Week 73 and 74 - February 16, 20021

Hello, from Ukraine!

Big stuff be going on over here, Y'all!!  We have 2 people on date to be baptized over here in Novy Doma (Sergei and Viktor), and 1 more person (Gennady) over in Poltava (my last area)!  You best believe that more be on the way as well!  It's good stuff!!  We also gave a blessing this week to Sergei, as well!!  We got some solid people we are teaching.  Bless up. We love calling members throughout the week as well, to ask how they are doing and to share a verse from the scriptures with them.)

Fun little story.  So there's this guy that lives under us.  He's a drunk and a half.  Anyways, he doesn't like when we work out before 9 A.M. or after 9 P.M.  So three months ago or so, he came up and yelled at the other Elders for doing so, and told them to adjust their schedule accordingly (even though the apartment rules state you can do whatever you want till 11:00 at night).  So anyways... Earlier the other week, Elder Chambers and I were pumping iron, and were nearing the end of our workout, and all of a sudden it's 9:08.  We're so terrible aren't we?  Omg so inconsiderate.  Apparently, our neighbor thought likewise.  So at 9:10, we start hearing slamming at our door, as if someone's trying to break it down.  Yelling for us to come out.  We told him no and asked him what he wanted.  He started to yell in Ukrainian and Russian, swearing, spitting on our door, and telling us that if he saw us on the street that he would hit us in the head lol.  So in short, an 8 minute time frame after having not slipping up for like 3.5 months, equaled a death sentence from this guy haha.  So there's the fun story.

Other than that... Elder Chambers and I have been living it up, it's been so fun.  Every other night we go to the nearby basketball court to ball up, even though it's straight up snowing some nights and the court is covered.  The grind never stops! Little cold for sure though haha.  We edge out the three point line to get a little contest going.  It's so fun.  The other day, freezing rain/snow was falling, and now everything is just covered in ice.  There is a thick layer over the sidewalk everywhere.

Valentines day was this week, so for English practice we talked about good pick-up lines to say to each other in English. I made each person, also, act one out with another person at practice.  Omg it was priceless.  They had to end each dialogue with, "Will you be my valentine??" 😂  It was good stuff.  But Happy Valentines to Y'all!!

Much love, 

Elder Wilde

Pics of the Week

Passing by a drug house.

Interesting sites wherever you go.

A really beautiful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in the area.

Delicious!

Weeks 70, 71, and 72 - February 2, 2021

 What is good!!

Big changes went down!!  I got a transfer and am now posted up in a new area called Novi Doma!  It's in my original city of Kharkiv, so I still am in the same zone haha.  Crazy though! And my new companion is my former MTC companion, Elder Chambers!

It has been SO lit with Elder Chambers.  

He is a missionary and a half, super on the work, and he and I have just been killing it this week!  Lessons left and right, and you best believe that we put someone on baptismal date for March 6! Sergei gonna get dunked!  Pray for my guy!

Funny story.  As soon as I got to the new apartment, Elder Chambers told me the hot water stopped working.  He made me feel kinda suspicious about that though... So we took cold showers for three days.  And I mean COLDDDDD showers. Like lots of screaming and yelling involved.  Not to mention, the shower head is broken, so it's literally like we are using a hose to shower.  

Anyways, so on the 4th day I walk into the bathroom to, you know, use it, and then the craziest thing happened.  A WIRE/PLUG FROM THE WALL DROPS OUT OF NOWHERE. and what's the wire connected to??  THE WATER HEATER.  Elder Chambers got me goooood 😂.  He had turned off the hot water and hit the wire to prank me, I was DEAD LAUGHING HAHAH 😂.  

Honestly, props to him though because he sent it with the cold showers, too, in order to pull that one off haha.  It's seriously been one of the most fun weeks of the mission with him haha.  We're loving it. 

I do have to admit, I was a little sad having to leave my last area.  We had SO much going on up in Poltava/Sumy.  Not to mention, the members were just amazing.  Seriously, the most spiritually strong people I have ever met.  

What was really killer, was when I told my Boi Gennady that I was getting transferred (the older man we have on date to get baptized on the first week of March).  When I told him, he turned and said, "What?!  So soon!?" and I said "Yeah, I know, it's crazy." and then he replied, "So you're not gonna be here in March for my baptism?? :(("  I told him that unfortunately I wouldn't, but that I would 100% join the Zoom call to watch it all happen, as well as share a few words."  OOOOOF, IT WAS A DAGGER. Gennady is just next level amazing.  I left him with one of my tags on his Book of Mormon, and a tie as well.  Love and miss him already.  His dogs and cat, too, haha.

 

Anyways, a ton has been going on, but there are some updates for all y'all.  Things are great.  We're meeting with people, and it's a good, fun time haha.  Oh, also, I tried sending someone money through an ATM, and the machine just kinda stole my money, didn't send it, and told me thank you lol.  Getting that money back was an experience and a half haha.  Also, I think we have the coolest washing machine in the world.  Peep the pictures 👀. 

Pictures below show how dusty this place is:

Much love, 

Elder Wilde

More Pics of the Week