Homemade pumpkin pie from butternut squash

The young single adults had a Halloween party. Yes, they celebrate Halloween, I was surprised. Of course it is not a Ukrainian holiday, I suppose missionaries are responsible for bringing this crazy tradition here. For refreshments they wanted pumpkin pie. We don't see pumpkins here like we do in the states, well at least the state of Utah. And they do not sell canned pumpkin either. But we found an alternative that turned out very nicely. They ate it and loved it. Butternut Squash, alias pumpkin pie.

District Meeting after a good lesson and a good meal

We took one last picture of our district before transfer changes. We have a good time together. These missionaries are so fun to be with. Of course we are not always silly.

Keeping the Kitchen Tidy

Yes this is really our broom. It actually works quite well. We do have a little table in our kitchen. We moved it into the living room for a dinner with a group of returned missionaries.

Roadside Markets are a common site in Ukraine

This is one of many roadside markets. This one is in Sumi. In Ukraine there are a great number of open markets calley Renok's. We have wonderful fruits and vegetables in them. I actually prefer to buy fruits and vegetables from them instead of the stores.

This is a country side train station, one of several that we stopped at on our train ride. The four hour train ride was really quite pleasant. We saw much of the countryside of Ukraine, a pleasant change from the city.

A Step Back in Time

We took a train ride with the elders to Sumi. It is a town about four hours away by train in our mission. Elder Rallison in the tan jacket and Elder Merchenko have been our Kharkov trainers/zone leaders. They have been great! They made our transition from the states to Ukraine very stress free. They have been our guides, our interpreters, and our friends. They are very special young men. Elder Rallison finished his mission here on Sunday and now he is headed for home in Utah. He always had a smile on his face and was so willing to help us in any way that he could. Elder Merchenko is a convert to the church just under two years. He is a wonderful young man. He will still be with us in Kharkov for at least 6 more weeks. I am happy for that. I didn't realize that transfers would be as hard for me as they are. I am sad to see them go somewhere else. They have definately won a place in my heart.

Kharkiv Zone Missionaries

Young elders and sisters come from many walks of life. Their experiences, skills and abilities vary, yet they have a few things in common. They love the Lord and those they serve. They desire to share the good news of the gopsel and they do this with love and the enthusiasm of youth. Each has a unique story of why they are serving. Each has sacraficed for the Lord. They will return with a stronger foundation for life, a more sure testimony of Jesus Christ. The sacrafices that they and their families have made are positively impacting the people of Ukraine for all eternity. God bless these young vailiant missionaries.

Missionaries come in all shapes and sizes

The Sisters don't want to be left out

Missionaries are always Hungry

Our Apartment Building

Flying into Donetsk

Fishing with Dad the Day before we leave

Of course it's Karen that catches the Fish. She says it is because she talks to them.

MTC Senior Couple Missionaries

This is our group of CES missionaries we graduated with. This group of couple missionaries were sent all over the world, Africa, Poland, Chek Republic, France, Hawaii, Wyoming, Texas, and of course Ukraine