I'm going to be here!

The Kiev Temple is going to be open and dedicated in August! Hooray!
I feel so bad for the group before me who are going to be leaving just days before the dedication. I am so blessed.
In other news, president Schwitzer of the Area Presidency came to our Stake Conference this weekend and I was privileged to listen to three of his talks. The one for missionaries was about true conversion and sanctification. He said that we need to help people to remember what they knew was true before this life. I think sometimes I forget that, that everyone chose to follow Christ before this life and they all agreed to come to Earth and choose to follow Him again. The talk for adults was about teaching in the home, (and how one of the best places to teach teenage boys is what is posted on the refrigerator) The one for everyone was about the blessing of having commandments and how commandments are all about relationships. The talks were so wonderful, they helped me to invigorate my zeal for missionary work and to strengthen my testimony that this work is true.
The last piece of news is that I am getting transferred out of Kiev. I don't know whether to be happy or sad. I love Kiev. I love my companion Sister Walker. I wanted to stay at least one more transfer with her. But, I'm out to new adventures with a new city and a new companion. It is what the Lord wants me to do, so why should I fear?

-Meagen
4-26-10

Today, Meagen has been out in the mission field for a whole year! Only 6 more months left till she is home!

Feel free to leave comments and I will get them to her!

Eye-opener

Well, the boy from the in-active family that we thought had some potential is of the opinion that people don't need to go to church, if they need it, then ok, but not all people need church to help them be good people. He is a very smart kid, hopefully if we continue to teach his family, he will eventually see the truth.
We had an eye-opening lesson last night. What we thought would be a normal potential lesson turned out to be a lesson with an active member who has a world of challenges and difficulties in her life and there is really nothing we can do to help her except show her love. The member is still very happy though. One of the happiest people I know. What is it that brings her such happiness in a world of sadness and fear? After the lesson, Sister Walker and I were talking to each other about how we are so blessed when the world around us seems do be falling and falling into tragedy and despair. Is it because the Gospel is such a big part of our lives? Would we be this happy without it? Those are some questions I've been pondering lately. I know the answer. That is why I am here.

-Meagen
4-19-10

Beautiful Temple!

Zone Conference

General Conference

I loved watching General Conference! I want to absorb all of it like a sponge! I took notice on how so many talks were about families and parenting. At first, I thought, I don't need this! I want them to speak about missionary work and how I can help my investigators progress! Then I realized that I can substitute investigators every time they say children! It works! For example, when Elder Bednar was talking about how to bear testimony frequently and to invite children to bring questions to study together, that is very applicable with missionary work!
During our weekly planning session we made cinnamon rolls and afterward, delivered them to investigators that we thought needed a reminder to come to conference. We even wrote a note on a little elephant sticky that said, "Elephants don't forget" It was cute. But even after the deliciousness of the rolls and the cuteness of the note, no one that we stopped by came. But, the Assistants told us to call a girl they had passed to us, who we didn't even think of inviting, and she came for the last session!
We realized this week that we need to drop a lot of the people we have been working with, because they just do not have the desire. That very same day, we looked through our area book and found a potential investigator who lived close by. This is what it said about her, "She has a Book of Mormon and she read it and felt peace." So we went by her apartment and she came outside and was very nice. But she said that she did not have a Book of Mormon and never heard of it. She said that she met with missionaries before, but they only talked about the Bible. Huh? Anyway, we testified of the Book of Mormon and committed her to read it and meet with us again the next week and she agreed! Blessings do come from letting go of investigators!

-Meagen
4-12-10

Happy Easter!

So here in Ukraine, instead of saying, "Happy Easter" people say, "Christ was resurrected" and the response is, "It's true, He was resurrected" I like that a lot more than just happy Easter. For tradition, Ukrainians make sweet bread and color eggs, wrap them up and put them in a basket, then take it to a church to be blessed. What the symbolism is, I don't know, but I think it is interesting how traditions carry on. On Easter we went to church, then went home and ate some sweet bread. It was Sister Walker's birthday so she baked a carrot cake. Then we passed out "The Living Christ" papers on the streets, and even on Easter, people would not take them, but some families did, and hopefully they will call. We also did some stop-bys to less-active members. We found a less-active family who say they can not come to church, because they work every Sunday, but their 16 year old son, who has not been baptized, sat on the lesson with us and wants to learn more.
News on the Temple- the scaffolding is almost all the way down and work is progressing on the grounds in front of the temple. It is so fun every time I come to church to see little changes here and there that are working up to the big beautiful day of dedication! I hope that I am here!!!

-Meagen
4-5-10