(Comment from the editor: I think the snow mound they are sitting in front of and on is a snow sculpture of the Ukraine temple. Pretty sweet huh!)

Hello,

Well, I'm learning so much every day, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve. We have a lot of work to do, but it's wonderful work. I love it because it's true. We have two wonderful investigators who are praying to know about baptism. We've asked them multiple times and now we are waiting for them to realize that this is what Heavenly Father wants them to do. I am thankful for this experience. I know that it is through small things that great things can come to pass, or why else would I be here. I am thankful for what I have and who I am. I am thankful for the gospel and that I know it's true. We have been trying really hard to work with our recent converts. They are struggling, and it's hard but we are not giving up. As I was studying about the temple this week, I learned a lot about how important we are to Christ. He suffered for us individually. I thought about the temple and how we do work for individuals and record it. Prophets have said through this act of service we can become saviors on Mount Zion. Well, I thought about that and if that is what makes a Savior then maybe Christ also sacraficed specifically for me. It really helped me to be thankful for that!

Sister Gay and I are trying to make the most out of every day that we have. I am thankful to serve with her. She has a great desire to serve and she is an amazing teacher. I'm learning so much!

Well, this week our branch will double the amount of endowed members! That's wonderful and we know it will greatly bless our branch! We are excited!

Thanks for everything!

Have a great week,

Sister Murphy

February 17

Hello,

Well, I hope I didn't ruin your monday by not writing. We just had an extremely busy week. But I love you! I appreciate your constant love and your letters! Make sure you get Betty and Gary's new address please. Those two are wonderful angels! Way to work hard through the winter! Don't worry, I'm experiencing the same frustration in regards to winter here too. Every day I wake up and I hope it will be warmer. Sometimes it is, and it's glorious. I rejoice, and I dream about the day I can stop wearing boots and my winter coat. But then I spend the next day outside, all day, like missionaries who are trying to find people to teach, and it's freezing! So, I know I need to be patient. At least it isn't in the negative degrees anymore! That's a blessing. We are just hanging in below freezing and when the wind picks up...it's cold! But, it's beautiful and white and pure! Just what we are trying to help the lives of the people here turn into! It's time to repent and now!

Not to just cover up with a layer of snow, but really cleanse our selves through repentance and baptism! How nice of your children! Joyce is also an angel.

So, we don't have a stake. We are just a collection of branches in the mission. There is only one stake in our mission and that makes up only the Kyiv branches and wards.

I think the package arrived! I'll just have to get it the next time I go to Kyiv, maybe in 3 weeks. Hooray!

I love you both, I don't have much time.

We had our zone conference on monday in Lviv. It was a nice train ride at 1 am Monday morning and a beautiful conference where we talked about the Book of Mormon. I know that it is true. We also talked about how much we are expected to do this year to prepare for the temple. Can you believe how lucky I am. I am one of the selected few who can serve in this amazing mission to dedicate a temple of the Lord. I am so lucky. I will be here, there is no doubt now. We are suspecting August or September. What a great blessing!

Then after that we had another LONG train ride to Kyiv where all the sisters in our mission gathered for a Sister's conference. It was so wonderful. We have great sisters. I've served with many of them who are going home and I love them so much. We had TACOs to eat too. I LOVE MEXICAN food! Then we went to an opera. It was just a grand adventure! It was fabulous. It's my second, but the first for all 3 acts. Pres. came with us...we had permission! We watched Romeo and Juliet...beautiful! The orchestra had two magnificent clarinet players and it just made me so incredibly happy. Then we caught a train back to Xmelnetsky, and we got in at 5 this morning.

I love my companion. I love my mission. I love my leaders. I love my grandparents. I love my family. I love the Book of Mormon. I love this church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. It is the only true church on the earth. I am hearing wonderful things about my previous investigators. I'm so excited for the work here. We have so much to do which means I need to get better! I'm excited to improve!

I love you!

Have a great day!

Even if it's not a mOnday!

Love,

Sister Murphy

February 8

Hello,

I have a head ache! So, I think I've lost weight on my mission. But, that's because we walk everywhere and I eat really slow. However, today I already ate 2 chocolate bars. I'm stressed. But, I did communicate better with sister gay! I do love her.

Oh, thanks Will for your great advice. Today I had a great plop on the ice. We were helping one of our members at the hospital today...and oh...I just flew! It was great! Sometimes it can be so frustrating. Working with people who have testimonies but don't apply it. I can get really tired. But, then I remember Christ. He is so patient and so full of love.

This past transfer (which just ended yesterday) we visited Ukrainian hospitals....very interesting.
Ukraine finished their presidential election. From what I here, nobody is really happy with it, so I don't understand how it happened. A month ago they had 16 canidates. Yesterday they had 2. It was (according to our neigbor) a 2% victory. Ulia lost. She is the beautiful lady. I have no idea what either of them stand for. But, there is a temple here and that only means good things for the country, regardless of who is in charge. Satan will have less power here in approximately 7 months. We are going to prepare for that great blessing.

I am so thankful for all of the blessings I have received: the gospel first and foremost and my family who taught it to me, the great country I was born in and for the freedoms and blessings we can enjoy there.

There is this great spot between here and our apartment that we walk by often. It's on a hill and it's pure ice (well...it's pretty much one big glacier all over the city...maybe even the whole country) and the kids have made a nice "rut" for slidding. Everytime we walk by I ask my companion to slide down it with me, but she thinks it will be too inappropriate. She does know best. We ate a nice restuarant last week. I hoped to see the mafia.

Oh, we also found a fantastic family. They will progress slow. They are Protestant. They are fantastic! We are praying that they will open their hearts. Other wise we are teaching many exciting english lessons and through them - finding some great girls who are excited about learning why we are here. Our goal is to meet their families this week.

I saw the advertisment for the princess movie and was really excited. Disney has a black-American princess! I'm happy!

Well, I have 5 minutes more. What can I say.

I wasn't sure what I was going to type today. Missionary work is hard. I hope you know I love you.


Haha! You are cute. But, seriously...don't worry about it. No, I didn't receive any letters, but 2 from dear elder. That's fine. It would have taken to long to read, and I have a lot of work here to do. There is so much that needs to be done here. The church is so young. The members are so new. But, they are pioneers. Great strong and dedicated. I love them. I hope I can figure out how to share it with them!

did you know that the word for belly button is a poopa!
In Russian the word for courage is like smully. So a couragoues belly button is quite a fun saying to say!


If you weren't already married, I'd tell the elders coming home next transfer with my companion to look you up!

But, alas...

I shall not continue on further as I am highly suspicious that your husband inspects all our correspondence and I don't want his hate to magnify to his own destruction. I am a servant of the Lord no matter how unrighteous I am.

Will I do think you are great!


Love,

Sister Murphy

February 1

Hello my pumpkin!

Is that a nice word? One English student wanted to know what we can call our friends and loved ones. We created a list. I think some of them were just a little strange, but then again, I'm strange. I remembered when Sarah and Amanda and I nicknamed eachother - poptart, breakfast burrito, and toaster strudel...some crazy things like that.

Well, it's been a tough week. I'm thankful for the days where I feel great and when I can enjoy the rejection and when I can enjoy who I am...even despite my weaknesses and my craziness. It gets better when I can e-mail you!

You are wonderful. I love you. I want to be perfect, but I studied patience this morning. We need to be patient with ourselves and just know that we are going to get there someday.

Missionary Work is SO HARD. I'm learning that. But, I can already say that I love my mission and it has changed my life. Just like any experience if we let the Lord lead...

I have been thinking about you a lot. The purpose of our lives are families. You know that you are living what the whole purpose of a mission is - to find families and bring them to Christ. You are living what I am teaching. Missionary work is only the beginning. We focus on getting them to the first step. Then, they can begin their journeys with their families. Families are so important and look at you! You have a husband! (goofy but I don't know if any other boy would do)

We did a lot of tracting (door-to-door visiting). (Yesterday was fun. I suggested a competetion against our zone leaders. They killed us, so we made them a cake.)

I don't have any idea who has written, BUT it's transfer week, and we get mail!!! Yay! We shall see!

Oh, I get to "kill" my companion. We are both staying here for her last and my next transfer. (When you "kill" your companion, you are their last companion they have before they go home.) It's so depressing. All my companions are going home next transfer. 12 of the best missionaries in this mission. We'll take a hit for sure.

Well, I love you.

Trust in the Lord! Love Him and know that He loves you. You deserve it because you are His daughter. We are so much a like it kills me.
I love you!

You are so absolutely the best women I know...

I tell everyone that, and I don't like to compare us. But, I know that you are 2x the girl I am...seriously...I tell my companions...all the time. "Well, if you like me, you'll love my sister b/c you would have - all the time - rainbows and butterflies in your relationships." (editor's note: yeah right :P)

Sorry, I don't make any sense. We are late for lunch and we don't want to make the mafia mad. :)
and sorry about all of the ellipsies...


Love you!

Sister Murphy

February 1: Thompsons

Hey, guess what!

I get my mail this week! So, this will be the week I'll know if I got your package! I'm excited and I hope that it's not too heavy or that our zone leaders are extremely impatient - since they will be the two who will retrieve it from the office and bring it to the long journey out west of Kiev. Well, I know you two are prepared for the weather and I hope you have a safe relaxing week. Stay warm. We actually had a warm week, but it's been way cold (I think it was -20 last week) but it felt like summer at 32 yesterday! (I'm still layering...lots of layers!) It is getting dark around 5.

Hey, I spoke in Church last week...what a coincidence. Well, have a nice break until April! Good work on sharing the gospel. I'm so proud of you. It would be great if they accept! But, don't get discouraged if they don't. So, don't start counting down. I don't think I can handle it. I know you are looking forward to it, and I am looking forward to seeing you. But I don't want to leave my mission. We had a very emotional farewell yesterday. One elder is leaving the area and will be home in 6 weeks. My companion has 6 weeks left.

I am excited for this transfer. The only sad thing is that it is so short. Our goal is to find a family to be baptized and we are going to find them this week, just so you know - and won't be surprised when we do. I am excited to serve with Sister Gay. We both love this city and our little branch. We are seeing many great things happening with our recent converts here and we are trying to help the less actives feel that amazing spirit that converted them. Our Branch President is amazing and there are many other wonderful examples of faith in this little branch. I love them all!

This week was great. We have found many people who are excited to learn about why we are here - and they all have families. Our challenge to them this week was to share it with their families. I am learning so much from Sister Gay and I am so grateful for her example.

Well, I love you!

I love the work.

We all have so much we can do to help our Father in Heaven. We have been given so much! Thank you for your blessing of the church. Thank you for teaching me. I am so grateful. Why were you looking? What made you desire to change?

I am so thankful you did!

You are the best. Look at the fruits of your choices!

I know this church is true. I know that God loves us!

Love,

Sister Murphy