Elder Dillon Stott - Ukraine, Kiev Mission: Week 53

Hey fam. No time.

This week was super busy. We were all over the place. I'll just have to hit you with some of the highlights.

1. Found out that Lyosha and Yaroslav back in Uzhgorod blessed and passed the sacrament together for 2 weeks in a row! They're doing great. Man I miss them.

2. We have a BAPTISM coming up on the 23rd! Her name is Nadu. She is from Ghana and was introduced to the gospel by Samuel and Kaiser, the only 2 church members in Ternopil, a nearby-ish city that we visit 2 times a month. She's been going to institute, has read TONS of the Book of Mormon, and expressed a desire to get baptized! Such a miracle. We had a lesson with her in Ternopil on Saturday. We're SO EXCITED!

3. I also found out about 2 new baptismal dates back in Uzhgorod!! Number one is our investigator Vasya, the one who called God an awesome dude in his prayer. We contacted him our first week in Uzh. Now he's getting baptized soon!!! The second one is a crazy story. Long story short, my last days in Uzhgorod we had a taxi drive us home from the train station as we dropped off the branch president of Ivano Frankivsk there. We were running a little late so that's why we ordered a taxi. I sat in the front seat, and was so tired that I thought I was gonna fall asleep, and I was kinda in a bad mood for some reason. But I got an impression that I should really just talk to this man and testify of the Book of Mormon. We had a good conversation and I gave him a Book of Mormon, and invited him to church that Sunday, even though I wouldn't be there anymore. I had his number written down in my planner, but they didn't have it in Uzhgorod. Elder Mangum called me and told me to send them his number, and I just said yeah okay I will later. I thought to myself "ehhh it's just a potential investigator I'm just not gonna send it". I know that may seem super bad, but in all honesty, the phone number of someone doesn't mean a whole lot in missionary work here, so it seemed insignificant to me. So I decided ehhhh I'm just not gonna send it it's TOO MUCH WORK. hahaha. lol at me. But then I just felt deep down that I should send him the number right now before I forget about it and before he forgets about it too. Fast Forward 2 weeks to when I find out he has read a ton of the Book of Mormon, and tells his life story about how he's been searching for the true church for 15 years after having a dream where God came to him and told him to find the Lord's Church. So he's been searching ever since. The second he stepped in the building in Uzhgorod, he said: "It's so simple here, but there is such a strong spiritual presence that I have never felt before in my entire life." And after a powerful restoration lesson, he is getting baptized. His name is Ernest. The joy that I felt when Elder Mangum relayed this story to me was just the hugest testimony builder of the joy that the Gospel brings, and specifically the joy that SHARING the gospel brings.. I truly can't put those kind of joyful feelings into words.

4. I had the worst train ride of my entire life to Ternopil. It could be an entire email by itself. I'll explain another time. Then on the way back it was the worst BUS ride that I've ever had. Longest 3.5 hours of my life I'm pretty sure.

5. I hit my year mark. I can't say it's gone by super fast, but I guess that's a good thing because I am loving and enjoying my mission to the fullest. It takes a conscious effort to get as much as you can out of the goods and especially the not-so-goods. One more year of completely 100% devoted service to the Lord. Time to grind!!!

Love you all. Have a great week.