November 18th-24th


Hello family and friends! 

Well another good week here in Odessa. I love it here so much. The weather has been lame. I havent seen the sun in a week. haha. Luckily it is not too cold yet so that is nice. Well my week went a little like this : 

So last tuesday we had district meeting in the morning! Always amazing! I love my new district here. We are the biggest district in the mission with 6 companionships! So crazy. After district meeting we went and did some English advertising and then had a lesson at night with a recent convert. It was really good. 

On Wednesday we did all of our studies in the morning. We then had to do some registration stuff with the apt. We then went over to our church to prepare some stuff for English. English was very good as always. We had a really good amount of people show up! So after English we went to sleep in Center Odessa with Elder Ball and his trainee. Our trainees had to go to a meeting the next day in Kiev so I was going to be with him for a while! 

So Thursday I was with Elder Ball all day! It was just like good old times! haha. We had a lesson in the morning in Center! It was really good. It was with a former investigator man. It seems like he is interested. We talked about the Book of Mormon and how it can really bless and help his life! We then headed back to my area to meet with a less active! It was amazing! He is from Nigeria and is so awesome! I love him so much! We watched a conference talk with him and just talked about it for a while! He has such a strong testimony! Our trainees got home at about 9. So we stayed the night again in Center cause it is far away from home for us. Also Elder Hess brought down my Christmas package for my mom! So awesome! It is soooo big! 

Friday we woke and headed back to our area in the morning! We then studied and did some contacting up until english! So at english I talked to one man for a really long time! He is pretty interested in the church. He speaks awesome english so that is really nice! haha. 

On Saturday we we pretty busy during the day with studies and some advertising! Then at night we went with a member to help him with his home teaching! It was really fun! It is nice to be with the members and build good relationships! So saturday night I was thinking about who I could call to invite to church the next day. So we had this man we met a really long time ago but he told us to not call him until he calls cause he is super busy and has some document issues he is fixing. I just felt like I should text him to remind him about church. I thought nothing of it.

So Sunday morning we get to church and we are greeting people and about 20 mins before the meeting starts I get a call from this man and he asks if church is today and he said to me ok I will be there! So he showed up right on time! It was so awesome! He is also from Nigeria so we sat with him and the other member from Nigeria. After Sacrament they talked for a while and became good friends already! So I talked to him for a while and he told me he really like church. So he used to play soccer every Sunday and couldnt come but he doesnt anymore so he can come! Also he had document problems and all is well with him now! I know that this was a miracle from our Heavenly Father. We are meeting with him tomorrow and I know things are going to be awesome with him! He is such a good guy! I know that the Lord answered my prayers! I am so happy because of that! 

Well Everyone I hope you have an awesome week! I love you all so much! Thanks for everything you do and thanks for the emails! 

Love 

Elder Grochmal 

 I have officially stopped drinking soda... my last drink...

 Made some amazing chili this week

 A senior couple used to live here but Elder Ball is here for this transfer! Ridiculous APT! 

 My package! So big. Dont worry mom the duck tape on there is from me! haha.

 my desk

 Elders Hess, Zuniga, me, Ball 

 My trainee with my trainer! haha. They were both in Kiev! 

November 11th-17th


Hello family and friends! 

What an awesome week! So I got my new trainee! His name is Elder Hess! He is from Fruit Heights, Utah! He is so awesome! He has such a good attitude about the work and he is just ready to do it! It is going to be a very fun transfer! So my whole week went a little like this

Tuesday we had district meeting as always! It was the last one of the transfer! We then went home and starting make pancakes! haha. We had a big branch party at the church and it was a pancake party! It was so fun! We made so many pancakes! It was really successful and lots of people came and ate! 

On wednesday we did all of our studies and then advertised a little for english! We then had english that night! It was good! We then headed to the train station. Our train left at 11 from here. We had about 9 misionaries with us going up. It was a good train ride but I didnt sleep much! 

So we got into Kiev at about 8:20 and had to be at the mission office at 9!! We got a taxi and flew over there and we all were a little late! It was funny cause all of the sudden all the Odessa people walk into the training meeting and President made some jokes about us! haha. We then had a meeting with pres then we got to meet our trainees! It was so cool! There were 16 new elders and 4 new sisters! It was a huge group! So awesome! We then had meetings with them and pres until about 4! We then were told to go to missionary work and be back at 8! So We went with my good friend Elder Knight and his trainee into Center Kiev! haha. Yah we took our trainees right into the craziest place in the mission! It was so awesome! We talked to so many people! We then brought them back to the office and they went to stay at the hotel and I went with Elder Knight to stay in an apartment with some other Elders in Kiev! It was so fun! 

So friday our trainees had to be in meetings all day with President! So I went with Elder Knight and we just worked in Center Kiev! It was way fun! I love him so much! We had so much fun together! He is a funny kid! We then went to the mission office at 5ish to pick our trainees up! So all the Odessa people gathered and we got a taxi to the train station! Once we got there some missionaries watched the luggage as others went to eat! We ate dinner at KFC! haha. They built this massive one and it is legit! We then got on our train and it left at 10 for Odessa!!! 

Saturday morning we got into Odessa at about 7. We then went to our apartment. My old comp Elder Ball and his trainee have been staying with us for the past couple of days cause their apartment isnt ready! It had been so fun! So we did studies and then we had to weekly plan! It was all good! We then went to a baptism at night! It was fun a guy we found but we passed him to different Elders here in Odessa cause he doesnt live in our area! It was such a cool baptism though! 

Yesterday was an awesome day at church. Everything went well and then we had a lunch with the branch after! It was really good! The branch here is doing really good! We then came home and had dinner and then had a lesson! It was with a recent convert! It was way cool. It was our first lesson together as a companionship! It went soooo good! Then we came home! So there is an Elder thats parents are here to pick him up right now! Last night he was in the area so he stopped by to say goodbye to me! His name is Elder Hughes! He is so cool and was the assistant for a while! We became good friends! It was crazy to say bye and see him with his parents! So cool! 

Well that is all for my week! Lots of fun as always! It was so busy as you can tell! I love my new companion! He is a boss and we are going to have so much fun together! I am so excited! I hope you all have a great week! Love you all so much! 

Love 

Elder Grochmal

 The District. Part 4

 Elder Hess!

 Elder Knight

 Elder Weber from Nates ward

 Train station

Baptism!

November 4th-10th

Dear family and friends! 

Wow what an awesome week! Well first off this upcoming week is the last week of the transfer. So saturday night I got a call from my mission president informing me that I will be training next transfer! I am so excited but very scared! I know it will be very tough because of the language but I know that the Lord will help me! 

So this week was a good one! 

Tuesday we had normal district meeting in the morning. It as very good as always. I love district meetings so much. They are so fun and I always learn so much! After district meeting we had to go home and we had some workers come and work on our Apartment. We did studies while they were there. We there had a lesson with a investigator at night. It was really good. He has been investigating for a while so we might have to drop him unless he keeps his commitments! 

On Wednesday we did a lot of English advertising! IT was good. We got a lot of people to sign up and say they would come! We actually didnt go to english at night cause we had a lesson with a less active family. It was really good. We brought the branch president. I felt the spirit so much and I know that this family will come back to church! Wednesday night we started an exchange! I went with the Zone leader Elder Hinkson! 

Thursday morning we woke up at 4! We had to catch our train to Kodyma at 5:30. It was so crazy. THe train was long and cold. It was a fun trip though. We got into Kodyma at about 11. From there we met the other missionaries there and we got some lunch. So the missionaries there live in a hotel while they are there. They only go there wednesday through sunday. So we split up and I went with Elder Findlay. So the branch isnt actually in Kodyma. It is in a little village outside the city with only 200 people. 40 of them are members of the church. It is so cool. It all started with a couple of families from Odessa that felt prompted to move. They said they were guided to this little village and so they moved there. The church is doing really good there! It is such amazing story and an amazing act of faith by the families. They left everything to go and live in a little village because they felt prompted by the spirit. Well Elder Findlay and I headed out to the village and did some service. It was so amazing. The people there are just so humble and nice. We then had a lesson at night and then came back to Kodyma to the hotel. 

So Friday morning all 4 of us Elders went out to the Village together to do service. We worked with the branch president. Oh yah they just bacame a branch like a month ago! So awesome. We helped him a bunch around his house. We also did something crazy. So he has a bunch of goats and he was like elders lets milk the goats. So we got a jar and milked the goats and drank it straight from the jar!! So awesome! It was actually very good. It tasted good! haha. After a good day of service we got back on a train and headed back to Odessa. We got back at like 11. Overall it was a crazy awesome exchange to Kodyma. I learned so much. I learned to be more humble and loving. These people out there have nothing yet they are so happy! It was so amazing! 

Saturday we ended our exchange in the morning and then we had some stuff to do during the day. We did our last weekly planning together! haha. We then met with a new investigator! He is so amazing. We walked around this big park with him for like an hour. We talked about so much stuff. He is so elect. We are really excited to start teaching him more. 

Yesterday we had District Conference (like stake conference). It was so good. It was a broadcast for all of the Europe East area! Elder Nelson from the quorumm of the twelve spoke to us! He is so amazing! We were able to watch it in a different room in English! So that made it better for us! haha. After that we met with some members and one recent convert. It was a good day. 

Well that is all for my week! I am very excited for this week! I am headed up to Kiev on Wednesday night to get my new trainee! I am so excited to meet him and just start working here. The work here in Odessa is doing awesome and I have seen so many miracle! I just love it here so much! I have a feeling I will be here for a while! Well I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Thanks for everything! 

Love 

Elder Grochmal 

 in the Village

 The big city Kodyma where they sleep

 The hotel.

 Elder Hinkson

 Elder Findlay

 Salo. Pig fat...

 Branch president Rooslan