Letter to her Grandparents

So, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!!
How are you?  Did you kiss, hold hands?  Eat pie, cake, ice cream...everything?
Hello again!
Thanks for the update on your week.  Way to stay busy and active!  Oh, we don't eat fresh-water fish because they are caught in the Ukrainian water and there is bacteria that our American bodies are not used to.  So, we can eat fish and be sick for a couple of days, or we can just not eat fresh-water fish.  So, I eat salmon (something that is shipped from far away).

No, we don't have cars.  Every once in a while (maybe 3 times since I've been here) someone has given us a ride. We live in big cities...RIDICULOUSLY LARGE!  So, we crowd in already crowed marshrutkas like most every other Ukrainian.  We also take the metro or trolley buses.   A Marshrutka is pretty much like a public bus except here they are not public.  Every one has a route, so we have to know the main streets to know which "bus" to take.  Sometimes these "buses"  can be worse than a can of sardines.  I'm looking forward to more memories on the marshrutkas moving millions of people around the "Mictos" of Ukraine.  Oh, they are normally yellow!

Oh, this is interesting.  I met Elder Chapman at Zone Conference and then served with him and his district in Bila Tserkva last week.  He is from Springfield Mo. North Stake.  He is from Russia, but was adopted about 8 years ago. He has a very large family.  I don't remember exactly where he is from - somwhere close to Springfield.

Hmmm, so we had to move Marina's baptism.  Her son is sick, so she had to cancel all her plans (even work - which is also sad [poor]).  We still want her to come to church a few more times.

But, we invited another friend - Valentina to get baptised next month as well!  We are excited even if we are transfered!

So, Moroni arrived!  He's beautiful!  They still have to put on they "exoskeleton" of granite around some parts of the temple.  But, it's looking good.

I thought of more things you can send for Christmas...
POPCORN!!  I LOVE POPCORN, and it's expensive and hard to find here.  You can even just send the kernells if that's easier and I'll pop it on the stove!  Hmm, maybe mints...but not gum.

What do you think about pickled tomatoes?  I think you should try it.

And my mouth is watering from hearing about your pears.  I know those are good!

Well, I love you.  I hope you have a fantastic day and week.

How can you help the missionaries at home?  Ask them?  If you can't think of people to hear the lessons maybe you can meet the people they are teaching!

You are the great!

Love you,

Sister Murphy!

Ukrainian Weddings and other fun news

Hello Sandy & Will,

I'm glad I have two experienced and amazing people I can write to every week. So, I'm going to start with horrible favors.  Awful I know...

1^st I thought of something fun.  Google pictures of marshrutkas (маршрутка), crowed Ukrainian buses, for Grandma and Grandpa to see.  Oh, and maybe the temple so you can see the progress!

So here are the pics she requested.  These are all from the internet and supposedly are all from Kiev.  As you can see they cram a lot of people in them.  

(Editor's note: To read an article about the temple construction click HERE)

It looks amazing with the spire and Moroni.  Apparently customs did not want a spire of gold coming, so they had to change.  Wouldn't it be amazing to be an architecture that builds temples?  Yes.  It would.

How is the church in America?  How are the baptisms in Mountain Home?  In Russellville?

Tell Valerie I hope she’s doing well

Tell Sarah, AJ, and Amanda thanks for their letters!

Do you know the new mission address?  It's borshahivsky...or something like that in English.  (the mission office is actually were I serve)

Okay...

I would like some easy, practical but fun recipes and some amazing analogies to teach gospel principles.  Will how did you teach?  Share some of your geniusness with someone who needs it.  In fact, you can put this on the web site for suggestions and make it a fun activity.  You can ask everyone!  Your friends, etc.  How can I teach these people in simplicity and so they understand.  Diagrams I can use?  Mail them???  Whatever.  I love you!

Okay, new news.  Marina is going to have to wait.

Her child got sick.  Her husband doesn't approve, and she couldn't come to church on Sunday.  It's so sad.  I won't tell you everything because I want you to love all Ukrainian people as much as I do.  He just doesn't trust his wife.  He hid a web camera so he could see and hear us while we were there.  We asked the elders to come and give a blessing to their son and he got angry...

(That happened this morning.)

Today we went to see an "open-air" Ukrainian village museum.  It was nice.  We brought another lady with us.  We are teaching her English and the gospel.  She started to read the Book of Mormon.

So, this Saturday, no baptism, but their will be a wedding, my first Ukrainian wedding!  We went to help out ward members yesterday (it's quicker than yours.  They have one week to prepare, and it's going to be fun!)  I wish I could tell you all that they have planned.  She is a cute girl who just returned from Provo.  I guess her American boyfriend couldn't live without her.  He's coming here on Thursday to marry her!  (They have to do it civilly in Ukraine first.)

So, he's in for a big surprise.  Ukrainians are CRAZY FUN!  I'm totally going to have a Ukrainian reception!  They kidnap the bride, they do skits, they ask weird questions, they laugh, they eat, they sing. 

We've begun sister exchanges in the mission again.  It was interesting.  I served for 3 days Tues - Friday with Sister Ethington in Harkivsky two weeks ago.   (She is one transfer ahead of me.  We met in the MTC) Sister Ethington is learning Russian.  So, I heard 10x more Russian that week than I am used to!  Yay, I'm commencing my 3rd language.  I think I can probably offer a prayer in Russian!  (I'm not trying it yet)

It was rough.  I am so thankful for the experience I have gained from my companion - a very experienced and hard working missionary.  I had no idea how blessed I was, and HOW CLEAN my living quarters were!  Wow, it was fun though.  Their sinks didn't drain and their landlord left them a bunch of hmm...maybe a nicer word for junk would do...but, I cannot think of one. 

So, I came back and we got right to work again on Friday.  Busy weekend, busy Sabbath, and then we got a call a week ago.  We did exchanges again.  Except I was going  to Bila Sterkva (apparently it's paradise for Russian speaking missionaries).  I served with an Armenian companion, who only speaks Russian and Armenian!  YAY!  I got over the nervousness and was pretty excited.  Really! She is a very experienced missionary, so I did my best to communicate and learn from her!

It was nice, a beautiful area and people.  I learned a little bit of Armenian and a lot of Russian since she doesn't know Ukrainian.  We gave out two more baptismal dates!  Way fun!  Speaking of fun, the word in Ukrainian is Vescello and the word for wedding is Vescellya.  (see the connection - there is one!)

You have no idea how much having a vision of "finding" throughout the day has helped me.  I am excited to find more investigators.  I think it's reasonable to find someone every day of the week.  Why not?  We have almost 10 hours.  I love being challenged and I know I have a lot of improvement and work to do.  Everyday I am thankful for the people I serve and the area I serve in and my companion who has taught me so much.  But I want to be more effective in receiving referrals, inspiring members to be missionaries, and living and teaching by the power of the Spirit.

So, I'll try again this week!

With a better understanding on how to find!

This is an excerpt from a letter my mission president sent us:

"How vast, how broad, and how eternal are the things we’ve received, and which we offer to the world. The Book of Mormon is the book of greatest worth on the planet, and we give it away for free. The temple is the best built structure in the land, and people can enter without money and without price. What a testimony of God’s love for His children. "

Pres. Steinagel

Well, that's about all the time...we have an important lesson tonight.

I love you

Thanks for everything

I love popcorn...

We find out this weekend about transfers...

I know I can be better.  I have a lot of work to do.

Sister Murphy

Week 10:

Good Morning Family!

Happy Monday! Is it Monday? It's Monday here- Monday afternoon now! We have a busy day today.

Things are wonderful here. We have an amazing work to do here. The church is growing slowly here, but we are preparing to open the Kyiv temple in a year - which means lots of missionary work! Our goal is to double the baptisms! I'm super excited. I've only been out for 2 transfers but that is right when our mission started the goal. So far it's been miraculous - which is what happens when you do the work of the Lord! We have 2 weeks until our first baptism in this area! (We opened a new area for sisters - so we are very happy the Lord has blessed us to find this amazing woman!)

This week was different. Exchanges are interesting things! I learned quite a bit. But, I think most importantly, I learned how amazing my companion is! I am really thankful for the experiences I have had my first and second transfer and for the opportunity to serve with such an amazing missionary. And, she is a great cook!
This week also had its ups and downs. The highlight was re-reading chapter 4 in Second Nephi-maybe my favorite chapter. This time I read it - I realized that I don't need to "rejoice in sin." I think I was dwelling more on my weaknesses than on the opportunity to overcome them. So, I've committed myself to have a "rejoicing in righteousness" week as I try to do the right things.

I'm excited for this week and being more bold and finding more of the elect!

Funny news:

The Branch Pres. of Bila Tsterkva used to be in the mob. And he has a lot of his friends who were converted after him. Many who served jail time so they couldn’t get baptized!

Phew, the man with the really bad cologne just left. I can breathe now!!

I hope you have fun at the fair, and I hope you also tell people that there is a message they cannot find anywhere else about their relationship with God. He has given us this counsel to be prepared because he loves us! He loves us so He calls prophets to teach us. He loves us so He gives us scripture. He loves us so He reveals His gospel to us. Isn't it amazing that there are so many confused people out there and we are the only ones who have been blessed with the fullness? We are the only people who have the key to unlock the mysteries contained in the hearts of so many. Get lots of referrals for the missionaries. Tell people that they can learn about the teaching of our church. Tell them that we share this important message all over the world - even in Ukraine!!

So, I love you! I hope you are staying healthy. We are teaching 2 wonderful investigators. (We have more but these two are quickly progressing)
Marina is 26. She accepts most of the commitments we have given her. She loves to read the Book of Mormon and is excited to get baptized. Maybe you can pray for her husband in your prayers at home. Pray that we can meet with him and help him to soften his heart and develop this excitement his wife has for the gospel!

Natasha is probably 45-48. She is so much fun. We teach her English first. She is an active lady and is amazed that we are here as missionaries. She wants her son to be a missionary! After English we teach her the Gospel in Ukrainian. She prays at the end of our lessons and thanks God that we brought peace, light and joy in her life. She said she thinks about us before she does something and it helps her do right!!!

Our ward is amazing! The Angel Moroni will be added to the temple on Saturday at 2:00 pm. We are having a special presentation. I'm excited. We make American cookies, brownies, and banana bread at least once a week to share with our investigators and members who help us.

Oh, that's what I want some easy, good recipes. That would be easy to do. Maybe you can send me one with your next e-mail!

I'm getting your letters grandpa! Thanks for all the updates!

I love you both!

I haven't much time...and I still need to write to our Mission President!
I love you! I hope your smiles are bright and beautiful! Keep them polished!

Have a wonderful week!

I hope you are sleeping fine, and recovering from your crazy lives!

Love,

Sister Murphy

p.s. of course I'm waking up at 6:30. It's the getting into bed by 10:30 that's wearing me out. I try every day. I like to be an obedient missionary, a white handbook missionary, that means I sleep all the way until 6:30. No messing with these rules!

Okay, I was just trying to be pious. In most cases I'm up at 6:20.
My alarm clock broke...sad day...but thankfully it's routine enough. My body wants to live the laws too. My REM cycle is fully trained to pull out of deep sleep by 6 am and I'm "aware" until I finally just can't pretend to be asleep...and I worry that I'm late...so I get up to check the time, go potty, pray and make my bed. Then, I try to have a successful work out.

p.s.s. my pictures got deleted. I'm sorry!


YOU ARE THE BEST!

Week 9: Her adventures with restrooms

Dear Family,

 

There was a miracle that happened in Borshahivsky yesterday.  Ten of Heavenly Father's children found their way into His house of worship yesterday.  Amazing!  Four were brought by one wonderful lady who has the desire to share the gospel, two of which have been to sacrament previously.  We also had four investigators who joined us for their first time.  It was a beautiful sacrament meeting with beautiful testimonies of the restored gospel and our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was an exciting day!  Now, I hope to work hard and with the Spirit to see their understanding enlarge as they learn more about the love of our Heavenly Father and the Restoration of His church.

It's great to be a missionary!  I know I have lots of progress I can and NEED to make but, I am thankful for the potential and the opportunity to grow.  I know that I have potential to be like our Father in Heaven, and with each mistake I make or each time I fall short of perfection I can be encouraged (I love that word, and the word snuggled inside - courage - of which I need a lot more of!) by the love of our Savior.  I'm thankful that I can serve Him.  And with that, I know I can do better!

I need lots of help with fun things to do for all ages in teaching english.  It needs to be productive, so we actually help people and then we can get them interested in the gospel.  Do you have any  ideas?

Did I tell you there aren't public restrooms in Ukraine!  What an experience my first week here.
Also I love water.  Which generally means I have to go to the bathroom a lot.  (Like right now...)

My companions sister went to egypt this week with her husband.  We are looking at a few pictures.  They just did the resort stuff this trip (They saw the ruins a couple of years ago).
I want to take you to egypt!  After my mission...what do you say?  I bet your husband could find something to do!  I know you want to and I know you are thinking there is no way.  But, you just wait.

That's my dream.  Only for this hour on my prepartion day.  Every second after my dream is helping the amazing people here come closer to Christ.

YAY for the saving ordinances and principles of the Gospel!

Well, I will write another email later I have to find a restroom!

(She found a restroom and continued a few minutes later) :)

Oh, thank goodness!

I found one!  Well, I tried to explain to the lady and she was like what?  But, she showed me to the back room.  I was just like...I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET!  She was fun.  And of course there a like 7 people waiting to use a computer!  What an adventure!  The nice lady who found me a toilet and who has a pretty skirt, let me get back on a computer that there is a line for!  She likes us!  She's going to get baptized, all because the crazy american had to pee!!!

So, basically, they have a porcelain square in the floor and you squat!  Rarely do you find toilet paper!  I've been in some nicer restrooms though!  And the worst, which is odd, was in an opera house!

Okay, now that I can breathe and think.

Can I tell you how much I love you?!? And how much I appreciate you!?!  

Our ward is a nice size.  It's one of the bigger ones in Ukraine.  Well, there is actually only one Stake in the entire Eastern Europe and it just happens to be in our mission.  There are probably only 4 wards...not sure yet.  We have the best though!  I love our nice little trip to church, and seeing the progress of the Temple - the House of the Lord.  Knowing that in some way, I can help prepare these people to enter.

So, September 1 in Ukraine is the first day of school.  It's a holiday here too!  It's so cute to see the kids dressed up for school (they were suits...even the little ones!)

 Grandma I hope you had fun at Relief Society and the fish was yummy.  I'm not supposed to eat fish.  Sad, but I can eat other things!
I love the mail you send me!  Thanks to grandpa and grandma I get a letter every week!  You two are the best!  I'm glad you are having lots of fun!  Have more!!  And in a year and a month or so we'll have a big party!

What do I want for christmas???  Not much, because I know it costs a lot to send stuff here.  I have everything I need here, so maybe some chocolate so I can compare the two!  What can I do for you? 

Oh, here is what I want: graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate!  I want to show Ukrainians what smores are!  Fun!!

Next week, I promise I'll send you pictures!  You are the best!

By the way more pictures please!

Tell AJ, thanks for his letter!  Congratulations on the amazing work in Russellville (they had 3 baptisms)

Also to the ward back home.  Grandpa said they had 3 baptisms as well!  WAY TO GO!  We are going to work that hard this week!

Pray for us & Pray for the people

Next week, I'll try to relieve my bladder before I write so I can send a few pictures!

I love you!

Have an interesting week and I'll read all about it next week.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Have you ever pickled tomatoes or mushrooms before?  Try it - they are yummy!  Small tomatoes (whole).  Let me know what you think about it next week!

Love you!

Sister Murphy!

Week 8: Merry Christmas! (Grandma says getting her emails are like Christmas presents so that's where she got the title from)

Wow,

Hello Grandma and Grandpa,

You eat out quite a bit!  I'm glad you are having fun!!  I have been eating well lately too!  By that I mean I eat lots of watermelon!  It's in season here and they are getting cheaper every week which means MORE WATERMELON!!!

Weird, we also talked about temple work in Church yesterday too!  (well I tried to understand...it was in Russian.)

May I suggest a very interesting chapter to read?  It's in Jeremiah 7:3-10.  It talks about how people think "ALL IS WELL IN ZION... we have a temple here."  In reality, they are not going to the temple or are going but for the wrong reasons.  The prophet Jeremiah is prophesing to the people of their wickedness and to repent.  He's also warning them that all is not well in Zion if they do not go to the temple.

I'm amazed at the people here.  Many of them are coming to the ward (at great distances) to research their genealogy.  It's so neat to see their Russian ancesteral trees on the  newfamilysearch.com  site.  They are super excited!  Have you been able to look at the website yet?  That should be your next adventure!  It gets complicated, but you two are the smartest people I know!

I'm glad you got my letter!!  Yay!  It took 2 weeks!  I wish I could send you more candy but, I thought you would at least like those!  I do too!  Congratulations to Jacob Maple on choosing to go on a mission! How exciting!  I wonder where he will go.  The more I'm out, the more I am getting excited about being a missionary.  But, in actuality I'm not very much different than I was before...(sad I know)

However, I do have a calling and authority to act in that calling.  I have rules I need to follow (that are wise and safe and help me to be a better missionary) but, I've learned that missionary work is not missionaries work.  It's the whole churches.  It's our responsibilty together.  The only difference is I am called - I am authorized to teach the gospel and prepare people for baptism.  The finding, testifying, and experiencing the amazing joy that comes with building the kindom of Zion on earth is for everyone!   Because I'm in Ukraine and don't know anyone, we often wander aimlesly among the thousands of people who live here.  It's a challenge to look into the faces of complete strangers and share with them a simple message that might interest them into salvation.  How much easier it is to touch the hearts of people I know and I can adapt the glorious message of the gospel to their needs.

So, I have come to the conclusion that missionary work is much easier for regular church members than it is for missionaries.  CRAZY!!  I know.  All you have to do is share the gospel with your friends, bring them and show them how amazing the gospel is and then assist the missionaries in their conversion.  If anything my mission has called me to repentance for not doing enough for the missionaries back home.  New missionaries (like my companion and I FOR MY FIRST area and assignment, we were both brand new to the area) have no idea where to go, who people are, who wants to help them, who they can serve, what they can do, who they can teach, sometimes they (I) might not know what to say.  I would think, that is a bit overwhelming (I CAN TESTIFY!!!  IT IS VERY OVERWHELMING!!)

So, I'll end that tangent for now.  But, I would (I'm learning this word in Ukrainian...so I'm using the english variant) EXHORT you (like Moroni says in chapter 10) to help your missionaries!!

Well, I got a little carried away!  But my companion and I have been contemplating on how we had no idea what our poor missionaries had to go through.

Is Sandra making stuff up on the blog?  Maybe it's the gift of twinship or something.  She knows everything.  I wrote her a funny story.  She should get a letter this week that you'll really like!!

Well, I love you!  I need to write to our Mission President!

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Love,  

Sister Murphy

(Letter to Sandra)

Hello again,

I just wanted to tell you that I am having much more fun and it's because I learned to not get frustrated!  My companion and I were not acting in unity.  

AND THEN,

I told her, and about 2 minutes into our conversation I realized that it doesn't matter if I say anthing at all in a lesson.  It doesn't matter what happens anywhere as long as the spirit was felt and someone's life was blessed.  I can simply  appreciate the miracle of being there!

So, we learned that I was frustrated because I didn't know what to say and when to say it.   She was frustrated because she didn't know where to go and when to go, and we were both trying to be too independent.  So, we have a new philosophy: WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET FRUSTRATED.   It's been better ever since.  SINCERELY!  We learned from the example of a missionary who has been serving a year and still has some horrible problems with the language.  He loves life and he isn't afraid to have fun.  He is fun!  And we both want to have fun too!

I'm sorry about your headaches...I think you are going through withdrawals, and they won't end until October of next year when I come home.  So, stop these phony treatments and write more to your sister the real source for your cure!
and eat a watermelon!
(not the whole thing...Will can probably eat half!)

I have been getting Will's letters, and they make me laugh.

Oh, what analogies can you give me for teaching simple gospel doctrine?

Think about it and as you think of one send it to me.  I'll be using them for a while so don't think this assignment expires!

I heard a good quote recently:  "Everyone already knows the gospel is true. They’ve just forgotten. Help them to remember. The Holy Ghost will do that. He will help them get through the amnesia and the deception."
 

We have an investigator - Her name is Marina and she knows the church is true!  She is getting baptized!


hahah quick thought...

I read a funny sentence in your letter: "church was ok today."

Well, church for 3 hours in SERGIC (1/2 russian & 1/2 ukrainian - which I still don't understand)  is always awesome.

It's also funny, because I'm a missionary people are afraid to meet with me because I'll make them do missionary work.  So, they walk away from me as I smile at them...

I hope this made you laugh and think.  Sure, maybe the talks weren't great, like yesterday I didn't understand why we were talking about her neighbors dead dog for 5 minutes but, I took the Sacrament and I renewed my covenants.  If everything else was horrible it was worth it!  

Oh, the other funny thing in combined rs and priesthood yesterday, the first half was on temple attendance and then the bishop addressed some things in russian, (my companion filled me in later..)

One funny thing he said: DON'T read from the ensigns during your talks!  We laughed about it.

Oh, dear,

and so...it's been a week!!

Keep me informed!

I have to buy a new watch!

Thanks for all you do.

Thanks for being so special.

Thanks for being you!

And thanks for your righteousness and example!

I love you!!

Love,

Cectpa murphy!