Sofia via Vienna

Most of my week was spent in or travelling to and from Sofia, Bulgaria to renew my visa. I travelled to Kiev on Monday and flew through Vienna to Sofia on Thursday. I went with 5 other Ukrainian-speaking missionaries who came to the country with me. It was a pretty cool trip overall. The Church rents an apartment in Sofia just for the Ukrainian missionaries who travel to renew their visas. While we're in Bulgaria we don't really have anything to do, so we just walk around and look at the city. There are also many American restaurants which we don't have here, so we eat a lot too. While I was there we went to Dunkin' Donuts, KFC, Burger King, a Chinese restaurant, and some other Bulgarian one. It was pretty cool. We don't have any of those restaurants in Ukraine.

Sofia is a really nice city. Really make Ukraine look like a 3rd world country. It's very clean there and almost everybody I talked to knew either English or Russian. Our visas are a little weird and say that we can only stay in the country for 90 days and apparently we were lucky to get back into the country because all the other missionaries in the MTC are not getting visas to Ukraine right now and they don't know when they'll be able to. Our Mission President isn't even leaving the country in case they don't let him back in. I guess they just changed some laws in September. I just heard that the new missionaries should come on December 5th. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I flew back in on Thursday and slept in Kiev, then took a train back to Khmelnitskiy on Friday. It is nice to be back "home." We're just settling back in and looking forward to another good week. I don't know too much more what to say.

I know that God lives. I feel His love in my life everyday and it's awesome to be a part of this work. Somehow it seems like I have less than half my mission left. I wanna make the best of it. Please pray that we can find some new people to teach. We need miracles.

Love,

Elder J. Mahoney

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"I don't understand Russian."

So, a few switch ups recently. There was an early transfer and Elder Alex Larsen went and switched places in Vinnitsya with Elder Jeremy Carnes who came here. It's kinda neat to have a new member in our district. I also found out last week that I'm going to Bulgaria tomorrow to renew my visa, so that'll be a neat trip. Times flying. It's pretty weird really.

This week was interesting. We talked to a lot of people. President Klebingat encouraged us, at the beginning of the week, to pray with people on the street. Then when we'd make a return appointment they'd already become new investigators. We were able to do that with 2 men on Tuesday which was great. The unfortunate thing is that neither of them came to the appointments and we can't get ahold of them. We've been able to teach quite a few people on the street though, amid dozens of rejections. We get some pretty funny rejections sometimes. I'll share a couple.

Yesterday morning I said "good morning" to a man in Russian and asked how he was doing. He responded in Russian, saying, "I don't understand Russian." I asked, "What do you mean?" He said something else back in Russian and I said, "You're speaking Russian right now," as he walked away. Haha. The other one that I got a kick out of a few days ago was a guy I approached, started to talk to and he just started shaking his head. I asked him, "What does that mean?" He started pretending to sign language. I laughed in his face and he smirked a little. What a goof. He could clearly hear me. Haha.

Yesterday evening we talked to a man for about 3 hours who said he was interested, but would not take anything. He said in the end that he was sure that his Church is the true church. I testified so boldly to him repeatedly about multiples points of doctrine and I could feel the Spirit bear witness of it. It's incredible sometimes how even when people understand our message they refuse to read and ask God. It didn't matter what I said at all, when it comes down to it we just invite others to find out for themselves. I hope that something I said to him will ring in his head and he'll come around sometime. He was a pleasant, big man, who used a lot of words I wasn't familiar with. Haha.

Things are going alright though there are still few people that will even listen to us. As I read the scriptures and wicked peoples are described I'm often amazed at how, unfortunately, it is describing exactly what I see around me. I know that there are people here who are ready for the message, I just pray that I can find some. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it's the Truth. I was able to testify yesterday that I would die for it. I really would because it is true. It's a lot harder to live for it though, so that's what I'm working on. God lives. He knows and loves each one of us. I know these things to be true because the Holy Ghost has born witness to me.

Thanks for the prayers and the love,

Elder Jonathan Mahoney

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Living Apostles and Prophets

I just have to say that General Conference was amazing! We were able to watch it this past weekend and I loved the whole thing. I feel so blessed to know that Christ's Church is on the earth today and to have the opportunity to hear the inspired words of prophets and apostles today. God truly speaks in our day.

We also had President Klebingat over for Sunday. We had a brief meeting with him in the morning as missionaries and he continues to amaze me. Elder Hair and I were talking about it and concluded that we have a pretty hard time thinking of anything that's not awesome about him. I feel very blessed to have him as my mission president. I'm sure my relationship with him will bless me for the rest of my life.

Elder Hair and I are still having our struggles, but we're pressing forward. We're trying new things and though we're not seeing anybody progress or even be interested at the moment and I know that we are doing what we're supposed to and we're learning.

I love the Lord. It's a privilege to be involved in this work. I loved how Elder Holland called for more missionaries, young and old. I'm looking forward to seeing the response to that call. I know that the numbers are going to go up. I can feel that the Church is really moving forward. The stone that's rolling is growing and it won't stop. I love this. God is good.

Thanks for the love and support,

Elder Jonathan Mahoney

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The Beginning of Something Big

Another week just disappeared. I'm pretty sure I say something like that every week, but I always have that feeling at about this time. We've been really working harder to talk to more people and give more people a chance to hear our message. There are lots of people who are not ready yet. I can tell you that for sure. I'm pretty used to being rejected. I can do that all day. The trick is to have the faith that some people will eventually be interested. I have faith that they're out there. I'm really trying now to learn to follow the Spirit better, so we can just be lead to those who are ready. I know that the Church is going to grow here more that we can imagine today. I don't know how it's going to get going, but we're doing what we can to build more of a foundation.

One cool thing that happened this week was a service project. On Saturday morning we got to ride a boat to a little island and pick up garbage. There's a lot of garbage here. Most of it is alcohol bottles or cigarette packages really. If people would just keep the word of wisdom, I bet almost all the litter would be eliminated. It was neat though, the newspaper and TV were there and came out to the island too, so they didn't have anything to do, but take pictures of us. Haha. There were a few others on the island too, but mostly just our branch.

That afternoon we had a missionary day. We talked with the branch for a little bit beforehand, then we split up in groups and went out to share the gospel. It was great to be out with the members and preach. Again, nobody was really interested, but it was good. I love the members here and they are true pioneer. We had 11 at Sacrament Meeting again, including the 4 missionaries. This is just the beginning of a big thing. I know that this is Christ Church and it's awesome! I love being a missionary. God is good. Thanks for the support. I love you all.

- Elder Mahoney

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This City's Older Than My Country

So, since last weekend was messed up, it's only been 6 days since I last wrote. Time goes so fast here. I'm grateful for all who read my last email and I can feel your prayers for us.

We've been really trying to work harder on being missionaries all the time and talking to people wherever we are. I never really stopped talking to people, but I can be better at going out of my way to talk to them. It's weird, I think that part of it is me becoming more and more Russian. I start to do more and more things they do, and talking to people they don't know is not typically one of them. I guess I need to resist some of the cultural things, while accepting some. I want to be a better missionary and we really need to find more people to teach. We hardly have anybody right now and the new investigators aren't just lining up. Times are a bit challenging now, but I feel myself stretching. I know that these times are for our good. Today in the letter from our mission president Klebingat he said: 

Nothing great has ever happened in the Lord's work without there first being a trial(s) of faith. "I will try the faith of my people" (3 Nephi 26:11) the Lord said and John Taylor has shared the following perspective from the Prophet Joseph:  "I heard the Prophet Joseph say in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion: 'You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (he said) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God.'" (Journal of Discourses, 24:197.) But hear this: You WILL see the blessings unfold soon enough if you only learn your lessons about faith! Please my good Elders and Sisters, be missionaries and be full of faith and allow Heavenly Father to help you fulfill your purpose.

I'm sure there's something we need to learn from these tough times. I'm trying to figure it out. It's awesome to be here anyway and to be put in these situations. We're trying to plan a little multi-branch YSA activity for the end of October to get things stirred up a little bit. Almost half of the members on our list are young adults and basically none of them are active. It's fun to do things that have never been done before. I like that.

Saturday was the City of Khmelnitskiy's birthday. It is 580 years old! Wow. It was pretty cool to see so many people gathered for the different events around the city. Fun stuff. It's pretty amazing how far the history of this country goes back.

I love my Lord and I'm honored to serve Him. I'm so excited for General Conference coming up. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet and that this Church, Christ's Church, is led by inspiration, by revelation from Christ Himself. Thanks for the support. God is good.

Love,

Elder Mahoney

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14 hours in a Taxi

Weird week. I've got a lot on my mind.

I'm pretty sure I told you all that I'm staying in Khmelnitskiy and nothing has changed in our District. The one thing that did change is that they got rid of our zone meaning that we're now in the Carpathian Zone and our Zone Leaders are in Lviv. We had a great lesson with Dennis this past week. He really hadn't been reading much and he didn't have a really good excuse for not coming to church last week, but we were able to talk very openly and honestly and he basically taught himself. He's studying at university, so he complains about not having time to read. I felt prompted to suggest that he should pray and read at least a page of the Book of Mormon everyday before studying and I promised him in the name of the Lord that everything would be easier and his life would be better if he did it. It feels so awesome to be guided by the Spirit. When I talked to him yesterday he said he's been doing it and things have been better. The gospel is amazing.

On Saturday morning us 4 Elders took a taxi to Lviv for branch leadership training since we all have callings in the branch. It was over 4 hours in the taxi. It was really cool to see Branch leaders from all over western Ukraine and meet some people that I'd heard about before. President Klebingat taught in Russian and I interpreted for the whole thing, about 3 hours, for a senior couple. It's fun to interpret. I like it. Our mission president is amazing. I learn a lot from him. That night we took the same taxi back.

On Sunday morning we had some pretty good Church meetings. 4 of our members had been to the temple last week so they bore awesome testimonies of the work there. It's awesome to see the light in their eyes after being at the temple. I love the temple and miss it. I want to go a lot more often, but it doesn't really work out for us nowadays. After Church we ate and got in another taxi to... Lviv... Yep, back to Lviv. We stayed the night there and had Zone Conference yesterday. It was really good. I feel like I had a lot of weight just dropped on my shoulders though. I feel like I need to repent and try harder to become a better missionary. The standards were really raised in our mission. I know that I can't do all of this on my own, so I really need to pray and seek the help of the Lord to succeed. I don't feel a lot of peace in my soul right now, so I'm praying. I want to be better. I want to truly be an instrument in the Lord's hand. I want to set a good example for my companion to get his mission off to a good start. I definitely need help from on high. Any prayers on our behalf are greatly appreciated.

Yesterday night we came back in a taxi too, so that why we're having p-day on Tuesday. I know that I'm supposed to be here. I know that God lives and loves me. I humbled to wear Christ's name on my chest each day. I know He is my Savior and Redeemer. I love Him. Thanks to all for the support.

Love,

Elder Jonathan Mahoney

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Buses, Taxis, Planes, and Trains

A brand new week is upon us again. Time is flying. They changed the way we do transfers her now. We now find out on Saturdays if we are being transferred and on Monday we get a list of where everybody is going. Then we will travel directly to our new areas. There's also a new rule that came from the Area Presidency that we can no longer travel at night. We used to do a lot of overnight trains. Now we have to use whatever means possible to keep this rule, be it bus, taxi, plane, or train. That'll be a change for sure.

So, this being transfer week, we just found out on Saturday that nobody's being transferred in our district. One thing is changing though. They dissolved our zone, so now we will be a part of the Carpathian Zone and our Zone Leaders will be in Lviv. Interesting. Change is fun. I'll be in Khmelnitskiy for another 7 weeks now since it'll be a long transfer apparently due to some changes where now native Russian missionaries will be going to the Madrid MTC instead of Provo. Oh yeah, this also means Elder Hair and I are the only Russian-speaking missionaries in our zone.

Last Monday we went to a place called Medzhibizh where there's a little fortress. It was kinda cool. We got to climb around it a little bit and take some neat pictures that I'll have to send soon.

On Tuesday we help one of our members shovel potatoes. It's like a rule in Ukraine that you must plant and dig potatoes if you're Ukrainian. I helped plant them in spring, but it was my first time digging them. It's nice to help and feel like I'm a part of the culture here.

We've really been pushing to meet and work with the less actives. We've been able to get ahold of a few of them and one at Church for the first time in a few weeks. It's sad when people fall away, but we're doing what we can to get them back.

Recently I've been feeling really great about the language. It's not perfect yet, but I can see it coming and I feel like I'm learning faster than ever. I really want people to think that I'm Russian before I go home. Sometimes they do, but not for too long. If I master Russian soon enough, I might do a real push on Ukrainian too. It's pretty fun stuff.

We had a lesson with an investigator this week who lied to us. It's pretty annoying when somebody said they read the Book of Mormon, but then it's obvious that they didn't. It's really disappointing when you try so hard just to get them to read, but they won't do it. I know that that's what it takes. I know that if they read and pray anybody can receive a witness that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God. I know it because I did it. That's why I came here to spend 2 years in Ukraine, because it's all true. I know it. Christ appeared again in our day and restored His Church. There's a living prophet on the earth. I'm so excited for General Conference coming up and we're really trying to help everybody prepare for it. I love being a missionary.

Love,

Elder J. Mahoney

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