Sister Tanner in Ukraine: Creative contacting

April 21, 2014

Wow, I'm not really sure where to start. First off, let me answer some questions. I think I am finally settled in. At least until transfers in a week. So basically, we are here in Kiev for the long haul (couple months maybe), and so transfers next week are going to be HUGE. Everyone is getting mixed up. Unfortunately for those who only have a transfer left, they will be sent home. I am currently in an apartment with four sisters, but I'm lucky because the apartment is actually quite large. Largest apartment I have lived in yet. Sister Reece and I's stuff is in this one extra room, but we have to share a fold out couch bed. Because this is against the white handbook, we shall be buying a blow-up mattress for me today. After being a little weird at first, we are all (Sister Reece, me, and Sister Robertson and Gibbs) enjoying each other's company. The other sisters are awesome, so all is well.

Some little differences about Kiev: It is HUGE. It is beautiful. It is so much cleaner than Lugansk, and especially Donetsk. I have already eaten at a Dominoes, a KFC, and in an hour I will eat at a TGI Fridays (me = spoiled). People will talk to you in Ukrainian. You know it's Ukrainian when it almost sounds familiar but you actually have no idea what they are saying. Just as I did as a greenie, I just guess at what they are saying, and respond accordingly, the difference being I can respond more intelligently as my Russian has improved. It works most of the time. Church services are in Ukrainian, which I think I already explained. I'm getting better at singing in Ukrainian. I live in a WARD. An actual ward with like, around 150 regular comers I think (or more). The first member in Ukraine lives in my ward, which is pretty legit. And, funny story: due to various circumstances including being emergency transferred out of every single one of my previous areas, I have never borne my testimony in Russian in front of a branch or ward. Well, well, well, lucky me my first time got to be this last Sunday, in front of probably the largest ward I will ever see on my mission when they had all us new missionaries bear our testimony. Thankfully, it all went over okay.

In other news, we still occasionally keep in touch with Lugansk, but I'm afraid it will be much harder after the transfer. The branch president has promised he will call the taxi driver with whom we were going to meet, in order to meet with him and share with him the Plan of Salvation.

On Tuesday we had a big multi- Zone Conference, where I got to meet President and Sister Kleibengat. They are amazing. And they both emphasized that we are Kiev Missionaries now, and that unity is really important. An important message for both sides to hear. I felt very welcomed, and it helped me feel more settled in. Bonus: I was re-united with my MTC sisters! It was so great to see them, to hug them, talk with them. All of us kept mentioning how crazy and unreal it was to see each other. (Four of the sisters from Diana's MTC district had gone to the Kiev mission and Diana and Sister Finalyson had gone to the Dontesk mission.)

So the Kiev Mission way of doing things is slightly different, and I'm actually loving it. They have a big emphasis on "creative contacting," and so on Tuesday when our whole district had a huge chunk of time, we went to a park to contact people creatively. The idea could have been a little better formed, but it was developed the night before. Still, it worked. What did we do? Went bowling! We brought big water jugs, and bought big workout balls. Then we bowled the most happiest, enthusiastic way possible and invited people to bowl with us. We actually got quite a few people to try, and even if they didn't join, people enjoyed watching. We also brought cookies, and while some people bowled others went around and offered people free cookies. Fun, and we got quite a few contacts. As the control to this experiment, another companionship just did straight contacting/tracting and got nothing. So creative contacting works.

In other news, we have no investigators, but I'm still enjoying life every day. This mission also emphasizes visiting members, and building a relationship with them, so we always have members to meet with. And from contacting people on the streets and stuff, we have a couple contacts that I'm really hoping agree to meet because I am really excited to work with them. If they only knew how much this gospel will bless their lives! Missionary anxiety.

Fun fact: every day I get to hear the word "Maidan" as it's a metro stop. It's kind of wonky how close I am, and how much of a normal part of my life it is now.

Oh Easter! Happy Easter everyone! Ukrainian Easter was the same day as in America. It was a pretty normal day. We decorated eggs, ate Ukrainian Easter cake (ie. eggy bread), and told people "Christ is Resurrected" and they have to respond "In truth, He is resurrected." It's a tradition and I love it. And everyone was carrying their little Easter baskets around to have their food blessed at the churches, which was fun to see.