Cherkassy - Week #3

Greetings from the Ukraine:

The parents have been asking questions as to what it's like over here, so I thought I would give a brief overview. Here it goes.

OK, the culture...I can't touch the front of my belt in public. I have to greet people differently depending on their age and our relationship. Example: Ya Lublu Tebya {informal for I love you}, Ya Lublu vas {formal). The guys have mullets here, the girls are extremely immodest, everyone is poor, the language obviously different, the wierd and awesome food, the superstition, they don't use ice in drinks, they drink carbonated water..just very different!

Ghetto is a bad thing..it means that somethhing is trashy and low quality. We need tokens to ride the metro. It's only about 10 American cents. Maybe 1 grivni. It's all underground.

I will not be working in the in the Kyiv Temple when it opens, but I'll be able to go to the opening.

Elder Bernal, my companion, has been in Ukraine for about 20 months. He's from Washington state. Not sure which part though. We have a fridge, a washer, a shower, we buy groceries and cook in the apartment, and yes we can eat at members homes. We usually don't though. (No mom, the babushkas (grandmother type older women) are not in the apartment, and yes, you described them perfectly! We've only eaten with one babushka since I've been here.

Cherkasi is great! We walk by the McDonald's restaurant pretty much everyday. No Burger King here, though. I dont know yet how to convert miles to kilometers. Of course I keep up with Russian (haha). I'm in Ukraine!! I dont have a choice!!!!! They didnt make me do anything in church yet. It's a little different considering the fact that I dont speak the language. It's a little easier for the Missionaries in Pueblo to do "stuff" their first day.

The action, as in, it's like a city with a bunch of things happening. I'm not in a village or anything, so we're in the middle of the "action"...the people selling stuff on the streets usually sell anything they can steal: fish, ties, clothing, crappy flowers, watermelons are big right now, lots of fruit, bread, and so on...it really is a lot like the movies. Things are way cheap here! I paid 15 grivni here for a tie..thats about 2 dollars. They use oil in absolutely everything here! It's pretty gross but I'm trying to get used to it. The borcht is way good!!! No, I'm not gaining weight.

Some people here have cars, but most people usually take the marshrutkas (small busses) or walk everywhere. Going to the beach was a priesthood activity and no, we didnt get onto the water! We did walk in a little bit to wash off the food though.

I can't believe Sister Weber is engaged! Wow! Tell her I say congrats! Yes Independence Square is in Kyiv. No, you can't have my autograph! (DJ walked through a movie set in Kyiv). I absolutely feel the same way about how awesome the people are here! They don't call us "elders" here, they just use our last names.

Tell Chris to email me! and tell him I love him and to get the crap on a mission! NO time! I have to say goodbye!!!

Oh ya...I need ideas for spiritual thoughts and games to play at Family Home Evening. So talk to the Missionaries about it and please send me some ideas!

Love you..use as much of this as you can for my blogspot please. Paka