Friday, March 2, 2018

Christmas Music from our Red Brick Clock in Febuary

02/26/2018


Vinnitsya, Vinnitsya, Vinnitsya!
What a wonderful little city Vinnitsya is.
Vinnisya is nearer the center of Ulkraine but sits over the counrty of Moldova. So far it has been freeeeezing here. I don't know the exact temperatures but it has at least been cold enough to freeze my hair! We are living in the appartment that the Vinnitsya Sisters used to live in before sisters were taken out of Vinnitsya. It is pretty nice but after living in the Office Elder Appartment nothing can compare. However it is regardless a great place to live. Except for that fact that it is pretty cold all of the time. We have one of those instant water heaters but it really old and our landlord has told us that we aren;t allowed to turn up passed three and also becasue it costs too much and we aren't paying him enough appartently even though our rent was already rasied another thousand hrivna.
It is big though and our beds are pretty good. And they actually work as a oppsed to all of the broken beds that we had in my last appartment. We actually have two living rooms but we don't really go into the second one at all. We live right in the middle of the city and literally 30 seconds away from the Church building!
The branch here is small but not as small as it is in other places in Ukraine for example Odessa. The members here are great but we don't have anyone that knows how to play the piano. So Elder Durtschi and Clifford trade off playing a coupld of songs from the simplified hymn book. 
Vinnitsya is the home town of the Ukrainian President who is also the owner of "Roshen" (the biggest and most popular candy brand) and you can see his influence here as you ride the tramvay and pass the enormous Roshen Factory. 
Right next to our appartment there is this big old red brick clock tower that plays christmsa songs.
Elder Clifford is a really cool guy. He hasn't been on his misison for too long but is a great missionary. He has really good Russian considering how long he has been here and is a really humble guy. I am grateful to be here and serving with him.
He is a big athlete and is pretty muscualr but that doesn;t mean that he is too cool for making a blanket fort and putting the portible heater in it so we can do weekly planning with out freezing to death. 
So far the work has been slow here mostly due to the fact that we came in with basiaclly nothing but we have pretty good English Practices which is where most of our converts come from here in Ukraine. We have been visiting some Less-active members and contacing on the streets as well. 
The main mode of trasportation here is the Tramvay whcih is similar to Kiev's tramvay except that they are smaller here and also when the doors open a little step comes out but the probelm is that they only stay open and the little step stays down for only about eight seconds so if you aren't carful yuou can get into a little bit of trouble. But there is a handy little button on the outside of the tramvay that opens the doors but if you are already in the middle of getting on you gotta be quick.
It sounds like there are lots of factors here that make it seem that this place is miserable buit this is one of my favorite places though. There are so many young people here and it is so great because we honestly have enough babushki here in the Church in Ukraine and we need lost more young people so here is the place. 
I am so grateful to be here and to experience what I do everyday. I absolutly love this work and the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. I love the Book of Mormona and the words of living prophets. I loe my family and all of my friends and everyone else too. Ulraine is a wonderful place and there are so many here that love God and would give anything to come to know him better. And that is why I am here.,

Старейшина Класон Elder Clawson


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