Mariah, Week 22, Zaporozhye

HELLO FROM ALASKA

I MEAN -- UKRAINE!

Seriously though. I bet I have a good idea of what it feels like to live in Alaska. It got to be below freezing this week. BELOW FREEZING, FOLKS. THAT'S ZERO DEGREES CELSIUS!! THIRTY-TWO DEGREES FARENHEIGHT (or however you spell that word). In Laredo, I can probably count all the times that it's been below freezing on one hand. On Friday though, when we went outside our apartment to start our day, there was standing water... and the surface was frozen over. I'm not even joking, folks. Frozen. I tested it with the toe of my boot. 

Oh man... I have no idea how I'm going to survive a winter in Ukraine. The branch members in Zaporozhye have supposidly fasted for a warmer winter this yeah, so I hope the Lord has heard their prayers and grants Zaporozhye a milder winter season. (But hey... I guess the Lord has blessed me in the fact that I didn't get sent to RUSSIA for my mission. I definitely wouldn't be able to survive a winter there. Phew.)

Anyway, I can't believe that it's already December. December means that...

• I've been out on my mission for nearly six months;
• I've been in-country for three months;
• Christmas and New Years are just around the corner;
• I get an excuse to bake cookies and treats like a madwoman!
• and a lot of other things.

It also means that there is a special feeling in the air; a feeling of love, and service. Or at least that's how it feels like in America. Hopefully it will be the same here in Ukraine.

This last week has been really eventful though. During our last district meeting, we thought and wrote out most of the less-actives that are in our area, and in preparation for fast Sunday yesterday, we told the members to fast and pray for these members, as we work with them to help them return back to the branch. I have a feeling that the Lord will be on our side with this one.

This last week was also Thanksgiving. Ukrainian's don't really celebrate Thanksgiving, so Sister Nielsen and I celebrated this traditional American feasting holiday in our own way: byeating шаурмаs (which is basically the Ukrainian street food equivalent of a burrito) for lunch and chicken pizza for dinner! It was a feast fit for a king! This week (not on Thanksgiving day), we also had the opportunity to be fed... БОРЩ (BORSH)!!!! Borsh is seriously becoming my favorite food of Ukraine. I want to collect ALL THE BORSH RECIPES before I come home! Who needs souvenirs and knick-knaks, when you can have traditional Ukrainian borsh soup recipes. :)

To close though, in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought that I'd just list a few things that I'm thankful for:

• first and foremost -- my older brother, Jesus Christ, and the Atonement that He performed. I'm 21 years old and I still don't think I've even come close to understanding the whole magnitude of it all.
• my family -- my beyond wonderful parents who put up with me for 21 years; my brother, who is serving the Lord and sweating away in Brazil, and for Elder Harline and Sister McCrea, two of my wonderful cousins who are also serving the Lord.
• the wonderful, humble Ukrainian people that I am serving here.
• borsh
• my wonderful companion, who is awesome and helps me get through the cold, Zaparozhye-ian weather.

And that's all the time that I have now, folks. I wish you all a good week, and don't be shy with sending me e-mails or letters or anything! I would love to hear from those people who just so happen to read my blog entries!

Love, love, love,

Sister McCrea