Truly He is Risen

Patricia was baptized this Saturday!!! Her baptism and confirmation

were incredible, Spirit-filled events, and I know that everyone who

was present was uplifted. In our mission lately we've really been

focusing on making sure our baptismal services are sacred so that all

can feel the Spirit and so that the convert will be able to remember

that day for the rest of his or her life. And that definitely happened

this Saturday.

We met with Patricia a few times this week to finish preparing her for

her baptism. At one lesson, we were discussing the Word of Wisdom in

greater depth than before. It came out that she wasn't sure if she was

ready to give up coffee. She expressed hesitancy, saying she didn't

know if she could quit completely by Saturday. (In case you're

wondering, that's not really something you want to hear the day before

their baptismal interview . . . so we were slightly concerned.) We

were praying very hard during that lesson to know exactly how to help

her find the courage and desire to quit completely. We laid the plan

of salvation before her, testifying of God's love for us and our great

potential through the Atonement of Jesus Christ to become clean and to

someday return to God. As we talked about the Celestial Kingdom and

how it has been our goal since before we were born to someday live in

the Celestial Kingdom, the Spirit was very strong. Patricia told us

that she wants to live there - and that is much more important than

her cup of coffee. Surprised and completely happy, we testified of

that and promised that God would help her to make and keep these

covenants with Him. I am grateful for a God who directs His

missionaries to know what to say and who sends His Spirit to help His

children feel truth and desire to return to Him.

Everything went practically perfectly on Saturday as the baptismal

ordinance was performed. It was so wonderful to see the

Russian-speakers in the branch come out to support Patricia, and the

Spirit during the entire meeting and ordinance was incredible. Tongai,

a recent convert and Patricia's boyfriend, performed the actual

baptism. I don't quite know how to describe how powerful that was -

it's incredible to see God working in the hearts of His children and

helping them change and accept the restored gospel. Patricia told us

that she was just so happy and couldn't stop smiling - and she didn't

know why. :) When she came to church the next morning for her

confirmation, the branch presidency commented to us that they almost

didn't recognize her - such a change had occurred in her countenance

and she is now so full of light and joy. I'm so grateful that I got to

play a small role in the conversion of that dear friend! I really love

Patricia, and I'm so excited that she has made these covenants with

our Father in Heaven. She is going to be an incredible strength to the

church, and I know that her life has changed forever.

We met a family this week while we were tracting in a large apartment

complex. That grandmother, mother, and son were three of the nicest

people in the world, and it was a treat to get to share the message of

the Restoration with them. The son is about my age and he suffers from

cerebral palsy. Nonetheless, he is incredibly educated and is

finishing his Masters' degree in law this summer. He is very

interested in religion and knows the Bible very well. They were

excited to receive their own copy of the Book of Mormon, and even

though we can't go back until law exams are over this summer, I'm

really excited that we met this family.

English practice this week was definitely up there in the top three of

my mission (along with me not knowing how to make a peanut butter

sandwich, and the time we did skits). There is something incredibly

gratifying in watching a dozen Ukrainians search the room for Easter

eggs containing jelly beans and English questions they need to answer.

Good times. It was also fun to talk with them about their Easter

traditions. My favorite of which is definitely . . .

. . . Greeting everybody on the streets on Easter with the words,

"Christ is risen!" and having them respond, "Truly He is risen."

Yesterday was definitely the best Easter morning of my life as Sister

Burgoyne and I walked around the streets of Simferopol greeting our

Ukrainian brothers and sisters with our testimonies of the

resurrection of our Lord. It is true that the Holy Ghost testifies

whenever truth is stated, and I definitely felt that on the streets as

we either extended or answered the traditional Easter greeting. It was

neat to see everyone on their way to church with their baskets of

Easter eggs and cakes, and there was a feeling of joy in the air as we

all rejoiced together that our Lord is risen. I thought a lot about

what it means that Christ is risen. And I am convinced that those are

the most joyful, hope-filled words in all of holy writ. Because Christ

rose from the grave, we all will live again. We will be reunited with

all those we have loved in this life. We are freed from sin and the

effects of our past mistakes if we will but turn to the Healer of our

souls. We receive the blessings of the priesthood and of the temple -

we can be with our families forever! We are given peace in this life

and have the assurance of eternal life in the world to come. In short,

we have everything because Christ rose again. He means everything to

the world, and He is everything in my life. Without Him we are

nothing, but through and because of Him we can and will live forever,

and we have the possibility of eternal glory if we accept Him into our

lives. Christ is the reason I am here on a mission, walking the

streets of a nation so far from my own, talking with people in a

language that is foreign - I am here because Christ rose from the

grave! And He has spoken to us in our day and called a living prophet

who has restored greater knowledge about our Savior and Redeemer and

how we can fully access His priceless Atonement. That is truly the

most glorious news the world has ever heard.

-Sharisa