Merry Christmas - Ukraine Style

Finding in L'viv

We had an amazing week and especially an AMAZING Christmas!

We did a lot of preparing for the Christmas party that happened on Tuesday. Our branch did a really good job with the party and it turned soooooooo fun!

I got to Skype the family early Christmas morning for me and late Christmas Eve for them, and man it was super good to talk to them. They said nothing new is really happening but I think they are just saying that. It was an awesome first call and already can't wait until the next one.

Getting ready for the Christmas feast - Ward party

We started preparing for the Christmas party right after we finished talking to our families at like 9:30. We helped decorate and run last minute errands and my favorite part was the member in charge of music (our homie Bogdan Polischuk) asked me to make a playlist for the dance. So he handed me his phone and said have at it, we need 2 hours of music. YEAH!! We had around 50 people there which is super good. It started with a little spiritual thought and then we watched the cartoon Scrooge movie. After, we played a couple of games that Elder Stott and I were in charge of. Then we ate!! The food was sooooooo good, and there was a TON! The branch did an awesome job with the food. And afterwards, we danced......for 2 1/2 hours! Man it was sooooo fun!! You already know I taught em how to really move baahahah! No just kidding, well they did have me lead them in dances and the haka, which I have no clue how to do but it was still fun and funny.

We had exchanges this last Friday in L'viv with the Zone Leaders. I got to serve for the day with Elder Cluff from AF. It was super fun and a super good experience. We had a good finding activity and got to participate in their English Club. We rode a bus home from L'viv around 10 am on Saturday and man it was the worst. We were on the very back seat of those big tour buses and right next to me, pretty much like on top of me was a lady with a dog. This dog would not stop biting me and laying on me. It was one of those tiny ones that she carried in a bag but man poor thing, she kept shoving it all the way inside the bag and it barely fit. It was a very long 3 hours.

Finding and exchanges

I also spoke on Sunday! I spoke about the Sabbath Day and deciding not to play rugby on Sundays. Everyone said I did a good job, but I gotta give most credit to Elder Stott because Saturday night he helped me translate like everything. So yes, it ended up being not too bad.

But I wanted to finish with what we talked about for the rest of church, which was the new Come Follow Me program at home. Most people here are the only members in their families and it was really cool to hear their testimonies of what they will be doing at home. And it made me realize how much I take for granted the opportunity of having eight other people in my home whom I can learn from. So I just wanted to encourage everyone to really take advantage of that, because their could be a time when you won't have others to study with or learn more about this wonderful gospel with.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

The Ward Christmas party was lit!

A sampling of the treats at the Ward Christmas party

A rainy day in L'viv

Post-finding feast in L'viv