Hallelujah!

When I was a senior in high school, three friends and I drove into downtown L.A. to attend a Christmas concert - Handel’s Messiah performed by the Southern California Mormon Choir and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. As we stood for the Hallelujah Chorus, the Spirit bore powerful testimony to me of the divinity of our Lord and the tears streamed down my face.    Since that evening, each time I hear that stirring chorus my heart feels that it will burst with joy and gratitude for the life and love of our Savior.

Of course, I am a normal person in that I love, love, love the Christmas season.  It seems as if people are friendlier and more thoughtful as they prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.  I have really enjoyed the “Light of the World” initiative done by the LDS Church.  This was presented to the missionaries at the Thanksgiving Day zone conference we attended.  He really IS the light of the world and as we emulate Him, we become that light on the hill.  Our light becomes a reflection of Him.  The world is better and so are we.

For us, Christmas this year was devoid of shopping and gifts.  We decided instead to spend the money we would have normally spent on gifts for our family on a dinner for Ukrainian Latter-day Saints who first made a pilgrimage to the temple, traveling by old, rickety buses from Kyiv to Freiberg, Germany in the years of 1992-3.  We invited 68 persons, of whom about 60 were able to attend.  Elder Jeff and Sister Kathy Anderson (on a two year hiatus from the Orchestra at Temple Square to serve a mission as mission doctor and his best assistant for several missions in our part of the world) blessed us with beautiful violin music accompanied by another great senior talent - Elder Don Wood.  As we projected pictures of the first 3 temple excursions, people shared their memories of the trips.  The Spirit was very strong as our guests recounted the miracles that allowed them to travel to make covenants with God.  These wonderful people made great sacrifices to receive their temple blessings.  One example recounted was a sister (since deceased) who rented out her apartment (becoming homeless) for an entire year so that she could have the money to make the trip to Germany. 

The best part of our evening was the excited expressions of agreement when Howard asked our guests to go with us on another temple trip – this time to the Kyiv Temple.  It was a thrill to us to see such a positive response especially from those who have been less active in recent years. We have set a date far enough in advance that all can have recommends ready.  We’ve worked with our new temple president, President Gerold Roth, to schedule a special baptismal session, endowment sessions and sealing sessions for our group.  Each “traveler” to the upcoming temple trip is to bring with him/her the name and story of at least one late family member for whom ordinances will be performed. In the meantime, we will be planning family history classes and temple preparation classes to be ready.  We hope all of those who were baptized during Howard’s tenure as mission president (1991-1994) will participate in some way.  We believe that the reason that the Lord has so far preserved Ukraine as an independent nation is the temple.  We also believe that as temple attendance increases, the protection afforded by those on the other side desiring their temple blessings will also increase.  We expect these pioneers who began the tradition of temple worship in Ukraine to inspire an upsurge in temple activity among all of the members here.

The dinner we hosted took place on December 19^th, the Ukrainian “St. Nicholas Day.”  I love it that Ukrainians separate Christmas itself from St. Nicholas gift giving.  For me, that would mean a more Christ-focused Christmas.  However, I have yet to see what actually happens on Christmas, as the official day for that is January 7^th.  At least January 7^th is the Orthodox Church’s Christmas (that is most of the population).  Catholics and Protestants celebrate on December 25^th, which is to say there are two Christmas days here and some celebrate them both!  Additionally, New Years’ Day is a big celebration too.  During Communist years, celebration of Christian holidays was frowned upon and New Years’ Day was made into a big holiday, complete with Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), who has a long white beard, wears a floor length blue fur coat and gives gifts.  The change in regimes, did not negate the celebration of the new year.  Ukrainians brighten the dreary winter months by celebrating everything! 

Although we didn’t personally spend all month shopping, baking and decorating, it seems as if we’ve celebrated the Savior’s birth all month.  It started with a family home evening shared with the senior missionaries serving here wherein we enjoyed a Christmas program and good food.  We then enjoyed the First Presidency’s Christmas Fireside, which we saw twice (how wonderful is that!?).  We then were completely blown away by the Sacrament Meeting program presented by our ward Primary children – all ten of them.  We were amazed at how well they spoke and by how well they sang.  The entire room was filled with their clear voices.  If one’s eyes were closed, one would have thought there were 30-40 children singing.  I couldn’t resist going into the Primary room to congratulate them afterwards, I was so impressed.  There they were, eating well-deserved treats.  We have listened to Handel’s Messiah over and over, along with other Christmas music that we have on CDs.  A great highlight of the season was the Stake Christmas concert.  Have I mentioned how musically gifted are our Ukrainian brothers and sisters?  So many of them are unusually talented!  We commented upon how the wonderful program was produced by just one stake.  And then we thought of the concert we attended in the Opera Theater in September to celebrate 25 years of the gospel in Ukraine which was produced by this very one and only stake.  Wow!  And finally, Christmas Day consisted of Sacrament Meeting, dinner with just the two of us and visiting via telephone and Skype my four and Howard’s five children plus my mother.  More is yet to come, as our ward family will be celebrating at an Ukrainian Christmas party on January 5^th. 

As you can see, we have thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas season, in spite of being away from home and without the normal dinners and gifts.  What we have most enjoyed is the focus that we have been able to put upon the true meaning of the holiday, precisely because we have been away from our normal routine.   We have had time to “Be quiet and know that I am God.”  We have felt the love of God expressed through the awe-inspiring gift of His Holy Son.  We love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of our hearts.  We are grateful for His love, strength, support, inspiration, healing and forgiveness.  We are also grateful for how much more that we are because of His power and willingness to enhance the gifts with which He has blessed us.  We are so grateful for the hope that he gives us that we will live again to see those we love so much in this life!   He truly helps us to comprehend the love that our Heavenly Parents have for each of us.
  

Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth! 

These (3 pics) are some of the people who went on the first three temple trips to Freiberg, Germany.

What a great reunion of the first travelers to the temple in the early 1990s! They have changed just a little in 24 years.  We hope we didn't miss anyone! 

Yevgeniy took the pictures of the temple trip gathering, and so he wasn't in any of them! He helped us organize the event.  He is pictured in front of our grand tree.

Slava and Zoya Gulko also helped organize our temple trip event.  Here they are pictured (at a different event) with their delightful daughter, Kyra and her family. Kyra was sealed to her parents on the third temple trip. 

Kyiv Stake Christmas concert.  It was spiritually moving and very beautiful. I have many more pictures but not enough room to post them.

Primary children of the Pechersky Ward.  What great singers!

Do you think visions of sugar plum fairies are dancing in his head?