Sister Jessica Powell: Unrest in Ukraine

This Week in the Kiev Ukraine Mission

Although the Church announce the safety of all the missionaries in Ukraine amid the social unrest, Sister Powell shared:

I am living. Not a scratch. Nor fear. Many of you may know more than I do. We have a situation, but doubt not fear not, the Lord is at our side.

Violence broke and we quickly got tucked away in our cute Ukranian apartments. Safe and the soundest. How valiant :)

Here's my honesty: I was scared, but here we are living our lives.

Sister Nielson and I were were on lockdown for three days and there is no one I would rather spend 80+ hours with. We made emergency kits, cleaned our apartment, and most of all STUDIED!

I am grateful for all of your prayers. I know that I am safe. I know that the lord keeps his missionaries safe.

19 Feb 2014
Dear parents and family of Ukraine Kiev missionaries,

As you are undoubtedly aware, protests and violence have reached dramatic levels in downtown Kiev and, to a lesser degree, in other major cities across Ukraine. In consultation with the Area Presidency and Church security I have instructed all missionaries to stay inside their apartments today to assure their safety . All meetings and associated travel arrangements by missionaries have been cancelled. Please be aware that for the time being the center of violence is still localized in downtown Kiev with the other areas of the city remaining very calm.

Missionaries have been instructed to maintain a sufficient supply of food in their apartments and may be instructed to remain inside as long as required. You may rest assured that everything is being done to keep your missionary safe. I am in frequent contact with Church security and the US embassy as well as local leaders to monitor developments across our mission.

If the situation normalizes in the next few days you may expect to get an Email from your missionary on Monday, otherwise I will again send you a message with an update.

Best wishes,

President Klebingat
Ukraine Kiev Mission

Sister Jessica Powell: Feeling the Love of God for His Children

This Week in the Kiev, Ukraine Mission

A few evenings ago, my companion and I felt inspired to stop in a dark, unlit park and pass out American Chocolate Chip cookies we had made. Light was almost absent. We walked to the brightest area but in the darkness was a man digging through the trash for bottles. "He wants one."

We approached him but the light was not enough for him to see what we had to offer. Regardless, he could smell them, I know he could. We talked to him for a moment, offered him some cookies, and began to gather a few for him, yet he said "no". I KNEW that he wanted them. BECAUSE I DID and I had just eaten myself a find meal of Cabbage and buck wheat! (like I do every night :) I wanted to eat ALL the cookies, and I knew that he wanted that little bundle we tried to hand to him.

Our conversation continued. We asked him if he believed in god. He said "yes." "Do you believe he answers your prayers" -- He was silent-- That was answer enough.

Although my Russian is poor, I suddenly understood more than words about this man. About the life he has lived. And that his life is real, gut-wrenchingly hard, full of loss, pain, and sorrow I will never understand. My sympathy, empathy, compassion, all the me I can muster will never understand the life and the darkness this man has known..

I felt a taste of the pain of one of Gods most precious children. He wept as he answered our question "why would he not answer then?" "Why would God not stop this pain from happening?" As he wept. wondering if God loved him, or answered his prayers. A grown man (60 or so) filled with torment of the choices of other human beings was left to wonder if God cared.

I was overcome with a deep and un-wordly feeling. Love. Love closest to the pure love of Christ I have ever felt. These were not my feelings. I absolutely believe I was offered a taste of heaven as I tried to understand the pain that this man knows all too well. My heart felt as if it might explode .