The Ukrainian Bear

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