Hello Family and Friends!!
Well only one more week and I will be boarding a plane and heading off to the UKRAINE!!! This past week has been so amazing here in the MTC! So first off we got our travel plans last Thursday! We were going crazy when we got them. Its a big deal because its like all we look forward to for the past 8 weeks. So my travel plans look a little like this:
Leave MTC May 28 at 4 am
Leave SLC at 7:50am
Arrive in DC at 2 pm local time
Leave DC at 5:35 pm local time
Arrive in Vienna, Austria May 29 at 8:35 am local time
Leave Vienna at 9:45 am local time
ARRIVE IN KIEV at 12:40 pm local time!!!!!
I am seriously so stoked and cant wait to get over there. I know it is going to be a very long journey but It is going to be so much fun. We have 18 missionaries traveling with us to our mission on the same day. There is 6 Elders and 12 Sisters! Also this week we got our new Russian name tags! We were waiting to get them forever and were so stoked when we finally got them. I will send a pic of my new tags!
Well this past week was so awesome. First off last Tuesday we had another amazing devotional! Elder Nelson from the Quorum of the Twelve came and spoke to us! It was so amazing to have another Apostle come and talk to us. He was so amazing. As soon as he walked into the room everyone just stood and went silent. There was such an overwelming feeling of the spirit when he walked into the room. I am so grateful to get to have two apostles while I was here at the MTC! Also the choir which I was a part of, sang Come Thou Font!! It was seriously so cool and such a good experience to get to sing infront of an apostle again.
On Wednesday my companion was pretty sick so we just stayed back all day and didnt go to class. I pretty much just studied and hung around all day. It was pretty fun.
On Saturday we got to skype with Russians again and teach them a 40 minute lesson. It was so much fun again to get to talk with natives and hear about their conversion story. So we asked him how did you find the church? and he went off for like 5 minutes in Russian about his conversion. My companion and I just sat there and nodded our heads. Then after he asked us if we understood what he said. We laughed and said just a little. He then told the whole story in English. haha. It was a pretty amazing story. None of his family accepted the Gospel but he did at 16 then served a mission in Kiev! It was cool to ask him because basically every single member in Eastern Europe and Russian are converts to the church since the church is so new to that area.
So on Sunday my companion and I got "released" as zone leaders.They dont really call it getting released because it is not realling a calling you get set apart for since we are already set apart as Missionaries. So yah Sunday was our last day and we had to hand down the torch. It was seriously such an amazing experience to get to serve as District Leader and Zone Leader while here at the MTC! I seriously learned so much while serving. I learned that I need to forget about myself while I am out here and worry about others and care and love for others. My Zone here at the MTC definetly has something special about it. Everyone just got along so well and looked out for each other. It made our duties a little easier. But I got to meet with my branch presidency on Sunday by myself and how special that was. I absolutely love them so much. They taught me so much since being here and i was lucky to get to become such good friends with them. They find it hard since we have so many missionaries to get to know everyone but since we worked with them every week, my relationship with them is amazing.
Well I guess this will be the last time hearing from me until I am in the Ukraine. Good bye America for the next 22 months!!! I cant believe how fast my time has flown here at the MTC! I loved every single minute of the MTC and especially all the friends that I made. I learned so much while being here it is ridiculous. The spirit is so strong here at the MTC and I am just constantly learning whether it is Russian or about Gospel principles. I am just constantly feeling the spirit and feeling good. Well I hope everyone back home or where ever you may be is doing well. I love all of you so much. I couldnt be doing this without all of you. Thanks for all the support everyone. I wish I could write about 30 individual letters but I just dont have the time. I love you all so much. I know that this church is true. I know that I am here on a mission for a reason. Its not for me its for the people of the Ukraine. I am here to help bring them unto Christ. I am just here to deliver the message while the Spirit does the teaching. Once again I love you all so much!
Love,
Elder Grochmal
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