Hello Friends!
Another great week in Cherkassy! It is absolutely beautiful here. It starting to cool down and the leaves are turning red. YAY! Today was the first day of school for all of the children and they all wore their Vishivankas! It was so fun to see everyone festive:)
We went on exchanges to Kiev this week! An exchange is when you switch companions for the day. It was so fun! We contacted most of the day and were able to meet a lot of really neat people. We were talking to a babushka and after I told her I was from America, she asked "Do you know Cardi B?" Then she began to express her love for Cardi B and kept saying, "okuuurr!". It was SO funny!
The people here are so generous. At church I was talking to a woman and told her that her watch was pretty. She then took of the watch and put it on my wrist (which already had my own watch on). Thank you Sister Lyba!
I also learned importance of listening to people and taking an interest in their lives. There was a woman at English practice that previously mentioned to me that she had a parrot. On Thursday, I saw her and asked her about her parrot and she light up! After a long conversation about her parrot and about how it knows more Russian than me, she asked to know more about our church and wants to take lessons! I am grateful that I learned the Russian word for parrot in the MTC and that she felt loved through a simple question.
The language is still so hard to understand and speak, but it is getting better day by day:) Here is a (not so) funny language story...On Monday, we had a family home evening with a family in our ward. We were talking about their pet fish and I couldn't understand the whole conversation so I just said "cool!" at the end. Right when I said it, I realized that she had just said that most of the fish had died and that it was really sad. It was so embarrassing but luckily, they were so sweet and we were all able to laugh about it.
"Give me all. I don't want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work: I want You. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man. but to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather, I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart."
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| Alla and I. She just turned in her mission papers! YAY! |
I know that through following the example of Christ, I can give my all to God and serve Him to the best I can. I know in both times of joy and sorrow, the only way to light, is through Christ. I love the gospel! I know that we can all become closer to our Savior by turning outwards and relying on Him.
I love you all! Write me!:)
Sister Merrill
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| Views from our bike ride today. |
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| My district. I am the only native English speaker so it makes for a lot of Russian practice;) |
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| Our pink church building! |
