Chernigov-August 5, 2019

August 5, 2019 Chernigov
This has been one of the craziest and best weeks of the mission. Sorry if this email is all over the place, but it's been kind of an all over the place week.

Me armed with my contacting gear standing next to some random statue of an angel next to an Orthodox church. (2 Kings 6:16)

The city of Chernigov is amazing (spelled Chernihiv with Ukranian pronunciation, in case that makes it easier to google)! It is really old and very beautiful. It has many very old churches, including a super old one right next to our church. One of the funny things about it is that it has a "lucky rock" on the outside wall, where if you go and rub the rock three times and make a wish, then it is sure to come true. Me and my companion rubbed it and hoped for some good contacting. I think that it worked. The area definitely speaks Russian a little cleaner, as in it isn't quite so intermingled with Ukranian which is a huge help to me. Makes things a lot easier to understand. It's really strange being the only missionaries here in the area, but it's kind of a fun adventure knowing that the whole city is ours! Anything we want to try, we can just go ahead and do. We'll try to make the most out of this wonderful opportunity. Elder Pincock has only been here 3 weeks more than I have, so we're basically both brand new. Pretty exciting!

Some traditional homemade Ukranian food! Not the things you usually see in restaurants, because these are the things that aren't necessarily the "crowd-pleasers". The first photo is of 'holodyets' which is meat covered in somewhat of a fat jello. It's a little different, but not too bad.

The branch here is definitely a lot different than the ward that I had in Kyiv. It has its advantages and disadvantages of course, but all I know is that I am so glad to serve here. The branch president is one of the kindest men that I have ever met. One thing that was a bit of a shocker - I was instantly made ward clerk my first Sunday here. The president showed us how to do tithing and fast offerings and everything yesterday. It's actually really tricky trying to read the Russian handwriting but I'm sure that it'll be good practice.

Me and my new companion, Elder Pincock, in front of the temple.

There have been so many tender mercies already it is crazy. The first one I would say has been English practice - one of my big ideas upon my arrival was to try and make our English Practice an effective way of finding people to teach. In the mission, English is one of the most common sources of baptisms. I focused a lot on English my first day here as I was contacting, and the next day I saw people come to English who I had contacted only the day previously! I was so excited and immediately began to pass sign-up sheets around for individual lessons, which consist of half English, half gospel. Some people reacted very positively and we have already began teaching a few. I have commited myself to doing everything possible that I can to finding these people. I know that they're out there, or else God would not have placed me here.
Another amazing tender mercy - somebody actually called us back! We were calling this random list of names and numbers that we found in our apartment and nothing came out of it. One of them called back though and we set up a lesson for right then! We immediately headed over and were so excited. Turns out it was some old guy who was a little crazy and kept asking us to please "talk without an accent"... Wasn't super interested in the gospel, but it was a sign to me that we're in the right place at the right time. There are people here who are prepared and it's our job to keep going around trying to find them.

I have a fun new "checklist" of things that I like ask myself before I make ANY decision now. The first thing I must ask is 1. Is the gospel of Jesus Christ true? Thankfully, I can say yes. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I have seen it work in my life and I know that it is only through Jesus Christ and his atonement that I may return to my wonderful Father in Heaven. 2. If I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, does that mean I will be happier if I follow it's teachings? Thankfully, this answer is also yes! If the gospel is true, it MUST mean that when I follow the example of our Savior and obey the commandments, it means that I will surely be much happier than if I were to not obey. This applies to all things, including the mission rules. It helps motivate me to contact, to do what's right, to focus on the right things, and has been a great help to me these last few days. The hardest days to resist temptation seem to be the times most recently after showing a bit of weakness. It seems that once Satan has realized that we have loosened our grip on the iron rod, he tries everything within his power to continue to pull us in the other direction and away from the iron rod. The atonement has become such a strong and powerful part of my testimony. Although we all make mistakes, and we don't always do exactly the right thing, we can always receive forgiveness for our wrongdoings, thanks to our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. As I've been studying the atonement of the savior and what it means to me, I have been strongly reminded of the lyrics to the song "This is the Chirst" by James E. Faust:

I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane;
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?

The thought that the Savior so willing, out of his love for me, spilt is own blood for me is almost heart breaking. I love Jesus Christ so much and I am so thankful for the sacrifice that he made for me. The idea that I will continue to add onto his pain on suffering as I continue to go throughout this life is so sad. It is almost unbelieavable that the perfect son of God was willing to do this for us - to take away our pains and our guilts, but Alma 7:11-12 gives us an explanation:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions and btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him adeath, that he may bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

I am so increasingly greatful to our Savior as my testimony of his atonement grows. I know that he lives, I know that he suffered for me so that I may still return to my Heavenly Father, no matter how imperfectly I stumble throughout this life. On my way to Chernigov on the bus I was very nervous, so I took the time to look up the atonement on the Gospel Library search and began to read some of the talks from the apostles and prophets. Suddenly, as I was reading, I was overcome with this feeeling of peace and comfort knowing that I am called of God, and that I am here for a reason, and he has a plan for me. I know that he loves each of us and that if we follow the counsel in Matthew 11:30 and take his yoke upon us then we shall be born up to withstand the trials that are placed before us. I know this is true, I know the gospel is true, and I am so glad for my opportunity to share it with the wonderful people of Chernigov.