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Monday, July 29, 2013

Words and photos from Sister Coleman


Dear Family and Friends:                                                                                     July 2013
We have been on our mission for 1 year now. That means the time is flying by and and we don’t know where it is going. We are kept really busy in the office and in our spare time we help the young Elders and Sisters with lessons. We also have an English conversation class once a week, family home evening every Monday night and teach Sunday School Gospel Doctrine class for English speakers on Sunday morning.

We love the people here. We have learned a lot about their heritage and the history of Ukraine. As you know it was formerly part of the USSR, so a lot of their history is tied to Russia. The national language is Ukrainian but they mostly speak Russian . Russian is a difficult language to learn. We have learned some words and a few phrases, but we mostly need translators.

Summer here is very humid and hot. Winter is very damp and cold. We are having a mild summer and last winter was comparatively mild as well.



They have a rich heritage of colors and costumes.


We participated in the Helping Hands program to help clean up the community.

Students from English Conversation Group
A Russian tank
A Branch picnic in the woods.
Chernobyl is in our Mission. This is a Memorial to the victims.
Members of our Sunday School class who speak English. They are from Ghana and Nigeria.
The Park next to our apartment.
Our apartment for a District Meeting.

We have the best missionaries in the world. We have doubled the number of sisters in our mission this summer. We got 14 new sisters. We need more senior missionaries. There is a great need for them. We have each couple assigned to a different city. We get to have a conference every six months. It is so fun to get together. We also have a group skype time every Thursday with all of the couples in the mission so we can keep in touch and get help from each other. Each couple is assigned to a District with the young sisters and elders. We have the meeting at our apartment. We feed them before the meeting. It is a small apartment so there is a lot of togetherness. We are like the parents and grandparents to these


young missionaries. We feed them, listen to them and help them in any way we can. They help us as well. They translate, help us find our way, give us advice on where to find things.

There are days when it is difficult. But there are also days when it is fantastic. Our best days are when we get to talk with people, members, people on the street, every one. These people have been through so much. The gospel and the temple is changing their lives. They love the temple. The Kyiv Temple district covers all of Russia and Eastern Europe. It is a huge area. But the people are so faithful. They sacrifice to go to the temple. They are very interested in Family History because so little has been done. As the members get their Patriarchal blessings, all of the tribes of Israel have been identified and are present here in Eastern Europe. We truly are gathering the lost ten tribes. They celebrate Victory Day in June, which is like our July 4th Independence Day. We learned so much of their history and struggles. We have been to the War Memorial Museum. They also love the theater, ballet and opera. We have attended several and they are excellent. The Donetsk Opera House is marvelous.

Senior Couples Conference June 2013

We love you all so much. We are experiencing things that are truly blessing our lives and we hope yours as well. We see the hand of the Lord in this great work. We are so privileged to be a part of it. Thank you for your many prayers on our behalf.
до свидания
Старейшина и сестра Колман
Elder and Sister Coleman

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Summer Salad night

Thanks to all who came! If you didn't come, we missed you!














Saturday, July 13, 2013

Words and photos from Sister Nye!

Ahoj!
For our Banska Bystrica/Zvolen combined branch activity in June, the members wanted to have a Hawaiian luau.  We invited the Zilina Branch, which nearly doubled our numbers.  With no place to dig a hole in which to roast the pig (J/K) and no kitchen in our Banska building, the young missionaries suggested Hawaiian Haystacks. It seemed like the most available and easily transportable “Hawaiian” meal.  (Use your imaginations on the Hawaiian part!)  This meal was definitely an American concept.  We explained how to “build a haystack on a plate,” but only the Americans did it that way.  All of the Slovaks had the chicken sauce on the side of their rice. Then they had separate little piles of toppings on their plates.  People don’t mix their foods here---not even rice and sauce.   
There were spontaneous games of “pineapple toss” and “coconut bowling.”
                             
Playing Elephant/Giraffe (translated Slon/Žirafa) and Love Your Neighbor had everyone laughing and moving.   

Our Banska Bystrica Relief Society president is in the center of the photo with the green lei and red dress.  She was SO excited for this party and she did SO much work on it!  I think she slept well after it was over.

Also in June, there was a three-day celebration of Zvolen’s 770th birthday!  Yes, Zvolen, then part of Hungary, was granted town privileges in 1243 AD!!!  This commemoration was a BIG deal.  There were suits of armor, swords, bows and arrows---it was like being in Sherwood Forest.  There was also a living history display by a blacksmith making medieval locks, keys, tools and swords. 

Not sure the name of this old gun, but it had quite a kick!

Later in the day, cannons were fired from the Zvolen Castle at the south end of the namestie.

There was also a great car show . . .   [see photos below]

So many things to experience:  folk dances, traditional music, parades, plays, and fireworks.  And of course, food!  One snack food being sold was new to us . . . cut corn heated in some butter and then sprinkled with garlic or chili or . . . . . . . . . . cinnamon.  I had to try the cinnamon just to see, and it was very good.  So when you’re eating corn on the cob this summer, remember the cinnamon.  ;)

s laskou,
Susan  aka Sestra Nyeova