I'm HOME!

I returned home from my mission to Ukraine on Tuesday, December 9th. I have been having a lot of fun, staying with my brother, my grandma, friends in Palmdale, and just enjoying things here in America. I will be trying to update my blog regularly, but I'm not very good at it yet, so Heather is going to have to help me. To see photos & videos of me arriving at LAX, spending time with my brother, and enjoying the snow in Palmdale, click on the links, or got to Heather's blog HERE.

Here I am in the snow...This is how I roll!

Our car, almost buried

Heather, trying to stay warm.

Heather made this collage from the Open House we had at her pop's house. It was good to see some old friends - Tom, Matt Reese, Matt MacFarlane, Ileana, Colin, Debra & her kids Parker & Addison. We had good food and chatted a lot. It was fun.

Peace out...I'll try to keep you updated.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Ok, so videos - I sent one of bowling and one of a cute puppy that wanted to run away with me.

pics - Two from Thanksgiving dinner. You can not see the salad or the pie or the sweet rolls and ice cream and maybe a few other things...I may have forgotten some things. Next two - in a cool restaurant called 'Hunter.' I ate brains! Fried brains! It was ok.

I am so short on time this week that I will probably not not write much. This Internet place rocks, and they have a very interesting way to access my usb, but I got it working.

BTW, the Holiday dinner ROCKED. It was so good. You would be proud. I had more fun this your than last year, although I did watch "Remember the Titans" last year. :)

What else can I say? I am almost out of time. I love you guys!

{EIGHT days until Cody gets home!!!! ~h}

Monday, November 24, 2008

Well hello everybody!

We just finished a wonderful zone conference. An Elder was next to me and said, "That's kind of weird," and I said, "What?" and he pointed at our notes. They were titled, "Last Zone Conference," (mine) and "First Zone Conference" (his). Interesting! It was a really good Conference where I managed to get just less than 1 hour of sleep the night of, and did not sleep a wink before I made it there. I can't sleep on transport very easily. I wish it was a night train where we could sleep 8ish hours between travel. It's so much better. I love sleeping on trains.

Conference was good. We went over a few really good things that nobody likes doing, mainly contacting. I do it, but it is just so ineffective. They tried to go over the importance of it and not just trying to teach every contact (which i try not to do right off - i like to lead into it...people are less defensive).

Other than that, nothing too crazy going on. Church was fun. I was asked to talk, not given a time limit until the day of, and he said 10 minutes. I went 20, which was good. There was one person that did not come and give their talk, so it worked out great.

The weather is finally snowy and cold, but today it will melt a lot. There have been tons of ice and will be more tonight, with the sun melting the snow and it freezing tonight. Other than that, I think I will cut you short this week on info. I am really nudno {boring} this week. lol

PICS
pic - what my comp had for breakfast
pic - scary sign
pic - me and comps on a day train from Rivne to Lviv
video - the first good day of snow
video - me and my comps

{That's how I got the last video...weird :)}

Monday, November 17, 2008

So...news this week. I got a new companion. His name is Elder Prodan. He is from Donetsk, so he is Ukrainian. He was in the MTC with me. He came 6 days after me, and he is finishing his mission 6 weeks after me. He is a way cool guy. His name is Valeri and he recognizes my pics of Heather (she served in Donetsk, really close by).

We have 2 people with baptismal dates and some really cool people we are working with. This week is Zone Conference and we are going to Lviv. It's so tight. We get to go to Rivne on a small bus, stay the night, then take a train to Lviv in the morning. Then it's back the same way maybe, but not staying in Rivne overnight a 2nd time. It will be tight. I cant wait. It will be my last time there on my mission.

I got my last package that I will get in Ukraine. I am sure that's the last one. People remind me that I am going home soon, but it does not feel like it. It feels like I am from Ukraine. I dont remember much about what's back home, and I figure when I get back it won't even look the same. I know I dont look the same. I wish there was more time, but it's all the same.

I love you guys! Until next week!

Pictures
1. Tank - it was the first tank that came into the city saying that the war was over, so they made it a statue.
2. The building with the Lenin statue is a government building and they were tearing down the soviet sign and going to put the Ukrainian trident on it.
3. My 2 comps with a stray dog. Because they pet it, it followed us to a members house and waited like 2 hours then followed us into the city for about 40 mins before we lost it.
4. It's fall and you can see the color in the city
5 & 6. Two night shots from the bridge in town its a tight bridge that you walk across - no cars.
7. A chalk board that some kids from English did. Yes, I am also know as the hulk or the Hulkanson to some.

Monday, November 10, 2008

I have a new nickname - it's now "Grandpa" because, well I am old. But the real reason is I am a really good storyteller apparently. I kind of like it.

So yeah...things that have happened this week - we got a man with a baptismal date! A really cool young man and it sounds like there is more potential here for another one, so we will see.

So, I might be getting a 2nd companion here in Zhytomyr, so that sounds like fun. I have no idea who it is though, so we will see. I think I know who it is.

And I am sorry, but i was having problems with the lady here so I am going to cut this short today.

Ok, so pics I am sending -
Lunch I made one day. It looks like someone puked in a bowl, but it's rather good. It's noodles, eggs, tomatoes, kolbasa, and spices. I once added chicken, but not this time.

A car that was broken down in the center of the street. Yeah, lame.

A park - its getting cold here now. Ice is on the street everywhere there is water.

This piece of paper is a list of fines if you break something, like the TV is 9,000 greven if you break one!

A pic of the district last P-day bowling. It was way tight. People watched us bowl. They had come up to us and wanted to teach us how to bowl. I was like, "where we are from they are everywhere. We know what we are doing!" They watched us most of the time, and after I was asked how to I put so much spin on it. It was dang funny.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Ok... so in short this week, I am in Zhetomyr, and we are a new branch. The city has been open to missionaries for less than a year, and at church there were 13 people (and 4 are missionaries!) so that's hard. I was told by the branch president (my companion) to give a 10 min talk. I get up there, and he says make it 20 minutes. I pulled out 30 minutes somehow. My Ukrainian is not great, but some people laughed at my humor. Well they all did, but thank goodness I will only have to do it every other week. It's hard, but I will be ok.

In other news, my companion Elder Larson is cool. He's from San Diego, California. My apartment is dang big. Not as big as my Chernivtsi apartment, but it's still big and has 4 rooms, not just 3, but there is a size difference. It's way cool though, and its cold. They just turned on the heaters and our apartment was a nice 15-16 degrees.

I am only going to use gmail from now on. I feel that it saves my stuff when the power goes off TWO TIMES IN A ROW. Ok, vented there a little bit.

But yeah, my city that I am in now is nice. I love it so far. I am happy to be here, and it's a lot more responsibility, but its all good. Why not end my mission being busy?

Pictures -

Me and the Elder I replaced, my old companion Elder Lewis.
Elder Eskelsen on Khrishatik at night.

Food - weird stuff, but I liked it.

Me eating lunch I had made...it was dang good in my last apartment.
Me under the temple pic of the temple site left to right temple hotel for temple then the church building that will also be the office most likely after I am gone.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Sorry, I am rushed this week - transfers.

Well, what can I say? We had a tight district. I'm sad I have to leave.

Pictures - The sister who just got baptized with the sisters, Elder Ward leading her into the font, & last my district - me with Elder Eskelsen (with his leg on me), my companion Elder Ward is under Elder Cummings, and then Sister Yashenkova and then Sister Mills.

Ok, then you get a video (if it works...it should work just fine, but anyway). The video has a few things on there that are important, so thats cool. I like the city I am going to, Zhitomer. Hear the pronunciation and you will be fine, but yes, I was getting an ulcer and I am now fixing it with meds. Thats about it.

I am running out of time. I hate this Internet place so much. It's so slow. But anyway, I have to run. I am so sorry!

Monday, October 20, 2008

OK...this week for those that love me out there that have an interest in reading about my doings in the country called Ukraine -

Well, our investigator with a baptismal date had gone missing, and then he was found! He has been trying to get in contact with us and came to the church looking for us. He left not finding us or the sisters that day, and he would normally be going by way of trolley bus, but he went by foot. So the sisters saw him on their way home and told him that we would be there at the church soon. So we got in touch, and we now have his right number, and if it all works out he will be baptised this week! So nice.

I got to see a nice car accident with a tramvai and a car. It was the cars fault - you don't pull out in front of an oncoming tramvai! That's just stupid really. It looked like nobody was hurt at all, though the car was down for the count.

Other than that, we have a Stake Conference this week. It will be so nice. The First Presidency will be broadcasting from Utah.

Lame news this week - yeah, so my wallet was stolen. My driver's license, and some money and a few other things gone. Nothing super important though...no cards, so my bank card is safe and so is my MSF card.

Pics this week - pic of traffic, plus video. People from English class, and one day tracting a really tall building.

Monday, October 13, 2008

I am really short on time, so I am only sending photos and descriptions - I know, I am lame. Sorry!

My companion Elder Ward reading, with the changing of the seasons in the background.

"Grown- up Claw Machine" - yeah, that's how they deal with people parked in the wrong place here

That's a nice car!

Center Kiev - walking home after General Conference, first session.

My first win of 'Risk' ever!

Comics created by some elders...they were funny.

Me with a kid named Kirill on my neck. He thought that while I was kneeling he could climb on me. He was surprised when I lifted him. He is 16 and dang tall.

Our banana bread making day

Me, with my companion and the sisters in my district in the background. It was an emergency drill and we were gathering at the stairwell.

That's all for now. I love you all! Papa!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Ok...so what's new this week? You probably know a lot already from General Conference - there's going to be a Temple going up in Rome! Tell me that's not crazy! The talks were so amazing. I have never seen a conference quite like this one. President Eyring's talk was amazing, especially how the idea that serving will get easier after a mission or with time. That was funny. I think every person here laughed a bit.

We had 2 exchanges this week. It was lots of fun. I spent a lot of time without my regular companion, off doing other things. I got to go with Elder Rector; he is a cool kid. He was born in Ukraine and was adopted by Americans when he was 4 years old. I also went off with Elder Eskelsen for 48 hours. That was fun. I went to Brovary - I loved it there so much! I saw one of my families that I love. They were way tight. And an old investigator, I played soccer with him, and it was so fun. I did not score, but we won. I destroyed my body though...I am so sore now. My right leg got so worked that I can still barely lift it, and it happened on Saturday. Not only that, but I got the ball away from the opposite team and passed it to Radik, and he tried to clear it, and it got me right in the chin. My jaw hurts a bit, but its all good.

This crazy thing happened - I was in a parking lot to get some things printed off for English class, and I saw a disturbance in the parking lot. This man came out with a baseball bat and then started to get loud and put the bat in the other man's car a bit, then started like this front passenger, then back right, then back left get out. Then the driver and his passenger got out and they were all huge. The guy with the bat then got scared fast, and the driver grabbed him by the ears, moved him a bit, calmly said a few words, smacked him on the cheek, and let the man walk away. Moral here - don't get road rage. That could have gone real bad.

And dang, I am sorry, I love sending pics, but these computers don't seem to want to read my card reader anymore. Its lame. My friend Elder Taylor is not here to let me use his. ;_;<---crying

Hey, I will end this for today. I love you all!

I miss you all з чосом я буду бачити вас
(with time i will see you)

Monday, September 29, 2008

OK, so let's see if I can keep this a less-random email :)

So, this week we had Zone Conference, and it was really good. It touched on a lot of topics about what's needed in our mission and a lot of missionaries, including me, are figuring some things out that we had never realized. Some are just now getting it, and it's their last transfer. Mind you I only have 2 left! This one, and the next. That's a little more then 2 months! That's crazy! So you all know, December 9th is the day I will be coming home.

After Zone Conference this week (7 hours long - wow), we had to jam to our lesson. We were 15 minutes late, but it was all good. We re-planned our whole lesson plan on transport on the way and implemented what was taught during Zone Conference. Wow, the spirit was so strong, and it was an amazing lesson that just flowed and led up to a powerful challenge to commit to baptism. And he said he would! It'll be on the 25th of October. It was amazing!

Other than that, we just had a normal week. We set our goals high, and we hit every goal this week! Not only that, but it's hard to do that during a week where we had exchanges and interviews and zone conference. So much time was used for those things, but we still hit our goals!

I'm sending pics - 1) Elder Horne & I. He started his mission in Ivano, my last transfer out there, and he has followed me around a bit. 2) Zone Conference pic 3) What a disappointing lunch! Yeah, I won't even say anything about it, but I know Derek would have loved it. One Elder came up to me and was like, "I am unhappy with lunch - I was hoping for Vasuvios Pizza!" It's the best pizza in town. Pics from our church activity - 4) A lot of sisters and investigators making cards and then 5) a few kids playing around, the way it should be. We played ping pong and street hockey, and there was a spiritual thought.

So, that's all you get for now. I love you all!