Be Thou Not Weary in Well-Doing

Okay, I acknowledge that most of you have had unusually cold, snowy winters.  My whining probably won’t move you in sympathy – it will probably only start a “one up-manship” contest.  (For my Ukrainian friends, that means a contest of who can tell the worst story).  But wow, has it been cold here in Kiev (Kyiv)!   It is noon as I write this and it is minus 13 degrees Celsius (8 degrees Fahrenheit) and it will be considerably colder as the day nears its end.  Yesterday was colder.  Now don’t get me wrong, we are not miserable.  We have a wonderful warm apartment.  It is just that getting out and about is very, very difficult.  It is not only the cold.  It is the condition of the streets and sidewalks and steps into buildings. How I miss Utah’s state of the art snow-clearing equipment!  How I miss snow blowers (operated by kind neighbors)!    Some of the streets are semi-cleared by old, rusty ploughs, but not all of them.  Given the depressed economy, that they have any snow-ploughs at all is wonderful!  The snow is pushed up onto the sides of the streets (often onto the sidewalks).  When someone clears a sidewalk, which doesn’t seem to be very often, they push the snow toward the street.  What results is a wall of dirty snow and ice between the buildings and street – walls that are impassible for most, and certainly impassible for Howard, who is not steady on his feet.   Getting up and down snow-covered steps is truly impossible without a strong man on each side.  To top it all off, the temple has been closed for two weeks.  As a result, we feel quite snow-bound and quite frankly, weary.   The weariness has come in feeling like we aren’t accomplishing what we came to do at the pace we desire.

Both Howard and I have done some writing during this period of seeming inactivity (some is included below), and we’ve been active in communicating with people both here and back home via the internet.  These are all things that we don’t need to be in Ukraine to do.  In the meantime, there are things that we could be doing at home that would help members our family who are having difficulties.  We have wondered if perhaps we should go home, take care of things there, including have a hernia surgery needed by Howard, and then come back.  We could continue to do our online ministry from there.   We carefully considered this option, figured how we would accomplish it and then prayed about it.   The answer was to stay in place.  We accepted the Lord’s direction, in spite of the fact that we miss and worry about family.  And then an amazing thing happened.  We were flooded with the Spirit, with inspiration and ideas, with a feeling of happiness and peace.  I’m sure you have noticed that the Lord blesses us so abundantly after a trial of our faith.

I wrote all of the above about three weeks ago.  We have been so very busy ever since, that writing this blog post was put aside.  We have just recently talked with our mission president, our bishop, our stake presidency and with our ward mission leader.  We have a revised and improved plan for going forward and feel energized and anxious to be about the Lord’s work.  The temple has opened again and we had marvelous spiritually uplifting days there.  We often lie in bed and count our blessings to one another and to the Lord.

All of this reminds me of Lehi’s dream of the tree of life.  Remember the mists of darkness?  These are the temptations of the devil. They really do come into every life.  In ours, discouragement is a big tool used by our adversary.  The key is to push through the mists, holding ever tightly to the word of God, sometimes for what seems to be a very long time.  But when we do, the beautiful vision of the tree of life eventually comes fully into view.   It is a beautiful vision of the pure love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It can also be felt in our hearts and brings such joy!

We have been holding small group meetings in our apartment, each consisting of a set of young missionaries and a few members, both those who we see each week in our Sunday meetings, and also others who have lost their way in the mists of darkness.  We invite a different group each time.  During these meetings, those attending are encouraged to share their “dukhovny raskaz” or spiritual journey.  In other words, we share with one another our conversion stories.  We always feel the Holy Spirit in great abundance during these times.  We have seen reconversions come from this spiritual sharing.  What joy we feel during these and when we see the results!

Another thing that we have sought to do during our ministry here is to rekindle and increase the Spirit of Elijah.  I wrote in a previous post of our Christmas dinner in December where we invited all of the latter-day saints who traveled on the first three temple trips to Germany in 1992-1993. We have established a facebook group of these dear friends and post messages in the group, as well as send messages to them via email.  We have also expanded our reach to other latter-day saints here, encouraging an increase in temple worship and family history research.  We have discussed our desires with the stake presidency which has authorized us to give firesides in each ward and branch on these subjects.  Since then, the stake has invited a specialist in Slavic family history to give a fireside, the visiting high council members have given talks on the subject and one ward (whose bishop is among the group who attended our dinner) has held a special temple day.  A short time ago, there were days when there were more ordinance workers at the temple than patrons.  However, we have recently seen a real increase in temple attendance and enthusiasm concerning the work of salvation. For example, just last Saturday, every session at the temple was full.  Many people, besides us, are now being moved by the Spirit of Elijah. 

In essence, we are beginning to realize that we are making a difference.  We can already see the blessings that are resulting in the lives of these choice people whom we love so very much.   Yes, it is easy to become weary (maybe that’s why the Lord addressed it, do you think?).  We, too, have experienced it, but we can testify that as we press forward with faith in Christ, we will come to feel the love and approval of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  This is especially true as we seek to serve His children, but it is also true in our individual lives as we are faithful to the covenants we have made, in spite of set-backs and discouragement.  Let us not be weary in well doing.  We are promised that if we press forward in faith, we will receive eternal life.

I now attach messages that Howard and I have written to members here to encourage temple and family history service:

“A Voice of Gladness for the Living and the Dead”

By HOWARD L. BIDDULPH

A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead.  A temple is a place where the Lord may come, and in fact is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth.  Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey His word, they have been commanded to build temples in which the ordinances of the gospel and other spiritual manifestations that pertain to eternal life may be administered.  Examples of temple worship are found in The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants. (See Bible Dictionary). 

Those Latter-day Saints who have the “Spirit of Elijah” have “planted in their hearts the promises (of salvation) made to the fathers (their ancestors) and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.” (D.&C. 2:2). Those Latter-day Saints who enjoy the “Spirit of Elijah” not only desire the temple blessings and covenants of eternal life for themselves, but deeply desire these same blessings for their relatives who wait in the Spirit World for their descendants to perform the temple ordinances on the earth that will grant them eternal life together with their families.  This is the meaning of Malachi’s promise that Elijah would be sent in the latter days to “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi: 4:5-6). These keys were given to the Prophet Joseph Smith by the Prophet Elijah on April 3, 1836 in the Kirtland Ohio Temple. (D&C 110:13-16).  The Prophet Joseph referred to the Spirit of Elijah as “a voice of gladness for the living and the dead.” (D&C 128:19).

The first three excursions of Latter-day Saints from Kyiv to the temple in Freiberg Germany in 1992-1993, were not only the first from Ukraine to do so, but the first organized LDS groups from Eastern Europe and Eurasia to conduct a “spiritual pilgrimage” to the “House of The Lord.”  Many of you brothers and sisters who were part of that great pilgrimage are honored today in the History of the Church as Pioneers of Temple Service.  We honor you first, for the great sacrifices you made to inaugurate this high and holy work of salvation for the living and for the dead.  Your sacrifices are a great inspiration to us.  Second, your spiritual pilgrimage inspired your fellow Latter-day Saints in Kyiv, in Donetsk, in Kharkov, in Odessa, in Simfiropol, in L’viv, and other places in Ukraine, as well as in Russia, Belarus, and other countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia with the Spirit of Elijah. This spirit has inspired them to unite their families and ancestors in the sacred ordinances of salvation found in the temple.    Your spiritual pilgrimage pioneered temple worship in this entire geographical region as other Latter-day Saints followed your example.

This resulted in the erection of the first Temple of the Lord in Kyiv, as prophesied by an apostle of God Boyd K. Packer in his dedication of Ukraine in 1991.  On August 29, 2010, the Prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson, dedicated the Kyiv Temple to serve the Latter-day Saints of nine countries in Eastern Europe and Eurasia: Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Armenia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.  As Pioneers of Temple Service it is the special responsibility of Kyiv Latter-day Saints to lead the way in sharing with others the Spirit of Elijah, through encouraging members of the Church to hold valid temple recommends, to increase significantly their own family history research of the names of their kindred dead, and to increase their temple attendance to perform ordinances for those who wait in the Spirit World for salvation.

Part of the Spirit of Elijah involves learning about our kindred dead.  Ukrainian Latter-day Saints have a noble heritage.  Your Patriarchal Blessings will identify each of you with one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Ten Tribes of which were led to the “lands to the North” of ancient Israel.  Almost all of these choice Tribes have been identified in the Patriarchal Blessings of Ukrainian Latter-day Saints.  Some of your ancestors founded ancient Kyiv, the political, cultural, religious and economic center of the first Eastern Slavic country of Rus,’ that ruled the territories that would later become Ukraine, Belarus, and European Russia.

Your ancestors faced terrible afflictions and suffering at the hands of the Mongols, the Turks, the Russians, the Austro-Hungarian and Polish Kingdoms, Stalin’s Holodymyr, Hitler’s Babiy Yar and the many millions who perished in the World Wars.  Many of your ancestors have sat in darkness of the Spirit Prison, waiting through centuries for the promised Great Light of the gospel to break forth in their homeland, waiting for you, their beloved descendants, to accept the covenants of eternal life, and then in a wonderful Temple of God in Kyiv to perform the saving ordinances that would liberate them from the Prison House!  Can you imagine how they are rejoicing in you, how they love you?!!

It was wonderful to host you at the special dinner for Temple Pioneers on December 19.  Thank you for coming!  Thank you for accepting our invitation to go together on another Temple Excursion, this time to the Kyiv Temple on Saturday, August 12, 2017.  Remember that you must see your Bishop right away to prepare for a temple recommend, unless you already have a recommend that will still be valid on August 12. If you already have a valid recommend please start increasing your temple attendance now, but plan to be with us on August 12 also.

Second, start praying to decide who among your kindred dead you should do the baptism, endowment, and marriage sealing for on August 12.  Ask Heavenly Father to reveal to you the name of a spiritual ancestor who has prepared himself or herself for the temple ordinances of eternal life.  That person will become very close to you as you both prepare for the temple. 

Third, we will soon announce a special course for you at the Rustaveli Family History Library to help you find ancestors and prepare them for Temple ordinances.  You are asked to learn all you can about their lives and to share brief biographies with us and other temple pioneers.

Finally, each of us as Temple Pioneers should make some special sacrifices of time to increase our temple attendance, and the work of the temple will grow to wonderful proportions.  I promise you that you will be personally blessed, temporally and spiritually for your increased temple service.  Ukraine, as a country, is presently facing critically serious national and international problems.  I believe that Heavenly Father will bless, prosper, and protect this land through the great work we do in the Temple of God for our own salvation and that of our kindred dead.  There will be a great legion of our ancestors from the Unseen World to help us.

“A Beacon of Peace”

By LAUREL C.  BIDDULPH

The temple is a beacon of peace in a troubled world. During the time of one particularly devastating adversity in my own life, the temple was the source of peace, stability and comfort for me.  My world had been rocked completely off its axis.  I wasn’t sure that I could function properly so devastating was what had been thrust upon me.  Work was impossible; sleep elusive.  Bouts of anguished sobbing engulfed me.  My only peace could be found in the temple.  There I felt a loving Father’s arms surround me; there I received revelation; there my heart found solace.   I would emerge strengthened and fortified, ready to face for a few more days a reality drastically altered.  And then, my strength again spent, I needed to return to my Father’s house.  I returned once a week, sometimes more often, until I was healed and whole again  - Stronger -  Wiser -  Ready to forgive -  Ready to serve more compassionately - Remolded more closely in my Savior’s image.  (I am still working on that image).

President Monson said, “As I think of temples, my thoughts turn to the many blessings we receive therein.  As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world.  Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order.  There is rest for our souls and a respite from the cares of our lives. As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart.  We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’  Such peace can permeate any heart – hearts that are troubled, hearts that are burdened down with grief, hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help.”

I testify that the words of our prophet are true, for I have experienced that peace for myself.  I have experienced it every time I enter the sacred doors of the temple.  I have experienced it in times of trouble and in times of great joy.  What I beautiful blessing is the temple in our lives!   The Lord pleads with His children to come to His holy house and meet Him there so that He can bless us with peace.  

"The Times, They Are A-Changin..."

I liked Bob Dylan as a teenager and as a young adult.  I can’t say that I agree with all of his lyrics today, but he did get one thing right.  “The times, they are a-changing.”  Whether they are changing for good or for ill is for each of us to decide.  But change – it is inevitable.  My father used to tell me that the only thing that was constant was change itself.  (Just to make the record clear, he also taught me that there is a source to which we can always turn, that is constant and that will never vary – our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ).  I remember this lesson about change when I am experiencing adversity.  I say to myself, “This too will pass.”  I also remember it when things are wonderful, when my children are all doing well, the bills are paid, health is good and life is comfortable.  I say to myself, “This too will pass, so appreciate and enjoy every moment.”  The way in which we react to change in large part not only reveals, but forms, our character.

Forty years ago I was a happily married young wife in my mid-twenties.  Laury Kent Backman was not only my husband, but my best friend.  He was a kind, handsome, charismatic, adventurous kind of guy, loved by the men he commanded and respected by his superior officers.  He was adored by his children and me. We were married in the temple and so I thought we were just at the beginning of our happily-ever-after story.  On a cold November morning in Japan, I kissed him goodbye as he left for work.  Several hours later, our branch president and the military chaplain together came to tell me that he had lost his life in an aircraft accident.  Noooo!!! That news did not fit with my idea of what reality should be.  My world came crashing down in one terrible, unexpected event.  That I was devastated is an understatement of gigantic proportions.  As I awoke each morning with fresh realization of the horrible truth, the world seemed somehow off-kilter, as if I was in some kind of alternate reality.  But facts were facts and I didn’t have the luxury to wallow in self-pity or numbing despair.  My babies and I were living in a foreign country and I needed to get us home; I needed to help and protect (and feed) them; I needed to help them survive, even thrive, without their daddy.  I needed to look forward, not backward.  As I now look back to those tragic times, I realize that two things brought me through intact and as a better, stronger person.  One was my early and deliberate acceptance of an unwelcome change.  I spent almost no time bemoaning my situation, almost no time mentally playing the “if only” game.  I accepted my situation and looked at what I needed to do to make a good life for my children.  The other was my faith in a loving Father in Heaven to whom I turned and who did not abandon me.

The United States has just come through a bitter election campaign season, perhaps the most bitter in modern history.  Each side has been positive that their idea of what is best for our country is the right one.  Each side has painted the other as evil, or uninformed or duped.  Each of the candidates has been painted by the opposing side as the most ugly, corrupt, evil person to ever come to national prominence.  Many persons on each side were convinced that should the candidate of the other party win, our country and their own lives would be plunged into the darkest abyss.  I believe that neither candidate is even close to perfect, but that neither is the evil caricature he/she has been described to be.  I believe that most people have the same desires for their personal lives, for those of their families and for our country.  We just have different ideas about how to achieve the results we all want.  Having differing ideas does not make those opposing ours evil or stupid or motivated by malice.   I am also convinced that none of the projected calamities have happened, nor will they. I know for certain that God has not abandoned us, nor will He, provided that we don’t abandon Him. 

Howard and I stayed up very late to watch the inauguration from start to finish.  Living overseas and learning about (and in Howard’s case, experiencing first hand) how power is transferred in some other countries makes us appreciate so very much our American system of choosing a leader and peacefully transferring power from one to another.  We were impressed by the attendance of representatives from the other branches of government, especially that they came from both political parties.  The attending dignitaries obviously understand this amazing and important example to all the world.  Democracy cannot exist without this peaceful transfer of power.  Once there is a large enough group which refuses to yield power and which is willing to resort to violence, democracy comes to an end.   And so we were moved by this most democratic of processes.  And while we have not embraced the policies or philosophies of our out-going president, we were impressed by his and the former first lady’s gracious behavior in the transition.  The election of President Trump meant the repudiation in some degree of the Obama legacy, and yet the example and behavior of the (now former) first couple was beyond reproach.  We were impressed by the graciousness of President and Mrs. Obama in greeting Mr. and Mrs. Trump to the White House.  We were impressed by President Obama’s last press conference in which he expressed hope for the future.  We were impressed by Mrs. Clinton’s gracious speech to her supporters the day after the election.  We were impressed by Mrs. Obama’s last speech.  It all was dignified and gracious and classy.  Again, the way we respond to change reveals our character.  We can all learn from the example we have just seen.  And we can be assured that God has not abandoned us and that our country can and will move forward with hope toward the future as we peacefully work toward that future.

 

Accepting a change in church leadership can also be difficult at times.  Brigham Young was a very different type of leader than was Joseph Smith.  Some just could not accept him because they didn’t like his brash personality.  The press of his day didn’t do him any favors either.  But he was used by the Lord to accomplish a formidable task.  In the early days of the LDS Church in Ukraine, the members loved the foreign missionaries and the foreign mission president.  They saw them as great leaders worthy of their loyalty.  It was more difficult for them to accept leaders called from the local branches.  (“How could you call and trust someone whose father was KGB?”)  The fact that changes in church leadership now occur without criticism and reluctance to accept a new leader shows the spiritual maturity of the Ukrainian members. 

We have had several changes in church leadership recently.  Our temple president, Frank Trythall and his wife, Nancy, have completed their service.  President Gerold Roth his wife, Gertraud, have replaced them.  We love both the Trythalls and the Roths!  Interestingly, John and Carol Galbraith, first temple president and matron just visited this past weekend.  They were enthusiastically greeted by the members and the love for them was very evident.  (We love them too). Their fireside was well attended and inspiring.  They will always be loved, as will the others who have succeeded them in their service.  Elder Bruce Porter completed his mortal journey and was released as area president of the Europe East Area.  Elder James B. Martino has replaced Elder Porter in assignment and responsibility.  Just Sunday, our stake president, Kirill Pokhilko was released so that he can prepare to assume leadership of the St. Petersburg, Russia mission.  He was replaced as stake president by Igor Kravchenko.  The visiting authorities making the change were Elders James Martino and Larry Kacher of the area presidency.  And back home, President Steven Allred was released as stake president for the same reason – a call to serve as a mission president in Argentina. 

    

None of these persons receiving church callings and assignments sought the positions to which they were called.  There was no lobbying, no campaigning.  In fact, when a call is received, the most common reaction is one of deep humility and a sense of inadequacy.  These callings are filled at great sacrifice in time, effort, missed economic opportunities and great emotional investment both from the one called and from the spouse and family.  We appreciate and love each of the Lord’s servants who accept a call to serve, from the highest position of leadership to the least visible of callings.  It doesn’t matter where we serve; what matters is our devotion to the Lord and to His children.  Not only do we accept these changes with humility, but we also pledge to sustain, support and help each person as he/she serves the Lord by serving us and others.  None of these men (in these examples) or women (in other cases) are perfect.  The Lord works miracles through his imperfect servants, because not only is that all He has to work with, but because His work is to perfect his children.  That is done as we humbly and faithfully serve in our own ways, and as each of us welcomes such changes in leadership and do our part to encourage the success of our new leader servants.

Yes, change is inevitable and it can be very difficult.  Yet, it is in the times when we are out of our comfort zones that we learn and grow the most.  I thank my Father in Heaven for the many changes, both welcome and unwelcome, which have come in my life.  I am not the same person I was 40 years ago.  Hopefully, I am a wiser, kinder, more patient person, more seasoned in faith.   I love the Lord with all of my heart and thank Him for never abandoning me, especially in the times of my greatest stress and anxiety.  Yes, the times, they are a-changing.  That can be a good thing, depending upon our response. 

My favorite inauguration picture.  What a great example to us those two ladies are!

She may not have won the election, but she supports democracy and attended the inauguration.  Another good example.

A peaceful transition of power.

Stake conference. Those with eagle eyes might find us on the right.

 Our new stake president at the podium.

Our old stake presidency and our new stake presidency in one picture.  The three men on the right are the old stake presidency.  The three men on the left are the new.

Impossible Really Means Miraculous

When Howard served as Mission President to the first mission in Ukraine (1991-1994), the motto he chose for the mission came from Matthew 17:20: "and nothing shall be impossible unto you."  This scripture taken in its entirety teaches that all things are possible to those who have faith in God.  To say this in Russian, one would say, with God “nothing will not be not possible" (a triple negative).  The missionaries and their President talked about this constantly and put faith into real action.  It was a mission filled to the brim with true miracles.  Some of these are recounted in Howard's book, The Morning Breaks published by Deseret Book.  Both of us can testify that great miracles occur when we exercise great faith.  Prayers are answered in ways that seem improbable to the natural man. 

As we prepare to begin our volunteer "mission" to Ukraine, we can't help but reflect upon the miracles that have occurred over the past several (17) months since we agreed to be married.   And really that is the first miracle.  When Howard's beloved wife, Colleen, died in late 2014, Howard had no intention of marrying again.  He had lived a long, full life and was in poor health.  Colleen had died after a long period of total disability caused by an operation gone wrong.  Howard had stayed constantly at her side, serving her faithfully, just as she had served him faithfully during his long years of church service.  Eleven years of care-giving had taken their toll; however, as his 80th birthday drew near, his daughter and son-in-law suggested that he should go with them on an outing to celebrate.  They decided to "double date."  And who could he ask who would not "get the wrong idea?"  They settled on Laurel, a close relative of Colleen's, whom Howard had known well for nearly sixty years.   As for Laurel, she certainly did not get the wrong idea and accepted the invitation only because she believed that Howard deserved a little fun after such a long, difficult period of his life.  She admired him for his spirituality and for the faithfulness with which he had served Colleen  -  but having been twice widowed already, she was not looking for another opportunity for marriage, especially not to a man 15 years her senior. Uncharacteristically, Howard decided on the first date that he wanted to marry Laurel and asked her to marry him on the second.  Howard considers it a great miracle that Laurel was willing to sincerely pray about the idea despite his health and age.  Laurel has learned to get answers to prayers and received not one, but three unmistakable answers that it was the Lord's will that we marry.  What a blessing that marriage has been to both of us!  We are truly in love and our combined faith has been rewarded with the additional miracles needed for us to serve as volunteers in Ukraine.

Once we determined to marry, we immediately set a goal to serve an LDS mission as soon as we possibly could.  We wanted to serve in Ukraine and we knew that if he was to serve a mission, Howard needed to improve his health dramatically. Even before our marriage, Howard’s son-in-law, Rolf, helped him to change his diet and begin to lose weight.  As soon as we were married, Laurel put him on her famous “mean-wife diet.”  We submitted our missionary application in September 2015, once we were sure he was no longer an insulin-dependent diabetic.  He had lost over 100 pounds by then. 

We were thrilled to receive our missionary call between the Saturday sessions of the October 2015 LDS General Conference. And yes! Miracles of miracles!  We were called to serve in the Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine temple, just as we had indicated as our first choice!  We were to report to the Salt Lake Temple for training in March.  Our Stake President was very surprised by our call because of Howard’s age.  In his experience, 80 year-olds were not called to serve full-time missions, and especially not called to serve overseas.  We were positive that there was something the Lord wanted us to do in Ukraine, not just because of the unusualness of our call, but because of many, many spiritual experiences and insights too sacred to relate here.

After our call, we continued to dedicate ourselves to the improvement of Howard’s health.  He continued to intentionally lose weight, eventually losing a total of 150 pounds before leveling off.  We walked every day to improve his stamina.  We sold both of our homes and moved into a condo (read here: lots and lots of hard work!) Laurel worked to conclude her law practice (read here: lots more work).  We sorted through Howard’s papers because the Church History Department asked for those relating to the opening of the Ukraine Mission.  In other words, the entire focus of our lives was to prepare for our mission.

Late in November Laurel became concerned because every time we went for a walk, Howard was completely exhausted for the entire rest of the day.  After a series of doctors’ appointments and tests, it was determined that he was severely anemic.  We received lab results on December 30, 2015 showing that Howard had stage 3 colon cancer.  Undaunted, we set out to heal it.  To us, it was just another obstacle put in our way by the Adversary.  We had had plenty of those and, given our strong spiritual witness that the Lord wanted us in Ukraine, this was just another obstacle to be overcome. 

Laurel, although an attorney, has had a great interest in medicine and in other types of healing modalities for many years.  She has also had experience with terminal cancer, having lost her late husband, Mark Riddle, to cancer.  Howard put himself into Laurel’s hands and Laurel put herself into the Lord’s hands.  We have been led every step of the way.  We knew when to refuse surgery, we knew not to submit to traditional chemotherapy, we knew what other kinds of treatments to request, we knew where to go to receive treatment, we knew what diet and life-style to pursue, we knew what dietary supplements to use, and we knew when to finally have surgery (after the lymph nodes were clear of cancer).  Howard received, along with amazing care, some beautiful Priesthood blessings which unfailingly promised him healing.  And miracle of miracles! Howard is completely cancer free!  And he became so without compromising his immune system!  

We are grateful to Dr. Jonathan Murphy, MD and Dr. Maggie Gamma, MD, both of An Oasis of Healing in Mesa, Arizona, Dr. Lee Peterson, MD and Dr. Richard Rasmussen, MD, both of Utah Surgical Associates in Provo, Utah, and Dr. Jeffrey Wright, ND, of Utah Valley Health Clinic in Provo, Utah, for their faith and great care.  These doctors who helped us to achieve this miracle declared that it was a miracle beyond their power to orchestrate.  We know that it is!  We are so grateful to the Lord for His kindness and gifts to us. We are determined to use this extension of life to serve Him until our very last breath.  We have been all the more convinced that the Lord has something for us to do in Ukraine and are determined to do it. 

When President Kenneth Packer, the current Kiev Ukraine Mission President, learned that we had received a call to Ukraine, he requested our help in the mission.  Although we had a desire to serve in the temple, we began to wonder whether or not we should serve more than just in the temple.  Perhaps the Lord has additional things in mind for us. 

At this point, Howard’s health looked really good and the principal doctors involved in his care believed that we could go, but we felt that it was right that we contact the missionary department and tell them what we had experienced. We received the answer to our letter through our Stake President who was asked by the department to compassionately rescind our call.  The missionary department has an unbendable rule that one who has had cancer must be in remission for at least five years before the department will even consider a full-time missionary call.  This was a blow almost as great as the original diagnosis of cancer.  We had worked so hard and with so much faith.  We had sacrificed much in terms of time, money and a complete refocus of our lives.  But again, we were undaunted, knowing that the Lord wants us in Ukraine.  This was just another obstacle to be overcome.

We decided, with the encouragement of our Stake President, to call ourselves on a “mission” to Ukraine.  When the Stake President asked the missionary department about this, they said there was nothing stopping us from doing this, except for a small minor detail: it would be impossible to get long-term visas on our own.  Impossible you say? “With God, nothing will not be not possible!”  Although it was certainly difficult, through Laurel’s determination and Howard’s contacts, we have received our long-term class D visas.  This was made possible through an agreement between the International Center for Law and Religious Studies at BYU Law School, and the Religious Studies Department of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences.  

We are currently in Portugal recovering from jet lag and visiting with Laurel’s son and his family.  We will arrive in Kiev (Kyiv) on August 29^th where a beautiful apartment awaits us.  We will move our church records to Kyiv and serve as local members.  We have already been asked to serve in the temple and to lecture and teach on the LDS Church for the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences.  We have also been asked to participate in the 25^th Anniversary Celebration of the Church in Ukraine which will occur next month.  At the suggestion of the Kyiv Stake President, we will be living in an area where we can work with less-active members. This will be a major emphasis during our time in Ukraine.

And so we have begun our “mission impossible.” We solicit your faith and prayers for our success in this great adventure.  Stay tuned for the rest of the story …..