You'll Never Guess Where He's From

It feels like it's been a really long time since I last wrote, but it's been the same as usual. Haha. It's weird how time works sometimes.

Last week started off with my companion leaving on Monday night. Then I was with Elder Jacob Hofeling on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We had a pretty good time together. On Tuesday night we had English practice. Our mission doesn't do English practice anymore like it used to, but in our city now we are kinda teaching the Gospel in English and it's pretty fun. Members and investigators come. After the English we had a lesson and everybody stayed but one guy. Elder Hofeling speaks Ukrainian so I'm learning a lot more Ukrainian than Russian here. He turned the time over to me to talk about the First Vision. Honestly, it was the first time in a long time we've had a regular 1st lesson. It was awesome to be able to share that. I could feel the Spirit testify as I quoted Joseph's own words. I know that it is true. God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ truly appeared to Joseph Smith and Christ's Church has again been restored to the earth.

We got a referral from the Branch President a few weeks ago and met with her again this week. Her name is Inna. She has an 11 year old son named Pavel. She's a great woman. She's smart and she has tons of faith. She understand a lot of principles already and she prays morning and night, but she's looking for truth. She doesn't have a job though and she just does whatever she can to get money, mostly buying and selling things. She doesn't ask for anything, but sometimes she tells me about how hard it is. She just wants to help others and provide a good life for Pavel, but she can't even get enough money for food. She says her son's hungry. Pavel's eyesight is bad and she can afford to get him glasses because he just breaks them. It makes me sad to think about it. I just want to help, but we're doing what we can. Please pray for them.

On Thursday I found out my new companion and at 3 AM on Friday morning the two new Elders for our area arrived. Elder Johnson is serving with Elder Hofeling now and I'm sure that nobody has imagined who my companion is. I am serving with a mini-missionary now named Elder Lesley Davis. He is from... Ghana! Mini-missionaries are just locals who fill in for a short period of time when we don't have enough full-time missionaries. Elder Davis is 27 and he's studying medicine in a city called Ternopol here. There's an English university there, so he doesn't really speak any Russian or Ukrainian. He's actually trying to learn Ukrainian, while I'm a Russian-speaker. He's been in the country for almost 2 years. He lived in England for a couple years and then came here. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only missionary in Eastern Europe with a black companion. I have never seen another black person in this city. It's interesting how people stare at us even more than normally now. His Dad is a stake president in Ghana. It's definitely an interesting experience. We've already eaten a couple different Ghanain dishes and I'm learning some cool stuff. I love him. On the otherhand, I really have to just step it up. I'm the only one who knows what's going on, so I basically just have a tagalong. Everything is new to him missionary-wise. He didn't know that schedule at all. I'm grateful for his sacrifice to serve. It's really getting me ready because I'll probably train next transfer. It's funny that I'm serving with a companion now that is less prepared than most missionaries on their first day. It'll actually kinda be a relief to have a greenie in some ways. Haha. Missions are so cool and this is an interesting turn of events.

Our new mission president Klebingat will arrive on Thursday. Probably next Wednesday I'll get to meet him in Lviv. That's what I heard, but I'm not sure. I'm excited about the change. Soon it'll be a Ghanian and a Canadian serving under a German mission president in Ukraine. I love the Gospel. I know that I was called here by a prophet of God. Thanks for all the love and support. Please pray for us.

Love always,
Elder Mahoney

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Old Ukrainian Castle Adventures

One more week spent in the former Soviet Union. The weeks are pretty good at disappearing. I think I say that just about every week, but it continues to be true. My mind has just kinda gone blank. This area is kinda crazy with all the exchanges. My companion was gone from Monday night to Thursday morning again. We got 2 new investigators this week. One was a referral from the Branch President. She has some good potential and I hope we can set up another meeting with her soon. The other was a woman who lives in a rich community. We met her husband walking around out there and we came back. The 2nd time we came back she let us in. It's the nicest house I've been in here in Ukraine. 9-foot ceilings and real hardwood floors and stairs. She gave us some homemade apple juice which is super delicious. She's not super interested, but she's really nice and she read most of the Restoration pamphlet we gave her. She said she'd read the Book of Mormon. I want to meet her friends. I know that it how the work needs to be done here. We need to make friends and grow our circle of friends.

Things changed a little from last weeks email. Natasha and Anya's baptism actually didn't happen. They both feel really good about the Church and everything they've learned they just started having some doubts about being baptized so soon. They're also afraid to tell their families. So we're still working with them and I'm sure they will be baptized in not too long. They have both burst in to tears while reading the Book of Mormon and had many other spiritual experiences, so it's just a matter of time now. Just hopefully not too much time. It's understandable that it's even tougher to join the Church here with only like 7 active members. I hope they can see some of the members in Kiev soon. Please pray for them. They're really cool.

Random thought: I read a cool quote in a talk recently, "If at first you do succeed, try something harder."

My companion is going home in 2 days. He'll leave for Kiev tonight and I won't find out if I've going to Kiev for transfer meeting until tomorrow. It's still possible, but they might just send the 2 new companions out here on their own. It's going to be and interesting period of time. I'll be on exchanges until Thursday, then I'll have a new companion. Next week well have a new mission president!

Today we took a taxi for over an hour to a castle in Kamyanets Podilska. It was pretty neat. I'll try to upload some pictures soon. Missionaries haven't gone there for a year or so. I like to do things that people don't usually do.

Time is running out. The Church is true. Our team wins in the end. Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know He lives. Thanks for all the love and support.

Much love,
Elder J. Mahoney

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The Mess-Up-Your-Fridge Button

Well, to start the week off with had a meeting with Elder L. Whitney Clayton and Elder Larry R. Lawrence and their wives, right after I wrote last week's email. It was a great meeting. Elder Clayton just stood up and opened the floor to questions. The entire meeting was just open and each of the leaders and their wives took turns answering. It was pretty powerful for them just to welcome and question and handle them so well. I must say again that the wives of these General Authorities are incredible. They speak with such power and they are all so wise. I want a wife like that. Elder Clayton talked about how priliveged we are to be serving in the country while the Church is still in it's infancy here. He talked about how we are laying the foundation for tremendous grow that will follow. When he went to Peru 40 years ago as a missionary there was 1 stake. Now there are 94. Now there is one stake in Ukraine. It's going to be incredible to see where it's at in 40 years. He told us 3 things to do: 1 - Know the doctrine; 2 - Master the language; and 3 - Overcome the fear of man. We definitely all have things to work on.

On Wednesday morning we were back in Khmelnitskiy. That evening we were observing how our fridge wasn't all that cold. I suggested we try to turn a dial or something. Elder Hafen investigated and found a button which he pressed, at which point the fridge stopped running. We went to bed hoping it would be fine and the kitchen welcomed us in the morning with a sizable puddle of water. Apparently said button is an irreversible defrost button. It wasn't until all the ice had melted in the freezer that it turned on again about 12 hours after pressing the button. I think all of our food survived and the freezer is a lot cleaner now, but I don't think I'll be carelessly pressing buttons in fridges in the future.

Other significant news: 2 girls that one of the zone leaders and I found are getting baptized this Saturday! Their names are Natasha and Anya. They're both 22 and they are elect. The approached us and we've seen them almost everyday since we met them. They come to all the activities they can and they already have testimonies of the restoration and the Book of Mormon. They even cancelled their vacation for the baptism. Natasha studied to be a singer and Anya studied psychology. Natasha is already directing the music for sacrament meeting because the girl who used to just left on a mini-mission. It's incredible to see people's lives change. They both said that they think they'd be interesting in serving a mission. I'm very excited for them. The work is interesting as you get to see miraculous lessons once in a while and then you have hours of rejection in between. I know that blessing will follow our work. It's awesome to be a missionary. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for all the prayers and support. Thank you all.

Love,
Elder Jonathan Mahoney

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We're Here to Help

Missions have a lot of ups and downs. I feel like it wasn't a super eventful week. I've been having trouble with my attitude recently. I've been dwelling too much on the negative things. Yesterday I heard a powerful testimony of a missionary about to got home. He talk about how he has seen the people here suffer, how he has seen the pain in their eyes, the emptiness. He talk about all these people have gone through and where they are now. Then he said what we should all be thinking: what these people need is the Gospel. We are here to help them. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what will change their lives for good. Even though on average I think our mission probably talks to close to 2000 people for every one person that gets baptized after running some rough numbers, it's worth it. We represent Jesus Christ in this country, in our respective cities. If Jesus Christ himself were here, even though he would be laughed at, spit upon, harassed, yelled at, etc, he would not give up. He would continue to live a perfect example and he would spend his days in the service of others. That's why we came here. That's what we need to remember.

I was reading in 3 Nephi this week and something really hit me. I've been thinking about it quite a bit. In chapter 7 we read about Nephi having seen angels and hearing the voice of the Lord. He ministered with great power and authority. He "testified, boldly, repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ." He ministered with such power that "it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words." He performed many miracles, including raising his brother from the dead who had been stoned to death by the people. It was not possible for them not to believe him. They knew his message was true, but still they were angry with him. Even after all they had seen, "there were but few who were converted unto the Lord." In his first year preaching, but few were converted. These are the first years of the Church is this country. The people are angry. They are hardhearted. But there are some who are ready and it will be said of them too that "as many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed." Even if there were nobody ready here, we are here to be an example of the believers, to literally represent Jesus Christ.

These people need help and I have what they need. I'm sorry for being less than what I should be. I pray for the strength to press forward, to love the people and to serve them. I want to be here. I want to do as the Lord commands. I love Him and want to be like Him. Please pray for all the missionaries around the world. This is a marvelous work.

Our Branch President in Khmelnitskiy is awesome. The Area Presidency here has asked leaders to read the Book of Mormon 3 times in 2011 and President Megega is already reading it for the 4th time. There are amazing leaders in the Church here. It's an honor to be counted as a saint among men like this. We actually have 4 baptismal dates in our District for June. I think there's a good chance that they will all happen. Even though we've been privileged to work with some great people we have very few people to work with so you have a good lesson and then you have a whole day where you need to just do things to try and find people and it can certainly get discouraging. I'm trying to be more creative here. The way to these people is through their friends. It is very strange in this culture to just approach people you don't know with no connection to them. The results show that trying to do that yields almost nothing. Most people that get baptized basically come up to us. We need to work through the people to get to their friends. If they aren't ready it's okay, they can still introduce us to their friends. That's what I want to get good at. It will be fun and it will be effective. President Steinagel says, "If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." If anybody has any other ideas for how to make the work fun, I welcome them.

Yesterday morning I got on a train at 04:00 to come over to Kiev. The whole mission gathered yesterday evening for a Family Home Evening with the Steinagel family as they will be leaving in about 3 weeks and a new Mission President and his family will replace them. It was so great to be around all the missionaries and to hear the testimonies of 14 missionaries going home in less than 2 weeks. Today we will have another meeting where President L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy and President Larry R. Lawrence of the Europe East Area Presidency will address us. I'm excited for that. Then tonight we'll get on a train home at midnight. I love being a missionary. I am very grateful for all the prayers and support. This Church is true. Jesus is the Christ.

Love,

Elder J. Mahoney

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