9-6-09

Emily and I have been able to stay somewhat occupied this week, but we still have done our fair share of nothing. Because no SM’s have ever been sent to this region of Ukraine before, discussions are still being had about how to best use us. I am very anxious to start feeling useful! So far, our only solid job assignment is to teach an English Sabbath school lesson every week. This week, we will go with one of our translators, Olga, to the university in Kherson to help her teach an English class.
Emily and I took several walks around the town this week. Our host family is, seemingly, more satisfied with our navigational skills, and we enjoy exploring our little town. This week we discovered “Oskar”; a mini mall of sorts that contains a grocery store (with an entire aisle dedicated to chocolate J), a few clothing stores, shoe stores (which I was more than excited about!), and a bowling alley. We have become fairly good at finding ways to amuse ourselves. Emily stumbled across an accordion in our room this week. We are both very excited to learn how to play it! I also learned the Russian alphabet this week. Anytime Emily and I walk down the street I read all of the street signs and billboards to her. I don’t know what most of the words mean, but I can pronounce them! I am beginning to understand the general idea of some conversations I hear (hand gestures and body language are VERY helpful) and I know how to tell people what my name is and to ask “what is this?”
We spent this Sabbath with Dima and his parents. They are such a sweet family. They have no other children, and therefore Natalia (Dima’s mother) has adopted us as her daughters for the year. She told us that Dima never talks to her, so we must tell her everything that is going on! Emily and I also informed Dima, much to Natalia’s pleasure and his amusement, that we have made it our job to find him a wife before the year is up!
Things I am still getting used to…the water schedule. In our apartment complex, the water is only on at certain times, and I am still trying to remember when to fill up water bottles or take a shower! I’m also still getting used to the food. Although I haven’t disliked any of the food yet (except the pollen we tried the other night. I would equate its taste with something like fish food), I’m trying to become accustomed to eating the same foods over and over. When Tatyana makes borsch (or anything else), we eat it for the next 5 meals, or until it’s gone; and that includes breakfast! There isn’t any distinction between the food we eat for breakfast and the food we eat for lunch and supper. Emily and I have also eaten hordes of tomatoes and watermelon, our respective food enemies, both of which Southern Ukraine is famous for and are in season at the moment. Tatyana is an excellent cook, however, and feeds us so often that we don’t even have a chance to be hungry!