

 As part of the ceremony Elder Woods presented the hospital a framed picture of the Master Healer returning the sight to a blind man.  He said it is only fitting that the Master Healer be included in the hallways of this hospital.

The Master Healer

Hospital administrator with the Woods Placing picture on wall

Our favourite part of the weeks happens on Tuesday and Friday afternoon, that is when we work with the city kids that are part of the Poor of the Poorest Project.  We have the opportunity to teach them English.  They are so hungry for knowledge. They come eager to learn and I think we teach in a much different style than they are use to at their local schools.  We try to have lots of get out of your seat activities and the kids respond very well to this learning style.  The Elders enjoy working with us and provide needed language support. Most of the kids speak very little English.

Elders teaching the alphabet. "This is an L for Lion"

The Wood's are also doing another Humanitarian project to bring much needed items to these families.  In the next month or so we will be delivering beds, refrigerators, desks, computers, and other needed items to support these families.
As you can tell from this very long blog we are having a great time.  It is such a blessing to be serving with these good people we are the ones being taught and it is our testimonies that are being strengthened.  It is impossible to call serving a mission a sacrifice.

local youth art show in city center

very creative people

Paper Dragon made out of 1000's of pieces of folder paper

Ribbon flowers

Wedding cars decorated and ready to celebrate

Yes we miss our kids and certain things that we can't get here, but the blessings far out weigh any sacrifice on our part.  Besides, with Skype and FaceTime, we visit with our kids all the time. So go to your bishop and beg him to send you on a mission and if you're not in a situation to serve right now, prepare yourself for the future when you can.  It is never to early to start the preparation process.  You don't have to travel abroad.   Erik was telling us last night that in Salt Lake City they have couples who live at home and serve Inner City missions where they become a part of inner city wards that are struggling and assist the bishop in making a difference.

Blessings of working with wonderful people. First counselor
and his family, Branch mission leader, and New convert

 What a blessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives. We love you all and wish you the best.  Our ponderization scripture this week was 1 Nephi 3:7, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded them."  So with that in mind, find your way to serve and the Lord will bless you.
All of our love Elder and Sister Mikkelsen

PS here is a picture of our Baby soon to be 7 months old. She is crawling all over the place and starting to talk.