Year round Nativity

Week or January 3-10, 2016
Merry Christmas again, on Thursday we celebrated the Christmas that is traditional here, but we explained all that before. On Friday we decided it was time to take down the decorations that have been up much longer than we normally have them up.  As we put away the last few things it seemed so empty and there laying on the table ready to be boxed up was the Nativity.  Janet said "we need to leave this up".

This is our Nativity the statue in the middle is a very famous
landmark here in town this is miniature replica of it.

May we all keep the Savior in our lives all year long

She was totally right. Often it is the case that as the Christmas season ends and the New Years is celebrated we put away the Christmas decorations and sometimes I wonder if we put the Savior in some carefully wrapped box in the back of our mind and don't allow him to be a focus in our lives.  Our challenge to both you and us is to keep the Savior available in our lives. Let us focus continually on His wonderful gift of salvation and redemption.  This year we are going to strive to keep the Savior in the front of our lives and what better way than to have the Nativity there to remind us.
It has been another week of adventure for us. After last Sunday night and Monday mornings power outage (self inflicted) we got all our necessary p-day projects out of the way. We were blessed to have our two wonderful sisters from the area come over to practice English. We had a long conversation about their goals and desires and how to decide what they should do. We had the opportunity to talk about the process of receiving revelation for our lives and referenced D&C 9:7-9 where the formula for receiving answers to prayer was given to Oliver Cowdery. The young people here face some very difficult challenges and are so determined to do what the Lord would have them do.  What a blessing it is in our life to be able to share with them our testimony.

Taco soup yummy

Some of the kids and Institute director waving in the back

Sveta and her brother Igor

Tuesday night we hosted the YSA Family Home Evening and had 13 show up for the food and activities.  Taco soup is always a big hit.  It would be even a bigger hit if they had Fritos in this country.  We discussed setting the essential goals and pursuing them everyday.

We had lots of great snow on Monday and Tuesday this is our
balcony and the court yard below

Wednesday brought our second Christmas eve.  We went out and watched how the Ukrainians celebrate it.  The city center was packed with people all bundled up against the cold.

We just love the architecture here so many fun buildings

Detail of building pictured above

More detail of same building

They had display booths set up from the different churches depicting their view of the nativity.  Performing groups were singing and everyone was in the holiday spirit.

Now this is a live Nativity/ petting zoo

Different churches Nativity story display

Large bales of hay made this structure

Fun holiday gifts for sale everywhere

If you touch the nose it brings good luck.  Notice how shine
the nose is on this statue lots of people take advantage of this tradition 

On Christmas day we had District meeting and then the Zone got together to go out Christmas caroling. We also had two birthdays in our zone so Sister Mikkelsen made her Ukrainian famous chocolate cake and I did spiced hot apple juice.

Famous Chocolate cake happy birthday in English and Kazie

Birthday boys doing the honors

Happy Birthday Elder Christoferson (left) Elder Kudaibergen (Right)

The down side to the activity is that we had 6 inches of snow a few days before the Christmas day and on Thursday (Christmas day) it rained and rained. So we were soggy christmas carolers but we did not let the rain dampen our spirits.

The soggy singers

 As we sang some of the missionaries handed out the proclamation on families. What a wonderful gift that would be if everyone in the world followed that inspired document. A gift to the Savior and a gift to their families.
Taking care of apartments is a fun new part of our job here in this area.  We had to renegotiate the sisters contract and were blessed with the fact that the Landlord spoke pretty good English.  We also have been busy trying to get all the 72 hour kits up to par.  It is a huge temptation for the missionaries to borrow from those bags during the year.  But all the kits are now in the apartments and complete.

This is what it looked like the day before the rain

All bundled up and keeping warm

 President Packer came to town on Saturday to do interviews with the missionaries we had the opportunity to visit with him and get some inspired direction.  There are so many things that need to be done it has been difficult to focus on one.  He has given us some specific direction now and so our focus is a little sharper on the things that we need to do. After our interview with him we got on the Electricka train which is a regular train that only has bench seats and stops at every town and pot hole in the road.

The train route to Kodyma from Odesa 5 hours

Inside the train car

selfie with Elder Simmons

Elder Gladwell trying to read Russian BofM for entire 5 hour
train ride.  He wants to finish the BofM before his 6 month mark.
Only a few more days to go.

So, after 5 hours, we reached our destination of a small town northwest of us called, Kodyma. We stayed in a small motel for the night and then on Sunday took a taxi out to a small branch called Fedorivka. This branch was started by the old district president who decided he wanted to buy a Dacha (summer home). After they bought it they couldn't sleep until they decided to move there and live. So he and several of his relatives moved out to that area to live and a new branch of the church was begun.  They meet in his home and every week they have to move the furniture out so that chairs can be set up for church and when it is over they move everything back.

The Fedorivka chapel on Sunday, it is the branch presidents bedroom
the rest of the week. 

 One set of elders are assigned there.  It is a service only area and so they ride the train out Tuesday morning and then come back to Odessa on Sunday night.  They stay in the motel room in Kodyma and take a taxi out each day to help the people.  One of our assignments was to look at a house and property that President Packer would like the church to own.

interior view of one of the buildings we inspected

This is a large room that is in one of the building on the property

 He would like to assign a senior couple to live out there and teach the people how to farm and make their lives better.  There was quite a bit of snow but we made the trek out to the house and did an inspection.  It looks like a lot of work but it would be a great blessing to the branch and the village.  So if there is anyone out there looking for a great adventure, I know just the place where you could bless many lives, especially your own.
Well, besides the 5 hour train ride back home late Sunday night, that pretty much sums up our week of adventure.

Kodyoma Train station waiting for the long ride home

 The days just seem to fly by and we are so blessed to be able to serve in this wonderful area. So if any of you are bored, no need to be, just fill out that senior missionary application and come on out, the water is fine and you will love it.
All of our love Elder and Sister Mikkelsen

Corn Husker Cheerleader

All dressed up and ready to go