Biddulph Mission Impossible in Ukraine: Ring in the New!

Like many of you, at the end of each year I assess what I have accomplished during the preceding year and set goals for the next. Note that I said “SET GOALS.” These are goals that I will give myself an entire year to accomplish. I do not make resolutions for the year, because of course, those are easily broken early in the year, leading to discouragement. (In case you wondered, I do NOT like being discouraged)! My RESOLUTIONS are made each week as I renew my covenants with the Lord during the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

On Sunday, I put into effect a suggestion made by Sister Wendy Watson Nelson in her book, Covenant Keepers. As I partook of the emblems of the Sacrament, I said in my mind, “Father, I now covenant with Thee, that I will remember that I have taken upon myself the name of Thy Son in the waters of baptism. I also covenant with Thee that I will always remember my Savior Jesus Christ throughout the week and I further covenant with Thee that I will keep His commandments.” Amazing! The Spirit bore witness to me that my covenant was noted and the outpouring of the Spirit promised in return was abundant. The accountability session one can have with the Lord during those precious 20 minutes each week as the Sacrament is administered can be one of the most rewarding of experiences. A review of the past week and a resolve to do better in the coming week fills me with happiness. Each week I “ring in the new” filled with the Spirit of love.

I love the concept of new beginnings. I love new years, new weeks, new days, new semesters, new projects. What hope they each bring! What promise of new learning, new accomplishment, new understanding! I also, as time goes by, look anxiously forward to endings because they mark a time when you can make another new beginning. Not every kind of ending mind you! I don’t like in the least the ending of the mortal life of someone whom I will greatly miss. That of Elder Bruce D. Porter was one such life. Howard knew him well, and I had some wonderful encounters and meetings with him too. We will greatly miss him and the loving direction he gave as area president of this Europe East Area in which we live and serve. However, even in these endings, I see wonderful new beginnings. Just think of the marvelous experience Elder Porter had as he entered the World of Spirits and had his own accountability session with the Lord! As one renews his or her covenants each week and then keeps those covenants, he or she is incrementally sanctified step by step over time by the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit. Such a person surely looks forward with anticipation to coming face to face with the Lord and feeling His love and compassion for a life imperfectly, but valiantly, lived.

So here in Ukraine, we haven’t had our new beginning yet. Yes, January 1^st has come and gone (complete with a few fireworks), but we have continued to celebrate Christmas since December and the “Old New Year” is still to come on January 14. We’ve celebrated two Christmases: December 25^th and January 7^th. According to the Julian calendar, Christmas is January 7^th and the New Year is January 14^th. This calendar is observed by the Russian, Ukrainian, Jerusalem Serbian, Polish and Georgian Orthodox churches. It is also observed by the Greek Catholics of Ukraine and Belarus. The others celebrate according to the Gregorian calendar, which is what Americans are used to using. In Ukraine, that means lots of celebrating! On January 5^th, we attended a warm and friendly ward Christmas party complete with decorations, a program, music, games and food (even though our LDS ward does not fit into any of those religious categories listed above).

On our January 7^th Christmas, we had a wonderful Christmas gathering in our apartment. Our good friends, Liudmyla and Anatoli, invited three Ukrainian musicians to come with them and entertain us with Ukrainian Christmas carols. Luidmyla also brought with her a traditional Ukrainian dish called kutya. It is made of wheat boiled in water, to which is added poppy seeds, walnuts, raisins and honey. The ritual significance of kutya is ancient. The dish signifies penance and is placed behind the religious icons, an honorary place in the house (which we failed to provide). The head of the family is supposed to offer some to the frost, thrice inviting him to participate in the dinner. When the frost does not appear, he is advised not to appear to harm the crops. Our friends, Zoya and Slava brought desert and I provided a large veggie tray. Yevgeniy provided vanilla shakes. Good food and good company and absolutely wonderful singing made for a memorable afternoon and evening. Later that evening, members of our Kyiv LDS Stake gathered at a metro station and sang Christmas hymns for the passersby.

On the evening prior to our Christmas gathering (the Orthodox Christmas Eve) we left in a snow storm to attend a Christmas Mass of the Greek Catholic Church. This service was a combination of the liturgy of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The mass started at midnight (January 7^th) and lasted for five hours! Our legs gave out (standing for most of 2 1/2 hours) so we left half way through. Our dear friends who had invited us stayed the entire time! We admit wholeheartedly that it was a very interesting cultural experience. The robes and pageantry were beautiful and impressive. The incense was fragrant. The a cappella choir was very good. I didn’t understand much of the liturgy, but I could make out the Ukrainian words for “Lord,” “God” and “glory” which were repeated over and over many times. Howard understood much of it, which was done in Ukrainian, Greek and Old Church Slavonic. We were impressed (but not converted).

This experience brought fresh appreciation for the simple and humble way we have been taught to come unto Christ -- having faith in Jesus Christ, offering broken and contrite hearts as we conform our ways to His, being baptized by immersion and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then living our lives in such a way as to allow the Holy Spirit to remain with us always. We love that we can petition directly our Heavenly Father through personal prayer, not needing an intercessory except for Jesus Christ. We love that we can renew our commitment to the Lord each and every week – and even sit reverently while we do it. The truths of the Gospel are beautiful and simple – simply beautiful – but they are not easy. It’s living our lives in a way that shows our discipleship that seems to be so difficult. Thank goodness for new beginnings each and every week as we renew our promises to the Lord and He promises His help!

Ring in the new!