Sunday, July 24, 2016

The Beginning of the End


Week of July 18-24, 2016
It is the beginning of the end, the winding down, the packing up- no stop it! We still have three weeks. But yes, this week we spent quite a bit of time cleaning and packing things to send to Kyiv to await us till we leave country on August 26.  In two days we will travel to Kyiv and pick up the new couple Elder and Sister Gibbons.  So Tuesday morning we will be leaving our wonderful apartment and moving to a Hotel for eleven nights.  It is a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time helping the Gibbons get oriented to the area and their responsibilities.  Both times on our mission we were dropped off in the area and they wished us luck as they drove away.
OK we are "Seniors"
Of Course there were always missionaries we could call if we got in trouble but that would be a lot like reading an owners manual. What fun would that be.  Sister Mikkelsen is looking forward to not having a kitchen of her own for the next month.  And me, how will I ever get my hands clean if I don't wash dishes a couple of times a day.
He that hath clean hands and a ..... 
One of the blessings of being a missionary is that the Lord qualifies those He Calls!
We have seen that so many times on our mission.  There have been many times when it was not us that was making the decisions. We were just following the direction of the spirit.  This is the Lords work and we are blessed that we have been called.  Yes, there are times when we wish we could be with our kids or grand babies, YES, our little Riley just tugs at our heart strings every time we talk to her.
Our little Riley is reading to her friend
ignore the fact that the book is upside down
But what a legacy is being set when your children and grandchildren see that serving a mission is important.  We have a wonderful opportunity to work with some of the best young people in the church.  Just this week we have taught with them, prayed with them, played with them, traveled with them, felt the spirit with them, and have been taught by them.  They look at us as a Grandma and Grandpa.  I keep reminding them that I have a son on a mission the same age as they are. There is nothing better in this mission than to have one of them ask our advice about different situations and questions they have.  They humbly bless our lives each day.
Missionaries are a blessing to us
This week we had a wonderful zone conference. We provided the lunch, which we love to do.  We love to spoil our missionary Kids.
Us with our kids at Zone Conference they come in all shapes
and sizes
They spent the morning on a contacting scavenger hunt.  They were given a list of challenges, were to go out and contact people to fulfill those challenges and then take pictures as they did them.  I put together a 5 minute video of the pictures they took.  345 pictures were taken by 9 sets of missionaries. I used 71 photos orchestrated to "Called to Serve" and "Hark all Ye Nations".  The balance of the day was spent in additional training and spiritual direction.
Pictures from the Zone activity



This is one of my personal favorites 
The Sisters are such a blessing they touch people that
Elders just can't reach


Sister Johnson is getting the blank stare on this guy
notice the shiny nose touch it for luck!

We need more families in the gospel

 President Packer had one of his companions from his mission with him.  President Hathaway is a stake president in Idaho Falls. He was wonderful as he testified that the mission does not leave a person.  The mantel of the calling leaves but that the desire continues.  He talked about Noah and how the people at that time.  All they had to do was get on the boat.  He then testified that President Packer is the Noah for the Kyiv Ukraine mission and all we need to do is follow his instructions and we will be safe and successful.  So brothers and sisters, lets listen to our local Noah and our world wide church Noah (President Monson) and GET ON THE BOAT!
President Hathaway
On Monday this last week we visited the Odesa Museum of Fine Art. It was very cool. Many wonderful pieces of art were on display.  It was focused on the Ukrainian way of life and culture.  What a fun opportunity to explore the culture a little more.
A scrutinizing art patron

Yes pulling sticks is a Ukrainian thing I wonder how
Joseph Smith would have faired

Even the floor at the Museum was a work of art

The ropes on the horse are very thin pieces of metal

Working in the fields this is where the Ukrainian
Flag comes form the yellow wheat fields
and the blue sky above


We had a special surprise at church today one a family from the Vinnistya area was at church today so we were able to invite them for Sunday dinner.  This is part of a four generation family in the church here in Ukraine.  There are very few of those types of situations here.  We had a wonderful time with them and their kids.  The two of them speak just enough English and our limited Russian it turned out to be a wonderful evening.
We love this family



Of course what would our week be if we didn't have a fun activity with our Young Adults.  On Wednesday we had about 18 kids here at the house and enjoyed a good lesson and fun time together.  We fed them pasta salad and we even had left overs.  That is a rare occasion.  These kids love to eat.
Food helps bring them in
"if you cook it they will come"


Sister Mikkelsen and I took our turn to share a spiritual thought and we used Elder Bednar's talk Bearing up their Burdens with Ease, April 2014 conference. The following is a quote from his talk:
"Each of us also carries a load.  Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints.  Two guiding questions can be helpful as we periodically and prayerfully assess our load.  'Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck? Is the load I am carry creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?'

It's the LOAD
Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness.  Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most."
There are many different loads that are placed upon us that include trials and  responsibilities.  But also part of the load as I see it is the covenant "Load" we took upon ourself at baptism we promised we would take upon us his name, always remember Him, and keep his commandments. That is part of the load. After we go to the temple we make three additional covenants that each of you who have gone to the temple can review in your own mind. The one that I would focus on now is the promise to give all to God.  Our time, talents, and everything.  That is the load we carry. Sometimes we set that load aside and ignore it.  If we do, will we have the Spiritual Traction to get back to our Father? Let us not be diverted from the Lords load and haul around things that will not give us the spiritual traction.
We love our load here in Ukraine and also look forward to changing loads as we return home. As Elder Holland said in one of his talks there is not retirement from serving in the Lords Kingdom. The Savior said: My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 28:11-13.
Remember a yolk allows two oxen to share a load and pull it easier.  If we yolk ourself to the Savior, part of the weight of the load is being drawn by the Savior and I can't think of anyone better to share a load with than Him.
We love you all have a wonderful week. Elder and Sister Mikkelsen


President Packer

Elders solved the Radio Active Containment challenge

Odessa Zone

President Packer and his two AP's
Elder Christofferson and elder Houston

The Radio Active Jar Fun team building activity