November 4, 2012

How many times before a beautiful symphony do we hear the words, “This concert was made possible by a gift from………………..” When I hear that, I wonder if maybe it sometimes should be said, “This concert was made possible by hundreds of gifts from God…………..” This past concert I was thinking just how important just one of those many gifts really is and that gift is “hands.” Yes, hands. As I watched the piano soloist, the string musicians, the brass, the percussion and even the maestro, I thought of how silent that hall would have been without hands. And speaking of the hall, could there have been a hall without hands to build it with its intricate columns, cornices, the sweeping stairways, the inlaid floors, and the hand-woven floor coverings?

Is it possible to calculate all of the hands that it took to create all the parts of the instruments, the mother’s hands that raised their children to not only play beautiful music but to appreciate the importance of making it a part of their lives. Oh, did I forget the composers who wrote the music with writing utensils guided by hands. I could go on forever but I guess by now you are seeing how important hands are.

Do we ever stop to think about all the things our hands make it possible for us to do. They are just one of the many things we take for granted until we have something as minor as a paper cut or as major as a broken wrist which make it difficult or impossible to use our hands.

 

I love all the metaphors associated with hands: loving hands, healing hands, waving hands, gentle hands, kind hands, praying hands, working hands, helping hands, clapping hands, raised hands, shaking hands, outstretched hands, clean hands, Hand of the Lord, holy hands, hands that hang down, and hands that lift up. Hands can be used for either good or ill. Is there anything that we can do that can’t be done better with the help of hands?  Hands are just one of God’s many miracles. I’m sure that to each of us there are many more miracles which we could name if we really took the time to ponder. And that is what is really important…………..taking the time to ponder and show gratitude for all that we have been given. Quoting  Elder Ballard in October Conference, “great things are brought about and burdens are lightened through the efforts of many hands anxiously engaged in a good cause.” We have witnessed over and over and even this last week on the east coast the importance of “many hands.”

Another Halloween has come and gone. Halloween is not a big holiday here in Ukraine. I saw some carved pumpkins in front of a restaurant. I saw one sign on the metro advertising a Halloween Party on the 27th of October, and on Halloween day I saw only one person of thousands dressed in something that might have been a Halloween costume. Therefore, I decided to add a few pictures on this blog of my favorite trick-or-treaters back in the USA.

Halloween decor outside a restaurant

 

Hal and Owen

Evan and Charlie

Sylvie, Jack and Annie

Caden, Sara, Molly and Beckham

Nick and Olivia

On Halloween I worked in the temple and after went to Babi Yar with a few friends that have recently moved to Kyiv. As you all know, Babi Yar is the name of a deep ravine in the northern part of Kyiv.  The name is known today as a symbol of the inhuman fascist genocide of originally Jews, but also gypsies, concentration camp prisoners, communist underground members, and Ukrainian patriots. The total number of victims was about one-hundred thousand. In 1976 an official monument in memory of the murdered Soviet citizens was built, and in 1981 a monument in the shape of the Jewish Menorah was set up much closer to the scene of the tragedy. The cold, dreary Halloween Day added to the solemnity of the area.

Looking down the head of the 2 mile ravine

One bright spot at head of ravine

Sunset at Babi Yar

Monument at Babi Yar

Menorah Monument

Babi Yar

On the way to the office on Thursday I decided to take the bus part way to pick up ticket orders and was fortunate to sit down next to a beautiful lady and her baby from Indonesia.  She was on her way to find a place to buy souvenirs for her office staff and I was on my way to Independence Square where they have a lot of what she would be looking for so I showed her the way. Nadia Said is a diplomat for Indonesia in Sophia, Bulgaria and her husband is a diplomat for Indonesia here in Ukraine. She was here visiting him for two weeks with her baby and three year old son. She was such a wonderful, gracious person and I was sorry to hear she was leaving on Sunday. She said she would be coming back soon for another visit and would give me a call. She would be a wonderful person to get to know more.

Nadia Said

Saturday I convinced Gary that he needed to go with me to find out exactly where Marshrutka #527 went. We see that particular bus go by our house several times a day and I was just curious what would happen and where I would go if I ever mistakenly got on it. It went  down to Khreschatyk, past the Philharmonic, past the Parliament Building and the Art Museum, past the Famine Museum, past the Lavra, the World War II Museum, the Arsenal, the Botanical Garden and then it headed across the Dnipro River. I told Gary to pretend we were just on an afternoon ride around the city (with fifty people on a bus with about 20 seats). I was really wondering if we were ever going to turn around. I was glad that I had been to most of the places we were passing so I knew where we were. About the end of the city limits we finally turned around and headed back to Artema, the street where we live. It was about a three hour ride and sure enough, we did find out where bus #527 went after it passed our apartment. I’m sure this bus route was around long before the metro was built. It is amazing that it is still a part of the circuit but I have to admit it was fun to see things above ground rather than always  wondering what is above you when you are underground on the metro.  

  

Crossing the Dnipro on the martrushka #527

Quote of the week by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: 

"When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless and love. And He always talked with, never down to, people. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation.

This is what He did during His mortal life; it is what He would be doing if He were living among us today; and it is what we should be doing as His disciples."

Kyiv Temple on October 31, 2012

October 28, 2012

Several years ago I read an excellent book entitled The Power of One  by Bryce Courtenay. Here is a quote from that book that has stayed with me:

“Sometimes the slightest things change the directions of our lives, the merest breath of a circumstance, a random moment that connects like a meteorite striking the earth. Lives have swiveled and changed direction on the strength of a chance remark.”

I have been thinking a lot lately about the “power of one” person or one event in our lives and how that one thing can change the course of our lives exponentially. And then I started thinking backward. About how our ancestors' lives have also affected us and their lives were also changed by one person or one event or one remark. And then it goes in the reverse exponentially. And then looking forward, how what we do, who we marry, acts of service we perform can change the lives of others including our children …………..and it goes on and on.  

I started thinking about this when we were reading in Alma 24. The Lamanites buried their weapons of war and faced their enemy defenseless because of their conversion to God. Over one thousand lost their lives for their testimonies but then many more of their enemies were converted because these brave men  had remained true to their covenants. And who converted them…..King Lamoni’s father who was converted by Aaron, who was also saved in his wickedness by the prayers of Alma who was also changed by the testimony of Abinidi and it goes on and on. The “power of one”. 

No event or person in our lives can be considered meaningless. And nothing we do in this life can be considered unimportant. It is so important to not only look back in this life but to look forward. We are the product of someone’s actions and our actions can change the lives of many. The “power of one” basically means that we are not only one. Our choices do not just affect us. They can affect generations, in the future and in the past.   

So you probably didn’t think you were going to get a philosophy lesson when you read this but if you are still reading I will now fill you in on what we have been doing this week. 

Sunday was our Stake Conference. We have been here 7 months and have had three conferences all of which I have really enjoyed. Also Sunday night we had the opportunity of attending a missionary fireside with Elder Steven E. Snow, the Church Historian. It was a great fireside and a few great quotes from that are:

You are only limited by our own lack of vision for the future.

A mission is the MTC for the rest of your lives.

At the end of each day ask, "How was I blessed today?" Be conscious of and give thanks for the blessings you receive on a daily basis. It will help you smile.

The hardest moments of life are often the most refining ones. Just as a lump of coal can become a diamond due to heat and pressure, you are also being refined by your afflictions.

Keep a daily journal. It will bless you and the lives of your ancestors. Where would we be if our ancestors from the beginning of time had not kept journals.

Missionaries at Elder Snow's Fireside

President and Sister Klebingat and elders meeting Elder Snow

Monday we met with the Ambassador of Malaysia, His Excellency Chuah Teong Ban.  He was such a gracious individual and we enjoyed our visit so much. He is also the Ambassador for Malaysia in Georgia, and an avid runner and marathoner.  It just so happens that one of his running partners is Bogdon Rudenko, our former high council representative.  It is a small world, once again. 

Ambassador Ban of Malaysia

On our way to the Embassy of Malaysia we passed by the Botanical Garden. You may remember, the one with all the lilacs in May. It was the most glorious fall day and the colors of the changing trees drew me back there after I finished work. Just three metro stops and a mile walk and I was in the midst of the brilliance of autumn. It was one of those impressions to do something that you are never sorry you followed. The very next day the rain and cold returned, and snow is predicted for the weekend.   Good-bye to autumn. 

Botanical Garden in fall

In the botanical garden

Beautiful tree leaves in the Botanical Garden

My weekly temple assignment was changed to Wednesday. I will miss all my friends from Tuesday, however I will probably still go on Tuesday to do patron work. I have met some wonderful ladies that work on Wednesday. Sister Gul’ko is a bishop’s wife that is also an English teacher. But most impressive, she translated the Book of Mormon into Ukrainian which is a totally amazing feat. You can really appreciate this if you have tried to learn this language and realize how very different English is from Ukrainian. She testifies that she had a lot of help from the prophets of the Book of Mormon. She reminds me a lot of Joan Murray Thompson and is a joy to be around.

Sister Gul'ko

Sister Shiyan

The Saints at the temple this week were from Samara, Russia. Their story is told by their hands. They are the hands of people that work hard for a living; people that work the land; people that are humbled by their circumstances but have a great love for God. 

We have some new neighbors and friends, Jed, Jill and Jessa Barton. Jed works for the State Department and most recently lived in Afghanistan. They have also lived in India and Peru. They live just a mile up our street, but oh what a difference a mile makes. Ex-pat living is pretty nice. We all went to the Symphony Friday night and had a wonderful evening. We even got to meet the world famous Maestro Roman Kofman. He conducted last week’s symphony but was in the audience for this concert.  He is such an impressive and talented individual.  

Jed, Jill and Jessa Barton

Maestro Roman Kofman

The elections are this weekend.  Friday night there were two enormous rallies.  One at St. Sophia’s Square for the party that is in control and one at the opposite end of the street at St. Michael’s for the opposition party. And these were really big deals – thousands of people at each. Since we had to go past both of them on our way to the Symphony we decided to take the bus. On the way home from the symphony we saw Khreschatyk Street lined with military armored vehicles, tanks and cannons. Maybe this is a little more serious than we have imagined. The elections are Sunday. We are so grateful for America. A blessing you don’t really appreciate until you are away.

Tanks on Khreschatyk

Political Rally at St. Sophia's Square

Today as I walked home through the monastery the sisters were wrapping all the hydrangea and small bushes. When I got to the little cemetery I thought their handiwork would be a great picture for Halloween. Looked like little ghosts in the cemetery. 

Sisters wrapping

Ghosts in the Monastery Cemetary

And so we end with a quote that accompanies the one at the beginning. This quote is by Elder Melvin J. Ballard and goes back to the message of the Power of One. There are so many people that come to the temple – the only members in their families – the “slightest thing changing the direction of their lives.” They are absolutely thrilled to be here doing the work for their ancestors whom they know without a doubt are guiding and blessing their lives. 

Why is it that sometimes only one of a city or household receives the gospel? It was made known unto me that it is because the righteous dead who have received the Gospel in the Spirit World are exercising themselves, and in answer to their prayers Elders of the church are sent to the homes of their posterity that the Gospel might be taught to them and through their righteousness they might be privileged to have a descendant in the flesh do the work for their dead kindred."

~Elder Melvin J. Ballard