Hello family!
Well this week has just blown by! We picked up another
father and mother as a refferal from our new branch mission leader this week. I
was on a split so i was not there for the first meeting but i look forward to
meeting this great couple. They sound like they are fairly interested in what
we have to offer so we shall see what comes of it. Weatherwise, we had a
rainstorm yesterday which is weird because it should be snowing. We still have
a long winter ahead of us and we look forward to the snow so we wont have to
keep cleaning the mud off of our shoes and pants from tromping around all day.
:) As for Ukranian/Russian celebration of Christmas, that takes place on the
7th of January. It is seen as just one of the many, many other religious
holidays used an excuse to go out and drink. This and many of the other classic
religious holidays have lost their real meaning here because of the great
corruption caused by alcohol usage. For example, a teenage kid just sat down
next to me as i was typing that sentence, with two big bottles of beer in his
hand... its early monday morning and im fairly sure today is not even a
holiday..just imagine how it is on holidays...it is very sad how far this evil
reaches. The christmas trees and gift giving mostly take place on New
Years, the biggest holiday of the year. Here in our branches, they are trying
to get a celebration of christmas to be unified on the 24th just like we do
back at home and change back its meaning to Jesus Christs birth. I plan on
using those pictures and calenders from that package i just recieved to use on
our lessons to help our members feel the joy of the christmas season while we
watch Joy to the World and sing christmas hymns together. By the way Thank you
SOOOOO much for the HUGE package you sent!!! It was perfect and i'm so glad it
all got here! We had tortillas that same night and needless to say, i ate to
much because i was enjoying it way to much!:) Those little gift bags will also
go well with this christmas lesson im preparing. The kids will love it! Oh and
i think i forgot to mention one thing about our making rice crispies here, they
havent quite started to sell marshmellows here in Ukraine. Is there a way to
make a substitute for marshmallows?:) sorry i forgot to tell you! This winter
we plan on doing some caroling while sign boarding kind of like last year but
with some very nice new street boards. It will be alot of fun! Thats my
favorite part of the season. As far as music goes, we have been asked to share
a number at the branch christmas celebration so if you know any good, simple
arrangments that 6 missionaries could sing, that would be great to get that!
1) As of right now, we are seeing about clearence to skype
home over the webcam. Much more conveniant and cheaper. I'll let you know this
next week for sure. i know for sure our call will be 30 -40 minutes now with our
new president.
2) Right now i am doing just fine with the cold. It would be
great to get that other pair of earmuffs from home if possible. Thanks so much
for going out of your way to get those other ones.
Thanks for all that you do for me family, especially Mom!
Its great families like ours that do great things and keep missionaries like me
alive out in the field! I love you!
Sincerely,
Elder Ostler
