Hello Family and Friends
So I have an hour and fifteen minutes for email so I can skim over your emails before I write. So real quick then I will write about the coolest week of my life. It's a bummer to hear about BYU. Happy Birthday to Andrew, Isac and Dave. That makes you 40 right Dave? haha.
Alright so we landed in Atlanta and a lot of people looked at us funny but it wasn't a big deal. It was fun because we met a couple of members and they were so excited to see us. So then we flew to Amsterdam. And if I thought people looked at me funny in Atlanta it was nothing compared to Holland. It was crazy walking through an Airport that I had no idea what people were saying. So we flew to Ukraine and we found all of our luggage. We met President Klebingat and the APs and Sister Klebingat. They are awesome. So we went to the temple and took some pictures. It is absolutely beautiful there. Then we went to the President's home and had dinner.
The next morning we all woke up to go on a run. We turned down a street and ther were like 7 stray dogs. And they were huge. 5 of them started running after us and President said don't let them think you are scarred. Which was hard because I was freaked out. Then we drove over to the Branch building where we met our trainers. Mine is Elder Wells, Mom and Dad your prayers have been answered. He is an amazing Missionary. Already he has taught me so much. He is awesome at the language and he is super nice.
My first area is down in Odessa. Take a look at a Ukraine map and I think Odessa is about as South as you can go. Then go even Souther and you get to Illiochosk. Which is my area. It's so cool here. We have an awesome apartment view of the Black Sea. The only bad thing is we have a nice big family of Cockroaches. But hey it wouldn't be a mission with out them haha.
So after we met each other we decided to do some work around Ukraine because our train back to Odessa leaves at 9 that night. So this is where it gets scary. We got into a bus that should hold about 30 people. I think there were 60 in there before we got in. I learned something very quickly. If you don't push you don't get in. So then we went down to their subway system. Which was even worse than the bus. So many people so little of space. So we walked around and tried talking to people. Well at least I thought I understood Russian. People talk so fast here.
So after that we went to the train station and got on our tarin headed for Odessa. It was my first overnight train. It was really cool. So the next morning we feel the train stop and suddenly my companion and the other trainer jump up and tell us to hurry and get dressed. Me and Elder Welch who was in my district at the MTC get up and begin to change. I didn't know what the hurry was. So we get off the train and as soon as my foot hits the ground the train starts to pull away. Apparently they are supposed to wake us up before our stop. Then we took another bus to Illiochosk. We get to the apartment unpack and head out to our lessons. On our way we contacted a man by the name of Dima. I'll talk more about him later. We spent the next two days meeting with members and Less actives. On Saturday night we made some calls to meet with people and called Dima about teaching him the next day. He said that would be alright.
So the next day was Sunday and we went early because my companion is the second councilor in the branch presidency. So we had some meetings to get to. I officially met the Branch. I had the opportuinty to stand up and introduce myself and bear my testimony. This branch is absolutley amazing. The faith of these people is incredible. There's only 25 people in the Branch and 6 Priesthood holders counting me and Elder Wells.
So after church we walked around "being missionaries" President Klebingat doesn't want us to call it street contacting because weshouldn't put time aside for street contacting we should just be missionaries. So Saturday night we planned out a lesson for Dima. After we met him we both felt so good about him because he said he had just started reading the Bible and sounded really interested in Prophets. So we decided to teach the first lesson with an emphisis on Prophets. We also both felt that we should extend a baptisimal challenge. So back to Sunday. We went over and he came out because his wife wasn't home and she doesn't like guests in the house whuile she isn't there. But anyways we got to know him and found out that he has cancer. The treatments are going well and it looks very hopeful. He told us that he got a bible from a holy man on the street and he feels that God is trying to tell him something. He said he believes that God sent us to teach him what he needs to know. So that was AWESOME. We taught him the lesson and he was really receptive, before we could ask him the commitments he alreaady wanted to do things. He asked can I have a Book of Mormon so I can read it. And where is your church I want to come. So at the end we extended the baptisimal challenge and he accepted! It is for the 22nd of October. Please everyone pray for him that he will recieve an answer and also that his wife will begin to take the lessons. She seemed a little less interested.
This has been the coolest, craziest, scareiest, and most spiritual week I have ever had. I love it here, I love this branch and this city. Well everyone just know of the love I have for you all.
For right now don't send hand written mail. It probably wont get to me. You can send Dear Elder but I only get it when we go to Kiev for Zone conference. So feel free to send Emails.
Alright Love you all Elder Quinn
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