Sister Tanner in Ukraine: Service

October 20, 2014

Would you believe me if I told you that at this moment, there is a chicken sitting in a box in our bedroom?

It's true.

But I'll get to that later.

So my birthday. It was a pretty sweet day. Literally. I think people are trying to make me fat. There were THREE cakes made for my birthday, along with a big "cookie cake" plus a billion other sweets. Just in time for the holiday seasons. Luckily we went walking that day, but of course while we did so, a member found us and delivered the cookie cake.

Then not two minutes later we get a text asking if we can stop by another member’s house, and I get a personalized mini cake and ice cream. And then my birthday party. Delicious pizza, great friends ranging in age from 4 months to 40 years, and, of course, pumpkin cake. (Diana's favorite birthday cake.) A pretty awesome twenty-first birthday party. Ironically the drinks came in a wine box, but it was just sparkling lemonade. Side note: we made two pumpkin cakes, but only ate one, so the next morning an entire pumpkin cake was delivered to our door. But we didn't get to it fast enough and we're pretty sure it started fermenting. Weird.

six year old Kyla put the candles on the cake

Wednesday was a funny day. So we stopped by this less active older couple. The husband answers the door, and he's like, "yeah, come on in!" So we walk in and there is the wife on the couch dead. At least she looked like it. It kind of freaked us out, especially when she didn't respond right away. Turns out she was just resting, but definitely not a good time to stop by. Come on, husband.

Then we walk over to our favorite potential investigator/investigator and as we walk up his long driveway I see that he is talking to two men in white shirts and nice pants. Either a business deal or Jehovah’s Witnesses. So we quietly start to walk away, but just then he finishes up, sees us, and motions for us to wait. Then he walks down saying "I'm in a tug-of-war between the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses!" And then he proceeds to tell us to follow him the other way around the house, so the JWs don't see us as they drive away. Funny stuff. Then we have a nice conversation with him and his son-in-law. Basically, I think we are winning the "tug-of-war."

Then that night I had a massive steak and baked potato dinner and I felt like I was going to explode the rest of the night. You see, there is this lovely older couple, and the husband makes amazing steak, and now he loves me because I love his steak, so every time we eat dinner there I have a massive steak and a massive baked potato.

I'm just going to slip some bad news in about here: C canceled her baptism again. Again, there was backlash from the family, and as she told us, "My priority to my family trumps what I want." It can just be a little frustrating, but of course we have to just support her. Now moving on.

Thursday we had a great mission conference with Elder Evans! Elder Evans is the general authority in charge of the entire missionary department for the church. He was supposed to come several months ago but had to postpone. Anyway, it was a great session. Four missionaries were picked to be interviewed afterwards, and one of them was Sister Magleby. And then she was the last one, so we had to wait a little while. But that meant that afterwards I had a brief chat with Elder Evans. When he learned I had been in Ukraine, he told Sister Evans to hug me, and she did. He also told me that he was the one who released President Lochhead, and updated me a bit on how they were doing. That was pretty cool.

That night we had a lesson with our investigator, B, about the temple, and he was really interested. His desire to really study has grown a lot lately. It's great.

Friday nothing too special happened. I do remember it was a mental struggle day. Those have been happening a lot lately. I think my brain is turning to mush. I have been EXHAUSTED lately. I think I may be just a little bit sick, but not enough to feel justified in staying in. So I just feel crummy.

Anyway, so Saturday morning Sister Magleby and I got to go to a new horse trail park opening and help out. We were in charge of the little stick-horse rodeo games they had. We timed little kids, teenagers, and adults as they performed Jim Cannon rodeo events with stick horses. It was great fun and I wish more people had known about it and come. My favorite was the girl with the big purple unicorn stick horse. She biffed it a couple times but would just get right back up and run.

That afternoon our Sister Training Leader and her companion came to weekly plan with us. We did it in the Palmer's backyard and were occasionally accosted by pets.

That night we had a lesson with our 94 year old recent convert, and we asked him to say the closing prayer. We think he may have a prayer and a testimony confused. We now know the subject for our next lesson.

And Sunday. This is the day of the chicken. So the Palmers left town on Thursday and we've been taking care of their animals. Well after church Sunday we come home and Roxy is sniffing in the bushes in front of our little house. I look to see what she's sniffing, and I just see a torn and battered chicken body. Ah oh. Luckily it was breathing, so we lock up the dogs while we try and figure out how to get the chicken out from its hiding place. Finally we extract its rather disheveled self, and go to put it with the other chickens.

But it just sits there, and I'm pretty sure the other chickens are going to peck it to death, as they have a way of doing that. So we bring it inside, and Sister Magleby donates the box her mom sent with holiday decorations. Then we call the chicken experts - the D family. They came over and dressed her wounds, and gave us some instructions. I am happy to report the chicken is alive and well, doing all the chicken things like eating, drinking, pooping, and preening. No egg laying though. Soon I think we will try to introduce her back to the chickens. By the way, after we had brought this one inside, we released the dogs and Roxy went to sniffing another bush. I heard a soft squawk and went to check, only to find another chicken Roxy had chased. This one had somehow gotten to the other side of the gate, and was only mildly roughed up. It was quickly returned to the others. Sometimes, Roxy tries my patience.

Later that day some members gave us three massive pomegranates. Score.

Well, I think that wraps up the report for this week. It was a long one.

Hope you are all doing well!

Love,

Sister Tanner

If you follow what is happening in Ukraine at all, you know that despite a declared cease fire there is continued shelling in Donetsk, especially around the area of the airport. In October of last year Diana flew into an airport that looked like this.