May 12, 2014
Hello from California!
Yes, in another rapid swoop my life was once again
uprooted, this time landing me in quiet little Redlands, California. The plan
is that I'm here for the long haul, but seeing this is the fourth mission I've
served in...well.... But no, I should probably finish out my mission here. But
how did I end up in the Redlands, California mission? Let me tell you the
story...
It all began on a sunny, beautiful Tuesday day. I was on
the bus to a meeting at the church with the zone leaders when I get a phone
call asking that I call into the conference call immediately. Sister Gillespie
and I were a little worried. Then everyone begins reporting that they're on,
and Sister Gillespie is like "I don't know any of these missionaries"
but I realize I know them all, because they're all Donetsk missionaries. That
is when I really began to fear something was wrong. Then President got on the
call, and told us that the Area Presidency has decided that we are definitely
not going back to Donetsk, and that they don't have enough room for us here, so
they are sending us all to missions in our home countries. We got off the call,
and Sister Gillespie just hugged me. I knew it was coming, I had just been in
denial. I had also been led to think it would be another couple months away. In
any case, I was strangely calm, just as I had been when I knew I was leaving Donetsk.
What else can you do? They told us our re-assignments would be coming in the
next couple of days, and we could leave this week, or we could leave the next
week.
That evening we had a lesson with a member family, where
we taught the kids some English, and shared a spiritual thought. The whole time
Sister Gillespie did the little English lesson, the youngest daughter, Allah,
was obsessed with me. She would always run over and hug me, bring me things,
and at one point she started punching me in the face (I stopped that). Then the
little baby boy Koctya would look at me and I would smile and he would smile
and laugh. Basically I just endeared myself to the family and vice versa and it
hurt knowing that I would have to leave soon. Then Allah found a random piece
of candy in my bag (dangers of having a broken zipper), and started eating it,
so then her older sister Sasha asked if I had any more. I didn't, but I told
her I would bring her something special to her baptism on Saturday, not knowing
if I could but hoping I would be around until then.
Wednesday Sister Gillespie and I planned a real special
day. We had a "pass-off" lesson with the elders so they could pass us
one of their investigators, and then we were going to go with them to the beach
of the Black Sea and boardwalk chalk contact on the beach. I was this close to
seeing, possibly even touching, the Black Sea. Instead Wednesday morning during
personal study we get a text saying that all Donetsk missionaries are to be
packed by 2:00pm that day ready to go up to Kiev. Well there went our plans. So
not only did I have to pack, I had to pack knowing that I would be on an
airplane soon. Luckily the apartment had a scale, luckily I can ship things
home from Ukraine, and luckily I was with amazing companions who were willing
to blow dry my clothes that I needed to wash that day so I wouldn't be without
underwear. Sister Gillespie also made us a last "Ukrainian" meal.
Seriously the best companions. Actually, I was talking to others, and it seems
that transfer everyone got paired up with their "perfect"
companion/their twin. Everyone was so excited for that transfer. It lasted four
days. Maybe a little boon before we all got shipped out? I don't know. Anyway,
so we were actually going to take a 6 hour bus ride back to Kiev leaving at
4:00pm, and so we didn't have to be at the bus station until 3:00pm. It still
came all too quickly. It was a hard goodbye. As I drove away from Odessa, that
is when it felt like I was leaving Ukraine. I knew I would still be in Kiev,
but it was really just a waiting period. Leaving Odessa was when I left my
mission in Ukraine. And that is when I cried. Thankfully, I got to see the
gorgeous Ukrainian countryside as I drove to Kiev, and you bet I took lots of
pictures.
We arrived that night and they put us all in a hotel by
the temple site. The next day was another "waiting day." Out of my
area, had a little business to settle with luggage and finances, and didn't
have a meeting until 4pm. I may have visited a Ukrainian reenok one last time.
That night all of the Donetsk mission had a farewell meeting with President and
Sister Klebingat. Looking around at the entire mission, it was sad to see how
severely reduced it had become, and I realized that I knew just about every single
one of them. This really was my family becoming split up and dispersed. As a
side note, those missionaries who had a transfer left were given the option to
go home or be reassigned. Two elders chose to go home, and two sisters and one
elder chose to be reassigned. The meeting went all night, and included a lot of
post-mission stuff (it was a farewell meeting), all very good. Then that night
we all went back to the hotel. I got about 1.5 hours of sleep as I woke up at
1am to get ready and see the first batch of missionaries off at 2am, and then
my group left for the airport at 3am. The airport was not fun, but I won't go
into that. Nor will I talk much about the plane ride. Basically it was an
eternal day because I went backwards in time. And twelve hours on a plane when
you can't watch movies is a really long time.
Then we arrived in California. Sister Finlayson, and
Elder Fife, and I were the three assigned to the California, Redlands mission.
My new mission president is President Van Cott, and he is wonderful. He met us
three at the airport and took us straight to the mission home. He is fairly
young, and so still has four kids at home. Basically we got to hang out with
the Van Cott family. They fed us dinner, took us to get a shake at In n' Out, took
us to the temple site, the mission office and let us call home to figure out
Skype for Mother's Day, and then let us go to bed early. They also let us sleep
in a little bit the next day to try and get adjusted.
Then Saturday I met my new companions, Sister Webb and
Sister McConkie. They are wonderful, and I'm excited to work with them. We have
a car, but they like to park it in an area and then walk around, which I'm
grateful for. It is sunny and hot here and I am going to get such a great tan.
:) They are teaching several people who are on date to be baptized, and have
other great investigators. The work is incredible here. There are so many
Latter-Day Saints everywhere, and so many people know who we are. I have just
about the best living situation you could hope for: I live in a little house in
the back yard of the coolest members ever. They have a dog and chickens. They
like to feed us (actually, tons of members like to feed us!). I have the best
view ever. What is this dreamland?!
Culture shock is a thing. Not as big as I thought it
might be, but still there. I think the most surprising thing is when people
open their mouths and speak English. When I went to church people kept telling
me I have a slight accent, which I did not know I have. Mother's Day was a
dream, and it was fun to Skype with everyone back home.
I need to go, but I will say this: I terribly miss
Ukraine, and I love Ukraine. But I know my time there came to an end, and this
is where I need to be now. This is the Lord's work, and it is needed
everywhere.
I love all of you! Until next week,
Sister Tanner
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