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

IN THE UKRAINE - Week # 1

Received August 24, 2009 via email:

Ukraine is awesome! The culture is crazy! We got here and rode the metro! Way ghetto and awesome. Oh, ya, I was able to see the Kyiv Temple. I can't wait til it's finished. These pictures are of my District that I have spent the last two and a half months with learning Russian. We traveled together... a very long flight from Salt Lake City Airport to JFK in New York City and then a direct flight from JFK t Kyiv Ukraine... 9 hours and 50 minutes, I might add. We are standing with my Mission President and his wife in front of the Kyiv Temple that should be completed sometime next year. We stayed at the Mission House on the first night. It's on the Temple Grounds that the Church owns.

My trainer is awesome!! His name is Elder Bernal. He's from Washington. Our apartment is way cool too. *Babushkas everywhere!!! I'm in a city called Cherkasi... not sure how to spell it in English. This is my first area. We teach a lot of English here and leave the lessons with spiritual thoughts. It really helps people to feel the spirit and then we can tell them what we're really about. My first day in church was ... interesting ... most of it was in Ukrainian so I didn't understand much. Not a problem though.

I can't get over how awesome it is here!!! We live pretty close to Cherkasi Center (center of Cherkasi) so we're always in the middle of all the action. OMG the girls here are sooooooo immodest!!! It's definitely different than America. I would say that America doesn't have a problem at all with modesty. The outdoor markets are so cool here... Babushkas outside selling unpackaged fish and kavas (fermented bread water). We're not alloweed to drink it (ha ha).

The first lesson I was a part of when I got here was with a lady named Marina. She is an English teacher so obviously her English is perfect! We still tried to speak in Russian though. We ride in little busses everyday called Marsutkas. They're way sketchy but awesome at the same time. We went to the beach with the Priesthood a few days ago. We ate something called sala (pig fat) ... it was actually really good. I still can't believe I'm here. The rumor about the juice being amazing here ... totally 100% true!! The best juice ever!! And the bread!! We went to Independence Square my first day here!! Just Beautiful. Pictures don't do it any justice. We walked through a movie set as well, so I think I might be in a Ukrainian movie (ha ha). EVERYONE stares at us here! It's great. The people here are really nicer than they get credit for. Sure, they don't smile much, but they're the coolest and most genuine people I've ever met!!!

Oh ya, **President S is awesome!!! Crazy sense of humor (ha ha) and Sister S is way nice and a crazy good cook!!! I have soooooo much to say about this place!! Everything is wonderful. I absolutely couldn't be in a better place!! I can't wait to actully speak the language so I can talk to EVERYONE!!! It's honestly sad thinking about going back to America in two years. I'm sorry to say that, but this place is home now.

I miss you and all... but we're stuck together forever. I love you and I'll write in a week.

"Pol" ... that's what I'm called here by the way.

* Babushkas are elderly women, kind of like a Grandma

** President S and Sister S = Mission President Steinagle and his wife, Sister Steinagle

July 28, 2009 - Yet Another Week at the MTC

We had to teach the native Russians yesterday! SCAREY! I realized that I suck at Russian (ha ha). It'll get better though. I'm not too worried about it. 3 WEEKS!!! I'll try to send you a letter soon replying to your 4 page letter, mom. Thank you for it by the way. Julie and her entire family are all in my prayers. You, Dad, and Anthony as well. So turns out there are about 7 different ways to say I love you in Russian. YA LUBLU TEBYA is right though. I'll try to write out a testimony or something in Russian and send it to you soon. I had a dream the other night about being in Ukraine and EVERYTHING was in Russian and Ukrainian!!! I couldn't understand anything people were saying and I was completely lost. Then I woke up and remembered....... my nightmare is a reality. CAN'T WAIT.

I'm really not sure what to tell you to put in my blogspt. Hopefully more will happen in the mission field. Not much changes here. Honestly! That's awesome about going to the Temple with the Hawkens. We went to the Temple this morning. It was great. It's really weird to walk into the Temple and have everyone saying, "Welcome Elders" and "Hi Elders." It's just weird that now I'm the Elder. I'll send my favorite scriptures now... Ha ha.

Well, I have to go. I love you all and thank you for being awesome. Peace Fool. liubov dj.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

MTC WEEK #4

This week was pretty awesome! We had 11 of the 12 Apostles and President Monson here a few days ago. I, unfortunately, didn't get to see President Monson, though. Elder Hollnd spoke at a devotional on Friday. All I can says is...AMAZING!!!

In two weeks we have to start teaching in Russian. No English at all. I still don't really feel like I'm on my mission yet. Fake investigatores, fake food, 12 hours of sitting and I'm not in Ukraine... I can't wait to be in the mission field. The Elders in the other district are leaving for Russia and Ukraine this week, so we will be the "older" district finally. We might lose our teacher though (sad face). They want to have her teach a younger district. I think we can handle it... maybe. I've come to know and have a greater understanding of the gift of tongues. Jesus Christ is real and is always with us and helps us through anything if we have faith. How else would someone be able to speak Russian after 4 weeks? Anyway, my district is awesome. Soooo many different personalities and backgrounds. But we're all here for the exact same reason and have one purpose, and that is to bring people unto Christ. It's simple.

Oh ya, at the R.C. (Referral Center) we get to call people (real non-members) every Friday and teach them over the phone. Not all of them are too excited about it, but it pays off.

Keep sending letters and Dear Elders and I'll try to reply. I love you all.

Love, DJ

This is the Kyiv, Ukraine Temple. It will be completed sometime in 2010 while I am here on my mission. I hope I will be able to work in the Temple during the Open House. Might even meet the President of our church.

The other pictures are some of my "District" buddies that will be in Ukraine with me.

MTC - WEEK #2, June 18, 2009

Week #2 was great. Teaching is becoming a little less terrifying. The language is kind of destroying my brain and my companion and myself are getting along great. The food here is... let's just not talk about it. Chocolate milk is still awesome!

We were able to go to the Temple Tuesday morning. The Spirit was overwhelming and I felt like I was somehow being watched by the person I was doing the work for.

So, turns out my teacher, ----- GeorgiYeva, is the best Russian teacher at the MTC. I still feel like I know absolutely no Russian at all, but we're already catching up to the people that have been here for six weeks. At least once a week we have teaching appointments. Obviously not real investigators... but the Spirit is always so strong in those lessons and we forget they're already members.
Tell Chris to write me!!!

Love, DJ

MTC - WEEK #1

So my first week has been amazing. Very busy, very hectic, very spiritual, and very short. My companion, Elder Shaun Morrison, is way awesome. He's helping me out a lot with teaching. Teaching is definitely not my strong point. The food here is great and disgusting! The chocolate milk and wraps are the best. It doesn't feel like I sleep here. We work, study, work, study, eat, study, pray, study, eat, sleep, and then start all over again. The laundry room is insane. I'm pretty sure I won't be doing laundry for the next three months. And James was WRONG! Four Square is LAME! Beach Volleyball owns! Make sure Chris writes to me and someone please send me James' address so I can write to him. Hope all is well at home! Love you all. Elder Polivka.
PS - Thank you everyone for the support, prayers, money, cards, and love.