This week was awesome. First of all Sasha (from last week) received her answer at general conference, and will be getting baptized next month! So excited. Also, that one man from the park the other week that came to Gen. Conf, showed up again in church yesterday. I seriously was so happy!
We started our English practice again after a 3 week break, and we were in the beginner's group this week. I was getting to know all the new people, when one guy came in. He looked way awesome. I asked him how he heard about english, and he pulled out our English card and said, "You gave me this last Monday." Not that I'm shocked, but I love it when random people actually act upon things like that! I think he loved English practice. I consider that my forte, getting people interested in the gospel through our English class. We meet for 45 minutes in separate groups, and then we all come together at the end and we tell a story where someone translates, and then we give a little spiritual thought. It's awesome. After the spiritual thought, the man who came walked up to one of the missionaries and said, "Tell me why this church is different. I'm looking for the true church." And they pulled a member into a room and he met with the elders right then and there. Oh the joys.
On Thursday we met with an investigator. It was the first real lesson we had with her, and she had so many awesome Q's. After a long time, she said Ok, I have to run to my bus, but we'll meet tomorrow! So the next day we took a bus out to her village (about an hour away) and met again...lightbulbs were going on all over the place. She is so prepared. I'm so confident that she'll become a member in no time.
On Friday a girl named Anastasia came to English. I found her on the street about a month ago, and she finally came to English, and brought a friend. They. Were. Awesome. They're both so interested in learning more, and after the practice, they were so excited about everything. I love normal, cool people. Also, she told me that the first time she met me, she had no idea I wasn't Ukrainian. She said, "I would've never guessed you were American when we met on the street! I am so amazed at how well you know our language!"
I just keep pinching myself when people say that. Up until about 2 months ago, my language was next to nothing, pretty much. It's amazing. I have so far to go, but I feel confident in my abilities these days at least. It's a miracle from God, and I am constantly thanking him for this gift that He's given me. I seriously couldn't do it alone, and I definitely wasn't able to do it alone when I tried. Relying on the Lord shouldn't be as hard as we make it. It just makes life so much easier.
We had a cool experience yesterday. We were "bench sitting" holding a "FREE ENGLISH" sign (English, if you couldn't tell, is one of the best resources we have for finding great investigators. I don't know how missionaries find young people in the states). We had a bunch of people come talk to us, and this one man in particular stuck out to me. He came up and started talking to us in English, and sat next to me. He said, "So tell me....why are you really here." I smiled, and pulled out my Book of Mormon and said, "To share this with you. It proves that God speaks to man in our day." And I gave him the rundown of it. The Book of Mormon is so fascinating. I always knew that it was true, but when I was younger it was way down on the list of things that were important in regards to the gospel. It really wasn't until I got on a mission that I truly realized how powerful it is. It truly is the way to strong conversion. If someone doesn't read the Book of Mormon, they will never be firmly rooted in the gospel. That's just the way it is. They won't feel a strong connection to the Spirit, meaning they won't be able to get constant direction from the Lord. How I ever lived without constant direction from the Lord is a mystery to me.
I had a good conversation with this man, and I promised him that he could receive his own knowledge of the truth of it. He said, what if I pray, and the Lord tells me it isn't true? I told him that if he reads, and prays with a sincere heart, the Lord will tell him whether it is His word or not. And I testified that it was His word. Nothing can go against a pure testimony. It's that simple.
Ah. I love Ukraine.
The other night it was around 6pm and we were looking for something. We got lost (surprising?), so we were taking a bunch of random roads. When all of a sudden we got on a dirt path going up a slight hill. We got to the top, and I gasped. The sun was just set below the mountains, and the sky was orange, purple, and bright pink. A stark contrast next to the dark mountain. We were looking at the mountainside which was occupied by many handbuilt, colorful old homes with smoke coming out of the chimneys. The tall autumn trees around me, the dirt road, and the combination of the setting sun by the mountainside had to have been one of the most breathtaking scenes I have ever seen. Something deep within me stirred, and I felt so deeply full of gratitude to be in this beautiful land among these incredible children of God. Nothing compares. I felt just a small glimpse of that love that God has for His special children in Ukraine as I watch the quiet village on the mountainside.
After a long silence, I whispered to my comp, "Welcome to Ukraine. You're going to love this."
Oh how I love this. May these memories be as colorful as that October sky. God bless Ukraine.
Sister Webber
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