Matthew 11:28-30

Привет!

So it has been pouring rain all week! I always think, "Oh maybe it will stop today" Nope, not really going to happen! I don't know if it will ever stop! Sometimes when I walk out the door I feel like I'm going to drown, it is so funny! I love it! Как раз as I'm typing this email I look outside and it's super clear and sunny, haha! Well another week has come and flown by! This week I will hit my 6 month mark on my mission... UNBELIEVABLE. Wasn't it just yesterday I was starting kindergarten? I know, I know I'm a cheese-ball, sorry. This week we had a fun time here in Харкьовский we got to do a great service project! Yay, and it was awesome service!

A member in our ward and her husband moved out to the village this week and they needed a lot of help cleaning up their new cute humble house. I loved this service! It felt so good to get into a pair of jeans. (It was funny though because I felt so awkward wearing jeans in public, I felt like the whole world was staring at me, when in reality I was in normal clothes, I have been a missionary for too long ;) ) I loved getting my hands dirty, I cleaned out their cellar it reminded me of my days working with Papa Lee, it was so nice! And we did service for Lida, who knows... Brother Manis!!!! :) I was talking to her and she served her mission here in Kyiv but is originally from Armania I said "Hey my favorite seminary teacher served in Armania maybe you know him!" And she does! Shout out to Brother Manis! It's Lida Minasyan, she is so awesome we love her. And we were so grateful for the time we had to do service.

So this week I kind of hit a slug (is that understandable? I think that is just some Mariel vocabulary) But I was just having a hard time. I wasn't homesick or anything- you all know I love it here. But my heart was literally breaking when people weren't willing to listen. It wasn't in a selfish way like "Why won't you listen to me?!" But in a way that's like "I have what you need, why won't you let me help you?"  So many people here really do have hard lives, and my heart just aches for them, but at the same time it rejoices in the fact that, I know what can help them! I know what can give them peace! Oh, but how heart breaking it is when they don't let me share this joy. I myself started to feel a load heavy on my back. Finally one day I just hit a wall I became exhausted, completely drained physically and mentally. I was slow to practice what I preach that night when 10:30 came and I said a prayer just so I could go to bed, not a prayer of any worth really and hit the pillow and fell asleep. The next morning I woke up even more tired than I was when I went to bed the night before, trudging through the regular morning schedule, I was not excited for the day ahead of me. (I'm sorry this sounds so awful, I promise it has a happy ending!) I started my studies really not paying much attention to what I was reading when our phone vibrated. It was a text from Sister Montgomery from my MTC district! She randomly texted me and said "Hey Sister Lee I don't know why, but I think you should read Matthew 11:28-30." Which reads;

 "28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Tears have never came so freely as they did at that moment. It was such a humbling experience for me to have. Every day I tell people of how Christ is our Savior and He will help us, but I was so slow to use this knowledge in my own life, I don't know why. How grateful I am for my sweet sister, Sister Montgomery following her prompting of the spirit and sending me that text even though she did not really understand why.

I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of us and He will put people in our lives to help us through our times when we "labour and are heavy laden" and forever Christ will be there. Heavenly Father sent Christ to the earth so we could always have someone to turn to when we feel completely alone.

We were visiting an inactive family this week and the mother asked me "Sister Lee, did Heavenly Father ever regret sending His son to earth?" She went on to talk about how he was treated so poorly and eventually was crucified, and then she went on to say I could never do that to my son. I thought about our Heavenly Father at that time and I felt so much love and gratitude for Him. How hard that must have been for Him, but He did it for us! So that when we are in desperate need of help, when we truly believe no one else is there, Christ can be there and step in and say "No! You are not alone. I am here. I know how you feel." How grateful I am for not only Christ and his sacrifice but also for our sweet Heavenly Father who loves us so much, we can't even begin to fathom. I finally answered with "No, I don't think Heavenly Father ever has regretted sending His son, because as long as someone is using the atonement it is worth it. THEIR sacrifice was worth it."

So this is me bearing testimony once again of the atonement. It is so real. I love it. I still need to use it more and more, and I challenge all of you to use it more and more. I'm sorry for my gloomy words in the beginning of this letter, I promise I'm happy now! I love my life. I love my opportunity to serve here in beautiful Kyiv. And I love my knowledge that I know I have a loving Heavenly Father and I have a Savior Jesus Christ, and how grateful I am for the Holy Ghost who has testified that unto me.

I love you all more than words can say. Thank you for your support and prayers! Keep up the good work and be happy!!!

All of my love,

Your sister, Sister Lee