Mariah, Week 59, Poltava

#that moment when your mission president knows that your mom keeps a blog for your missionary adventures  

                                                                                                                                                  Jul 14                                                                                                                                                                           

Well. Today is the start of week five of my eighth transfer. To be honest -- that's dis-gusting! WHERE HAS ALL THE TIME GONE?!! I've literally only got three more transfers left. And okay, nope. Nope. Totally not going to be talking about that anymore. Topic change.

So, my week. Thanks to Elder Fuller's inspired direction as our district leader, we've been doing a lot of member work during the last few weeks. Something finally clicked in his/our brains after reading Chapter 9 in Preach My Gospel, that maybe, just maybe -- working with the members a little more than we had been doing in the past is the key to being able to strengthen our relationship with members and building up their trust in us (keyword: trust!), help teach members how to do missionary work, and to be able to have members entrust us with their precious friends and family members who are open to hearing our message! That's our end goal. We're two weeks into this goal, and so far... no immediate fruits of our labor yet. We actually hit a wall. But something that Elder Fuller shared with us yesterday in a quick, impromptu district meeting, hit me. He shared a verse in Jacob.

And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day. -- Jacob 1:19

As a missionary, there is a responsibility that comes with wearing a black name tag with Christ's name on it 24/7 for 18 to 24 months. I have this quote written in my Preach My Gospel -- "With great power comes great responsibility." (quoted from Peter Parker's uncle. And if you don't know who Peter Parker is... Google it.) Every person that we walk by on the street, be it if we talk to them or not, or every investigator that we have. As a representative of the Lord in Poltava, Ukraine, I have a sacred duty to teach the people of Poltava the word of God. I took up the responsibility to answer for the sins of the people here, and help them correct the traditions of their fathers. The Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox Church is so strongly deeply rooted in the people and culture here. As the Lord's missionaries in Ukraine, we're having to push and fight against hundreds of -- if not thousands -- of year old traditions and rituals. Satan is real, and his power is real. He's has done a wicked job at twisting sweet, simple doctrine of the Lord's gospel and using it to lead away innocent people from the truth.

But I have a testimony that this is the Lord's only and true church. Through a modern-day prophet, He has restored all of the truths and principles that we need to have in this later day to live and be able to return to live with Heavenly Father in heaven. And I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence of this restoration.

The book is blue and the church is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sister McCrea

Mitchell, week 48, Tapana

VÁ BRASIL!!!!

Alright..... So y'all are gonna have to bear with me for about 2 more weeks without photos. (My SD card that I have still works and has photos but its a pain to put it back in if I take it out.) But I can't believe in like 2 weeks I will hit my 1 year mark!!! CRAZY!!!!!!! But all is good here. Brasil won the last game with Columbia. So tomorrow Brasil is playing against Germany. Also our Mission president will let us see the game tomorrow!! :D Plus Wednesday we have a the Zone Conference with all the missionaries here in Belém. So it all should be good this next week!! It kinda stinks this past week here in Para it's time off of school and all. So a lot of people here left to visit other families members in other cities and all. So it's kinda hard, but things are working out. Mom and Dad I got 2 cards from yall this past week! THANKS!!!! :D 

Gosh it kinda stinks! So there is an other American that lives in the same apt. He found out this past week when he will be going home. So he keeps talking what he will do and all! Its great and all! But gosh it gets me a little trunky!! But Elder Costa and I are doing great!! He is such a great companion and really he is helping with the conjugation of verbs and all. So like every Saturday for like the past 2 months I am teaching an English class. Not sure why, but not a lot of people from the neighborhood come but we have some regulars. But gosh its funny I am starting to forget english grammar and phrases and all. Gosh, it's pretty funny, because I have to ask Elder Costa if I am right on some things and he isn't even from the USA (He's from Portugal). But I am sorry that my emails/letters arent the best with english grammar. Sorry! I cant wait to see how it will be when I get back home. :P

But nothing really hasn't happened big. I think what I am gonna start doing is write the main points during the week so on Monday I can have something to talk about. But I think I am missing something but right now I think that's about it. The weeks are just going by faster and faster and soon, I know, my 2 years will be all up and that's it. But I hope I doing my best and always loving everyone that I meet. I sure love this gospel and I know that my family are sealed for eternity! I know that this Gospel blesses lives for eternity and I am really eternally grateful for my parents who sacrificed everything for me and my sister. I love this Gospel and I know my Savior died for my sins so I can return to him one day. I hope everyone is having a great day and I hope your week will be AWESOME and filled with tons of miracles! 

Love you all,

Elder McCrea

p.s. LETTERS PLEASE? I promise I will write back! :)

Mitchell, week 47, Tapana

PANCAKES!!! :D 

The Cabanagem Zone.

A cool looking bridge/river that we found as we were walking with the other elders after lunch.

Pictures Galore

A cool looking bridge/river that we found as we were walking with the other elders after lunch.

PANCAKES!!! :D 

9

Ahh its good!! :D

Cacau the fruit!

A ward activity that we had one night. 

         

                                                        A  butterfly and grasshopper that I found 

A little street that is cover with the banners. (I will take more pictures soon about the streets and all) People are still putting stuff up and all

A bird that was just on the road one day    

A less active member that we are visiting her chickens sleep in flipping trees!! :O

Mariah, week 52, Poltava

Hedgehogs, adventures to the сило, and 101 investigators.


Hello world. I'm not dead! Promise! Oh man, this past week has been crazy. It's felt like I've been on two totally different sides of my physical and emotion spectrum as a missionary. Oh, the life of a missionary. Как жизин у меня есть. (What a life I have.)

So pretty much a bajillion and five things happened to Sister Patterson and I this week. Which in a quick summary, included eating fancy at a fancy~ish restaurant, petting a wild hedgehog that a drunk man caught in a park (apparently hedgehogs are native to Ukraine?). I FINALLY learned how to read Ukrainian (there are a few letters that sound different in Ukrainian compared to Russian). Zone Conference happened last Monday, hence why our P-day was on last Saturday... which, to be honest, kind of threw off the rhythm of our week... but Zone Conference was good. It had a really big focus on contacting and finding families... which is my mission's new focus. We don't go out to contact anymore. We go out to teach street lessons and find families to meet with. So far this focus has treated our area very well because we've found five new ladies to teach this week... Granted, we haven't been able to meet their families yet -- but only time will tell!!

Um what else... On Friday, Sister Patterson and I spent the early afternoon in the сило (you say it like Cee Lo Green -- except without the Green) which means "village"... and boy are there ever villages in Ukraine. Villages are where almost everyone and their dog goes out to during the weekend to take care of their доча -- their country house -- where they grow all kinds of vegetables and fruits and just to be frank, being out on the village is like living out on the farm. It's too cool out there. N'waay so we went to one of the villages outside of Poltava to visit the branch president and his wife. I think it's pretty safe to say that they were one of the first members of the church here in Poltava. They became members 15+ years ago. Сестра H. is the branch's historian and has the whole history of the Poltava branch -- every single baptism, almost every single anything that has happened in Poltava, she has pictures of it. It was so cool to flip through the three thick binders of the history of the church in Poltava. They were such good hosts. They fed us feast of samples of delicious Ukrainian food... and afterwards, Сестра H. took us around their farm and gave us all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables! 

Fresh carrots and onions! Score!

Seriously though!! Fresh fruit and vegetables is something that I'm seriously going to miss about Ukraine. At this time of the year in June, there are people lining the sidewalks selling their goods -- fresh cherries, berries, onions, dill weed, cucumbers, and x-number of other kinds of veggies and stuff. And it's dirt-cheap compared to how much someone would pay for fresh produce back home. Fresh strawberries grown without pesticides for 14 грн (about $1.25) for a kilo? Deal!

Sorry, America -- but Ukraine wins this one.

And I dunno what else that Ukraine has brought to Sister Patterson and I this week. Plenty of things, I'm sure... but my time's almost up. So... testimony time! I know my Savior lives and I feel His love for me everyday. Everyday that I'm here in Ukraine, I'm slowly starting to come to recognize how this is His work -- not my work. I am just an instrument in His hands. And the church is true and the book that I am here to give a chance for everyone here in Poltava to read is awesome. If you don't have a copy of the Book of Mormon... let me know and I will do what I can to make sure that you have your own copy and you can read and know for yourself what I'm talking about.

And that is all. TTFN

xoxo

Sister McCrea

Mitchell, week 45, Tapana

GOAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOOOOOLLLLL!!!!!! Its getting crazy! The world cup is definitely hug here in Brasil, compared there in the States! But Brasil beat Croácia this past week. We stayed in out our apt the whole day after lunch that day becuase it gets pretty crazy here during and after the games! I definitely knew when Brasil scored and won and all because we can hear everyone screaming and the fireworks and all going off. But THE USA PLAYS TODAY!! GO USA! :P But also these past days had been rough.... My companion was on his last drops of energy but he died and past over to the regular life today. He will be home tomorrow. But here is a picture of him and I.... 

So Elder Rodrigues finished his mission and I am staying that means a new COMPANION!!! And he is..... ELDER COSTA! His from Portugal! ITS GONNA BE GREAT! I actually knew him right when I got to Brasil back in September he also arrived with us, but he is great! He is a big fella as well, but its gonna be great serving with him! He arrives from Santarém tomorrow morning. (the last I heard he was serving in my 1st area of Tapajós in Santarém) 

But the weeks are going by faster and faster!!  Next week I hit 11th month anniversary on a mission. (My sister hits her 1 year mark in 3 days :O ) Then in July I hit my 1 year mark also. But its sure going by fast, the mission! I am sure grateful for the chance I have to be serving and helping people here in Brasil. I love this Gospel and I know that it blesses families! I know that this work is the Lord's work and all that we do is with Authority of God. We don't brain wash people to believe in what we say.... we teach what we know and we ask them to simply say a prayer asking God to see if we teach is true. I know that I don't know everything but I don't have a doubt in what I teach everyday is true. I know that Joseph Smith restored the same gospel that was taught when Christ was here. on earth.. What does it mean to restore.... 

re·store

: to give back (someone or something that was lost or taken) : to return (someone or something)

: to put or bring (something) back into existence or use

: to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restore)

So Joseph Smith didn't make or create a new church. He restored the exact church that was established when Jesus Christ was here on Earth. How did Chirst established and organize his church with 3 things... Ephesians 2:20 

"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"

So this is how Chirst organized his church and this is how Jospeh Smith restored it. And today we have a living prophet and 12 Apostles. And they have the same Authority that the origanal prophets and apostles had and they are called by God. I know this is true and I have no dought in my heart it is false. And if you wanna know  for yourself just pray and ask God.

But I love my family so much and I know that we are sealed for all time and eternity! I know that what I do is helping people/families out for eternity! 

I hope all y'all have a splendid and safe week and continue counting your blessings! 

Love always,

Elder McCrea