Episode 28: My man: Sirgay.... the honey man!

His name is the honey man. Like I said last time. I am never eating sugar again so that means honey. We were in the market for a supplier

Found him. His name is Sirgay. I invited him to church. He will come. and one day he will teach me of his bee keeping ways (I have got to brush up on my Bee keeping terms because I did not understand a word of his honey discriptions)

HE MADE THIS HONEY HIMSELF. I-will-be-a-bee-keeper.

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Tomorrow Is my birthday and it is also Christmas again :) big day. I bought myself a blender for my birthday.

New years was a dream. Candle light Salmon dinner and crafting with Sister Nielsen. I am covering everything I own in pictures of Jesus.

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I want to talk about Bobooshka Nod-dez-da "hope" She is a gem, and also a hoarder. It is like all my Ukranian dreams come true. All too quickly.

Picture it::::::::One week ago:Sister Powell--- Sister Nielsen. Out on our Ukranian dim lit streets!

Preach my gospel says: "Go about doing good" We try. Offering help to the bobooka's (very old ladies who dominate the Ukranian population. They are the sweetest. and the MOST honest. (good and bad) blunt. bold. Everything a good missionary should be :) I am taking notes.  

More than anything they are hardworking. Stalkwart. Kind hearted. DETERMINED. We come in contact on the street multiple times a day as they carry loads far too heavy for their broken bodies. It never works out in our favor as we ask if we can help!----- "I can do it my self girls! thank you"====== "please, we really want to help"----and it goes a little something like this

----- "NOPE, thank you." ------------------

Service (of the physical kind) doesn't happen often here.

Well Miracles.

Sister Nielsen is quick to spot a Bob who needs help. (After 100 % shut down. I am almost afraid to offer sometimes) Not Sister Neilsen. MIRACLES.

Next thing I know we are on a Ukranian journey (in the Ukranian language that niether of us speak) helping Nedezda. Between the 3 of us, we can barrely carry the load this little grandma just had on her back. We have a little journey ahead of us and she tells everyone on the path "God sent me this girls" --- OH IF YOU ONLY KNEW ;) OH YES HE DID. We just smiled and looked at each other. :) if she only knew.

She would have never made it. She had been collecting alcohol bottles. had a load of them on her back and two other bags filled with them. (Many Ukranians: Bobooshky--- collect bottles of all sorts from trashes. for money) THEY ARE HEAVY!!!!!

Three blocks down the road. Our journey took us across the very SPOT on the train tracks that one month ago I saw a mans not living body after he had been hit by the tram (it was a bit scarring and one reason I never meantion.) Now I find myself crossing with a load , hardly seeing the steps before me. following our dear new friend. for goodness sake.  How silly is this.I think to myself as I see the bouquet of flowers that have been left in his memory. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Submitting myself to death. and trying not to trip on the tracks. adventure.

Our journey continues. 

We find ourselves welcomed as guests into her home. It is my first time in the home of a Bobooshka. I am telling you, it is everything that I dreamed and more. Every space is filled. Filled with things. Things wrapped and tied in grocery sacks. wrapped and tied and stacked one on top of the other. mountains of things.I have never been to the home of a hoarder but I am telling you my joy was full as I took in this site. She welcomed us in. I took a seat amongst the stacks of things. just things. hills and mountains of thiiiiiings. 

I very quickly spotted a pamphlet that I know all too well.  we hand out on the street. (she has met missionaries before) as we talked with her we discovered that it was 2 sisters who did not speak enough Russian to speak words with her. :) haha. so they gave her a pamphlet. We stayed a while. We prayed together. laughed and talked. She gave us gifts. (makeup pallots from her collection) We gave her a book of mormon .She has such a sweet spirit. She welcomed us back to talk more about the Book of Mormon. It was time for us to go. She gave us mystery juice in a dirty cup that we all shared. and some questionable manderine oranges for the road.

Dreams do come true.

I am happy here. I feel the lord is at my side. I have a a deep and almost overwhelming testimony of my savior. I want to be like him more than any other thing.
It is my birthday tomorrow. :) I am not home sick. and there is no where I would rather be. What a privelage to clip the saviors name to my big puffy coat, put on my mittens, and give what I have, to try my very very best (in Russian) to share the best gift my little 22 years of life have known.

Love Sister Powell