February 17th-23rd

Hello Family and Friends! 

Wow what a crazy week! First off just want to let you all know that I am safe and all is well here! This past week was very difficult to be a missionary here in Kiev! I am sure most of you already know of all the political battles going on. Well I will just give you a run down of how my week went, aka how my week went spending everyday indoors!! 

So Tuesday morning we woke up and it was a good normal day! We had Elder Peterson with us cause he was in the hospital and we got him out on Monday! So we went to the church mid day to have a lesson. After the lesson we went to the store across the street to get some food (of course). While walking back we noticed some black smoke coming from the main town square area. It is about 3 blocks from here! We just though maybe they are having a BBQ or something! So we got back to the church and a member showed up and was panicking to us. He said that bad things were happening down in center and that we need to leave. I called our mission president to see what he thought and he said yes to get all Kiev Center missionaries home ASAP! The problem was that the Subway was shut down and so were all other transportation! So we resorted to walking! The sisters were here at the church with us so we walked them immediately home to their apartment! Once we got them home we made sure the other Elders here in our district made it home safely! After that we wanted to get home to our apartment but it was very far away! We tried calling taxis but nobody had was available at all! haha. So we walked down to this main street and just stuck out our hands and hoped a car would take us home! The first two that stopped said no, too far! Then this guy stopped and he was like yea I will take you! Such a Blessing!!!! He was so nice and it just happened to be his birthday! haha. So we got home and just waited for news from President! The next day we were supposed to have a mission leadership council in the morning! 

Wednesday morning we wake up and start to get ready! We get a call from the Assistants that leadership council is cancelled to tell the zone to not leave home! We then had a conference call with President Klebingat later and he told us some information and that things downtown are not good! So all Wednesday we stayed at home! Not just Kiev Center mission but our entire mission was on lock down! 

Thursday morning we wake up and hope it will be a normal day! I was looking out the window and I saw hundreds of people walking towards center in this huge group! I knew that was a bad sign! We had a conference call with President at about 8 and he said it would be a normal day! I called him back immediately and told him what I had seen! He said that he would get back to us! About 30 minutes later we had another conference call with President and the zone leaders! He informed us that things were starting to get bad again and that the whole mission was on lock down once again!! At about 4 o clock we had another conference call with President and he had some information to tell us! He told us that we need all the missionaries to go to the stores immediately and get some food. He said obviously dress to fit in so wear normal clothes! haha. So we went to the store and it was a zoo! The lines were to the back of the place! Everything was running out! It was nuts! We got our stuff and headed home! Also he told us to get money out of the bank if you need any! We tried at a few places but everywhere was out of money! It was craziness! The country was kind of freaking out! The traffic leaving Kiev was unbelievable! We live on a mad road right into center an we just saw so much traffic leaving! 

On Friday we woke up and had a conference call with the zone leaders and President and he informed us we would be staying indoors another day!!!!!!! By this point we were going cray staying indoors so much! haha. well at about 5:30 we had a conference call and President gave permission that it would be a normal night and we could all leave! So by this point the subway had finally opened back up! We went into the church to get so stuff. It was a really strange feeling in Kiev. I will be honest it was pretty scary. There was just nobody on the streets and in the subway! Very strange feeling! 

Saturday morning started out as a normal day! We woke up and studied and then went to English practice at 12. English went good but then I got a call from another missionary, Elder Knight! He is kinda like one of the assistants but not really. Long story. Well he said to me that I need to get my whole district in Center Kiev home immediately. I asked him why and didn't believe him. I told him was isn't President calling me or the assistants! haha. Then all of the sudden President Klebingat gets on Elder Knight's phone! hahaha. Then I knew it was for real! He told me that we need to get our district home because it was still not safe in Center Kiev. So we took taxis home! We took the sisters home first and mad sure they got home safely then we went home AGAIN! Locked up again!!!! haha. 

Yesterday our church in center was cancelled so we went to a different ward! It was pretty fun to go to a different ward and just meet a bunch of members!

Well everything is calming down here! President is not worried that anything else will happen here in Kiev! Today we have been here at the church and around the church and everybody is back to normal. I just hope that everything continues to be normal and safe for us! I will be honest this past week was pretty scary. We had lots of members calling us and telling us information that we did not want to hear. It is so sad the amount of people that were killed down in center. Also that area used to be so beautiful down on Maidon (Independence square) but now it is all ruined and burned! I just hope and pray that everything in this country will be settled and missionary work will return back to the way it was before this "war". Well I love you all so much! Thank you so much for all that you do and thanks for caring about me! My mom let me know about all the people who were asking about me and praying for me! Thank you so much! It means a whole lot to me! I love you all! 

Love 

Elder Grochmal 

 Our district before hitting the streets to get home during the "war"

 Road blocks

 My comp

 The Subway

 Smoke for Maidon (Independence Square)

 Hundreds of people marching to center dressed for war!

 We saw like 5 tow trucks taking away Porsches and also we saw all tow trucks taking all the Ferraris aways! 

 The store was CRAZY!

 We had to make an evacuation plan just in case the phones shut down!

 Subway was empty!

 A cool church in Kiev that we went to last week! 

Started my new journal last night! haha

February 10th-16th 

Dear Family and Friends! 

WOW!! Where to begin! These past two weeks here in Kiev have been so crazy! Like seriously I have never been so busy in my life! It is soooooo awesome! I love it here so much! Downtown Kiev is so awesome and so crazy also! Our church building is like right in the middle of downtown! It is in this huge building up on the 3rd floor! It is the strangest church but so unique and awesome! 

So Last week was so good! Tuesday we had district meeting! It was awesome to have our first district meeting here. I already know some of the missionaries in my district from old areas! We have one sister though who is brand new. She is doing awesome! Also we have a native sister from Russia who is so amazing! Our district has 8 missionaries and we are all here in the same ward in Kiev! Our ward is so big! We have about 150 people come to church! It is a whole lot different than 30 down in Odessa! I love it though! We then had a lesson with a recent convert! He is doing so awesome and then at night we went to visit a member. She is fed us some good food and we had a great time! 

Wednesday was a good day. So during the day we got a call from the Assistants to ask us to come and help them on two lessons! So we went out to the temple site to help them. But those lessons both got dogged! haha. It was alright though because it was nice to see the assistants and always nice to see the temple! We then went back into center and went to our English! It was very good! 

So on Thursday after studies we went to the hospital to visit an elder that had been really sick! He is doing a lot better! He was serving down in a city about 3 hours from kiev but came here for a nice hospital. He is in our zone. We brought him some candy and some other goodies! haha. He is all good now and actually got out of the hospital today and is with us right now! haha At night we went to a members house for dinner! He is the former bishop of our ward here! He is so awesome! He speaks English perfectly! haha. We had an awesome dinner and lesson with him! 

Friday was a good day! After lunch we went to visist Elder Peterson again in the hospital! We did some laundry for him so we took it all back! After that we went to visit another member and then had a lesson with an investigator! He is way cool! He doing good but not progressing at the moment! We will get him going though!! 

On Saturday we had English during the day! It was really good actually! We had lots of people come and even found some new investigators from it! After that we made this newsletter for our ward! So we started this thing where every week we are going to make a newsletter for the ward! We are going to have spotlights of members and missionaries in each one! It is going to be so awesome! 

Yesterday was so good! I love my ward here so much! There is just so many people here in the ward! The bishop is so amazing! He is very young! There are lots of return missionaries here in our ward which is so great for us! They always want to help us and do work! I just really love Kiev alot and I am so grateful to be serving here! Also my companion is Elder Hinkson. He is from Logan,Utah. Yes, my 3rd companion from that city! haha. He goes home in 3 months! He is a master at Russian so things have been so awesome! He has taught me so much! We are having so much fun together! We get along so good! I love serving here with him! 

So this week we are having a big mission conference with the whole mission! Elder Packer (President Packer's son) is coming here to put on the conference! I am so excited for it! Well that is all I got for you this week! I love you all! Thanks so much for the letters and for all that you do for me! Have a great week everyone! I love you! 

Love
Elder Grochmal 

Zone leader life on the phone!

 This is for you Nate! I found the South African Embassy!

 The temple at night!

 Visiting Elder Peterson

 Happy Valentine's Day!

 The church! haha

We take the elevator to get the church! haha

Ferrari!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well I have no time to write you today! Busy with stuff for the Zone! I am so sorry! Well I am safe here in Kiev! The train ride was very crazy and long but we made it ok! It was very sad leaving Odessa! Some members came to the train station to send us off! It was so awesome! So on Friday I went down to Billa Tserkov for exchanges! They are in my Zone! It was so awesoem to return back to my first area! I was able to see all the members at a baptism on Saturday! It was so awesome to see them! I was seriously so happy and it felt so good! Well everything is going good! Elder Hinkson is my companion and he is so awesome! I love serving here in Center Kiev so much! The metro aka subway is so crazy! We ride it everyday! The ward here is so amazing! There is about 150 active members! So crazy! I gave a quick little talk on yesterday! It was really funny! I started and spoke in all Ukrainian then said just kidding and spoke Russian. The members loved it so much! Also I said a bunch of jokes and really tried to just be myself! It was so awesome! I can really feel the love of the members already! Well I am sorry but I cant write anymore! I love you!

Love

Elder Grochmal  

 Last family night in Odessa with my favorite family! So sad to leave them! 

 Train ride up to kiev

 Amazing to be back in Billa! 

 my new home

 Subway

 my new apt