It's 11 am, here in Kiev, Ukraine and I wanted to say hi! After not sleeping for about 24 hours, and 15 hours of traveling, I arrived at the Kiev airport. I met a Ukrainian guy who was just returning home from Alaska, and he was happy to meet and help me and speak English. His father was meeting him at the airport, so they found the bus and saved a seat to take us to the train station. I then met a friend named Victor Merkulov, He earlier agreed to meet me, and then he helped me buy train tickets. We made sure they were on the RIGHT day! :) Because last year when traveling around Ukraine, the tickets were on the day before we traveled, and my mom and I had to share a place to sleep on a traine, bleh!

We then ordered a taxi to take us to Anya and Kolya Bogdan's house. Kolya was my zone leader in Gorlovka then my AP when I was in Kharkov. Anya is the daughter of Sergei and Lena Agarkov, who live in Gorlovka and whenever I visit them, they treat me like a queen! :) The taxi was 53 Griven, but the taxi driver would have charged probably 200 griven if it was I, an American, that ordered it. The currency right now is 8 griven to 1 dollar.

We arrived, had some delicious food, I was crazy tired, but at the same time had passed that stage so I had energy, and their cute little 3 year old daughter put on a model show for us. Her language is so hard to understand, I told her that she is speaking Chinese, but she is fun, and in the nightly prayer she said thank you for letting aunt Robyn come. :)

I am so so excited to be here, and Ukraine is so wonderful! I didn't have any major mishaps getting here. On the 10 hour flight from SLC to Paris, I sat next to a man from an Indian/French Island who was a born again Christian and said he had never met a Mormon in real life! He asked many questions, which was great, but kept interrupting me to ask other questions. It was a good experience, even though I struggled to understand his English.

Okay, I'm off to start another adventurous day! Love you!!

Robyn Alise

Ukraine... ready or not!

Well, here I am, off on another adventure! I love traveling, I love seeing new cultures and new places, but alas... I love Ukraine! So, due to that fact, and indeed, it is a fact that I love Ukraine, I'm taking off tomorrow, Monday 3 October! I will be traveling around to a few cities, and also will have the fine privilege to go to the Kiev, Ukraine temple!! I remember having special fasts and prayers on my mission, for them the church to have permission, and the it be the right time to start building.

I think I will check in here every so often, to this lovely little blog of mine, to share my thoughts, insights, and experiences. Please stay tuned...

P.S. General Conference was wonderful this weekend. I'm so excited for life, it's a grand thing!!