A Candle Stick

Week of November 23-30, 2015
Wonderful week full of wisdom and wonder!  You ask, "Why is that?".  Well, I'll tell you.  This week was Thanksgiving and we hardly even realized that one of our favorite holidays was upon us.  On that blessed day, we had a blessed day.  We had a Zone conference in Kyiv which allowed us to rub shoulders with some of the best people in this world.  Yes, I'm talking about those full time Elders and Sisters.  The church is in good hands.  These are some of the best young people in the world serving here in Ukraine.

Missionaries studying before conference started

This is the two zones from the north.  Odessa Zone not in attendance

President Packer enjoying treats at luncheon

Elder Kovalov "AP" We think a Future General
Authority. He is a great leader.

Sister Barret on the right.  Her grandparents live
in Scenic

 Our trip to Kyiv actually started about five days before. Sister Mikkelsen was asked if she would make rolls for the Zone Conference luncheon that was going to look a lot like a Thanksgiving feast. (that's right we did not have a Thanksgiving Conference we just had a conference on Thanksgiving, big difference you know!)  She was asked to make 150 rolls. She made a 175. It took us and the elders in Vinnistya to get the rolls to the conference.

This is the tree of life.  Pictures of all missionaries
are hung on this tree.

One entire suitcase full of home made frozen rolls. She also made two huge pans of brownies while we were staying with the office couple.  The Callisters are the best people in the world.  We just love spending time with them, we love having sleepovers at their apartment whenever we can.  We stayed with them Wednesday and Thursday night.  Our Elders also camped out at their apartment on Thursday night.

The Callisters and our elders after a sleep over at Callisters

 Early on Thursday morning we made our way over to the Temple site which also houses a large chapel.  The Elders had almost everything set up before we got there.

 President Packer set the tone of the conference by talking about light and how we are the light to the wonderful people of Ukraine.  His amazing wife continued by encouraging us to to not get depressed this time of year when the light of the sun does not shine a lot. She entreated us to let our light shine so that others could see it and know that that light is special.
We are each placed on a candle stick so that we can let our light shine so that the entire world can see the truth of the gospel.

How's your light, and can it be moved where it is needed?

 We don't have to be on a mission to be that light to the world.  Each and everything we do transmits our light to others.  We are praying that we will be a strong light here as we serve in Ukraine.  One thing about a candle stick is that it holds the light and can be moved from one location to another so that it is in the area where it is needed.  President Packer has informed us that he is moving our candle stick this next week.  We are being transferred to Odessa.  It is home to over 1,000,000 people  the fifth largest city in Ukraine and is in the south right against the Black sea.

Kyiv Mission

This is where we will be next week

 Our apartment will be about four blocks from the sea. The couple that was there just left for home and he feels like we need to go down and continue to work with the five branches that are located in that area.  This will be quite a change from our current assignment and I just hope that our light is bright enough to make a difference down there.  Moving from this wonderful town is very difficult.  We have grown to love and respect the people here.  They are true pioneer saints of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will miss them dearly.
Sunday was the Primary program.  Sister Alla and Sister Mikkelsen have been working hard to get them ready for the program and it was just wonderful, the spirit was strong.

Primary kids practicing for program

We had combined Relief Society and Priesthood for the fifth Sunday.  President Bondranko and Brother Koshalev gave the most inspired presentation on reverence.  They showed the Bible Video "The Last Supper".  As they showed the video they would stop it and ask questions about what was happening and how it related to the sacrament.  I will give one example.  As the movie starts you see the apostles walking in a line and entering the upper room.  As they entered, they each touched the Mezuzah.

Mezuzah

Savior Reverently touches Mezuzah as he enters the Upper Room

As the Savior entered, He reverently touched the Mezuzah, which contains special passages from the Torra or Old Testament. He understood and knew at this time, his fait, and was reverently, preparing himself for his ordeal.  They then talked about us.  As we enter the sacrament hall, do we enter with a reverence that is conducive to remembering the great sacrifice that took place so many years ago, or do we come in and visit and catch up on the latest news since we last met?  I was so touched by their presentation, I had to step back and look at my own behavior in this holy place.  These people are so close to the spirit.  They know and love the Savior.
The other day we went to a members home and she presented us with a picture she had painted of a Ukrainian Dacha (old farmhouse)

This is the Picture that the wonderful sister painted for us.

this is so representative of the area where we have been serving.  We love and will miss working in the small villages here in this area. That a blessing it has been serving in this area and what wonderful adventures await us in Odessa.
As the Lord moves your candle stick around in this life we pray that each of you will continue to, "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father In Heaven". Matthew 5:16

We had lots of fun pictures this week so here are some of the other things that happened.

Sister Bondranko and Zena at our house sharing
recipes.  They learned how to make Carmel
and Sister Bondranko taught us how to make Vinaigrette.

Ain't it Foggy Outside!

Little kids English Practice.  We learned the
names of clothes.

They got to color their own clothes and write the names
on them. All 20 kids. We will miss these kids!

Even as winter is upon us the temple
grounds refuse to give up all their color.

That's right this is how you would spell
Propane in Russian and that word is pronounced
"Propan" it is called a cognate sound like the real word.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow. I love it when it is
Zero outside "Celsius" 

This greeted us Sunday morning

This is our good neighbor Andrei.  He is the man with the
wonderful pear tree I have mentioned in the past.
When we told him we were moving he agreed to come to dinner.

May you all have a blessed week we love you all!
Elder And Sister Mikkelsen