Amy's 2nd letter to Sandra on May 19th

Hello (In Ukrainian)

So, I'll share one funny Ukrainian Crobo (word).  The word nucatu (pronounced pecatu) means to write only when the accent is above the a.  Last week, during laundry time I asked the elder from Ukraine who he was nucatu (writing) to.  However, I accented the u.  I actually asked who he was urinating on.  Thankfully I used poor grammar and the whole sentence didn't make sense.  

So, it must have been a prophesy.  Last week I wrote home to people and said I had listened to Elder Russell M. Nelson when I meant Elder Russell Ballard.  Heavenly Father must really love me because on Tuesday night Elder Nelson came to motivate & encourage us.  

This week my district got fired up and I'm excited.  We are going to put 100%.  I'm going to be more bold.  We are speaking 100% every morning although I'm not conjugating anything right.  I'm teaching all the native Russians Ukrainian because I don't know Russian but, I love to talk to them.  I tell them to "LuBiAkO" (pronounced shvidko) a lot.  It means hurry, hurry!  We only have one more week with them.  Our branch will shrink.  I'm sending some pictures next week.  I'm sorry I didn't take very many good ones. 

 If there was anyway I could share with you all that I've learned and all that I'm doing.  

Do you have any suggestions to make my emails go smoother?  I should probably just do one big email but there is so much I can say to you and Grandpa & Grandma.  I wouldn't feel comfortable telling everyone else.  

I woke up early today.  But, I think my mood was a little off because of it.  We squeezed in a hair cut today.  Sister Howell has beautiful hair.  She is beautiful!  I'm so glad we are companions!  I post-it noted an elder's Preach My Gospel book.  He left his awesome post-its in the class and we had fun with them.  We found the best page on overcoming addictions!  I also take random pictures when the Elder's leave their cameras.  :)

This week we gave up dessert! 

We are trying to teach in the "TE" (This is where they practice teaching their teachers.) at least two times before we have to teach in the TEC on Wednesday night. (This is where they practice teaching pretend investigators.) We've been doing well!   We have lots of improvements we can make though.  We are trying to ask better questions and teach simply the doctrine.  I love our teachers.  There was one disaster.  Last week at the TEC our "investigator" was studying for a calculus test.  I was angry at him because he "wasted" our time.  But, our teachers said that we wasted his.  We are working on being more bold.  Next time, I'm going to tell Josh, "Dude, this is your salvation, we can come back to teach you when you're ready to listen.  Maybe you'll realize Calculus isn't more important.  

I do need to work on boldness.  I'm studying how the Savior taught.  He was bold, caring, loving and asked amazing questions!  Our time at the Call Center was amazing this week.  The Gospel is going forth.  I cannot wait to get into the field.  Be Bold and courageous!  Follow the Savior.  This is His Gospel!  He is helping me!  I am thankful!  I love Him!  I love you!

Will don't forget your spanish!  What a blessing it is to have that gift.  I pray for it every night.  Keep reading your German Book of Mormon!  I've been reading my Khura Mopmoha and I know it's been helping me.  

Have a beautiful day and make sure you share this w/ G-ma & G-pa.

Love,

Cectpa M

Amy's 1st letter to Sandra on May 19th

Cectpa Taylor,

My Lovely Cectpa and best friend,

I miss you.  We had a devotional today, but it wasn't an apostle.  It was still amazing.  Help me forget myself - forget my weaknesses.  I'm serving the Savior - He will take care of me.  That's actually what the devotional was about.  He was a 70.  His new wife was divorced 2 times and she felt categorized.  She even felt like she did not deserve to be married to a general authority.  However she was really neat and President Packer approved of her or their marriage or something like that.  I think I socialize too much.  I am a people person though.  Talking to people makes me happy - sharing their spirit.  My mission goal is to be as happy as I can and to love every second and every challenge.  

I am so happy I have you and your wonderful family.  Make sure Grandma and Grandpa know I love them.  I appreciate all they do.    You are amazing!  Work hard and sleep enough, but not too much!  I'm almost converted to the 8 hrs of sleep.  I hope I keep it up when I'm home.  I'm glad you are working hard in the serving the Lord too!  Let's keep informed and grow together.  Tell everyone about www.dearelder.com!  It's free to the MTC and I'm here for 2 more months.  I've got to read Khuta Mopmoha & sleep.  

Love Cectpa Murphy

May 19, 2009

Hey family!

Things are amazing here!  The day was perfect!  

I have to type extremely fast, so please don't be too critical of my mistakes.  

I love you and I appreciate the mail.  I haven't gotten much.  One week the seminary class sent me letters.  Pretty awesome.  My district was bitter!  I still need to reply back though. 

Today we went to our typical temple day but we stayed longer to do sealings.  I love our Russian and Ukrainian missionaries.  They have the sweetest spirits and the most amazing testimonies.  Most of them have never been to the temple before so it was a special day for us all!  They get to go to the temple 2x a week but this was the first, and probably the last that they get to do sealings until after their missions!  One sister even had names!  Can you imagine most of them live days away from a temple.  Most of them are converts and many of them even received their patriarchal blessings last week.  I love them all.  Two sisters and I have become very close.  She has the sweetest spirit.  So, last week we heard from Elder Nelson.  That's good becuase I got Elder M. Russell Ballard confused with Elder Russell M Nelson and told many people I had heard from Elder Nelson.  So, Heavenly Father gave me the privilege of hearing from them both.  The most awesome news; July will be full of Apostles.  Our District is getting fired up.  We only have 2 months left and we've been pretty lazy.  I want to work hard- every second is the Lord's and I'm trying to do my best.  Well, I don't have much else to say.  I've decided to use the mornings to try to speak 100%.   Nextt week we have to teach the entire first lesson, The Restoration, in Ukrainian...AHHH! Tomorrow night we contact for 15 minutes and teach them how to pray.  We have a lot of work to do today.  The Older Russian group and the Natives are all leaving on Monday and it will leave the small group I came with and one other district of about 9 left.  There is another branch though.  We'll only have about a week until we become the old group though.  Wow, life goes fast here.  Ask any missionaries you know about language planning.  It's so tough to learn everything I need to know and I want to be able to speak it.  I need advice!  This keyboard is tough and I'm writing as fast as I can.  We didn't have much time today.  The sealings after our endowment session with the Native Russians and Ukrainians were nice, but LONG.  Did you do the names I sent you already?

I've veen very busy, trying to be a disciple of Christ and using His time wisely.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

CECTPA MURPHY

p.s.  Crazy Brother Taylor - bishopric!  I'm really impressed with both of you and the obedice and dillegence you both have!

Email on May 12

Hey beautiful...and beautiful's husband.

Mr. and Mrs. Taylor,

I heard someone say today Bishop Bishop...I thought of you! (Bishop Bishop was my Bishop at college before Will & I were married.)

It's not fun when I don't get an e-mail from you.  Oh, well.  I'm a servant of the Lord so, I guess I shouldn't worry about such trivial matters.  I'm writing you first.  Sorry about last week.  So, this week has been crazy. Some amazing insights though.  I'm slowly going through the talks you sent and the one by Neal Maxwell was amazing.  I just finished that one today after our temple trip, I had a few minutes.  I loved what he said about Peter's lack of faith.  I'm also experiencing that.  I need to have faith in the Lord and I know He will bless me.  He is blessing me.  Yesterday was a little overwhelming but that is because I forgot.  I am His disciple and He qualifies those He calls.  I just cannot get distracted by the winds and the waves.  Well, We are typing with the Ukrainians today.  I'm not going to even try to spell the word (CLOBO) for elder.  It's ridiculous.  Russians are funny.  We are actually able to understand them, the few words we know, but they have no idea what Ukrainian is.  So, I'll be blessed with that knowledge when I get home.  Make sure g-ma and g-pa know how to e-mail me.  I haven't heard from them yet.  They might not have-my e-mail correct.  We've had some ups and downs this week.  We are working on unity as a district.  They are good Elders but, young of course.  The blog is great idea, thanks for doing that.  CECTPA Howell sent some pictures to her sister, she'll put them on facebook and hopefully you'll find them.  I'll send pictures probablly next week.  The Lord is taking care of us but, I've got a lot of work to do as well!  My goals are to smile ALL OF THE TIME and be Happy.  I don't mind annoying people, I do that a lot.  Sunday I played the piano for my branch and did a not so good job.  It's not like I would have had time to practice even if I knew the hymns we were going to sing.  Oh, well. 

I hope you are having a great day!

Life here is the same; Apostles and stuff.  It doesn't change! We did just find out that Pres. Uchtdorf is going to the mission the month before we get there with Elder Anderson and they are having a mission conference...SO JEALOUS!  The group before us (all Russian speaking, mostly going somwhere in Russia) are at 100% now meaning they only speak Russian.  So, we don't communicate very much with them.  We still have a few English speaking Russians in the Russian Missionaries group here for about 2 more weeks.  But, they aren't learning a language. so they don't always have the same schedule as us.

Well, I have other e-mails to write.  LOVE YOU!

CECTPA MURPHY!

Sister Murphy's Companion

Sister Murphy's companion is Sister Howell from Modesto, CA.  They met on the Kiev Mission Website and became friends through facebook.  They both thought they might end up as companions and both were glad they did.  The following Sister Howell wrote in a letter to her family, that they later posted on her blog.

"I am so blessed to have Cectpa Murphy as my companion! She is so wonderful and always has a positive attitude. Even though it would be nicer to have an extra hour or so each day to study, Cectpa Murphy helps me get to bed right at 10:30 and get up at 6:30 just like we are supposed to. There are so many other things that she helps me out with that are too many to name, but I will be very sad when I get a new companion in July."

Amy's letter to Sister on May 8 & 9

Cectpa i Gpat Taulop!

She writes the following in Ukrainian: Good Day!  How are you? 

Today was a much better day and it ended with an even more amazing talk by Elder J.R. Holland.  It was a talk our teacher showed us called "The Miracle of a Mission."  Absolutely amazing!  I have to write extra speedy because I wasted a little bit of time.  My district, tell me how I can push them...I do.  I help them realize this is the Lord's mission.  Elder Holland said that the life of missionary work is a chance for us to glimpse, if even that, the life of the Savior.  He knows about cups we do not want to drink.  He said that it's going to be hard, but welcome to the Gospel. It's time for us to grow up and pledge heroic efforts to the Gospel.  He said nothing more is required them to do the best that we possibly can.  He said the Gospel (EBaHre^io) is not meant to be easy.  "Salvation is not a cheap experience."  

But, we are His disciples; disciples of Him who did Atone & die--if we are going to be His disciples can we expect to never experience any sorrow.  We should be grateful for the opportunity because we will never come close to His Atonement.  But, anything hard should be an opportunity for us to grow closer to Him.

So I sill had to read my KURU MormoHa.  It was a race to make it by 10:30.

 I had a little time this morning to read some of the leadership stuff you sent me.  We have gym after breakfast most morning so we go get a sack.  For me it usually consists of a bowl of grape nuts cereal, milk, 12oz of H2O & an apple. So, we come back & I read.  Then I went to run w/ some other sisters serving in Russia, attempted some sit-ups & push-ups and here I am. 

I have to be exactly obedient.  I believe it says somewhere in the white handbook, "170 years of missionary work & the way to do it right...that I'm only supposed to write on prep day.  So, I can only write you on Wednesday.  I love you.  I have a lot of Ukrainian to learn!

Please Pray for me!

You are the best!  

Tell G-ma & G-pa hi & love!

Love,

Cectpa Murphy

Letter to Sister (May 6)

Hey Sister!  

So, I don't think my email sent to you.  I'm sad, but it wasn't very good so, o well.  So I have a few minutes before bed so I thought I'd jot a little note.  I should e memorizing James 1:5 or John 3:16 in UK or memorizing the first vision.  But, I really miss you.  I had not so good of a day today.   I don't want to leave my companion and go run, but sometimes I just have to get a good sweat and kill my negativity so I feel like I'm just dumping her into another companionship.  

 I absolutely love being a missionary.  I am learning a lot & I love Sister Howell.  Sometimes I do get annoyed with the Elders but they are wonderful.  So, help me be humble, (The Lord is doing a pretty good job at showing me I'm not.) and help me develop charity.  I want to love everyone and I want to inspire and motivate the Elders to be the best that we can be.  I haven't had time to read the leadership talks you sent me.  I'm kind of learning a language in 3 months...I really like to fill every second to be as productive as I can. 

I barely find time to read the letters you write but thanks!  I love you & Will!

Um...could you get Val's address and Dad's e-mail.  I need to write Dianne.  She sent me some amazing sheets & a cardigan/sweater.  Life is great though.  There are 3 Ukrainian Elders & I asked if they would be my best friends.  They said sure & now avoid me and wave awkwardly as I pace back and forth outside their classroom.  No just kidding.  Their schedule has been off today & I don't really pace back & forth.  I just peek in every time I walk by.  They are very kind & supportive & absolutely love that we are serving in their country.  I told them to give me some referrals!  But, the Ukrainians are awesome, we contact them (speak Ukrainian) as much as we can.  

We heard from an apostle Tuesday night!  Rumors were a little off...I should have known it wasn't Elder Bednar, he was speaking to you.  It was Elder M. Russell Ballard. He spoke to us about desire.  I'd share more but I only have 15 minutes & I have to wash my face and brush my teeth & read my KHUTA (Book) MOPMOH (Mormon) for 10 minutes out loud.  

You are absolutely amazing.  I wish I could have your help.  Call Grandma and tell her Happy Mother's Day for me and that I love them and miss them!

I am absolutely happy to be serving the Lord!

P.S. No I don't know where the Granola is in the Caf and the wraps are still not so good

P.S.S I'm almost a vegetarian.  The meet here is so bad!  I tried Chinese today...hmm...makes you think...

P.S.S.S Thanks for the fruit snacks!  I'll deplete your food storage if you need me to!  

May 5, 2009

 I only have 30 minutes and it starts to count down as soon as we open the window, logging on and loading take like 5 minutes, so that leaves me with only 25 to write and read.  So, the Elders said we will not be calling home until we leave for the airport.  That's okay, it's only 10 weeks away.  Every day but today (Tuesday, preperation day) and Sunday are exactly the same.  Well, I guess they do their best to make it a little different.  We have RC on monday - we call out to make sure people received the videos or whatever they ordered.  Or people call us to see if we can send them something.  I haven't had any "inbound" calls but I've made a lot of outbound.  We call at a pretty bad time so I probably got about 30 answering machines.  BUT, I had two amazing experiences!  One lady ordered a Book of Mormon and has been reading it every night!  She is from Mississppi and is a cute little black lady (don't think I'm horrible, she told me herself!)  She was also willing to meet with the missionaries!  So, I'm trying to get a hold of her again.  Her grandkids live with her so she is pretty busy...(you might now something about that Grandma!)  I hope the missionaries go to see her.  The other man is from NY.  We couldn't talk much b/c he was  in the middle of something, so he said to call back.  

We have three amazing teachers.  Sister ...uh...I cannot even say her last name yet...so I'm not going to even try typing yet.  She is the best teacher in the whole entire MTC, according to her statistics in preparing missionaries for the field.  We are spoiled, not very many people have teachers who are native.  So, that is helping us a lot.  Our other teachers are of course RM's (younger even then I...) and I don't feel like I learn as much with them.  They keep us entertained though.  They are still growing up if you know what I mean.  My district is the best.  I love my branch.  We welcomed two districts from Russia and Ukraine last Week.  I am even more blessed to have more native speakers who make fun of my accent and help with pronunciation during lunch, dinner, and laundry!  This morning is our temple day and as you know the first temple in eastern Europe has not been dedicated yet (yes, it's in my very mission!!) so many of them had not been before.  So, although they were set-apart we had a huge RUSSIAN!! session for about 8 Elders and 4 sisters!  Can you imagine how amazing our temple day was today!  Then we had a district breakfast in the Cafeteria in the temple.  They had a pears!!  The Ukranians are amazing saints and I cannot wait to serve among their people.  

We had an amazing testimony meeting last Sunday.  Many of them got up to tell us their stories and of course how excited they are for us to go to their country.  The Ukrainian elders said that Ukraine was the most beautiful country, that it was like a piece of buttered bread.  We'll see if we can find a better English analogy.   

MTC food is pretty good.  I'm still getting used to it.  I don't like the meat, it's always too salty.  So, I pretty much eat salads and soups.  Sister Howell thinks I'm boring!!  But, they have a different Salad every day.  Tonight we have another devotional.  We never know who it's going to be but, we sure enjoy guessing.  My guess...it's totally the Prophet.  Actually, Every missionary guesses the prophet, and we are always wrong.  There are a few bolder ones than I who say next week Christ is coming! 

We have hardly any free time, and I love it.  I'll have to write to you and tell you the amazing compliment I got from the counselor in the branch presidency on Sunday.   Oh, no times running down.  LOVE YOU!!

CECTPA Murphy!

Happy Mother's Day,

Thank you for everything!

Letter From May 1, 2009

Sandra, 

I'm glad you are happy.  We had a good devotional on Sunday.  Go to Alma 26:27.  Do it.  Do it Right now!  I am writing this letter to share this awesome scripture with you.  So find some scriptures and read this verse.  Sure, it has missionary application, but we are all disciples of Christ.  So, while you look for that scripture I'll tell you, I have definitely felt depressed, overwhelmed & hopeless. But, then somehow someone reminds me why I am here and that I have been set apart, my calling is form the Prophet & the Lord picked me to do this.  Can you apply this in your life?  Now, get your husband to send me his wisdom.  How am I supposed to do this?? But, today we had to contact 2 complete strangers (RM-fluent in Ukrainian) & introduce, bear testimony, and make an appointment.  There is so much for me to learn! Ahh!  I need to plan better.  How can I make better goals, get distracted less, be more patient with my companion?  Ok well scripture.  The speaker said, "Don't let Satan push your buttons" & told a really funny story about how he tormented a poor primary kid trying to get a drink from the water fountain w/o him realizing it.  He also said, "Don't let Satan push your buttons.  You are worthy.  Satan is really unhappy w/ you & will do anything to make you miserable.  It's time to give up your burdens" -some of my notes. 

I have to memorize my meta (purpose) in Ukrainian.  I know it in English!

To invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ & his Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, & enduring to the end...

Call G-ma & G-pa --I love you all!

Love, 

Cectpa Murphy