Valery!

This week was one of the most incredible weeks of my mission (and thus of my entire life, because - let's be quite honest - missions are amazing). It started out Monday evening with one of those stories that you read about in the Liahona and wish that they happened to you on your mission. Before we get to the climax, I shall share some details explaining how we got to the exact location at the exact time that God needed us to be. Bear with me. Monday evening we had planned to go tracting in a specific neighborhood. Partway through the day, we got a call about registration endeavors, meaning we would have to go pick up some documents in the evening in a different area. After picking them up, we reevaluated our plans, and decided that, yes, even though we did now how have less time than planned, we would still go to that area. On the way there, however, we ran into our friend, Lenid. Lenid is not really an investigator, but he's a good friend of all the missionaries, and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Sister Bates had told me that if you ever needed a pick-me-up, Lenid was the person to talk to - you could say only two words and he would begin smiling and praising you and going on about how intelligent you are. This was the first time that I'd met him, and I found that analysis to be quite true. We talked with him for 30 or 40 minutes. My favorite part of the conversation was when he pointed to the little Jewish boy in the picture on the pass-along-card we'd given him for Joy to the World and said, "That's me! Since I'm Jewish and my ancestors were Hebrews, part of me is that little boy." I found that quite endearing and I really liked how he was so willing and eager to see himself worshipping the Savior.

After we finished our conversation with Lenid, we finally reached the area we'd planned to tract. We stood outside the first stairwell and noted that the apartments were not listed - so remembering last week and our #50 miracle, I thought that 50 would be a very good apartment with which to start the guessing. We were quite pleased when #50 opened the door for us, and we headed inside to talk to that apartment first. But . . . there was again no apartment 50. Sister Bates and I stared at each other in complete confusion again. Once was a miracle, but twice in so short a period of time was indeed remarkable. (In case you are wondering - as did I - #50 is not a secret, open-all-doors-in-Ukraine number, because we've tried it since then with no success. So something really was happening those two times.) We tracted the entire stairwell, and even though nobody ended up letting us in, we did have a nice conversation with a certain man, and we both agreed that he had felt the love of God through us. So we felt like the miracle of #50 opening for us had been served. But what we did not realize was that all of these little miracles or delays were mostly for the purpose of getting us exactly where we needed to be - a darkened, nearly deserted path behind a gas station.

As we were leaving that area and walking home, we trekked along said dark path. All of a sudden, we heard running footsteps behind us and a voice yelling, "Sisters! Sisters!" We stopped and turned, convinced that this was either someone from English or a member of the branch, because who else would know to call us Sisters, or even be able to identify us in the dark? We began talking to him, however, and quickly realized that we did not know him. He introduced himself as Valery (val-ER-y) and asked a question that I shall always remember:

"Does your church have a program where you visit families? I have four children and I want you to come visit us."

My eyes may or may not have welled up at that moment in time, and I could scarcely believe that this was actually happening - that we had been contacted by a man with a family who wanted us to come teach him. We explained to him that, yes, indeed our church does have such a program and that he was in fact currently conversing with said program. He told us the number of his apartment complex, gave his phone number, and we agreed to come teach them on Wednesday. He told us that he had worked on the Department of Religious Affairs and so knew about the Church. He had even helped the Church when it was entering Finland. We promised that we would come, and ended our brief conversation. (Side note - there may or may not have been skipping as Sister Bates and I left that little place.) We were rather in shock, because, like I mentioned, those things often seem like they only happen in someone else's experience. So we were rejoicing and filled with gratitude to God for knowing exactly where all three of us would be that evening and for aligning our paths just right so we would meet.

We spent the next couple days praying fervently for Valery and his family and looking forward with eager anticipation to Wednesday when we could teach them. Wednesday rolled around, however, and we had not been able to get a hold of Valery on his phone. Each time we attempted, the friendly Ukrainian voice recording informed us that his phone was off. Seeing as how we did not know his apartment number, we began to get worried as Wednesday evening approached and we didn't know how to visit this family. We decided to go to the building he had indicated as his own and tract the whole thing, if need be, until we found Valery and his family. So Wednesday evening found two little sister missionaries wandering around that area, trying to find the number of the building he'd told us. After much prayer and some inquiring of the natives, we found the building. Which was great, but when there are sometimes upwards of 100 apartments in each building, it still seemed like somewhat of a shot in the dark. When we reached the door of the first stairwell, however, we saw something that I have never seen before - above each door was a list of the people living in that complex, complete with their apartment number. Due to Russian's kindness in telling gender through last names, we were able to locate the three males in the entire building who had a first name starting with V. So after some more prayer, we found Valery! We talked to his wife on the domaphone, and she informed us that he would be home late. We were slightly disappointed that he wasn't there and we couldn't teach the family then like we'd planned, but we were very grateful that we'd found his apartment and that his wife had been very kind to us. And we were especially amazed that God had helped two lost little missionaries find a particular man without much information to go on.

The next few days were also filled with many fervent prayers as Valery's phone continued to be turned off. But we clung to the hope that at least now we knew where he lived. We decided that on Sunday we would stop by his apartment bearing some of the cookies we had made for a service project for the branch. And I am a witness that God answers prayers! We knocked on Valery's door, and his wife opened. They invited us in, and we sat down at the table in their kitchen. (I am running out of time, and I'm quite sad I won't quite be able to do this story justice, but I'll do my best.) Valery asked us if he could get us something to drink - he said he knows that we don't drink tea or coffee, but would compot be okay? :) And then he opened his photo album, and we were completely shocked to see a picture of him in a suit and tie standing in front of the Kyiv temple! He'd helped with that (somehow - not quite sure what exactly) and he had been through the open house. He told us that he'd had very good impressions there. He then indicated to the Book of Mormon and asked if we could talk about that book. :) So we had a wonderful lesson about the Book of Mormon, and their family is going to read and pray about it. He told us that we should probably come teach them once a week. :) They are honestly one of the cutest little families in the entire world! There are the parents and four daughters - ages 13, 7, 4, and almost 2. And I am absolutely in love with them! And it also turns out that the branch president knows Valery! I don't know how this could get any better, or how the hand of God could be any more clear in this. I know that God brought Valery and his family to us, and that they have been preparing for years for the reception of the restored gospel. I am so grateful that I get to take part in this incredible miracle! God is so good.

-Sharisa