REASSIGNMENT!!!

ПРИВІТ ЛЮДИ!!! Week two in the MTC has been successfully completed, and it was a definite 10 out of 9. I know I said this last week, but the gift of tongues is totally real, and I'm so beyond happy that it is because I have been tapping into that good stuff for the last 14 days now. I definitely would not be where I'm at now without God's help with my language skills. If I was just left to my own devices, I'd still be saying "велика шишка" in english, and no one would understand why I was calling them a big pinecone. In other news, I receive my reassignment today and I will be temporarily serving in the Texas Dallas West mission! I am so beyond excited to serve in Dallas, and I literally cannot wait to get out there! The coolest part about it is that the suburb where I used to live in Texas is right there in that mission. It's crazy to think that I will be headed back to one of the places I used to live, and I cannot wait to get in on that good barbecue. I would also appreciate any donations to my go fund me for an apron that covers up my shirt and tie, because food just loves to get on that stuff. I spilled cherry juice on one tie and then proceeded to spill ketchup on another and I can say with a surety that that was just the worst. I'm hoping and praying the dry cleaners specialize in cherry and ketchup stains, because those were two of my favorite ties. I'll make sure to keep you updated on that because I know how much you all care about the state of my ties and what I spilled on them from week to week. HOWEVER, I did not spill the борщ (borsch) I had on Sunday on the tie I was wearing, so that was seriously a tender mercy because that stuff definitely would NOT come out. Борщ is a beet soup that they love in Ukraine, and I promise I'm not lying when I say it's actually so h*cking good. My amazing aunt and uncle Amber and Tim had my family over for a "Ukrainian night" on Sunday, and I have come to the conclusion that the food they have over in the 'Kraine is actually divine. After I ate it I realized that I am definitely going to be packing on a couple of extra pounds before I leave Ukraine. OTHER FUN FACTS FOR THE WEEK - Canned Gatorade is a thing - The average Chuck E. Cheese's location rakes in $1.62 million in revenue each year - There's a Sister in my district who I thought looked like someone and then AFTER I told her she looked like this other person I saw a picture (and so did she) and realized they look NOTHING alike - Blue powerade, pringles, Tillamook single serving cheese blocks, velveeta mac and cheese, and ramen are all MTC essentials Before I wrap this email up, I just wanted to leave you with a spiritual thought. This week, I was able to learn more about the atonement of Jesus Christ, and I as I learned I found out that the atonement works in two distinct ways. There is the redemptive power of the atonement, which is the one we're all familiar with. That is the part of the atonement that allows us to repent of our sins and work towards perfection. The second part is one that I did not previously know that much about, and it is called the enabling power of the atonement. Through this enabling power, we are able to become better than we ever could on our own, as Christ is able to pick up our slack and help us work in ways that should not be possible for a human being. As I was listening to the MTC devotional on Tuesday, I realized that I could use this enabling power to become a better missionary than I ever could on my own. I had been having a troubling thought this last week, as I kept thinking "why have I been called to speak Ukrainian when, in my own opinion, I could be a much more effective missionary if I were to speak English?". However, as I learned about the enabling power of the atonement, I began to understand that no matter what language I was speaking, I could use the atonement to become the most effective missionary I could be because Jesus Christ understands missionary work more than anyone who has ever walked this Earth. Through His atonement and it's enabling power, I can be enabled to become the greatest possible missionary I could be and understand my full potential as an emissary of the gospel of Christ. I challenge each and every one of you reading this to pray to experience the enabling power of the atonement in your own lives, and to use it to realize your full potential and achieve it. God is doing a great work on this Earth, and he needs us all to help drive it forward. It is not just the missionaries who have been charged with spreading the gospel: it is every member of God's true church! I know this church is true and that this gospel brings happiness and, more importantly, joy. I invite you all to feel that in your own lives, and I hope you are able to see it blessing you in more ways than you ever thought possible! Well, until next week, I love and miss you all! - Старійшина Хорслі (Elder Horsley)