"A Week in the Life of Sister Lee"

Dearest Family,

I can confidently say that I just had the best week of my life. And my life- it's pretty good, so that's saying something. Wow. If I could have picked any week for you to be with me and see everything it would be this one. There was a miracle literally in everyday. (Okay so there's always miracles in everyday on missions but seriously!) So for this email I kind of want to just walk you through my week. We'll call this "A Week in the Life of Sister Lee" it's gotta ring to it, doesn't it?

So last Monday as we were finishing up email my ankle really started to hurt/itch like crazy, I didn't have time to look at it because we were rushing to an appointment so I just said a little prayer and pushed it from my mind. The appointment that we were running to was with Катя, I believe I talked a little about her last week, I love this girl. Well anyways we help her with English and then we do a spiritual thought with her, last Monday we asked if her mom would be interested in joining us for the spiritual thought (her mom hasn't been to church in over 6 years) Катя left to go ask and came back with both her mom and dad and we helped them hold their first family home evening! It was awesome and they all loved it, so every week we will be doing family home evening with them and I don't know who else I would rather do it with, Катя is so like a sister to me, I love her. I'm so excited to help them grow closer together as a family, tonight we are going to talk about temple blessings and help them make a goal to get to the temple to seal their family for time and all eternity! Wow, this gospel is so awesome!

Okay so Tuesday I found a small orange on my ankle... remember my pain from Monday? Yeah Mr. Spider got the best of me. My ankle wouldn't fit comfortably in any of my shoes so I went Tuesday with one shoe, luckily all of our meetings and appointments were held in the church that day. One thing I really love about Ukraine is that EVERYONE is a doctor... haha! Okay not really but everyone always has their home remedy for everything it's the best. Don't you worry Momma I've got a lot of people looking out for me over here. I tried this remedy, the work went on and I kept preaching with one shoe on and one shoe off. It made English really fun we talked a lot about spider man and how I will be Spider Woman, ha! But anyways miracle for Tuesday, this is a little selfish miracle.. but Santa Clause came to town! Our friend Denise came into English with a huge bag full of packages and letters for me just in time for my birthday. It was seriously the best and just another testimony to me of our Heavenly Father's love for ME! He loves me so much and He always let's me know that. He's the best. That night when we got home we celebrated my birthday Christmas style with stockings and a Christmas tree and tinsel, man it was great.

Wednesday I woke up to sticky notes ALL over the house! Sister Grandy had woken up early to surprise me with them, it was such a sweet surprise. Wednesday we had exchanges and I got to be with one of my sisters, Sister Montgomery, for my birthday it was such a treat! Okay and I just want to say, that never have I felt more love than I did on my birthday here in Ukraine. Grandma wrote me saying she is sure I would have the best birthday ever, and boy was she right! We started off the day having an awesome lesson with Катя and right after she helped us on a lesson with sweet Камила, they both gifted me beautiful earrings and yummy treats. :) I was seriously spoiled, right after our lesson with them a man came to the church with a special delivery to me from my sisters! SISTERS ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!! K the prettiest earrings I have ever seen in my life! I got 5 pairs of earrings within the matter of 20 minutes haha, I have me some good loved ones, who know me way too well. :) But, I haven't even got to the miracle of this day yet! We got into a house of a less active we have been trying to work with since my first transfer on Wednesday evening. Whenever I would call her she would yell at us, but a member called me and asked her to come over to her house with her. She was very stone faced as we entered her house but by the time we left she was hugging and kissing me telling me to come back as soon as we could. The spirit so softens hearts I see that all day every day. And as people feel Heavenly Father's love for them, they cannot help but be happy. I was so grateful to finally get to meet with her and help her feel peace in her life. As we did some contacting after the lesson Heavenly Father sent me a down pour of blessings, in the form of rain drops, seriously it started pouring, I love the rain, so it was such a sweet gift from Heavenly Father. We headed back to the church to grab some stuff for dinner, only to find a surprise birthday party for me! I have the best district ever and they helped make my birthday so special, it was the best. Seriously it was the best birthday I have ever had.

On Thursday we were in the metro and I started talking with this guy, during our conversation he noticed my accent and asked me where I was from, I only said America and he said, "Oh my brother lived in America for a little bit, yeah the state of Utah, do you know that?" And I was like "Yeah I'm from Utah!" He asked "Do you know the town Cedar City?" Are you kidding me Cedar!? Haha! He then told me that his brother brought him home a Book of Mormon to read and he had told him about the Mormon church "Как раз! I'm a missionary from the mormon church!" We then went on to have a great conversation about the Book of Mormon and more about the church, we hope to meet with him sometime this week. Seriously, Cedar City, Utah, he already had read the Book of Mormon, but had never talked to missionaries before. Heavenly Father is preparing so many people for me! It's incredible!

We did Friday service out in the village, we take an hour bus ride out there and I sat by the sweetest lady in the world. I was talking to her about my amazing family and how much I love them, for probably way too long when I finally asked her to tell me about her family. She started talking about her cute daughters and began to cry as she talked about the love of her life, her husband. She loves him so much, I could feel how much she loves him and it was powerful! But he had passed away 4 years ago. What a great blessing it was for me to bear testimony of the Plan of Salvation, and to give her some peace. Though I could not bring her husband back to her I could testify and help her feel Heavenly Father's love, and as a representative of Christ I testified of the atonement and how real and powerful it is. 

the village at dusk :)

Okay Saturday, are you ready for this day.
First of all I received transfer information on Saturday and... I'M STAYING HERE IN ХАРКЬОВСКИЙ!!!!!!!!!!! and... I'M STAYING WITH SISTER GRANDY!!!!!!!!!!!! SOOOOOOO HAPPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO HAPPY TO BE SERVING WITH MY BEST FRIEND AGAIN!!

Second and the best moment of my mission, and it truly will be near impossible to top it.

Настя was baptized on Saturday. <3 SHE WAS BAPTIZED!!!!! WOW!!!! Throughout the week we had been meeting with her almost everyday, she has been so ready to get baptized since one of our first meetings and she finally realized it. We fasted for her mom to allow her to be baptized and when it came to the day that she asked, her mom said yes! Thank you for praying for her parents! I know that it was through our prayers that her heart was softened and she allowed her to be baptized.

Nastya's baptism :)

Nastya was so excited for her baptism, she had invited all of her friends and her parents to come, it was such an important day in her life. Just a few hours before the baptism her mom said that she would not come. It broke her heart and mine as well, really I've never felt so heart broken, but I felt prompted to tell her about our Heavenly Parents, not often do we talk about our Heavenly Mother, and I don't think we had mentioned it with her before but as we began to testify that not only do we have a Heavenly Father, but a Heavenly Mother as well, you could feel the love of both of them fill the room, I can't even begin to describe it. Never have I felt the spirit like that. You could just feel how proud they were of her. They were so excited that she had made the choice to return to live with them! One of our elders gave her a blessing and the peace felt was surreal. I love the priesthood power and everything it can help us with.

When Nastya was baptized you could feel her excitement, she was literally beaming. As she came out of the water she just exclaimed "Классно!" She ran out of the font and we were waiting for her she just hugged me and started crying and laughing and crying! She was SO HAPPY! I honestly don't think anyone has appreciated baptism like she has. It has been such an honor to teach her, to really just learn from her. To strengthen my testimony thanks to her. Wow. Wow.

after Nastya's baptism :)

This week was incredible. It is such an exciting time to be serving the Lord. There is no where else I would rather be, and nothing else I would rather be doing. Thank you for helping me get here and thank you for continuing to support me.

Heavenly Father has given us so many privileges. He has given us this life to learn to enjoy and to return back to Him. Please I encourage all of you to live up to your privileges use every blessing that God has given you to be truly happy!

I am beaming right now. I have never been happier and I know it is because everyday I try harder and harder to live up to my privileges, live up to my privileges of living and sharing the gospel! Wow I am so lucky, I have been given so much, WE are so lucky, WE have been given so much! Let us all live up to our privileges and get every ounce of joy out of this life, shall we? :)

I love you all! Thank you all for the birthday wishes and letters and packages and loves! You all are the best!

I know this church is true and I'm so happy to be out here on the front lines of the battle fighting for truth and righteousness!

All of my love,

Your sister, Sister Lee

my favorite place :)