dear family and friends,
I love this work! I can't express how grateful I am to be in the service of the Lord. I really have learned a lot lately about diligence and obedience, and how the Lord answers back if we put in the effort. Seeing the faithful saints here makes me so happy, and knowing that truly God is aware of ALL of His children throughout the world. God is mindful of who needs the gospel and He truly does answer prayers! This week was a good week and we had a few special experiences. I remember a few weeks ago, I told you all about a less-active woman named Luba and how she brought a man to our lesson named Yuri. Well we went over there last week and Yuri was sleeping, but his wife Katia and their adorable son Vladim listened to our lesson about the Plan of Salvation. Katia had great questions and loved us! She invited us back and told us she wants to learn more. I truly saw her open up and she asked questions like "why exactly are we here on earth?" and we had a great conversation about it. It was a great lesson and it was awesome to see Luba open up again and talk about how passionate she was about the Plan of Salvation. It was a tender mercy from the Lord and I was/am very grateful! We also had a great lesson with our investigator, Vika. Her parents still won't let her get baptized, but we are trying to do all we can. We decided to talk about faith, and we watched "17 Miracles" with her. It gave her some great insight to just how much the first saints sacrificed for the Gospel, and faith can truly bring forth miracles. I also am so grateful for the pioneers who sacrificed so much and did so much to establish the church. I don't know if you can quite compare with dragging families and handcarts across a country, but I have witnessed that same spirit of sacrifice here with members in Ukraine. We had a really great experience with a member in Kherson named Marina. She is probably the most worthy, innocent, and faithful person I have ever met. She saved up for a long time so she could go to the temple in Kiev. We helped teach her the temple lessons and we called and made all the arrangements and helped get her ready to go. Marina thought that garments went to the middle of your arms, she thought she might get resurrected in the temple, and she thought she might see Joseph Smith, but we cleared all that right up (hahahaha), and she had a wonderful experience. We talked to her after and she said she loved it, and she said "Now I know all the secrets, but I can't tell you them!" haha, we love her. She and others here have sacrificed a lot to go to the temple, and I am so humbled to see their experiences.
We had a a few great lessons with other investigators last week and one lady named Anna, is so great! She had a lot of great questions about why we have the Book of Mormon. The more I teach and testify about the Book of Mormon, the more I realize how logical it is that we have it. It is proof, it is full of testimonies of Christ, and it will truly save us. I am reading right now in Alma, about him and Amulek and how they just live their lives to preach the word. I love it! I also just started the Acts in the New Testament, and I read where the apostles testify how wonderful it is to suffer for Christ. My "sufferings" in Ukraine don't compare anywhere to those stalwart examples in the scriptures, but I can say as well that it is a priviledge to suffer and sacrifice for the Lord. I was thinking a lot about this week why members throughout history have gone through so much, all for Christ. Everyone from Joseph Smith/Hyrum, the pioneers, the early missionaries, the immigrants, and everyone in our generation, have gone through a lot. The answer is simple: IF IT'S TRUE, THEN WHAT ELSE MATTERS? I know for myself that this gospel is true, and that is all I need to know. People will always persecute the true church of God, but it's true, so nothing else matters. I love the fulness of the gospel and that it changes lives, brings peace, and answers questions to every problem in life. I had kind of a sad experience last week. I got a phone call from the sisters in Zap, saying that one of the investigators there said she got an answer that the church is true, but she doesn't want to get baptized. I was pretty sad to be honest. This investigator was like my main focus when I was in Zap, and I truly love her. She was like my best friend, and I had some very spiritual lessons with her. So I called Pres. Van Bruggen, and got permission to call her. We had a good conversation, but she basically told me that life would be too hard if she was a member of the church in Ukraine. I didn't have anything to say, but I just bore my testimony that I know that the gospel brings peace. I told her that when we sacrifice and strive to follow the will of the Lord, He provides a way. It was a good conversation and although it was sad, I still love her and pray that she will change her mind. I have a tiny taste of how Heavenly Father feels when His children don't follow Him.
All in all, it's a great time to be a missionary. I'm grateful for all of you and your support. There will always be challenges in all of our lives, but how wonderful it is to know that the church is true. It's hard preaching the gospel sometimes and russian kicks my butt, but it's true, so what else matters? I love our Father in Heaven and He is blessing us with great, funny, challenging, and interesting experiences everyday. I love all of you, and I pray for ya'all!!! LOVE,
cectpa demille
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