Happy Mother's Day!

The Week of May 2-8

I love Springtime in Ukraine!  And I especially love the flowers

This is a flower spot at the big market where we buy fresh
vegetables.  Theres beautiful flowers everywhere.

just a pretty garden spot on the way to somewhere.

It's almost summer and the tourist crowds are already starting
to pour into town.  In preparation, restaurants everywhere have
expanded out.  There's tables and chairs under an awning
outside almost every restaurant, at least here in the center of
town.

This one is outside an awesome French restaurant - cute
little gazebos.

We assume this is an Easter egg representing the
fragile nature of Mother earth.

We've been waiting all  winter to see what the fountains look like.

Springtime in Odessa.  Part of spring cleaning here must be
remodling.  This is an underground walkway that has shops
on every wall.  a few weeks ago we walked through it and
everything had been ripped out and they are putting it all back
in new.  When they remodel around here they just shut the
whole business down for a month and reopen when its done.
our favorite restaurant has been closed forever.  They opened
just in time for us to take Daniel and Sonina there.

I think this was one of those weeks or preparation- a lot of getting ready for stuff ahead. These are necessary but not nearly as exciting.  Therefore, we'll just show the highlights.

Monday was- the Day after Easter.  This is our traditional after Easter Breakfast.

Our guests last Sunday brought us 2 of these cakes.  We ate
one.

The other became breakfast.  Pasca Cake French Toast!

The first of the month chores

Thankful for church water filtration systems
#1 filter every two months #2 every Six and
the number one once a year.  this is what two
months of water filtration looks like

Tuesday we had Zone Meeting.  We were masterfully taught by the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders from Matthew 5 and 2 Nephi 31.  They counseled us to burn these chapters into our hearts.  I found some great commentary.  In a few short verses, our Savior taught us the path to perfection!

President Thomas S. Monson spoke of the Sermon on the Mount and the Galilean hillside where it took place: “Here it was that the greatest person who ever lived delivered the greatest sermon ever given—the Sermon on the Mount” (“The Way Home,” Ensign, May 1975, 15). As the Savior began His Galilean ministry, He declared that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17), and then in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5–7) taught doctrines and principles of righteousness that govern the lives of those who belong to His kingdom and lead to happiness and eventual perfection.

President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) taught:
“In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, … and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives. … In that matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given us eight distinct ways by which we might receive [real] joy. Each of his declarations is begun by the word ‘Blessed.’ … These declarations of the Master are known in the literature of the Christianworld as the Beatitudes. … They embody in fact the constitution for a perfect life” 

I love the Bible videos.  Here is a link to one from Matthew 5 that helps me to feel the love behind the council.  https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/sermon-on-the-mount-the-beatitudes?lang=eng

Then from 2 Nephi 31 we were taught the Doctrine of Christ.

Nephi’s final writings encompass what he defined as “the doctrine of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:2, 21; 32:6). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
“In the Book of Mormon, ‘the doctrine of Christ’ is simple and direct. It focuses on the first principles of the gospel exclusively, including an expression of encouragement to endure, to persist, to press on. Indeed, it is in the clarity and simplicity of ‘the doctrine of Christ’ that its impact is found. …
“… The doctrine of Christ is not complicated. It is profoundly, beautifully, single-mindedly clear and complete” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 49–50, 56).
Strive to focus your life upon the simple but profound aspects of the doctrine of Christ that will bring you the companionship and guidance of the Holy Ghost and eternal happiness and joy.

It's not complicated.  It's beautiful, clear, and complete and will help us to endure, persist and press on.  So glad they encouraged us to study and learn from these great chapters.  Well, hopefully we learned.  We'll see.

Love the Odesa Zone

Wednesday and Thursday we  had a lot of fun as we helped a missionary going the the Baltic States get his shopping done.  Shops here are small and have limited inventory.  In each shop they had to take down a display to get what we needed.  He needed 5 shirts so we had to go to 3 stores to get them all.  We got a few things at 7K (the huge outdoor market).  There, when you need a belt, you look for an aisle of shops that just sell belts, or just suitcases, or whatever.  It's always an adventure!

He looked great in his new clothes!  He will be a
great missionary!

These are internet shots.  Each one of those colored squares is
a container shop.  Thousands of shops and thousands of people.
You'd think you would always be lost but, someone says,
"I know a shop..."  and they lead you right to it.  It doesn't take
long to learn your way around.

Our wonderful Elders teaching English class.  We got to teach
on Saturday.  it's a lot of fun.

We were in a hurry one day so stopped for a bite :) 

We sat outside at the new tables.  This was ti decoration.

At first we weren't sure what these guys were doing but then
realized they were parked at a Charging station

Ned loves to watch the cats.  This one sits 3 floors
up and watches the birds.

Last night was the highlight of the week so far.  We were able to talk to Jacob (the boys joined in too)  for a few minutes.  He looked so good.  Daniel says his Spanish if great and he's loving the work in Mexico. We only had 45 minutes.  I wish it had been and hour and 45 minutes.  Love my Boys!

Let me end with minute about our wonderful Mother's.  What amazing women!  We were so blessed to have the best!  Both are such creative, extremely intelligent and talented women who spent their whole lives working to make life wonderful for their families.  They are beautiful, gracious women, who love the Lord and are ever and always in out hearts.

I said I love my boys.  Well, I love their wives (and wife to be) as well.   They too, are beautiful, extremely intelligent and talented women who are making life wonderful for my boys.  Happy Mother's Day, Kelsey.  You are an amazing mother!  And Happy Future Mother's Day, Erika and Sonina!

Have a great week!
Love
the Miks