Ever Learning

Week of May 30, - June 5, 2016

Sunrise over Odessa
(not really!  Its sunset.  But it looked like
sunrise and that fit better here)

Youth!  They are amazing!  And the ones born now- I know my generation is exceptional, but these kids are exponentially ahead of us.  We are so lucky to be able to spend so much time with them.

New Elders in our area, but not new to us.  The one on the far
right worked with us in Vinnistya

We were on the verge  (and still are) of becoming two old sticks in the mud.  We really haven't seen much of the country, other than what is right in from to us.  It was so much fun to have Daniel and Sonina here, and this last week to have our friend Brooke here to force us out and about.  We haven't been to very many different countries but from what we've seen, there are a lot of similarities but each in their own culturally rich ways.

Brooke and I went for a walk one day looking for the French
quarter.  found this fun gondola type ride from a big hotel
down to the beach.  Beautiful!

Could be anywhere in the world, right!  But beautiful nestled
in this valley by the Black Sea

We are very culturally diverse here

This one looks just like Bryce Canyon!  Sorry, just had
to slip this one in.  Erik spent the weekend in Central
Utah. Lower Calf Creek Falls

We went to Arcadia with Brooke.  It's a tourist area by the seaside.
Kind of like a mini Lagoon- sort-of.  Lots of shops and
restaurants, theme park like rides etc.  She wanted some
gelato.  The shop we found has a partner shop on our street.
All this time we thought we were eating ice cream!

Interesting

Local Huge kids toy store

That's a lot of Legos!

She did a yoga pose each day she was here.
Her last one with her feet in the Black Sea!

Brooke is going to be a blogger.  I don't know why,
but that made me think of this movie (Barbara Stannic
is a journalist maybe that's why) so we watched
it for FHE.  It was more fun to watch Brooke laugh
during the movie than to watch the movie.

The kids changed up Family Home Evening for the summer.  I think it will be great.  One week we have dinner and a lesson.  the next week we'll have a spiritual thought, and activity and just treats!  This week was spiritual thought and just treats!  A huge bowl of fresh pea pods, some fresh strawberries and sweet cherries, and a few cookies- pretty easy treats.  I thought the peas would be the leftovers but, they were the only thing that was finished up.

Love summers at the outdoor market!

Strawberry season

Everyone loves strawberry season!  And now
there's cherries, peas, zucchini!  It's all starting
to come back!

I learned there are more that a few reasons to have treats: to get them to come, to say we love you, to round out an evening, to teach a lesson, or this week, to save the evening.  We were in charge of the spiritual thought and I think the only one that learned a lesson, was me.  Humble pie is not nearly as good as snickerdoodles.  Every time I think I have something to teach these Ukrainian saints, I find they know so much more that I will ever hope to learn.  Someday I will learn that its the Spirit that does the teaching, but I need to be a  worthy conduit.  So grateful for their patience and love and their willingness to come back again and again.

Such amazing youth!

The biggest events of the week came on Sunday.  President and his family were here for mission business so while he was here, he taught the 3rd hour class.  He had a box of treasures but only had time to share 2, what looked like a small cube of wood, maybe 1 1/2 inch square, but on closer inspection, maybe it wasn't wood and a beautiful little butterfly. The cube turned out to be a piece of rhinoceros skin- 1 1/2 inches thick!

This shows how thick a rhinoceros hide is

We need to have tough hides like a rhinoceros instead of having fragile feelings like a butterfly.   He said that if someone came up to him complaining that they had been blinded by the sun shining off his bald head through the whole meeting, he wouldn't be offended because he had a thick skin.  (our translator had a hard time translating that one because he was laughing too hard)  He read some great scriptures.  Sorry.  I can only remember 1.  Ephesians 4:29, but 3 Nephi 11:29 is good as well.

      29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

Later that evening we had Seminary and Institute Graduation.  There were 26 names on the program! Not all could attend because of distance, but it was a really good meeting.

Most of the teachers and Branch Presidents

A little boy taking pictures of Ned

This is a statue of knight girded in his armor
on it is written in Arabic in the knights chainmail
is the story of putting on the whole armor of God

We were asked to just share a quick testimony.  Ned found a great talk from which we used some quotes.  Sister Sherri Dew spoke at the BYU-I graduation a couple weeks ago.  Her speech was very good. http://www.byui.edu/devotionals/sheri-dew
I love these quotes:

You and I are "the weak and the simple," but we are not here now by accident or without the Lord's endorsement. President George Q. Cannon taught that "because of the...magnitude of the work to be accomplished... [it] has required apparently the most valiant men and women to come forth [now]...God has reserved spirits for this dispensation who have the courage and determination to face the world and all the powers of the evil one...and [to] build up the Zion of our God fearless of all consequences."[vi]      
Make no mistake about it: You are here now because in the beginning our Father chose you to be here now. And He has hard work for you to do. 

We have a different view of things that  are happening in America these days.  From far away we quite often shake our heads.  We have a hard work to do.  It s so hard to keep our focus when Satan is so hard at work making things that, in any other age, would not even have been considered, more important in the eyes of the world than the things that are of greater, eternal, importance.  We're so busy putting out big and little fires we have no time for the essential things that will secure us a place in His presence.  I love Elder Maines talk from October Conference  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/the-joy-of-living-a-christ-centered-life?lang=eng
Sometimes I feel that my life is spinning like that potters wheel he spoke of, and everything is splattering all over the walls.  But if we learn to center our clay and focus our lives on what is most important, we will be in control and we can have peace and joy while all around us is splattering everywhere.

The world in which we live is similar to the potter’s spinning wheel, and the speed of that wheel is increasing. Like the clay on the potter’s wheel, we must be centered as well. Our core, the center of our lives, must be Jesus Christ and His gospel. Living a Christ-centered life means we learn about Jesus Christ and His gospel and then we follow His example and keep His commandments with exactness.

     

Looking forward to a great week!  We have two of those amazing youth staying with us for a few days.  Two areas in our mission were switched to a neighboring mission leaving a few companionships homeless.  We were lucky enough to get a 3rd companionship in our area but there's no apartment for them yet.  I hope they're glad they landed here.  They were lucky yesterday.  Lots of leftovers from Sunday dinner with the President! (a sister asked me this week if I had learned how to cook before I got married.  I did.  I have a wonderful mom who taught me so much.  Ned is a lucky man that his wife has such an mother,  Thanks, Mom)
Have a great week,
Love the Miks

Sunset!

We were surprised with a letter from Cancun.  A couple
vacationing there saw Jacob and his companion at church,
took photos and sent a wonderful note telling us about
the good work they are doing there.  I love letters from
Mexico!!!!!