It is Christmas day everyone. And yesterday was Christmas
Eve. We had somewhat of a busy week this week.
Saturday there was a big Christmas Concert like last year
where tons of people came to watch choirs sing and musicians play and have a
really great time all together. And like last year the Mayor of the Kiev Oblast
(kind of like a state) who spoke in the beginning and talked about the
friendship they have with our church and how he hopes that it will continue on.
I took a ton of pictures some of which I will include. The next day was
Christmas Eve and we had the Borschagovsky ward combined with the International
branch and where we after taking the sacrament enjoyed the Christmas program
that the International branch had prepared. We had earlier in the week a
meeting with our Bishop in the Borschagovsky ward and he mentioned how things
were going to work on Sunday and there were some questions on if we should try
to translate the whole program or not for the many non-English-speaking members
but he just said that they don't need to and that they can just enjoy it. But
when it came time one of our beloved members named Sister Tatyana, the tiniest
little old lady you will ever see who was sitting behind me asked we to
translate for her when they started the program. The only problem was in that
when there were speaking parts they were almost exclusively reading from eh
scriptures. Trying to translate English scriptures into Russian scriptures
without knowing which scripture it is is pretty difficult. But then I found out
that there was a program that had all of the scriptures they were ready on them
and used that and flipped to them as quickly as I could and read them to sweet
little Sister Tantyana but it happened more than a few times that they didn't
for one reason or another read the scripture that was listed to be next and so
that was fun. Regardless everything was beautiful and we all enjoyed it whether
or not we understood it.
After that we went to Elder and Sister Andrus' apartment
which is very close to ours and with the other missionaries in our district as
well as the Kumfermans and Elder and Sister Bingham had hot chocolate and
cinnamon roles that Sister Andrus made for us. We noticed that the cinnamon
roles had a little of a bite to them and then Sister Andrus explained that when
she bought the ingredients that she didn't realize until she used them that
here they have not only regular cinnamon but also cinnamon with pepper in it. I
enjoyed it.
After that we went out side and stood in front of the fountain
that is right outside their apartment and sang all together lots of hymns and
Christmas songs that attracted quite a few people.
After we had already had tons of fun that day we went over
top the Kumferman's home where they had invited us to spend Christmas Eve with
them and the Nigerians here. It was pretty awesome. We talked a lot and sang
every Christmas hymn there is and shared different Christmas traditions. It
really made me come to appreciate the traditions I have in my family and also
this special time of year we have. I am so very thankful that I am here right
now and trying to do the Lord's work and conform to his will. I am thankful for
the Redeemer of the world that was born on the earth and whose berth we
celebrate every year with singing and serving and all kinds of good things.
Before my time here in the mission field I really did not like singing at all
but more and more as time goes on I have really come to love it. And especially
last night with the Kumfermans and Nigerians and other missionaries singing
hymns I felt a very special spirit there among us and can't help but think of
how much my Heavenly Father loves me and how precious a gift was given 2017
years ago.
Старейшина Класон / Elder Clawson
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