VIP status

This week I am going to start with the list of questions that I sent to Diana. Some she answered here and some in her letter.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Breakfast is cereal these days.

Where do you live in relation to downtown Lugansk? Are you north, south, east, west? Near, far?

Is the building where the branch meets located downtown?

Branch building is in Center, but not "downtown"

Question from my letter. Are there big hills in Lugansk, do you ever walk up them, or are you just in the valley?

There are hills now that I think about it, but I'm always in a bus when we go up or down them.

What did you mean Kiev had come to Lugansk? Demonstrations and violence had come or the restrictions on name tags and being out after 6 PM had come?

I wrote all of these questions before we got the email from the mission president on Thursday saying that you were to remain indoors. So does that mean you are completely confined to the apartment or can you get groceries? go to church? go to game night? go to English club?

How much news do you get and is it Russian controlled news?

March 3, 2014

So, I've been asked to not write home anything that would scare my family. So I can't really write much.

Kidding!

Kind of.

Umm, so one thing I've learned through this experience is that lack of knowledge just leads to more worry. So I will fill you in.

I live in the Center of Lugansk, about a 5 minute walk from "downtown." I have seen a few demonstrations, pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian, but no violent ones. We are told to stay away from demonstrations of course. I cannot wear my nametag. I cannot proselyte after dark. In fact, I have entered VIP status with an order not to take public transportation anywhere, but to taxi there and back from appointments. While I live in Center, we work in the South of town, so we used to take public transportation a lot. Anti-American sentiment is ramping up, but mostly against the Elders because they stick out more in their American suits. Sister Reece and I just look like 16 year old girls, who are probably German, because no one immediately thinks American here.

Thursday we had plans for the night, but then they fell through (a pattern this week unfortunately). BUT, it turned out to be a blessing, because we had just started weekly Planning (not thinking we would have time Friday), stopped for a dinner break, at which point we both started to fall asleep from exhaustion, when we got a phone call: "Sisters - withdraw as much money as you can, make sure you have plenty of food and water, and stay inside until further notice." What?! So that became our new nightly plan. Banks were closed for the night, so we wiped ATMs, bought food, and settled in.

Friday we woke up expecting the world to be exploding, but outside just appeared to be a beautiful day with people milling about like usual. So then we felt like Noah's family sitting on the ark when we had to call people to cancel English, and they were kind of confused why. Even our very cautious Branch Mission Leader was confused. But Friday was an inside day. We went crazy. We did manage to deep clean the kitchen, catch up in our journals, make brownies (with an American brownie mix!), and some other things. That night we went to bed fully expecting to be inside all weekend.

Nope! Saturday morning right before studies we got the call that Mission Presidents were given authority to individually decide how they wanted to do things, and we could be outside in the daylight. So woopie! We even had three lessons set up for that day! But then they all fell through. But we still got to step out into the beautiful spring air and go less active and former investigator finding in the chastnies (at this point the no public transportation rule had not been instated). We had a little bit of a miracle when a Less Active pulled up in her car right when we were at her house. That wouldn't have happened if we hadn't gotten a little lost on the busses trying to get there. Having no appointments after dark can be a little rough though, because you're stuck inside and have to find things to do.

Which brings me to a little thought: If you want to stress out an already stressed missionary more, you force them to work at a limited pace. Seriously, Sister Reece and I used to joke about seeing tanks roll down the streets, but now it's a possibility, and now every little sound makes us jump. NOT GOOD. Especially when you are stuck inside. You see, Sister Reece and I are not worried about our safety. I mean, a little worried, but not as much as we are worried about having to leave Ukraine. The thought of being evacuated is, well...we don't like to think about it. Which brings me to Sunday. I never realized how much I love Ukraine and the people here, and especially the people in my little Lugansk branch until I was faced with the possibility of leaving. I will forever sing the praises of the Ukrainian saints. I almost started crying during testimony meeting when this one brother got up and bore his testimony, and talked about how the missionaries can't work as effectively right now, so the members need to step it up; that if the missionaries can only meet in the daytime, then the members should help in the daytime. Everybody works here, but they truly will sacrifice to help the missionaries. There is another lady whose daughter was serving in Russia, but has now been moved to the Kyiv mission, and she is just worried for our safety. She was talking to Sister Reece and I, and she was like "And you! You missionaries are like our sons and daughters too!" The branch may be split pro-Ukraine and pro-Russia, but that makes no difference. Everyone just wants peace. Sunday was also good because our appointments fell through AGAIN, but it meant we actually had time to do studies. Which meant I stopped thinking about everything, and did those things that invited the Spirit. And you know what? There really is no room for doubt and fear when you have the Spirit. Instead, the situation is still there, but you look at it with a hopeful point of view. I also realized Sister Reece and I needed to create a plan of attack, so we could just adjust to the restrictions and still be as effective as possible. So we did, and so now we're ready.

BUT now it is time for a completely random but hilarious and inspiring story from Wednesday night, a time before everything blew up. We had an appointment with M and D. It was to be the Law of Chastity, a missionary’s most dreaded lesson because if you don't do it right, it can get real awkward. It was to be at the hostel, because M and D had just moved there. Then we learned it was to be in C's room, a less active member friend of theirs, who is also a girl. We also had our favorite new member A with us (a man). Then we learned M and D (men) invited their friend S (a girl) to be there. Then we got there and found out C's roommate (a girl) would also be there. And THEN, just as we were starting the lesson, two more friends, F and I (men), walked in and decided to join.  So five men, three girls, plus us, crammed into a little hostel room, with Sister Reece and I at the front feeling like preachers. Okay Sister Tanner - teach your first Law of Chastity lesson (did I forget to mention that part)? Luckily, we started out reading the first chapter of the Book of Mormon to help M with his reading. Then we handed out the Law of Chastity pamphlets we had, and began. Just as we started in, F got a call, and he and "I" had to leave. But he asked if he could keep the pamphlet, and said he would read it. And then he asked if missionaries would come to him and teach him. Sure! And the rest of the lesson went pretty smooth. And then A gave me and Sister Reece candy bars afterwards. So not bad.

So yes, that is this week. Thank you everybody for your prayers. I really, really, do appreciate them. And remember, this is the Lord's work, and He is in control.

Love you all!

Sister Tanner

Here is a map of Ukraine divided into the 4 missions. Diana's mission is the one in khaki color on the eastern side and the border with Russia. Crimea is in the light blue mission and looks like an island. On Saturday, the 23 missionaries who were in Crimea were removed and sent to other areas in their own mission. Several missionaries who are natives of Ukraine and were serving in Russia have been brought back to Ukraine to serve their missions.