Cleanliness is next to . . .

Life seems to be speeding up in this end of the world.  More things happen faster.  Here we are at the end of another six weeks.

These are the young men we see daily.  Elder Roberts and Shorthill are efficient, effective and enjoyable as Office Assistants.  Amazingly, pre-mission they lived in neighboring central Utah towns but did not know one another.    Elder Neil and Elder Petersen keep track of all of the important ( but un-noticed because they are handled before they can get out of hand), details that the Mission President does not get time to handle.  If you could picture pre-mission you would see a record-holding swim-team member and a booted, silver-belt-buckled, stetson-topped Wyoming cowboy.

 Elder Duke and McArthur have been our Zone leaders for the last six weeks.  These two are both southern Utah boys and are great leaders, hard workers and effective, caring missionaries and both, good singers.  Elder Johnson is also from Southern Utah, but his companion, Elder Garlock, is from Mesa.  They are in the Donetsk Center area, leading the other district in the branch we attend.

East Europe Authorities requested our mission to implement an emergency preparedness plan.  With nothing further said, elders in two of our districts put together 72-hour emergency kits for each companionship.  We are pleased with such obedience from our boys.

Elder Brimley and Smith, Elder Taylor and Mironchenko serve in Mariupol, and even though the water is unsafe to drink they love serving there.

These missionaries serve in Lugansk and Gorlovka.  Elder Calvert is from Alberta, Canada.  Elder Porter is from Vancouver, Elder Antamonov is from Russia, Elder Smith is a Texan, Elder Arrington from Oklahoma,  Elder McCallson from SLC, Elder DeMille from Cedar City, Elder Harris from Kaysville, and Elder Ostler and Stradling are both from Mesa., Elder Russell and Robison are serving together in Obyedinyoni.  Elder Robison is a tall basketball player who has put his ball on the shelf for two years (literally -- we saw it there in his apartment.) and Elder Russell is a California boy.

The missionaries always look forward to our visits because we bring the mail!!   

Petrovsky and Obyedinyoni are coveted areas for missionaries to serve because here they are fed by the members.  On this vist we caught Sister Hudson and Gordyeva enjoying a very North-American looking pizza which they had jointly prepared.  Sister Hudson is from Canada, Sister Gordyeva from Ukraine.  Elder Bolingbroke was new in the mission last transfer and has a language advantage being trained by Elder Solin who is from Russia.  Elder Winchester and Bangerter are the zone leaders.  Elder Nielsen is training Elder Berger, Elder Thornburg is training Elder Hardy.  These missionaries are serving in the half  of the mission that we checked this transfer. 

 Overall, our missionaries keep their apartments clean and orderly,

especially for nineteen to twenty-two year olds. 

They seem to take this task seriously.  Above is the mantra we found posted in one apartment. 

(see translation below)

"Keep the swine in; 

daily sweep the floor, sprinkling it with water. 

Frequently clean the floor boards with a knife. 

Do not spit on the floor."

Elder Hatch posts awards each transfer for effort beyond the call of duty.

CLEANING AWARDS for the August transfer are listed below:

  

(With special characterizations by Elders Shorthill and Roberts) The inspectors must be getting soft because all of the winners scored nearly perfect!Or --- the apartments could be getting cleaner.  

Elder Hatch

Financial Clerk

Ukraine Donetsk Mission