Biddulph Mission Impossible in Ukraine: When All is Said and Done

To follow the mainstream and social media in the USA, you’d think the world is at its end. In my inconsequential opinion, however, the things that really matter – well, they still matter. Imperfect people are still good. Good people can differ in opinions and remain friends. God is our Father. And Jesus is Lord. When all is said and done, what really matters are the loving relationships we foster between ourselves and our God, our families and our fellowman.

We’ve had some great experiences that make us optimistic about the future, not only in our own country, but also in the spot in the world where we currently live and love. Before I get to those here in Ukraine, I need to rejoice just a little (amid tears) that Annie Schmidt’s body was found. She lost her footing and fell from a place high above a steep incline covered in rocks and undergrowth. It is evident that she died from the fall and didn’t suffer from pain, fear, cold, exposure or dehydration and starvation. She was found only through the intense and unrelenting efforts of many people, most of whom didn’t know her or her family. Her family credits their success in finding her to the many prayers offered from those across the country and the world. What an outpouring of love and service! If you have lost faith in your fellowman, this should bolster it.

Another lesson gleaned from the Schmidt family experience is how dear to us are our families, and how merciful is our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness which binds us eternally with those we most love. Extremely moving are the messages of love, gratitude and comfort extended to all of us by Annie’s parents. They demonstrate the peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to families, especially during times of extreme distress. They know that Annie is theirs to love and cherish in their forever family – they will be with her again as mother, father, daughter, sister – because they were sealed together in a temple of our God, bound together as a family with cords that even death cannot sever.

Some of our most cherished experiences in Ukraine have been watching members come to the temple to seal their families together by the power of the Priesthood of God restored to earth in fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4: 3-4

This past week, in addition to latter-day saints from Kiev, we have welcomed to the temple members from Rostov-on-the Don, Aksai, Donetsk, Minsk, Saratov and Crimea. Crimea, although a part of Ukraine, is currently under the control of Russian-backed troops. An elderly lady presented herself to the temple after walking long distances past the soldiers on both sides of the conflict. We were amazed at her courage and fortitude. All of these saints who travel for long distances and at great sacrifice bring with them the names of family ancestors so that they can perform proxy ordinances for them. They bring so many with them that they are disappointed when they can’t do all of them before it is time for them to return home again. Our time serving in the sealing room is especially wonderful, as the veil is gossamer-thin and we often sense families from both sides of the veil there together. Children’s hearts are turned to their fathers. And the fathers (and mothers) are close to their families here upon the earth, providing heavenly assistance.

One very interesting temple experience involved meeting Brother Picard from France. He is in Kiev often as the Deputy Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre, located in Vienna, which organization is working to peacefully resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. It was heart-warming to see the saints from Aksai, where he had served his LDS mission, hug him and greet him with love and joy. It reminds me of how long-time members greet Howard. It seems we really love those who brought the good news of the Gospel to us. And missionaries truly love those with whom they have had the privilege of sharing in their spiritual journey to Christ.

We have asked the members to record their spiritual journeys. These stories will be compiled into a book of remembrance – a spiritual history of Ukraine’s first 25 years. As these stories are written, hearts are again touched by the Holy Ghost who brings all things to our remembrance. We’ve already received some of these wonderful stories. A week before yesterday, we taught in the third hour a combined class of both women and men. Our focus was to encourage the members to write their stories and to reach out to the less active through the sharing of spiritual stories. Our good bishop is doing all in his power to move this program forward. I don’t understand all of his words (yet), but I understand his humble and willing spirit and I am moved with awe and love for him. He is such a good man. He spoke in Sacrament meeting yesterday and later led the elders and high priests in considering what it really means to love and nurture those for whom we are responsible to home teach. Oh, and yes! We were called and set apart as missionaries! We are official!

That each of us will have and remember our spiritual journeys into the baptisms of water and the Spirit is the desire of true followers of Jesus Christ. As we enter into sacred covenants with our God - covenants of obedience, sacrifice, service and consecration - we become covenant sons and daughters of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We promise to bear one another’s burdens and mourn with those who mourn. We feel a kinship with others of the covenant, regardless of nationality, race or culture. We are family. And families not only strengthen one another, but they have fun together too.

What fun we had as we attended an event of the Kharkovsky Ward family! It was a wonderful cultural celebration of happy Ukrainian music, varenniki, a (staged) marriage, dancing and food. The kindness with which the members treated us and each other is a testament to their covenant relationship with God and to their spiritual brothers and sisters. I smile every time I think of it. I have attached some pictures and videos at the end so you can catch a glimpse. I have to say that it was quite an experience traveling to and from the event via the metro. I marvel that man could construct such a thing so far beneath the surface of the earth! We never would have been able to manage without the help of our dear friend, Yevgeniy Zaryugin. Howard isn’t steady enough on his feet to jump on and off the (extremely long) escalators or the trains by himself, as they move so fast. We were quite a sight with Howard in the middle and Yevgeniy and me on each side!

We also enjoyed a “family home evening” with the senior couples serving here in Ukraine. We shared stories of our holiday traditions. What struck me the most was that all of the traditions shared centered around strengthening family ties and teaching children about the goodness of our Father in Heaven and His Holy Son. And really, after all is said and done, isn’t that what really matters? Isn’t this the true desire of our hearts -- that through the mercy and goodness of our Father and Jesus Christ we can return home to our Heavenly Family, not alone, but with our earthly families and with all those whom we encompass with our familial love?

To end this epistle, I want to share a poem Howard wrote and which he dedicated to me in anticipation of my birthday in a few days. I know positively that I don’t deserve such high praise, but I am thankful for a husband who demonstrates his love for me and for faithful, covenant-keeping children. I count the successful raising of them, despite difficult circumstances, the greatest achievement of my life. Howard insists that I include pictures of me and my children to go with the poem. When all is said and done……

For Laurel (and her children)

Your ark,

like Jochebed’s reed cradle on the Nile,

Prepared a progeny

to come forth of the water and a burning bush,

Allegiant to their true identity,

Although apprenticed in strange lands that bow the knee

before Osiris, Ashtoreth, Minerva’s owl.

Striplings your chrysalis formed

like Ammonites of old,

Whose armament near Antiparah

was their mothers’ faith.