Fwd: Letter #47 - 2/24/14

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 24, 2014 at 2:23 AM
Subject: Letter #47 - 2/24/14
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>

Hey everybody!

Interesting week here in Kiev... I'm guessing you've read and seen the (probably) dramatized news reports, but don't worry about me -- I'm totally safe, and the mission has been taking wonderful care of us and will continue to keep us safe. The only effect the recent events have had on us is that we stayed home from Tuesday night until Friday night (and if that doesn't make you stir crazy, I don't know what will...) Oh, and to make things even worse, we lost our phone on Monday and have been hanging onto a temporary phone until we restore our SIM card. Crazy week... But things are pretty much back to normal now, and I hope the situation will continue to get better here in Ukraine.

In other news, we've had a great week with our investigators. We started reading the Book of Mormon together with Nelya so that she can understand it and develop a desire to read on her own, and it's been really helpful for her and spiritual for all of us. We didn't get a chance to meet with Elina and Viktor, and we really wanted to get them to church, but we couldn't get a hold of them Saturday or Sunday morning. We were pretty sad about that, so imagine our surprise when we ended sacrament meeting and found Viktor standing in the hallway with their little baby Emmik, and Elina was nearby with the Bishop's wife putting their other three children in nursery and Primary!

This is how amazing this family is: yesterday was Elina's birthday, and when Viktor asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted to go to church together as a family. So they took a 30 minute trip with their 4 kids on 2 trolleybuses and made it to church. It was truly an answered prayer because we have prayed so long and sincerely that God would bless them with a desire and opportunity to attend church, and He absolutely blessed them with that. They stayed all three hours, and at the end of Relief Society, Elina bore her testimony (without knowing that that's what she was doing) about how the gospel has started to change her life and family.

She said that after Viktor had been out of work for a month, and their tiny apartment was so freezing that all of their kids were getting sick, she called humanitarian organizations, one after another, to try to find some kind of help. Everyone turned her down until one lady said, "Call the Mormons; they'll help you." She looked on the internet for the number and eventually found our mission office, talked to the AP, and accepted his offer to send Elders to her house (and then soon after, the Elders gave them to us). Ever since then, she has gotten an incredible amount of both spiritual help (from us missionaries and the members that we've invited on our lessons) and temporal help (Bishop bought her a heater, and other members have given her a very liberal supply of food and clothing for her children). She cried as she was telling all this, and at one point she said, "I called your church because I needed financial help, and then I found out that what I really needed was the gospel." The Spirit was so strong when she was speaking. This whole family is incredible, and I love being part of their spiritual transformation. :)

Alright, short spiritual thought before I head out... I read a great quote from CS Lewis this week that really got me thinking. He talked about what the Lord requires of us and described it like this: "Give me all. I don't want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work; I want You. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man but to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather, I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me, and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will shall become your will. My heart shall become your heart."

I loved that quote and even wrote it on the front of my planner so that I could remember it and think about it often. The thing is, there is a constant war going on between the saint within us and our natural man; every moment is a battle between what we want to do and what the Lord would want us to do. And we need to be constantly aware of those moments so we can choose the right and give our will to the Lord (since our will is really the only thing we can give Him).

I know I still have a long way to go with this, but I can also testify about the transformation that has already happened in me from fighting and winning these battles. Not only do I feel closer to God because of it, but I feel like I'm more like God. I think this is what Moroni had in mind when he exhorted everyone, "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God" (Moroni 10:32). I know that the more we obey God's will instead of our own, the more He will bless us with His Spirit, love, and power.

Have a great, joyful, safe week, and I'll try to do the same!

With much love,

Sister Montgomery

PS -- If you don't know already, it's Mom's birthday today, so wish her a happy birthday! (We'll see if she doesn't delete this part before sending the letter out...) :P

Fwd:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ukraine Kyiv Mission <2012235@ldschurch.org>
Date: Thu, Feb 20, 2014 at 6:57 AM
Subject:
To:

Dear Parents,

 

President Klebingat wanted me to let you know that your sons and daughters continue to be told to stay inside.  They are writing historical journals and having great study time.  The situation in our mission is being closely monitored and we will continue to try to keep you informed.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sister Talley

Ukraine Kyiv Mission

Mission Secretary

vul. Yabluneva 1

s. Sofiivska Borshahivka

Kyevo-Svyatoshinskiy rayon

Kyivska oblast 08131

(044) 371-4080

 

 

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Fwd: Ukraine Kyiv Mission

For the first time in her life, Liz is "grounded".  At least she is safe.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ukraine Kyiv Mission <2012235@ldschurch.org>
Date: Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 6:06 AM
Subject: Ukraine Kyiv Mission
To:

Dear parents and family of Ukraine Kiev missionaries,

 

As you are undoubtedly aware, protests and violence have reached dramatic levels in downtown Kiev and, to a lesser degree, in other major cities across Ukraine. In consultation with the Area Presidency and Church security I have instructed all missionaries to stay inside their apartments today to assure their safety . All meetings and associated travel arrangements by missionaries have been cancelled. Please be aware that for the time being the center of violence is still localized in downtown Kiev with the other areas of the city remaining very calm.

Missionaries have been instructed to maintain a sufficient supply of food in their apartments and may be instructed to remain inside as long as required. You may rest assured that everything is being done to keep your missionary safe. I am in frequent contact with Church security and the US embassy as well as local leaders to monitor developments across our mission.

 

If the situation normalizes in the next few days you may expect to get an Email from your missionary on Monday, otherwise I will again send you a message with an update.  

 

Best wishes,

 

President Klebingat

Ukraine Kiev Mission

 

 

Sister Talley

Ukraine Kyiv Mission

Mission Secretary

vul. Yabluneva 1

s. Sofiivska Borshahivka

Kyevo-Svyatoshinskiy rayon

Kyivska oblast 08131

(044) 371-4080

 

 

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Fwd: Letter #46 - 2/17/14

As you read this letter, let me remind you that Liz did an impromptu jam session with John Schmidt in front of 3 thousand people and thoroughly enjoyed it!  Read on and enjoy.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Subject: Letter #46 - 2/17/14
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>

Dear family,

Today I'll start off with a funny story. Yesterday Sister Batalova and I went to go visit a woman in our ward that's in the hospital right now. (That's not the funny part... wait for it...) Well, we brought the guitar and sang some hymns for her and had a grand old time, and then we set off for our next appointment with some other members who lived about a 30-minute trolleybus ride away from the hospital. When we got onto the trolleybus, I started talking to the bus-ticket-seller person, a woman named Olya that I met about six months ago, and she noticed the guitar and asked if I played. Sister Batalova answered for me and said, "Yes, she plays! And she's super good! Play us a song, Sister Montgomery, come on!" The trolleybus was super crowded, and I knew that it would be super awkward to just randomly get out the guitar and start playing, and I didn't even know what I'd play... but somehow, with a lot of convincing, I suddenly found myself with a guitar on my lap and all eyes on me. And I played... some English songs, some Russian, some hymns, some non-hymns, and also "Шаг за Шагом" that I wrote y'all in "Letter #23 - 9/9/13."

I felt super awkward and thought that others felt awkward too, but when I tried to stop, Sister Batalova asked the crowd, "Do you want her to keep playing?" and a bunch of smiling faces nodded yes. Apparently they were bopping their heads and tapping their feet to the rhythms, and people were smiling and being super nice to each other. When it was finally our bus stop, all I could say was, "Our church is on Draizera 36, stop by sometime!" It was one of the most uncomfortable things that I've ever done, and afterwards I jokingly told Sister Batalova, "I don't know how I can both love you and hate you so much at the exact same time." But I can tell you this... we brought the Spirit to an entire trolleybus full of people and left them all happier than when they first walked on, and that was worth all the discomfort that I felt. I seriously think I'm going to remember that experience for the rest of my life... there's nothing quite like awkwardly playing random hymns on a crowded trolleybus in the middle of Ukraine. :)

I don't have a whole lot of time today (I should just stop announcing that since it should be assumed by now...), but for what it's worth, it was a pretty good week for me. We've still been keeping busy and happy, and we're working hard so that Sister Batalova gets to know the ward before I take off in a month. Our investigator Alina and her four kids came to a church activity on Saturday; that was pretty neat. Vlad pushed back his baptismal date but is still doing well with his commitments. We've got a neat FHE scheduled for Nela tonight. So... lots to keep us busy. :)

As for a spiritual thought... I heard a quote once that pride is concerned with who is right, whereas humility is about what is right. Keep that in mind when you find that others do things differently than you, and be willing to change if you find that "their" way is closer to the Lord's way than yours. Also, I've had a very spiritual week when it comes to repentance and forgiveness, and I want to testify of the reality of the peace that comes from applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is such a sweet feeling to receive forgiveness after sincere repentance, and also to offer others your forgiveness if they've wronged you. I encourage you to study and apply repentance and forgiveness in this coming week and beyond -- it will change your life, and it'll change you!

Love,

Sister Montgomery

Fwd: Letter #45 - 2/10/14

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 7:58 AM
Subject: Letter #45 - 2/10/14
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>

Happy transfers! I'm still living it up in Voskresensky, but Sister Batalova joined me on Thursday while Sister Hunsaker headed down to Odessa. Sister Batalova is from Russia and is a very diligent and kind Sister, and I've thoroughly enjoyed our four days together thus far. I just wrote President that the only downside to serving with a native is that it's hard to transition my brain to English when I write in my journal at night. :) As you can probably guess, I'm loving it.

We also have a lot of work to do with our investigators Vlad (28-year-old young man who has a baptismal date for Feb.22), Nela (tracted into her, she met with missionaries five years ago and invited us right in, also came to church yesterday), and our family Alina and Viktor (meeting with them tonight). We're also still keeping up with Alisa (had an amazing FHE with her and the Klebingats last week, and the bishop and his family taught her Plan of Salvation last night), and seeing as Sister Batalova is new, we've been going from member to member so that she can get to know them. Let me tell you -- a working missionary is a happy missionary! And not just working, but serving, studying, teaching, testifying, inviting others to come unto Christ... what a great life. :)

Spiritually, I've been feasting on my studies and loving it; there's a big emphasis in the mission right now on gospel scholarship, and I've been really striving to have what I call "mad dash" studies. Not in the sense of quantity (stuffing information inside my brain) but in quality (receiving revelation and increased understanding about gospel topics). The Holy Ghost has really been guiding me as I've studied the scriptures; it's like He can take anything I'm reading and somehow connect it with what I need in that day, even when such a connection is completely invisible at first glance. It's really improved my missionary work and general mood every day, and I know the same will be true for you and your life as you "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3).

I don't have too much more to say, though I will share an example I came up with when it comes to sharing the gospel. The scenario is this: I'm with a friend and start pouring myself a glass of juice. As I'm drinking and enjoying it, my friend asks me what it is I'm drinking.

Response #1: "I'm glad you asked! Here, let me tell you... It's called Welch's Grape Juice, and it contains Filtered Water, Grape Juice Concentrate, Calcium Gluconate, Calcium Lactate, Ascorbic Acid  (Vitamin C), and Grape Seed Extract. Would you like to try some?"

Response #2: "I'm so glad you asked; in fact, I've been wanting to tell you for weeks! It's called Welch's Grape Juice, and I first tried it about six months ago when I was at a friend's house. I immediately fell in love with it! It's sweet, but not too sweet, you know? And it's pretty healthy too. Also, whenever I have a bad day, or I come home from work super exhausted, I can hardly wait to pour myself a glass of this stuff and just drink my worries away. It's so good. Would you like to try some?"

Which sounds more enticing to you? Which juice would you be more likely to try? Clearly, the second one; however, too often when telling people about the church, we give them only information (#1) when really it's testimony (#2) that interests them in the gospel. Information isn't a bad thing, but if that's all you give people, the results will be slim. Add testimony and you add the Holy Ghost. Think of this pattern: tell, testify, invite (or information, testimony, invitation). It's actually harder to give testimony than information because you're offering a part of yourself, and that vulnerability isn't all that comfortable at first, but in the long run, it will bring the converting power of the Spirit more than anything else you can do. And don't forget the invitation; telling and testifying without inviting is like savoring the delicious juice without offering to pour them a glass.

As an example, it's the difference between reciting the entire history of the Book of Mormon, including Bible verses from Ezekiel and John, and simply telling somebody, "I love the Book of Mormon. I feel so close to Heavenly Father when I read it, and I have found so many answers to my deepest questions from reading it. Also, I've prayed and asked God if it's really His word, if the information contained in it is really true, and I felt from the Holy Ghost that it really is true. I felt peace and joy, and whenever I read from this book, I just feel good, you know? That's why I wanted to give you this. I know you're skeptical, and if I were in your shoes, I'd probably be skeptical too, but please, just try it. Taste the goodness that I've tasted." Even in typed words, I'm sure you can feel the Spirit from that. (Also, you don't need to know all the "ingredients" to bear a simple and powerful testimony!) So, I invite you (see that -- invitation) to try this in your own missionary work. And if you have a "Preach My Gospel," go read the Brigham Young quote on page 199 to back up my words. :)

Alright, I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Montgomery

Fwd: Letter #44 - 2/3/14

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Montgomery <elizabeth.montgomery@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 7:59 AM
Subject: Letter #44 - 2/3/14
To: Christine Montgomery <chrismont9@gmail.com>

Hey fam! Well, what's new around here? It's been RIDICULOUSLY cold this past week (apparently even the Ukrainians thought it was cold... which means it was cold for real). I honestly think that if you do an autopsy of an average American and an average Ukrainian/Russian, you will find that a Ukrainian's skin is at least twice as thick (or twice as strong some other way). Seriously, I don't know how they handle it. I was in Chernigov on exchanges when I heard it was -33 degrees Celsius (-27 Farenheit). If I'm talking with someone outside, I manage to get by without even realizing I'm cold, but as soon as the conversation ends, I become painfully aware that I can't feel my limbs... But no worries, the cold snap is over and it'll be "warm" again this week.

Work has been slow this past week. We don't really have investigators right now (just a bunch of potentials), but we've had some great member lessons. It's Sister Hunsaker's last few days, so we're going around visiting her "favorites" before she heads out. (Good thing I've got six weeks to say all my goodbyes!) We also gave a lesson in Relief Society yesterday about charity (including some of my thoughts in last week's letter) that went super well.

Oh, I forgot! We met the coolest family ever! And since the Elders are leaving on Wednesday, they passed them to us (me). :) The mom and dad are Viktor and Alina, and they've got four kids, ages 6, 4, 2, and 6 months, who are SO cute. Viktor has been reading the Bible for like 20 years and has been searching for truth, but he hasn't found a church yet that matches what he knows from the Bible. We (the Elders and us) had SUCH a great lesson with them... they are seriously amazing. And get this -- their apartment has only a tiny kitchen, a tiny bathroom, a tiny hallway, and one room that's probably 10 ft x 20 ft. And yet they are so happy and grateful, it's incredible. The bishop already bought them a heater and we'll continue to serve and teach them. God truly is preparing the hearts of people to receive the fullness of the gospel, and I'm so looking forward to offering Viktor and his family the truth that they've been searching for.

I've got like five minutes for a spiritual thought before going to FHE with the Klebingats and Alisa (something else I'm looking forward to). Umm... nothing is coming to me, so I'm going to cheat and copy and paste something I once wrote a friend of mine who sent it back to me this week: "I guess the thing I’m still learning and putting into practice is the eternal truth that God’s way really is the best way, and to try to do otherwise is just kicking against the pricks and hurting myself. The things the Holy Ghost is telling me—sins to cast off, characteristics to develop, and so on—are really hard for me, and obeying those promptings really kind of scares me. But deep down I know that 100% consecration to my God will result in 100% joy and fulfillment in my life." Yep... couldn't have said it better myself.

K, love you all! Have a great week, and keep giving yourself to the Lord!

Love,

Sister Montgomery

Letter #43 - 1/27/14

Dear family,

 

Well, as you probably know, this weekend I had the honor of witnessing the baptism and confirmation of my dear Alisa. After eight months of placing cornerstones in the foundation of Zion, I was finally allowed by God to see a construction through to the capstone. He allowed me to witness and take part in a spiritual transformation of one of His beloved children -- one who He has been nearby all her life, who has been being prepared for the fulness of the gospel for years and years, and who has now officially joined His kingdom. At the end of the baptismal service, when Alisa and Alexander (a man who also got baptized) bore their testimonies, Alisa said, "Dear brothers and sisters. I want to repeat that, 'dear brothers and sisters,' because I really mean it. I feel like I have finally come home. In my life I've been in a lot of beautiful homes with a lot of wonderful people, but there's only one place where I have truly felt at home, and it is this church." It IS home -- an echo of the heavenly home we left to come here, and a foretaste of the eternal home where we will return after this life.

 

It was interesting to me that the actual baptism and confirmation were less extraordinary than I imagined them being. Yes, the Spirit was incredibly strong, but not much stronger than the myriad of lessons I've been on with Alisa as she has strengthened her faith in Christ and brought her life more and more in harmony with God's will. Baptism and confirmation are two absolutely vital ordinances, but they're only part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I've taught my investigators, the steps to salvation are faith in Christ (#1), repentance (#2), baptism (#3), receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (#4), and enduring to the end (#5 - infinity; continuous repetition of the first four steps, sacrament substituted for step #3 and living worthy of and following the Holy Ghost subsituted for step #4). In any case, I'm so grateful to have been (and will continue to be) part of each one of those important steps in Alisa's life.

 

Speaking of enduring to the end, we got transfer information a little early, and guess where I'm going?... NOWHERE! One more transfer in Voskresensky and then I'm out of here (words from President). When he told me (I actually snuck it out of him last week after our leadership council), I could hardly believe it. And to make it more ironic, all five of the other missionaries in my district are leaving for other areas. I had a dream the other night that I was looking in the Russian dictionary for the word "dinosaur," because that's pretty much what I am around here. I hope y'all know that my lamenting is purely comical -- I'm glad to be staying, and plus I'm super excited because I'll have a native companion, Sister Batalova, from Russia (and I'm staying Sister Training Leader... yay!).

 

It's nice knowing that this next transfer will be my last, because I'm going to milk this area dry. Back in August, the first time I thought I would leave Voskresensky (clearly before I knew better), I wrote in my journal something like, "How can I leave this area? I've given my whole heart to this place, and I may soon be leaving it!" If that was August, then I have since also donated approximately both lungs, my right kidney, my liver, and my left kankle to the cause of Voskresensky, and soon will come the other kankle. I don't know what the mission will hold for me at the end of March, but until then... may Voskresensky live on. :)

 

Spiritual thought, spiritual thought... I've been thinking a lot about the mercy of God and how it's available to literally everyone. Some of my favorite passages in the Book of Mormon are 3 Nephi 18:22-25, 32 and 2 Nephi 26:24-28 because of how clear it is that the gospel is for everyone. I love the symbolism that Christ's first miracle was turning water into wine because that's what the gospel is all about: change. If he could literally change the chemical structure of a liquid physically, then surely He has the power to change the spiritual nature of anyone who comes unto him. We should never judge who would or would not accept the gospel if given the chance: our blessing and responsibility is to offer it to everyone, come what may. It's made me think of a little mission motto: let it be THEIR choice, not MINE. If anyone around me doesn't accept the gospel, it will never be because I deemed them unworthy of it; it will be because I offered it and they rejected it (for the time being). So, friends and family, as you're striving to share the gospel with those around you, resist the natural man's urge to judge whether or not someone will accept what you have to offer -- only God knows the hearts of those around you, and I think you'll be surprised where you find the elect.

 

I love you!

 

You know where to find me... ;)

Sister Montgomery