Sometimes I'm sitting on the bus or on the metro and I think to myself, "Holly Hannah Montana I am in Kyiv!" And then I feel extremely blessed. I don't know how I got so lucky to be able to be here but I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!
I love my branch here. It's basically made up of ILP volunteers, senior missionary couples, a few people working for the government, and random locals of and people who have relocated here from America. The branch I go to is English speaking and we were told the first day that the English branch was created because the stake feels that it is their responsibility to take care of the ILP volunteers while they are here. And boy do they! I feel like the branch here is my family away from home.
Each senior missionary couple has been assigned a few ILP volunteers and together we make a little Ukrainian family. Tender right! It's also home teaching and visiting teaching assignments so it serves many purposes. And it's just plain greatness! The couple I was assigned to are Brother and Sister Cullom. They are from Oregon and have been here for 6 months. They have a year left. They are serving as humanitarian missionaries here and this is their third mission. They have also been to Laos and South Africa. Yesterday they told us all sorts of adventures they have had and I'm really jealous!
They had us over for lunch and they fed us some yummy american food! Who knew dominos pizza could make someone SO HAPY! Oh and cold drinks that were flavored with juice packets from Walmart? Successful lunch if you ask me! Especially because Ukrainians don't believe in cold water so it was the first cold drink I've had since I've been here. YUM!
After we were done they took us on a beautiful walk in a park in down town Ukraine. I love that the beautiful fall colors are coming out!
In the park they took us to this cool statue. I have no idea what this statue is or it's significance to Ukraine but this statue overlooks the river...
... here's the river. And in front of this river President Packer stood many years ago and he dedicated the land of Ukraine and opened it up to missionary work. How cool is that!!!
This is me in front of the river. It was so neat to be here and to know that it was the place where missionary work was opened up. And to think that there is now a temple in Ukraine. It's amazing to see things come full circle.
That night we all went to the Ballet. This is the opera house where the ballet was. The ballet was the night before christmas and I'm confident I was really confused but the dancing was beautiful!
Jaimee, Alyssa, and I in front of the opera house.
It is beautiful inside!!!
Jaimee, Sarah, and I sitting in our seats.
The stage
After the performance was over we went to Kreschatik street. We had seen it in the day but at night they light it all up and it's beautiful. Not to mention there is always a party going on there.
This is the local dance competition going on that happens every Saturday night in the month of September.
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