WOW what a Week

Week of October 12-18, 2015
WWW=Wow What a Week!  As you serve in the mission field one week just blends into another and you just keep having these amazing experiences.  As I look back on my journal this past week I'm astounded by the things I read.  I ask myself, "did that happen this week". We were blessed to be a part of some amazing work in the service of God this week.  We have a family in our branch that has four kids one of them keeps getting sick and when you get sick in Ukraine you go to the hospital and not just for overnight but for a week at a time.

Collins and David in the Hospital

So the parents had to take turns staying at the hospital while the other one had to take care of the other three kids.  We watched and participated this week as the Relief Society sprang into action to provide meals and sitting services to help relieve the load on this family. We might be inclined to say well that's just what we do in the church, but here in this country the process of service is not walking across the street to deliver a meal it involves planning your entire day to allow for the 1 to 2 hours of public transportation to and from the persons house or the hospital, then the time to visit and comfort and then there is the trip back to their home.  The family who's boy was in the hospital lives 45 minutes one way from the hospital.  You might say OK that is a challenge, but then you need to realise we have about 40 people that attend each week that includes adults and kids or about seven or eight different families.  When service is rendered here that is all you have to chose from.  They just do it without giving it a thought. These good people don't have a lot but they willing share with each other to make a difference in each others lives. That's what makes them brothers and sisters.  Our eyes have been opened to the real meaning of sacrifice!
Travel is a part of the mission life.  When you look at the missionary records everyone of them says "cannot drive".  The East European area only allows Mission and Temple presidents and their wives to drive. It goes without saying that public transportation is a way of life here (no bikes either).

Public Transportation a beautiful blessing
I love this picture. Fall is here.

Our trip to zone conference this last week entailed getting up at 3:50, getting into a taxi and going to the train station to catch a train at 5:05 AM.  As part of that experience miracles do take place. On Tuesday, the Elders ordered the taxi in plenty of time to make our train. When the taxi didn't show up at the scheduled time, they began to worry and called the taxi company back.  They were told the driver couldn't find them.  It turned out that the taxi company they called was in Kyiv, not Vinnistya.  Oops.

In Kyiv ready for Zone Conference

So they ran out into the street and flagged down the first taxi they saw.  The driver made the 20 minute trip in under 15 minutes and we got to the train station in just enough time to catch the train. When the train stops at our town it stops for about 3-5 minutes so there is no room for being late. To conclude the miracle of transportation, after the conference we had to take a 45 minute taxi ride back to the train station.  By the time we got into the taxi after zone conference we only had 40 minutes to get to the train station.  We arrived with just minutes to spare and as I boarded the train I noticed my camera was missing. We called the taxi driver.  He parked his taxi and ran into the train station.  The train station is gigantic so he had to run most of a 1/2 mile to give me back my camera just as the train was pulling out. So yes, miracles are a daily happening here in the mission field. Zone conference was amazing.  To see all the new missionaries and feel the energy just makes your heart happy.

The Elders are alway eager to eat.  The office
Couple, Elder and Sister Callister, are the best!
They work so hard to make everything
perfect!

Taxi Selfie and also the reason I left my camera in the taxi

President Packer talked about the elders and sisters locking
their hearts while serving on a mission.
It was our 37th wedding anniversary this day and our
hearts are locked together for eternity

Our Elders gave us an anniversary treat on the way home on
the train.  Our first Kinder chocolate egg with a treat inside.

After this next transfer all the missionaries that were here before President Packer came will be home.  At present, every elder in our mission is training, that includes the AP's and Zone leaders. The next transfer will require all those same elders to continue to train and also about 5 missionaries that have only been in the field for 6 weeks to also be training.  These young people are prepared and are serving well.
This week we had a celebration of the conclusion of a Humanitarian project that we started about the first of June. It involved a hospital and the renovation of the fourth floor of the building. The city donated money to redo the interior of the building and the church donated about $25,000.00 to purchase beds, night stands, mattress, special orthopaedic bed cushions, oxygenators, EKG machines, and many other items.

The Humanitarian couple, the Wood's, came on Wednesday night so that they could be here for the early morning celebration.  We had a nice dinner with them that night and had a girl, that just got baptised a few weeks ago, over for a new member lesson.

Dinner with the Wood's and Yuri

It was a wonderful lesson.  The young lady is being tested in many ways. She was given all kinds of Anti Mormon literature to help her see the error in her ways.  But she testified to us that she knows what she knows and it is true, so what else matters.  She has a long bumpy road ahead but with her faith she will be able to overcome.
On Thursday morning, just as we were getting ready to go to the hospital, we got a call that said the dedication was moved back so we had a nice lunch with the Wood's and their driver Yuri.  Yuri is a returned missionary and speaks great English.  He was a big help the night before during the lesson with our new convert.  He spoke to her heart and helped her feel the spirit.  The dedication was wonderful.  They had TV News people there and the Area Director of all hospitals was in attendance. Elder Wood's (former Mayor of Clearfield Utah) did a great job making everyone feel at home.  The staff that was present and was just kind of hanging out in the back ground. He told the director facilities and equipment are nice but the most important thing is the people.  That's what makes the hospital, not the building or equipment.  He insisted that all the staff be included in the photo shoot. They were really shocked and impressed.

Picture taken in June at the start of the project

Picture in same location at the completion of the project
Wow what a difference.  Elder and Sister Wood are in the front
in a suit his wife in on his left and the lady in next to her
is our amazing Relief Society President who has co-ordinated
everything.  The staff was so pleased to be included in the photo

rooms before project

New Rooms with church supplied bed and night stands

RS President stands by
 oxygenator and EKG all provided by
the church

 As part of the ceremony Elder Woods presented the hospital a framed picture of the Master Healer returning the sight to a blind man.  He said it is only fitting that the Master Healer be included in the hallways of this hospital.

The Master Healer

Hospital administrator with the Woods Placing picture on wall

Our favourite part of the weeks happens on Tuesday and Friday afternoon, that is when we work with the city kids that are part of the Poor of the Poorest Project.  We have the opportunity to teach them English.  They are so hungry for knowledge. They come eager to learn and I think we teach in a much different style than they are use to at their local schools.  We try to have lots of get out of your seat activities and the kids respond very well to this learning style.  The Elders enjoy working with us and provide needed language support. Most of the kids speak very little English.

Elders teaching the alphabet. "This is an L for Lion"

The Wood's are also doing another Humanitarian project to bring much needed items to these families.  In the next month or so we will be delivering beds, refrigerators, desks, computers, and other needed items to support these families.
As you can tell from this very long blog we are having a great time.  It is such a blessing to be serving with these good people we are the ones being taught and it is our testimonies that are being strengthened.  It is impossible to call serving a mission a sacrifice.

local youth art show in city center

very creative people

Paper Dragon made out of 1000's of pieces of folder paper

Ribbon flowers

Wedding cars decorated and ready to celebrate

Yes we miss our kids and certain things that we can't get here, but the blessings far out weigh any sacrifice on our part.  Besides, with Skype and FaceTime, we visit with our kids all the time. So go to your bishop and beg him to send you on a mission and if you're not in a situation to serve right now, prepare yourself for the future when you can.  It is never to early to start the preparation process.  You don't have to travel abroad.   Erik was telling us last night that in Salt Lake City they have couples who live at home and serve Inner City missions where they become a part of inner city wards that are struggling and assist the bishop in making a difference.

Blessings of working with wonderful people. First counselor
and his family, Branch mission leader, and New convert

 What a blessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives. We love you all and wish you the best.  Our ponderization scripture this week was 1 Nephi 3:7, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded them."  So with that in mind, find your way to serve and the Lord will bless you.
All of our love Elder and Sister Mikkelsen

PS here is a picture of our Baby soon to be 7 months old. She is crawling all over the place and starting to talk.

We Love Conference!

Week of October 5-11, 2015

The last pond with water still in it.  The rest have dried up.
Starting to show the fall colors

What a great week! Time goes by so fast that its hard to remember all that happens.  I guess that can be good or bad.  We'll call it good!  We started the week harvesting potatoes and ended it watching conference.  I know.  Conference was last week, but rather than staying up till 1:00 AM, we opted to watch it with the branch.
Had a lot of fun harvesting potatoes.  Everything is always more fun when you are doing it for someone else.

Just getting started

Harvesting Florida-style :)

Here we see it done with a Nevada/Kazac flare

Elder кудайберген

Finished!

A perfect example of Ukrainian generosity.  She is packaging
produce for us to take back to share with Branch members.

Tuesday we went out to another village to check on members and found a sweet sister and her husband out harvesting, an untranslated as yet, vegetable.  Since we had told her we would come out the next week to help, we grabbed shovels and knifes and dug in.  If anyone recognizes said vegetable, let us know what it is.  They use them to feed their cows.  They look like huge, elongated, white or red or orange beets or turnips.  We only made it through a couple piles before we had to leave so we told them we'd come back the next day.  Such gracious people.  If you come to help, you can't leave without being fed,( even if you are more trouble that you are worth) and you leave with half of the farm in tow.

This shows how far we had to go

What are these?

Tak, what did we do the rest of the week? We fed the Zone leaders, watched our green elders who have only been here 3 weeks teach amazing, spirit-filled lessons at English class, taught a couple other children's english classes, did some visiting, some of which was heart breaking and some wonderful, went to a great District meeting where we were challenged to ponder on why we are here on a mission and what we need to do to help ourselves and our investigators to progress, and one of our favourite parts of each week is our visit with our dear Alexandra.

Zone leader with Elder Snow from Colorado who is new to the mission

 If we ever learn any of this language, it will be because of Alexandra.  I wish we knew how to express our gratitude to her and to Zina.  Zina was amazing this week.  It was so cold while we were topping beets but this city girl just dug in and made it enjoyable for all of us.  Sister Rosa was so nervous to have us come because she didn't know how she would talk to us but Zina, one more time, worked her magic.
Thursday we had out last SKYPE tutoring session from the Provo Senior MTC.  Can't believe we have already worked with them 6 months.  I guess, when anyone listens to us try to speak the language they wouldn't believe we have been working for a year on the language either.  We get a lot of smiles, laughs, and nods at all our attempts, and sometimes get discouraged, but we will still keep plugging along.  Whatever level we reach by the time we leave will be well worth the effort.

Saturday we were finally able to watch Conference.  I love Conference!  It seems like every time we watch we say that this was the best conference, ever and so it was this time.  We watched 2 sessions Saturday with a Ukrainian break in between sessions.  That means juice, treats, and lively conversation. Then the same thing on Sunday.  One of my favourite talks was by Elder Maynes on Saturday morning.  He taught that a potter must have his clay perfectly centered on the wheel before he starts to make a pot or the clay will splatter everywhere instead of taking shape.  Its the same with our lives.  If our lives are centered on the Savior, they will have form and bring us joy.

 It reminded me of that scripture in Ephesians 4:13-14.
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"  
"If our lives are centered in Jesus Christ, He can successfully mold us into who we need to be in order to return to His and Heavenly Father’s presence in the celestial kingdom. The joy we experience in this life will be in direct proportion to how well our lives are centered on the teachings, example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

Saturday, after conference, and cleaning the church, we headed out to introduce the Elders to one of the villages and to pick some amazing apples.

Elder Mikkelsen manned the grill 

Not camera shy or head butting shy!

These are the Baazzz Baazzz the elder sheared them several weeks ago

Famous Ukrainian Apple They are wonderful

Good food and good company. We had a lesson on attending
church on Sunday We were so excited to see Sasha there!

Tak, the end of a great week spent with wonderful people.  Hope you had a great one too.
Love from the Miks

The Twelve Tribes

Week of September 28- October 4, 2015
What a blessing to be here on Earth in these last days.  We are so blessed to be working with these wonderful people here in the Northern Country.  Every time we ask someone what tribe they are from we find a person from one of the 12 tribes we have never heard of before.  We have different people over for dinner each week. We are trying to invite all the members of the branch over, enjoy dinner together and then they share with us their amazing stories of conversion and the blessings of the gospel.  In two weeks we had people from six of the twelve tribes(14) over for dinner. They included the tribe of Mannasseh, Dan, Ruben, Naphtali, Benjamin, and of course Ephraim.  We hope to host the rest of the tribes while we serve here.  

We are ticking them off as they visit for dinner

The bottom line is that the 10 tribes are not lost.  They are right here learning the gospel and faithfully serving their Heavenly Father.  We had a visit this past Sunday from the first Counselor in the mission Presidency.  President Lobada is a very spiritual man.  The men here, who understand the gospel, take the concept of service to an entirely different level.  This man is a perfect example of that.  He has such a strong testimony of the gospel and is not hesitant in sharing it.  He speaks passable English and leads by example.  He spent two days here in town assisting the Branch President in administrative duties.  On Sunday he spent the entire day here attending all the classes and giving many wonderful testimonies.  On Sunday I prepared a short lesson to introduce the new Apostles to the branch members.  He bore special witness to the group that they were called of God.  He knew a lot about their background and shared things that I had missed. Now you might not think that is very cool but think of the timing.  He was away from home (he lives in Kyiv) and the Apostles were announced after 11 PM Saturday night here in Ukraine.  He had no internet to work with but he was adding to my internet research Sunday morning from his own knowledge. These are the men the Lord is preparing to lead the church in this part of His Kingdom.

Helping Hands branch activity

Vests one size fits most. NOT!

Elders, Branch President, his wife and 1st counselor

Lunch time with the branch

We had a wonderful experience this week that involved a good man from a small village outside of town.  We have been helping him with his house trying to get things fixed up.  This week we took our new elders out to meet him.

Elder Kudiabergen

Elder Albert

Laying in a new floor the Ukrainian way

I'm the cement mixer

Sister Anna puts on a feast

 Elder Kudaibergen who is from Kasikstan said that he would give him a spiritual thought.  Well it was in Russian so I didn't understand much but you could see that the man was a little uncomfortable as he was sharing his spiritual thought with him.  As we left I asked Elder K. what he had said.  He told me that he just told him "Why are you not a member. Your family has been members for almost 15 years. You need to be baptised".  He then challenged him to read the Book of Mormon and come to church.  I didn't think much more about it and just chalked it up to another very zealous elder baring his testimony. But at the end of Sacrament Meeting on Sunday I walked out into the hallway and there was that brother sitting in a chair listening to the meeting.  This is the first time he has been in the building in many years and it takes 45 minutes to get to the church from where he lives.  I guess it was me that was getting the lesson on following the spirit.  Elder Kudaibergen felt that the spirit told him what to say, he said it, and a miracle happened. He left just after I had a chance to shake his hand but he was there that is a wonderful start.

Elder Kudiabergen enjoying a well earned treat

I love conference weekend and was very excited to see who the Lord would choose to replace three wonderful Apostles.

Wonderful new Apostles

What a wonderful blessing to be part of a perfect organization that is lead by the Savior Jesus Christ. It brings comfort to my heart to know that we have a living prophet that is in communication with Him.  What a wonderful journey.  We are on here on this Earth and as we continue faithful we will see many wonderful blessings as the gospel continues to spread forth among the children of men.  So if you're bored with life and need a new challenge retire and go on a mission.

This is the type of things we see every weekend. After couples
get married they drive all over town honking their horns, stopping
 at all the most beautiful spots for pictures.  We see them all the
time here, in the park by the tower.

This fountain is in the main park by the church. See what you
are missing by not being on a mission!

The missionaries are the best.  We love working with them
These missionaries serve in Cancun you might recognise the
second one from the left.  Elder Mikkelsen is having a great time.

This is our favourite Bakery. They have amazing treats here.

 Not all of you who are reading this can do it right now but you can find a way to make a difference by simply sharing your testimony. As we learn in Preach My Gospel "No effort is Wasted"  Take the opportunity to be a friend and make a difference and you will bless the life of someone special.
Have a great week we love you and are too busy to miss you sorry about that.
Love Elder and Sister Mikkelsen

The statement above is not true.  We do miss all of you
but this is where we need to be right now.