HEAVY HEARTS AND HAPPY HEARTS

We have been living in a whirlwind these past four weeks. Four weeks ago we moved all of our household goods to Lugansk, a city about three hours from Donetsk and about ten minutes from the Russian border.  The address of our new apartment is on Soviet street and the address of our church house is Karl Marx street.  We did not sleep in Lugansk though, but traveled back to Donetsk for some mission business and we have been camping ever since.  We had paid our Donetsk apartment thru the end of December so we have experienced " hotel-like" living as we traveled back and forth and to and from.  We traveled to Mariupol, Makeevka, Obyedeoni, Petrovsky and Gorlovka for apartment checks.  Then back to Lugansk where we prepared, then traveled back to Donetsk to be ready to go fly to Bulgaria, which was then postponed.  We spent another two nights in Donetsk to attend a Zone conference with a visiting Seventy, so we have had limited access to things like clothes and dishes and food and computers, not being really settled anywhere.

But the hardest part of all was leaving all of our friends in this transfer...
a very typical missionary problem. 

Will those who were baptized stay active? Will the investigators keep coming to church now we are gone?  Will Michael be baptized?  And what about Anya.  She loves Mom so much, she has suggested that she would like to come clear out to Lugansk to visit.  We know that we must move on and trust the eternal welfare of these "close as family" friends to local leaders...but do they understand how important it is for every new convert to feel an important part of building the kingdom?  Do the members understand how critical it is for every new convert and investigator to be surrounded with new and true friends?  These concerns are the cause of heavy hearts. Who will hold family home evenings? Who will attend both branches to watch for and reach out to strengthen each of these fragile new testimonies every Sunday? We have spent alot of time committing members to watch over each of our friends...because they will remain and we must go.

Ani and Ashot brought their little pug -- their only "child" -- to see us off the day we left Donetsk.

Paul and Julia got married and moved to Kiev.  He is still playing soccer and they are active.  Ani and Ashot are happy and fun and help alot with other new members and investigators. Ashot is practicing his guitar to present a special family home evening "first" performance for us when we return in February.  One of his side-businesses is building leggo creations and selling them on the internet.  And then there is our Chidi. A life so much in the dark and now in the extreme light.  Oh, that you could have watched the change!  Oh, that you could see his face as he first contemplated the new idea that HE could be a missionary. We got him outfitted with new clothes and he is now serving as a "short term" missionary up in Sumy.  He is so happy and proud to wear a name tag.  We helped him fill out an application to become a full time missionary and all of his "big family" are anxiously awaiting his call.

We invite you to rejoice with us this Christmas over what Jesus Christ has done and is doing for us!