Week 2 in Ukraine: Lots of Contacting

Mon, Mar 18, 9:40 AM (2 days ago)

Me 'Slamming' with Elder Whiting, which is drinking milk through this super good Russian cookie and then eating it.

This was a week of contacting, contacting, contacting!
We set up lessons to have throughout the week with investigators, less actives, and investigators, and almost everything fell through, so that led to lots of days of just pure contacting. Needless to say, very... very... very fun. Honestly, it's really not that bad, the problem is just that I don't understand anything that anyone says to me, and they don't understand anything that I try to say back, but I'll keep working on it and eventually it will work out. Like it says in 1 Nephi 3:7:

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no
commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may
accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

The Lord has commanded me to preach his gospel in Russian, so that's what I will do! Maybe not immediately, but eventually. I'll continue to work on it and I know the Lord will bless me.

Me and Elder Prolo at our book table

Something that was fun in our contacting this week - the book table! We set up this little table on a busy sidewalk and put a bunch of Book of Mormons on it and a bunch of pamphlets and just tried to get people to stop and take a look. I was having a really hard time getting anyone to stop because I can't really say anything, but I decided to just ask people walking by if they like to read. It actually worked! There was this one lady who was brushing us off and then as she was walking away I asked "Do you like to read?" and she turned around and became very interested in hearing more about it. I gave her a Restoration pamphlet and she was on her way. It felt great to be able to do something even with my limited vocabulary.

Me and Elder Whiting talking to a бабушка about the gospel

A great spiritual experience I had this week, Yesterday, we felt prompted to go visit this less active in our ward who lives in this very strange part of our area. It took us forever to get there, was very painful on my legs, and it was getting a bit late. When we finally got there, there was no answer at the door! So we decided to knock on the other doors nearby, and they were no answers there either. Instead of feeling super disappointed and that we had wasted our time, I felt proud of us for being willing to follow the Lord's promptings no matter what the circumstances were and felt peace from the Holy Ghost giving me a feeling that although we could not see the fruits of our efforts, we accomplished something. And now, the Lord knows He can trust us and knows that if we are given a prompting we will go.

I know that when we follow the promptings of the spirit, we will be blessed tremendously, even if we cannot see the effects of what we have done. As we try to seek to follow the spirit in our own lives, we will see miracles and will be on the path that the Lord has laid out for us, which is the best path. As we read the scriptures, say our prayers, and go to church, we open ourselves to that guidance from the Holy Ghost and his presence in our everyday lives. There is nothing more important than being able to receive revelation daily from the spirit, and I know that as we seek to do these things we will be blessed with that inspiration needed.

I love this gospel so much, and I'm so glad that I am able to share it in Ukraine! Love you all so much.