Letter to Family (January 25)

Hello Family!

Wow, so the Vikings must have had a decent year! Maybe if I were more diligent they would have gone all the way! J So, I'll work hard this year, in the freezing weather. IT"S COLD! I think it’s worse than MN. I don't know how you live/d in MN. How cold does it get? Yesterday morning and last night it was about -30 deg. Celsius. That is, according to our cell-phone converter, -20 F.! I love dressing warm. As the days go on my closet gets emptier and emptier as I, myself, become more of a walking closet. And yes, I'm being funny, but I'm also pretty much a walking closet.

So, this week was a long week, not just because of the cold. We were busy. We had an exchange with some amazing sisters serving in L'viv. We also had lots of lessons to organize and many that fell through and when that happens all kinds of adventures begin.

So, do you remember what it feels like to have your nose hairs freeze? It's pretty refreshing! During the winter, we've been ageing fast with dry skin and yes even gray hair! For some strange reason my hair turns white in the cold. It thaws out again really fast, but it is certainly a strange occurrence. Actually, every morning I love stepping outside! But, really don't worry about me. The sun is back out again and I don't think winter will be much longer. I do love the sunshine! (and I cannot wait to sweat again!)

So, tell me about the missionary work in your areas. What has been happening? Why is the ward growing? I want to know! So, I don't know when my next move is, everything is based on a 6 week basis. This is my 5th week here and I love it. If I've ever loved a place, it would be here with our tiny little branch of new members in the church. They are growing and need a lot of support. Sometimes I wonder if I can do it. But, I love the opportunity to serve. They are really needy when it comes to the missionaries (as in the branch would probably not run with out us...) but we are going to change that! The next week we will be in Kiev for a sister's conference - that should be a great time. Many sisters (4-5 and that is about half of the sister's here) are going home in 7 weeks, so we are going to hear from their inspiring stories. My companion is one of them. Actually most of the companions I have had are speaking: Sister Movchanyuk, Sister Baletska, Sister Nakashyan, Sister Gay, and Sister Pack. I've pretty much served with all of them! Awesome! How blessed am I! (I only served with Sister Pack for a day and Sister Baletska for only a week).

Well, don't worry about the package. I'll be at the office next week and I'll let you know if I get it. Okay! I love you and I'm thankful for all you do for me.

Speaking of which...

WHY ON EARTH did you decide to open your hearts and let two 19-year old boys into your home and teach you. What created the desire? What happened? What did they say?

Please tell me that in your next letter...

I am so grateful that you did! You two are amazing!

I love you and I'm glad Heavenly Father allowed me to be apart of your family where I could learn from two special people with strong faith in Him!

Have a great day!

Love,

Sister M!

January 25: Letter to her Sister

Dear Sister!

So, as we were trying to find a good scripture to share in our FHE tonight I read 2 Nephi 9:51

Read from the part where it says Hearken. It really lightened up our mood this morning! We enjoy the scriptures, especially after yesterday. We had kind of a tragic day yesterday. I don't think I can write about it. Therefore, I'll tell you about one of our new members I didn't get to write about last week. She is the best! She loves to jump in the river 2x every day in her swimsuit. Isn't she brave! She asks us to join her, but the most we can do is accompany her on the journey and share a nice bar of dark chocolate as we adventure back.

Can I ask a couple of favors? Can you ask those who write me to bear more testimony in their letters? I gave a talk in our little branch yesterday about relationships in our family and I based it from Elder Bednar's talk. I learned a lot! I love how he counsels us to testify to our families. Let's do that!

Congrats on reading a great novel! When I get home, let's read some Russian literature: War and Peace, Anna Karinina, Leo Tolstoy! I love puzzles too! I think I'm going to make a restoration puzzle! Keep up the service!

So, there is really so much that happens in a week. It's great, and then I also know that there is more that I can do. Sometime this last week we had a wonderful exchange. It was great to work with Sister Pack for a day. She is an amazing and patient missionary, I could go on with adjectives like powerful and spiritual and very aware, but then I think about all the other sisters I have served with and they are all just great! Missions are the best opportunities, and I'm starting to realize how much I am learning. I hope that I will always make time to study the gospel and to serve others throughout my life.

Sister Gay is just fabulous and the work is picking up here! We are excited about that! We are still praying for miracles and are working to try to strengthen our new members. They are beautiful women and it's just great to see them grow in the gospel.

I know I still have much to learn and I'm trying my best not to feel overwhelmed! It's a great privilege to be here and I'm thankful and I love it!

We had wonderful attendance in our branch yesterday, and all of the members stayed for the entire service! They had great comments and we were all spiritually edified!

I wish I had some amazing exciting stories to tell you. But, it's all about the work and how amazing and miraculous it is. We are strengthening the members - the pioneers of Eastern Europe, preparing them to make amazing covenants with the Lord - soon! I'm not converting thousands, but we are fighting and we are trying to serve with all our might hearts and strength.

I am so thankful to be here. To see how important the gospel is and what a miracle it is that I have it. It's only right to serve God and I want to do that all my life. I want to extend my mission. I don't know how long it will be, but I love being here and doing this work.

I know this church is true. I love it! I love My Savior! I love the Book Of Mormon. I love the love of God!

I hope you have a great week!

Do you have any interesting conversion stories? Why do people join the church? It's true!

How do they find out about it?

Thanks for all you do!

Love,

Sister Murphy

January 18 (to the Thompsons)

Hello,

It's a new week! I love every opportunity we have to try again: every Monday, every transfer and even every day. I'm thankful for the hope that we can have at the start of every beginning.

Merry Christmas! I love Christmas. I'm so glad Ukrainians celebrate it 2x. Anyways, Ukrainians are always celebrating something; the New Year, the old new year, now it is: Happy Ukrainian Election Day! They had elections yesterday. They had 18 candidates for president. So, yesterday they narrowed it down to 2. They'll vote again on the 7th of Feb. My mission has been just a big celebration. We are celebrating how wonderful our Heavenly Father is and how merciful He is. Are you celebrating? He has revealed His gospel again! How amazing, how wonderful, how exciting! He really loves us! And I really love you!

So, it's cold. It may be 10 degrees F. It's always hard to know exactly as we are in Celsius. But, it's going to get colder. Tomorrow we fear the worst—maybe -5 F. But, guess what - We are going to layer up like cabbages. Ukrainians eat so much cabbage! I'm eating a lot too!

Speaking of food, it's great. But, for the most part my companion and I cook for ourselves. So, we had grilled cheese sandwiches (that's pretty American). We also have a very wonderful senior couple here from Utah, Elder and Sister Thatcher. We have district meeting in their home and we always eat a wonderful American cooked meal when our meeting is done. They are the sweetest and happiest couple! She doesn't eat chocolate, but always buys m&ms for us and makes choc. brownies and cakes. She is so fabulous. She was a caterer before and the mother of 10 boys! One of her sons came out for a week and had a suitcase filled with American stuff; vanilla, flour, brown sugar, powered sugar, pasta,....on and on and on...everything that she needs to make the fluffiest brownies in Ukraine. (It’s impossible any other way!)

The bread is wonderful! We are always buying fresh fruits. The apples are juicy! The oranges are sweet and they have fabulous chocolate. I'm trying to learn about temperance, but it's hard. At least it's winter and I am too cold to let the temptation for ice cream be victorious. But, of course, I'm American; it will always and forever be in my heart!

Well, we have great members and they are growing! Many amazing things were said at church yesterday by Olya (a new member who gave her first talk) and Ann (discouraged and struggling - but found happiness through the service she was able to offer another branch member)! We are also planning some family finding activities and focusing on growing the branch with those who will build and strengthen the others. I love this little family of branch members here, but I know that they need more and they need it more from themselves and not from the missionaries! We love to serve them, but it will be great when they can start to function on their own - baby steps!

The greatest lesson I learned this week is that despite our difficulties - we have to endure it and learn from them and carry on. We had some disappointments with investigators and less actives but we are not giving up. We will keep finding and teaching and trying to help others remember and feel the love of God that we all need.

Keep sharing the gospel! Help Heavenly Father bless the lives of our brothers and sisters! We never know when they'll have the desire to learn more! But, don't get frustrated if they say no! Just, try again!

My companion is still wonderful. I need to work on telling her that more. She is staying focused although discouraged with the amount of time remaining. (Seeing all of the warnings, I'll just go ahead and tell you now; I don't want to go home.) I am thankful for the advice she has for me, she has offered a lot of comfort and guidance.

Well, there are many miracles happening - all of the time - but, still, I'm trying to recognize them more. I love Ukraine! I love Ukrainians! I love Ukrainian and Russian and I still have much to learn and much more to love!

I hope you are enjoying your Monday. I love you and your fabulous desires and examples of love! Be happy have fun and enjoy every second of your day!

Love always and forever and ever!!

Sister Murphy!

January 18 (To her sis)

Brat ee sestra Taulor, 

Your last name would be hard to say for Ukrainians.  Isn't it interesting that brother and sister are so close!   That's about it though.  So, guess what.  I can officially say I'm learning two languages.  I’m still only studying to speak one, but I have to understand so much Russian, It's a challenge.  Comprehension only reaches to teaching the gospel though when it comes to Russian.

Well, I'm working on not getting frustrated.  I just have such high expectations and I'm not going to lower them, I'm just going to lift my spirits and endure despite the conflicts, heartbreaks, disappointments, and mistakes.  Some funny stories happened this week.  One recent convert, Svetya, is great.  She is so graceful.  She is also hard to meet with now that she finally found a really busy job taking care of an ailing woman.  So, we did what we could and spent an hour walking with her to the river where she proceeds to undress until she is standing in the middle of a white wilderness on the banks of the river in her bare feet and a bikini.  She then proceeds to climb down a ladder into a hole that has been cut out of the ice so that she can jump in and out of the freezing water.  It's healthy I guess.  Weird, but we love this lady!

 

Well, I don't know what pictures you were talking about.  I'm sorry for not describing them.  They were probably from Bila Tserkva. I think I sent some of us ice skating with some investigators: Ulia and Natasha.

 

The necklace, I'm glad you like it!  Honestly, (Ukrainians are very honest. It's great, even when they tell us they really aren't interested.  We know we aren't just wasting our time and we can go find the elect.

 

Honestly, the necklace, well, I didn't really like it (maybe if I wasn't a missionary).  It was a gift.  Do you remember our birthday?  Well, it was not the best week in my mission.  But, Sister Mov. also had a b-day, and we were visiting a really nice lady who loved sister Mov. because she lived in Italy too!  So, she wanted to give her some cake and tea and some cute Italian souvenirs or something.  Well, Sister Mov. said my birthday was soon and she was like, oh, here is a necklace and viola!  Merry Christmas!

 

Hmm...

 

okay...

 

next e-mail!

 

Love you!

January 11 (To her sister)

Dear sis,

You night owl!

I love you! You are the best. I'm learning, very slowly, how to be happy AND to SHOW IT! SING ALL THE TIME! Like elf! He's a good example! He is like Santa's missionary. Therefore I am learning from him as I strive to serve the Lord. That is what kind of missionary I want to be. Well, I did make maple syrup yesterday, and we have a lot left over. I even used it in our sweet and sour sauce! Wow, I'm really turning into elf. Is that horrible? (The words are helpless; the truth is coming out. I am crazier than people ever thought)

So, time goes so quickly, even time to type to you. So, I'm trying to write the best experiences. Ukrainians are the most sincere and friendly people I know. Maybe that's because it's so easy to become friends with them. I love them. I love meeting them, inviting them to activities, eating with them. Speaking of eating; we ate at the cutest little restaurant today.

We have a wonderful apartment. It's been in the mission for a year or more, and the elders have been kind to it. Well, we were kinder after they left (cleaning up after their messes…Oh the HEAVENS rejoiced in our cleanliness! Every Monday morning they smile at our efforts!) But, anyways, one elder ended the mission here and was a dirt bike racer. I hear he was pretty famous and somehow (I also heard against his own best wishes) he was entered into a meet the day after he returned. So, he bought an exercise bike to train. (I was told by very reliable sources that he was very diligent, he just ate quick lunches and had really efficient exercises in the morning. Language hour was probably a little sweaty, tacozh. I've been doing some aerobics. I got some good sit-ups from Sis. Mitchell (our trio at the end of the MTC), and I'm trying to be diligent. Way to go. I think you need to get out the art stuff ASAP! And then teach me when I get home. You crazy girl. Don't be discouraged by what you aren't doing. Be amazed at how much you have done. I'm learning that. I'm looking at all the goals we set, rarely achievable, but we've done so much.

Okay, I love you!

Be happy have a great day!

Love You!

January 11 (To the Thompsons)

Grandma - you are crazy!  But, I absolutely love you!

I love you both and I am so thankful for you!  Isn't the gospel amazing!  Sure, we slip and fall sometimes, but it helps us heal and progress until we can stand up again and serve others!  Look at all the two of you do!  It's great and that is what life is about.  "When you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" Matt. 25:40.  It really doesn't matter what we do.  I had this dream of changing the world.  Well, I cannot do that.  But, every little thing I do is something that Christ appreciates.  So, keep on keeping on.  Keep on doing and serving and just be a little more careful!

Grandpa, you picked a strong woman!  And of course, all women are crazy, but she has the biggest heart!  I cannot decide if you tried to convince her to return home or not you probably know her too well!  Alas, she continued on her journey.  I love you too!

Thank you so much for your e-mails!  Time really flies by!  It is unbelievable.  So, when I do take a second to think about what has happened I am excited!  I am learning so much and hopefully I'm recording most of it so I can remember and apply and relearn for the rest of my life.  God's plan is wonderful and simple but I'm still learning the facts and the applications.  So, this week might was great!  Mostly because I was able to serve my companion and that was fun!  Sister Gay (from north Idaho) was sick this last week. So, I had an amazing time trying to serve her in any way I could.   (I hope she enjoyed it too!)  She is really wonderful so I enjoyed every second!  Plus, I learned how to make vegetable soup.  Well, I was forced to do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen.  And, I think that is part of the blessing of our call - everything tastes good (or edible) or maybe I just burnt my taste buds...the soup was EXTREMELY HOT!  We also enjoyed sweet and sour sauce with our left over corn, pineapple and rice.  Other than that, you really do not want to know what we ate this last week!  Oh, When your companion is sick...and you are in Ukraine!

 

Last week I decided to just stretch myself and enjoy every second.  Of course there is room for improvement but breaking up the days into smaller sections really helped.

I am not the most interesting person but I'm learning to talk to people and just be excited about whatever is happening.  I'm growing in every area and I'm thankful for the opportunity to see that.  I'm learning to love more and more the people I am serving and the people I serve with.  This is a great city with amazing investigators and the best members!  And there are amazing missionaries serving here!  (this is the best mission, so that's expected!)

 

It was a fun week.  I feel so blessed and I am growing so much!  I feel like I've made a lot of progress in the language (Still have millions of miles to go!)  I am so thankful to be here.  I am in the happiest place of my mission!  (and they have all been the extremely wonderful!)  I love the Lord so much!

 

My companion is almost well!  But, today we will rest and we both know she will recover completely!  She is wonderful and I'm trying to learn as much as I can from her.  I am thankful for her knowledge and understanding of missionary work and her desire to work hard!

Well, there is not much to say about our investigators  - we were unable to meet with them this week.  But, we did meet with Pres. Andre's daughter and we are hoping to help her grandmother soften her heart and allow her to be baptized.  (I love grandmas!)

Our branch is wonderful.  Of course it has room for growth and I see it happening.  The members have the desire to share the gospel.  They have the desire to learn it.  We just need to strengthen them and retain them.

Well, I am enjoying the wicked weather of Ukraine.  I fell down yesterday walking to church.  It was an adventure.  It warmed up for the layer of slush to melt and we had a nice drizzle; EVERYTHING WAS SLIPPERY and wet.  When I got to church I did my best to hide my wet skirt from the motherly Ukrainians in our branch as I conducted the music!  (I was successful!)  Our branch is so young!  I'm excited to be here and to see the members grow in the gospel. Today I was studying about how we can help new members.  Who are the new members in your wards?  How can you help them?  Do you know how difficult it is?  Wow, it's crazy.  Read chapter 13 (I think) of "Preach My Gospel" and see what Pres. Hinckley had to say.  They have their first native branch President (Pres. Steinagel was here yesterday and re-organized the branch.)   We have two incredible senior missionaries here who have been serving amazingly.  I've been helping sister Thatcher in the primary, translating and having fun with our little class!  She is always so prepared and doing so well at preparing this small future generation to be strong and faithful!

Have a great week!  Stay warm and have fun!

It's so warm here!!!  I'm glad it's in Celsius and I really have no idea what it is.  I'm just glad I'm not in North Dakota!  -50...how do they live like that?  Crazy?

How are the Vikings doing?

Have a great day and a great dinner tonight!

 

Love,

 

Sister Murphy

January 5

(This is a picture her mission took on Christmas. Amy's on the second row, on the left side, wearing green and black. Click it to view a larger picture.)

So,

Our e-mail service isn't that great. It closed out during my letter to President Steinagel so I had to re-write. Now, I only have a few minutes to talk to you. I'm sorry!

I didn't realize that our preparation day would be different this week. I hope I didn't worry you. Or did you just think Monday hadn't come yet?

We had zone conference yesterday! It was amazing! I went back to L'viv and we caroled and everything was perfect. We had a member of the Quorum of the 70's from Latvia come. They are an amazing family.

I learned something interesting . Do you know what gravity is?

Do you understand it? What is the law of gravity? Are there people who don't know what gravity is? Does it still affect them?

Yes!

So, does the gospel. Many people know the principles of the Gospel but not the fullness. Nor do they know how it works. That is why I'm here. Even though they don’t know it, it still affects them and I want them to know it so they can be able to live according to the law!

Well, I love you very much.

New Years Eve was wonderful. We did have a break. There are a lot of drunks out here so, we met as a district and ate and stayed quiet.

I love this opportunity to serve and grow! I love my companion and this area as I have all of the ones previous...well, two. I am thankful for the truth of the gospel, and it is amazing that I can be here in Ukraine helping others to see the light of the gospel. I know I can be better because we all have the potential to be like God, and I still have lessons to learn yet.

Sister Gay is wonderful! We have a lot to do here, but we know we will see baptisms this transfer! We still have a small amount of investigators but this week we plan on giving out one new baptismal date and renewing another!

I feel really united as a district as we are all striving to build the branch. It's amazing to see the members as they learn and grow. Sister Gay and I realized how amazing it was: the gospel is so new to them, but they are learning it and living it and loving it!

I feel confident in the work. It is amazing that we can serve our Heavenly Father and I know that He helps us. We had our missionary zone conference this last week. It really gave me confidence in the power of our mission and the amazing missionaries we have serving here.

I tend to be a little hard on myself. Do you have any advice on avoiding self-frustration and being happy despite personal weaknesses?

Well, that's about it! I am happy! I love this mission and especially this church and that I know it is true!

I hope this week I can show my gratitude through diligent work!

Love,

Sister M.