Dave and Sue McQueen

2010-11-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

Additional journal entires

2010-06-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

"Dear President and sister McQueen,
I want to thank you for all the help you have given me on my mission. I have learned a lot and am looking forward to learning more. I'm grateful that you were my president for the last part of my mission. You have left a very good impression on me, and I hope I have left a good impression on you. Thanks again."

"Pres and Sister McQueen,
Thanks for all you've done, for all the grief and stress you go through for us. We really do appreciate it. I hope you have as great a time as I have. Keep it up. I love Ukraine. Thanks."

"Dear President and sister McQueen,
Thank you for helping me build my testimony. My mission has changed my life. I can never be the same. This is the greatest work in the world. I love you."

"Dear President and sister McQueen,
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and love. For everything that you have done for me. I am grateful for everything I have learned and everything you have taught me. You are awesome examples. I love you both."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
Thank-you for your wonderful examples and uplifting talks. I really appreciate your righteous leadership. I hope the rest of your mission continues successfully. I know you will bless many lives."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
I am so excited to be here. The Ukrainian food was 1,000 times better than the MTC. It is wonderful to finally be in the field. I look forward to these next 22 months here with you in Ukraine. "

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
I am really looking forward to serving in Ukraine. I am a little nervous about the unknown but I know that the Lord will help if I do my part. I can hardly wait to get started."

"Presidents McQueen,
Oh my heavens! That meal you just served to us was incredible. I'm going to be thinking about how good it was for the next 2 years. Thanks for everything so far and everything to come."

"President and Sister McQueen,
Thank you so much for your hospitality and for giving us a really good impression about Ukraine. I am so looking forward to this. It is going to be an interesting transition but I love it. The food you cooked was so good. I'm in for an adventure. I know I was called here for a reason. I am so thankful for this opportunity. This is great. I'm actually here."

"President and Sister McQueen ,
thank you for the wonderful meal. It is the best I've eaten in a couple of months. So far my impressions of Ukraine are good. I'm looking forward to the work. Hopefully with hard work and the Lords help I will know how to speak Russian. Thank you for all your help so far and in the future. Love."

"Pres and Sister McQueen,
Thank you for the great welcome into the mission. I am kind of nervous but excited to serve. I want to work hard. Thank you for being hospitable."

"Pres and Sister McQueen,
Wow! I am grateful to be here. Thank you for helping us with the transition. I am excited to serve the Lord and the people of Ukraine."

"Pres and Sister McQueen,
I am grateful to be here. I don't know the language very well, but I know how to work and how to be obedient. It will come if I put all my heart to the mission and the Lord. Thank you for your love and taking us in like family."

"President and sister McQueen,
Thanks for all the things you have done for me, and for the mission."

"Hey what can I say. Thanks for the amazing opportunity to serve up in Poltava as Branch President. I feel like I've made my mission and grown the most in testimony in the last 6 months of my mission. An experience that I will never forget."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
Thanks for all the memories. I'll never forget them. I love this work."

"Thank you very much for looking after me and teaching me. I'll never forget the things I've learnt here. Thank you very much."

"Well not much to say. It has always been hard to write my feelings. Thanks for your love for missionary work. You can really feel your love for missionaries. Keep up the great work."

"This is one of those moments where you grow 10 years in a minute. I want to say I love these people and I love this work. work hard and be happy!"

President and Sister McQueen,
Thank you both for all you've taught me! Thanks for everything you've done in the mission to help us all grow and become better missionaries! Thank you for your love and support always! I love this work so much and I love these awesome people! Good luck with the rest of your mission. You are both among my greatest heroes."

"If I could even start to thank you, I wouldn't be able to find the words. Not because I'm forgetting my English, but because you've done more for me than I can even comprehend. I've gained more in the past two years and 10 days than I have or ever will. I more than love this place and these people. Feels to me that I just got here. This is the work of the Lord and it doesn't stop after you go home. This is (was) the biggest honor."

More Journal entries from missionaries.

2010-06-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

"President and Sister McQueen. I would like to write a few simple words: Thank you, I love you, you will be in my prayers, you will be blessed for our work, I will miss you, and never forget you, and the experiences you gave me. May God bless you always. You've made dreams come true."

"Well, time has surely flown by. It's a shame that we only got to know each other for a short time. Well, I am so grateful for all the help and support and advise you have given me. It has helped me on my mission and will help me for the rest of my life. I hope your mission is everything you want it to be. I love you both and will always remember you. The work will continue."

"Things here have finally come to an end for me. I will never forget what has happened for me here. I'm very grateful to you for the love you have for us. Thanks for all that you've done. I love these people! I don't know what will happen with them later in life but I will just pray and do all I can to help them from America. Take care of them."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
I have arrived, finally. What a wonderful adventure it has been. What an awesome couple of days. The train ride was very long, but all I did was sleep. The plane ride was long, but very interesting. The country is poor and very different. I am excited to finally be able to work. I just can't wait to share such a great and rich message. You both are awesome, thank you. The journey had begun."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
I'll have to admit that Ukraine is a lot different than I expected. It's nothing like America, from what I can tell. I think it's going to be fun to get out and learn about this culture. My mom was worried that I would starve here, but after I had the meal here today I don't think she needs to worry. I'm excited to get to work and share the message I've been learning about for the past 19 years. Thanks for giving us such a great loving welcome!"

"I'm so excited to be here in Ukraine! I can't wait to get out and bring the gospel to the people. I know it's going to change their lives like it has changed mine. I also can't wait to learn the language and about the culture. And I know that I'll learn a lot about the gospel and everything else while I'm here for two years. Thanks so much for all you've done for us."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
I want to say at this time how grateful I am to be here and to serve while I'm out here on my mission. I want to work as hard as I can and do all I can to serve the people of Ukraine and bring happiness into their lives."

"Dear President and Sister McQueen,
Thank you so much for everything. You've helped me so much. I know your call is from God. I know this is the work of the Lord. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know Jesus is the Christ. I know that only through Him may we be happy. Thank you. I love you."

"Dear President and sister McQueen,
I really appreciate all you do. You two really are a good example for me. I know that God called you here for may different reasons. I know that your service is needed. This mission has changed so much since you've come. I've really learned to love all aspects of this work. I feel more prepared for live because of the things you've taught us. This mission really is an MTC for life. Your emphasis on the missionary and his/her calling and happiness personally did much for me. God bless you, thanks for everything."

"Thank you so much for everything. I've learned so much here on my mission. You both have really helped me out."

"Well, I guess this is it. It is over. It has been a blast and I loved it. The church is true and the work will go forward. I've learned a lot, but the gospel is still true no matter what. The spirit has been strong and I've grown - wow. What an experience. Can't be put into words. The church is true."

"It was inspiring to watch both of you - your examples of faith, of acceptance and love. It was certainly a standard to measure up to. Most of all, I loved seeing your strong relationship with each other. I think I agree with the words of the called to serve video - when you are out working with all your heart, there is never a happier time in your life. If you give only 75%, you are never going to have the Spirit's support. But when you give your whole soul, your strength seems to never end. I will always be thankful to theLord for the many lessons and miracles of my mission."

"Dear president ans Sister McQueen,
Well it is over. I love you both and I am grateful for the friendship which we have developed. I love my mission. I hope in 20 or 30 years you will be able to see that I love my mission. Maybe in three years you will have to come mountain biking down in ..."

"Was up my parents of the mission? I love you both so much, thanks for everything you have taught and given me here in the mission. I'm so blessed that I could come and serve here in Ukraine. I know the church is true with all my heart. I love the B.O.M. I love how Maxwell put it, "The Book of Mormon is drenched in Christ." Don't forget that kid in O- town who will never forget you both. Thanks for the loves and believing! The work is so true and we are so blessed, keep in touch! You know the loves are here. I'll check you in a few! Picture me roll'in. Thank you! Laters!"

McQueen's,
There is no way that I could describe my feelings to you in this book. You have both taught me so much and I am so thankful to you. I loved serving here with you and helping you as best I could. I love my mission with all my heart. I don't feel like I'm going home. I'm so empty. It will feel weird to live outside of the mission. We'll be praying for you and the mission. I love you.

2010-05-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

More Journal entries:

1. "What can I say in parting - except that it is all about the people and God's love for them. I am thankful for the opportunity I have had to testify of the Savior and the restored gospel. The time on a mission I have had is very precious to me and I am grateful to you for your examples and desires to serve. Good luck and all the best in everything your do!"

2. "This is such a beautiful home! It seems like I've never left America a few days ago. Sister McQueen is a great cook and this apartment is so nice and warm. It's great to be here and feel of the McQueen's spirit. Thank you!"

3. "This is such an awesome place! I am so excited to work as hard as I can all the time for the Lord. This church is true. I love it and want to share it with everyone!"

4. "This is all still kind of weird for me. I can't wait to get started, but I still don't know what to expect. This has been a great experience so far, and I'm sure it'll get better. Can't wait!"

5. "I am just way excited to be here. I want to work hard and be the best missionary in this mission! I love the Ukraine and hope to help a lot of people!"

6. "Thank you so much for your hospitality. I have felt your kindness so much since I have been here. I want to do the best I can. I know that I am in the right place here. I can't wait to get to work. Thanks again."

7. "Thank you for your love and support. This will be a new experience for me of course. But it is one that I need. Thank you for serving us all Thanksgiving. Many in the district truly needed it. I am ready for this experience. Here I go! Thank you so much. It is good to know that you are here for your love and support."

8. "I just want to thank you for your love. All is well."

9. Some comments from some of the missionaries who were kicked out of Kharkov in Dec 1999.

"I was here."

"Having been cast from my area in Kharkov I slept my first and probably last night in the posch second spare room at presidents. Been a pleasure."

"I feel like a poor refugee."

"It's so nice to be here again! Good food, sleep and shower."

"I've got a cold and I've been deported. The work is still true. Enjoy!"

"Its been a pleasure to be a guest in the palace."

10. "The mission was great! I will never forget it. Only love works!"

11. "I am so happy to have served inUkraine! Keep working!"

12. "I've only been here a few hours but I already love Ukraine!"

13. "Wow, I wonder if I can do this? I'm not going home, and I've been here...well a long time. Elder _____ and Elder _____ love being in the office! I'm just tech support. Well for all you who read this know that I sat here and pondered deep thoughts. 'Hmm that was good food. I wonder what it means when the salads get mixed and you throw a brownie on top?' I guess we'll find out tonight after its had time to sit. Any other deep thoughts are also free of charge, just ask Elder _____ or write new office Elder!"

14. "2 years? I'm going home. I should probably write something profound and wise, maybe all the wisdom I've accumulated in two years of missionary work. All I can say is that its been real. I have seen the gospel change lives and felt the gospel change me. I am and will be eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity that I had to be a missionary in Ukraine. I love the missionaries, the members and the investigators. If you are interested, ask the president about my boils. Work hard. Be good. Live the gospel. Let the Lord change you. Smile."

15. "Its incredible to think that this time has already come. Its been a great two years, I'll remember them for the rest of my life. Its really neat to think how our Heavenly Father prepares the way for us. I know lots of lives have been touched, because the Lord has prepared the way so we met one another. This church is true. I know it. It's crazy to think of the growth in the understanding of the gospel, which has come to one through this work. I'm forever grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity. Thank you President and Sister McQueen for your love, examples and everything. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to help you and be around you at the end of my mission and the beginning of yours. Thank you very much."

16. "Thank you, thank you, thank you for the opportunities you gave me. This mission is a gift from God. I will always be thankful for it. President, don't worry about me. I am in the church to stay and I will serve Him to the very end of all. This church is Christ's."

17. "May God bless you in your efforts to lead the church onward here. I dearly love this place and I know the day will come when wards and stakes shall dot the land. You've taught me and loved me and I want you to know I will be eternally grateful and I will be willing to help you in anyway you will ever need. The work here will go onward blossoming faster and faster as the missionaries get the spirit. I wish you the best in all you do."

2010-05-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

We found an old journal that had some writings of missionaries coming and going from the mission and thoughts from other events. We thought it would be interesting to post them minus the name of the writer.

1. "Mexican Fiesta for the Donetsk Department of Religion.

It was a silly, sunny, chilly (sunny + chilly = silly) day and the refried beans were frying ... again. What kind are they anyway? Well, they cost 7 griven. And the fried rice was a bit sticky, but that's okay. Just for the record though you should know that last night at a small apartment in a very small kitchen on the outskirts of the city two Ukrainians and two Americans spent a good two to three hours chopping like mad. We are the foremost high volume salsa producers to be found. And then we need to give Sister Thatcher and Sister Nelson a big round of applause for making the tortillas. In general, this is an admirable food effort since yesterday a whole lot of Zone Leaders from all over the mission ate a bunch of something else that Sister McQueen also labored diligently to prepare. I might here add a quote from Sister Thatcher: 'After watching Sister McQueen for the last couple of days I've decided that I would rather serve on five missions that be a mission president's wife.' So now we are all waiting for these important folks to show up so we can impress them. "

2."Well, I'm not quite sure what to write so I will simply write my testimony. I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know the Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith is a prophet. I am and will always be grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to serve in the Ukraine Donetsk Mission. Thank you President and Sister McQueen for your kindness and service. I know that your calling is inspired. I love the gospel and I love Ukraine."

3. "I just wanted to write that I loved my mission! Thanks for helping in making my mission a success for me!"

4. "Just like the rest I don't know what to write. I do know that this work is true. I know that the Lord loves everyone of us. Thanks for all you do for the missionaries. I love my mission! Thanks for being a part of it. I got nothing but love from all of you!"

5. "Today I ate really well and was warm!"

6. "Thanks for the marvelous food and comfort."

7. "Breakfast of Champions

This was to celebrate the end of a successful mission tour. One of the best weeks I have ever lived through. Sister McQueen once again bringing the magic that she creates in the kitchen. We love you more than you could ever know and are thankful for all you two do for all of us."

8. "I dont' know what to write but I'd like to say that I felt your intensity when you just got here. Keep that going, it's great. I had a great time serving here as a missionary. I hope you enjoy your service here as mission president and mission president's wife."

9. "I never thought the end would come so quickly! My mission has changed my life. I am very grateful for all that it has brought into my life. It was an amazing experience! I'd also like to thank you for being good role models for me. Keep it up."

10. "I love being a missionary! I loved serving here in Ukraine and with each and every elder I served with. Thank you so much for all the help you have given me. It's amazing how time works. I'm beginning to believe it doesn't even exist. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know the atonement changes lives. I love you both so very much."

11. "There just are no words to describe what a mission does for you, or should I say what a mission is. I'm so thankful that I made the decision to come on a mission. I love Ukraine! I never thought that time would go so fast. I know that this is the work of the Lord. There's nothing like serving a mission, at least nothing I've done up to this point. Thanks for everything."

12. "This country is on fire and I will be eternally grateful that the Lord has called me to this work and has opened my eyes with His spirit. His plan is perfect and I know all these callings and experiences that have come are commandments to grow, learn, teach and be humble. Besides if this work wasn't true we wold have destroyed it long ago. Your leadership is guided by our Savior Jesus Christ. Keep it going and bring eternal blessings to our brethren the Ukrainians. 'Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them - Marvin Ashton'"

Mariupol Members at Welfare Square

2010-03-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sister Vinokurova was taking Brother Nikoli Dogadailo (I hope this is spelled correctly) on a tour of Welfare Square and they stopped by my office. They are both from Mariupol. Brat Nikoli was a member while we were there and he remembers all the fun we had at the Mariupol chapel dedication. Sister Vinokurova was baptized after we left and is now serving at the Temple Square mission but the sisters also take people on tours of Welfare Square.

Welfare Square Sister Missionaries

2010-02-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

More Mallory

2009-07-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Soccer Star - Mallory

2009-07-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Donetsk Ukraine ten years ago today

2009-06-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

I’m having a hard time putting into words what I want to say about arriving in Ukraine ten years ago. I remember talking to one mission president and his wife who voiced the opinion that their mission was simply “the best of times and the worst of times.” Looking back I would have to say the same thing. The emotional swings were wild. The highs were extreme and the lows were excruciating.
For instance, walking out of our front door we would see all kinds of high priced cars and their drivers. Walking out of our back door we would separate our garbage and give sacks of edible garbage to the men and women sitting around our garbage cans and put our throw away garbage in the can. The disparity between what was happening in the front of our apartment and the back of our apartment was like night versus day. Men cleaning and polishing their big black cars out front while people were rummaging through household waste in the back was a sight I will always remember. I’ll never forget the sight of a lady eating our out dated yogurt the minute I handed her our bag of edible garbage.
We loved watching obedient missionaries fulfill their callings as branch presidents, zone leaders, trainers, assistants to the president, and office elders. We shared the joy of their successes with them. We anguished with the few who chose a different and more difficult path.
We were heart broken when Elder Pixton passed away and uplifted by the strength and compassion shown by numerous elders who were wise beyond their years.
We loved watching new converts embrace the church and questioned why so many seemingly good members decided to search for some other religion.
It was humorous, often difficult, but mostly fun dealing with - toilets or lack thereof, smelly white shirts, worn out shoes, nylons, ugly ties, belated confessions, companionship issues, fights, off limit establishments (Three Fat Guys), the area presidency, missionaries who worried too much and those who didn’t worry at all and should have, back waxing, eating on the street or in members homes, branch problems, Banyas, elder and sister exchanges or district meetings each day with the sisters and elders (just having lunch together - early on), upper respiratory illness, diarrhea (Dr. Nelson talked at length one evening with us and the office elders concerning the consistency of fecal matter. It was one of the most interesting conversations we had and very enlightening), money, transfers, registration, the ministers of religion in each city, the minister of state security in Donetsk, police - especially in Kharkov and those who stopped me for various and sundry traffic offenses, Kiev Service Center, acquiring the Crimea, acquiring land for chapels, Russian language, hotel clerks (some really nice others not so pleasant), restaurants (the best in Kharkov, Dneper and Donetsk), homesickness, Christmas and Mother’s Day calls, vodka as our window washing fluid in our car, Slavanagorsk, Golovach, English Classes, McDonalds, zone conferences, district conferences, branch meetings, branch socials, YM/YW issues and outings, General Authorities, Apostles, Auxiliary Presidents, Ford Taraus, VW car, trains, airplanes, drive to Lygansk from Donetsk (3 hours one way), drive to Kharkov from Donetsk (5 hours one way), drive to Cymi from Donetsk (8 hours one way), drive to Poltava from Donetsk (six hours), drive to Dneper from Donetsk (four hours one way), drive to Zap from Donetsk (three hours one way), drive to Mariupol from Donetsk (two hours one way), drive to Kherson from Donetsk (7 hours one way), drive to Crimea from Donetsk (eight hours one way), drive from Crimea to Cymi (eight hours one way), driving with the assistants, driving with the office elders, driving in the snow, driving while extremely cold, bathroom stops at Izum, outdoor comfort stops on the way to Dneper, Crimea, Lygansk, Cymi (Sue was a trooper), Renok stops to hand out Books of Mormon, stops to see horses, trips to Yalta.
We were sustained and rejuvenated by testimony meetings at the end of each zone conference, loving missionaries, and wonderful members. “Holy days” as mentioned by President Yudin were when old missionaries left and new missionaries arrived. We loved that period of time in the month when we said goodbye to those who had served faithfully and said Hell-o to the new missionaries we would be serving with for a season - awesome testimony meetings with both groups.
We preferred missionaries to arrive by train not by airplane. The train ride from Kiev to Donetsk was an experience that everyone needed to have to get themselves in the proper frame of mind for the mission field and Ukraine. The train is so Ukrainian and the plane so American.
We loved feeding missionaries and members. We loved watching newly arrived missionaries eat the Ukrainian arrival meal, we loved watching zone leaders pile their plates high with goodies during our lunch break, we loved talking about the mission experience during our final meal together before getting you on the train out of country. We loved hosting members and feeding them at our home and at Kievsky Chapel.
We tried to make Holidays a little special but in all honesty they weren’t very important to me. Celebrate and get back to work was what was important. We did like some of our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals and zone conferences.
I really want to see – a dog with only three legs, a lop sided bus, a village well, a sunflower field, Slavanagorsk, Izum, a Renok, McDonalds in Cymi, a huge snow storm, heavy rain storm, fog/smog in Mariupol and Donetsk, Center Renok Donetsk, my office, Golovach, faithful members, Dneper river, the lake behind our apartment.
I miss – the spirit, zone conferences, making missionaries senior companions, the Ukrainian office staff, the member ladies who prepared our missionary dinners and cleaned our apartment and made Sue’s dresses (I still think she looks the best in these dresses), nice people in our hotels, our waiters in Kharkov (Norma’s) and Dneper (the Chinese place) and the Moscow hotel in Simferopol, cold air blowing through our open bedroom window during the cold winter nights, an air conditioner in every room during the summer time in our apartment, tomatoes, McFresh, juices, calling Sue Sister McQueen, being called “Prez”, badminton courts, BBC, mud, rain, snow, all kinds of weather, meeting trains, smell of coal, hearing the sacrament prayer in Russian, “Called to Serve “ on my cell phone, driving, heated car seats in the VW, dark- rich-rock free soil, the church rentals in Mariupol and Lygansk, the Chess building in Poltava, the Airport Building in Cymi, interviews in our hotels, interviews at the office, walking interviews, missionaries being honest with me about their problems, solving problems, ballets and opera (just kidding), the senior couples, the missionaries who impressed me the most, the missionaries who worked the hardest, the missionaries who did the best they could with what they had been given, the missionaries who didn’t want to be there but completed their missions anyway, the missionaries who told us they would never had survived their missions if we hadn’t have been the mission parents, depending on my wife (together we made a fairly good person)(Elder Callister mentioned that “you two are like a cello played with the same bow” because we supported each other so much), being obedient, being 100% duty bound to do what was right regardless of the consequences, sleeping in the same room and also the same bed with my companion while on our mission (the only mission rule we broke every night), Ukrainian District Presidents , Branch Presidents and other leaders, giving talks, telling stories, being a cheerleader, making people think and act, having Sue lead me around so I didn’t have to observe some of the more revealing fashions in Donetsk (She did tell me to look at one women whose chest looked like two cats were having a fight within her blouse as she moved down the street), wonderful members who tried their best to live their new religion,
Significant Visits:
Elder Eyring
Elder Oaks
Elder Holland
Sister Menlove
Sister Smoot – Sisters in Donetsk went all out to help her and made her feel so welcome. We had her an entire day so we went from chapel to chapel showing her Relief Society projects and she got to meet almost every sister in Donetsk and surrounding areas.
Area Presidency:
Elder Didier
Elder Paul
Elder Hancock
Elder Callister
Elder Hilbig
Elder Orton
Elder Authority Seventy:
Elder Schutze
Elder Manzhos

President Bountiful Temple

2009-05-31T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone remembers Elder Douglas L. Callister who was the Euorpe East Area President while we were in Ukraine. He has been called to be the new President of the Bountiful Temple. His wife Sister Jeannette Callister will be the temple matron. We are excited because this is our temple and we will be able to see him often.

Visits End of May 2009

2009-05-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

We spent Thursday night with Sister Tegeder and the Bostons. It is so much fun to get together and talk about the future. Sunday the Rolfes and Sister Grigoryan came to our house for a visit. It was nice to see them. We are so happy people are maintaining their friendships. I forgot to take pictures on Sunday. The Rolfes and Sister Grigoryan look great.

Ukraine Donetsk Mission Rap

2009-05-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

Use your imagination and get the correct rap beat and then start:

Think I'll try,
This mission thing.
Think I'm ready,
Think I'm clean.
Tuesday night,
Did some confess'in.
To the bishop,
And President Session.
They were cool,
Now we're tight.
They told me,
I'm going to be alright.
Book of Mormon, D&C,
Bible study,
Now interests me.
Got'ta leave my friends,
Got'ta leave my girl,
I'm so homesick,
I might hurl.
The MTC's,
Tell'in me,
No Cell phone,
And no TV.
Heard we study,
Day and night,
Gassy food, no coke,
Just sprite.
Got a companion,
Twenty-four seven.
This can't be,
Wha'cha call heaven.
Hope I make it,
Times are tough.
Lots of my friends,
Think I'm nuts.
Best two years,
Is all I hear.
I love Jesus,
And hope He's near.

I would like this to be a work in progress for all of us. I've got a some what interesting start now let's see how creative you can be. Email me your thought and Iwill add them - davidmmcqueen@comcast.net. If you send me anything inappropriate I will haunt you.

Church News

2009-04-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

Elder Dupre or should I say 2LT Dupre or should I say "sir" with Elder Nelson. Elder Nelson was at Walter Reed hospital in Washington and I guess Elder Dupre was on duty there. I would really love to hear the story behind the picture.

Elder Lopez

2009-03-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

We had an interesting email from one of the "old guys" from the mission Elder Lopez. Elder Lopez was in Kharkov when we arrived in the mission. He was one of the first missionaries I ever went tracking with while in Ukraine. As I remember it, we entered the stairwell of a four or five story apartment building and Elder Lopez explained to me that he always started at the top of the stairway and worked his way down. He asked if this would be a problem for me. I replied that it would not. He then started running up the stairs and did not stop until we reached the top of the stairs. I was still in fairly good shape and I stayed up with him and was trying to catch my breath when he asked me to say the prayer before we knocked on the first door and between deep breaths I said the prayer. He walked with a purpose, had a daily schedule that was programed down to the minute, and had a no nonsense approach to missionary work. He was less than thrilled when I called him to be my secretary in the office. He did not want to leave the "field". In the office, we worked through the crisis of missionaries getting kicked out to Kharkov, the Ministry of State Security guy telling us we had to get a law firm to take over our registration of missionaries in each city, and our first mission tour. I really felt I let him down because I had told him and his companion that they could sleep in one morning after they had been up late with us getting new missionaries on the late train to Kharkov. The missionaries were asked during the mission tour if they had gotten up at 0630 in the morning during the past week and he had to reply with a no. He looked at me as if he had let me down and I could only whisper to him from the stand to not worry about it. The fun thing about working with the office elders was Sue and I got to know them very well. They usually helped us eat the leftovers from the missionary arrival and leaving meals and every once in a while we had them for breakfast when we were in town. He also helped us with numerous Christmas functions in 1999. Elder Lopez quickly came to the understanding that he was privy to lots of confidential information, that he was given a great deal of latitude in making decisions, and that when we were away he as the defacto leader of the mission. I had full faith and trust in his abilities as I did with all of my secretaries. Along with his leadership abilities, was a deep sense of humility for being able to serve in Ukraine. He expressed his love for the mission, the church, the prophet, the scriptures and most importantly the Book of Mormon during every zone conference testimony meeting. Those of us who were privileged to hear his final testimony before getting on the train to come home will never forget the tender way he touched his worn Book of Mormon and testified about what a wonderful missionary tool it was and how much he loved it. I think we all started crying at about three o'clock that afternoon and didn't stop until the train had pulled out of the station in Donetsk. His most current email touched on the same firm testimony about the church, the prophet and his local leaders. It was our honor to serve a season with him.

That's It

2009-02-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

That is about all of the writings I have concerning the mission. If some one has a favorite subject that they would like me to write about I would consider it.

Arriving

2009-02-28T05:50:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Kiev on the 29th of June 1999. Going through customs was an experience. The customs officials were not the most pleasant people to deal with but we made it and finally made contact with the people from the Kiev Service Center, who got us to the train station for the over night trip to Donetsk. It was so hot and humid that day, that we were perspiring profusely when we finally got all our bags on the train. We sat down and started to wonder how we were going to smell in the morning when we met the missionaries and President and Sister Manzhos. Being military people we are always prepared and with the help of some baby wipes and deodorant, we decided we smelled just fine. Once the train started moving the compartment cooled off and we had a pleasant trip watching the country side pass by. We discussed at length what was going to happen to us in the morning. We wondered what the next three years would bring. Thinking about this was both wonderful and scary. We prayed that we would be able to do all that was asked of us. We went to sleep with the clickety clack of the train tracks and the faint smell of the bathroom. Our train was supposed to be in Donetsk at 0930 but it didn’t arrive until 1230. The office Elders, the assistants, and President and Sister Manzhos were there waiting for us. We got into the van and quickly drove to our new apartment. When I say quickly, I really mean fast. I couldn’t believe how fast and furious the driving habits were in the Ukraine. We tailgated, sped around, and held on as we watched the semi-controlled chaos of Ukrainian driving. We were taken to our brand new apartment. The apartment was nice and we had two bathrooms and three bedrooms and a great living room and a nice office and a great kitchen-all the comforts of home. The place even had a room heater/air-conditioner in each room. We had a Ukrainian lunch and then unpacked a little. We both love cabbage and potatoes and almost any fruit or vegetable along with all meats. The meal was great. We talked with the Manzhos’ about the apartment, the garage, the old mission home, and other housekeeping issues. We didn’t talk much about the mission or the missionaries. We went to the office and prepared to take the Manzhos’ to the train station for the ride back to Kiev. We met a lot of missionaries and members that night at the station. They wanted to say good bye to the Manzhos family. Once they boarded the train and left, we went back to the apartment, finished unpacking, and tried to calm our nerves. We were now on our own. We were responsible for about 130 missionaries in a country where we couldn’t communicate. Exactly the type of experience we had been praying for. At about 10:00 we received a call that some missionaries had been in a fight with some local boys. Nothing really serious but enough to give us a reality check. It seems to me that those first few months missionaries were getting in fights on a weekly basis. Either the beatings slowed down or we got used to the situation because after a while it just didn’t bother us as much as it did that first night. We had written the assistants and asked them to schedule a mission tour as quickly as possible. We wanted first and foremost to meet all the missionaries and as many members as possible. When we arrived home from the tour, we were convinced that we had the best missionaries in the world. Because of the missionaries, we knew the next three years were going to have great spiritual experiences.

Bird and Bug

2009-02-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

We were getting ready for our District conference in Donetsk. This time the conference was going to be held in a room that looked much like an old chemistry lab. You know, the tiered seating and high ceiling. We arrived early because I liked to get used to the environment and make sure things were going well. It’s not that I get nervous about details – yes it is, I get nervous about details. We entered the hall and things looked just fine. After a few minutes I realized that there was a bird flying around in the hall. I knew the bird would be a distraction but I couldn’t figure out what to do. The ceilings were really high and the bird was flying near the top. I decided to pray that the Lord would take care of the bird, quickly adding that the bird need not die. I then got involved in a discussion and forgot about the bird until I saw it being carried out of the hall. After the conference I asked what had happened and someone mentioned the bird landed on a window seal and a member had caught it in his hands and taken it out and released it. It flew away. This moment really hit me because I could see an almost immediate cause and effect relationship between asking for and receiving answer to a prayer. I tried all types of ways to rationalize what had happened and could only come to one conclusion. My prayer had been answered. Shortly after this incident took place we were up in Kharkov to a zone conference. We held the conference in the National Hotel. We rented a conference room on the ground floor of the hotel. The room had some black leather chairs which were very comfortable and some regular chairs which left lots to be desired. We had the windows open because it was very hot and humid. I had just related the bird incident to the missionaries and we were getting ready to start the testimony meeting when a huge bug flew into the room. I could tell by the expression on the faces of the missionaries that a challenge was being made: Ok, McQueen, you said you could, with the Lord’s help, pray away a bird. Now, let’s see what can be done with this bug! I was extremely nervous because I did not want my actions to cause some missionary to lose his or her testimony. I started to pray that the Lord would take care of the bug, and I remember thinking these specific terms – Lord please park this bug some place where it will not interfere with our testimony meeting. I watched it fly North along the East wall and turn West onto the North wall. It was coming close to me and I almost reached out to squash it, but held back. The bug changed direction and flew back towards the East wall and then it went South along the East wall towards a vent and “parked” near the vent for the entire testimony meeting. It did not move during the meeting. Again, a very specific prayer was answered in a very specific way.

Blessing

2009-02-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

It was one of the blessings in our mission to have so many leaders from the church visit Donetsk – Elder Eyring, Elder Oaks, Elder Holland, Sister Menlov, and Sister Smoot. We enjoyed meeting with all of them. The only thing I disliked about them coming to the mission was that all missionaries could not see them. I tried my hardest to make it happen but was finally asked to cease and desist with my wanting all missionaries to see the authorities. Elder Eyring came to our apartment and after lunch he asked me to find some one “who would be blessed by blessing an apostle”. He went on to tell us he was a little under the weather and had numerous things he had to do and he just felt he needed a blessing. I told him Elder Nelson, the mission doctor, would be happy to bless him. He replied that he wanted a Ukrainian member to perform the blessing. He went on to say to me - “just pray for inspiration and if you don’t get any it will be all right.” Talk about a little ecclesiastical pressure. It was hours before our meeting with the priesthood members but I started praying for the necessary guidance. We went to the concert hall in Donetsk for our meeting and as I sat on the stand I looked out into the audience and started going row by row looking at all the men I knew. I kept looking until I noticed the Branch President from Lygansk sitting in the congregation. President Letvidov was the man. I could feel it and taste it. The minute I saw him I knew he was the person to bless Elder Eyring. I turned to Elder Schutze and told him I knew the person who should bless Elder Eyring. I asked Elder Schutze if I could ask President Letvidov at the intermission. He said it would be OK. I took one of the assistants down into the audience to ask President Letvidov and he said he would be honored to bless Elder Eyring. After the meeting, we went to my office were an assistant and President Letvidov blessed Elder Eyring. President Letvidov thought this experience was so special and sacred that he never talked about it. I’m not sure he has even told his wife about it. He is such a good man. All of us who were involved with this incident were very blessed and had our testimonies strengthened.

Christmas in Crimea

2009-02-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

We were in Simferopol during the Christmas of 2001. We were planning on doing a regular zone conference with the missionaries in the area. When we woke up on the morning of the 25th, Sister McQueen and I started a discussion about what we should do during the zone conference. Both of us wanted to do something different, we didn’t want to make this just another day in the life of a missionary. We didn’t want a regular zone conference with just training and talks and testimonies. So we decided to just sit down at the table in our room in the Moscow Hotel and search the scriptures about the birth of the savior. There was a neat view out of our hotel window. The ridge line just out of the window had snow on it. It was cold outside but we were warm and comfortable in the hotel room. We had nothing to worry about and no time constraints. We all sat down and started with Luke Chapter two and moved on to the Book of Mormon and all the passages surrounding the birth of the savior. If I remember right, we had a question and answer period. If we couldn’t answer the question quickly we spent time looking it up and eventually finding an answer that satisfied all of us. It was a very quick four hours of Bible study. It was also one of the most spiritual experiences of our mission. The feeling in that room was intense. The spirit was undoubtedly there. I don’t remember much about our discussion but I can remember the feeling of love, peace, and joy that was in the room. I think the main reason for this feeling was the single focus we all had to make ourselves into better missionaries and people. Some missionaries only had a short time left on their missions and they wanted to finish strong. The younger missionaries could see what they could accomplish on their missions and were glad they didn’t have to worry about going home. Sister McQueen and I were filled with huge emotions – six months left and how were we going to close out our mission. We knew this was our last Christmas in the Ukraine - our final Christmas celebration with missionaries. It was a tough time for us. I don’t think any missionary who was at that zone conference will ever forget the room, the conversation, the meal or the spirit. What a choice moment, our Christmas in the Crimea.

Eating

2009-02-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

The best meals in the Ukraine were in our apartment. You would not believe the tender care that was taken to make sure you had good, clean, and lots of food. The first meal each missionary received was an authentic Ukrainian meal. It was interesting to watch those new missionaries who wouldn’t try some of the food. Some of the salads were not touched, borsch wasn’t a favorite, and the egg plant carrot appetizers went untouched by many. The potatoes, meat, and bread were usually all gone and everyone loved the juices. Remember the juices? We loved the white grape and cherry Dar or J Seven. Actually, any of the juices were good even the crazy vitamin stuff. We also liked the Fantas but we got tired of them. We didn’t drink coke although when we first got there the missionaries tried to convince us that coke was consumed to kill worms. Doctor Nelson confirmed that coke had nothing to do with keeping the worm count down. The only time we drank coke was at a meeting with the Minister of Religion in Kharkov. He brought us in some coke and said, “I know you don’t drink coffee or tea so I got some coke for you to drink.” I just told every one present to drink the coke. It was the first time I had consumed a caffeine coke in ten years and it tasted wonderful. Our favorite restaurant was the Arizona in Donetsk. It was open for the first year and then closed. It was in the bank building down by the lake. Our next favorite was Norma’s in Kharkov. We ate there every time we were in Kharkov. We ate there almost every night it was so good. I would rate it as one of our favorite restaurants in the entire world. Good food and really good service. Next was the Irish Pub in Zap. Great schnitzels and lots of food. Good room to sit in also. A favorite place was the Chinese place in Dneper, it had the best sweet and sour chicken in the world. Seriously, some of the best meals we had were at this place. We also liked the Melrose and the McDonalds throughout the city. We ate at the one by Pobeyda a lot. Often three times a day. The McDonald’s in Sumy made a killing off of the missionaries. The missionaries would take bananas to the McDonalds and order a salad. They would dump the salads out and have the guys at McDonalds make a banana split in the salad carton. The manager or one of the workers was from New Jersey or some place like that and he really liked us coming in. On a Saturday, during or after English classes, we would spend a lot of money at the McDonalds in Sumy. Our favorite waiter was at the Moscow Hotel in Simferopol. He always called Sister McQueen “My lady” and he always brought us fresh bread with real butter. The food was OK but the service was great. The restaurants in Kherson were medium. The hotel’s restaurant was awful but there was one place where they had a fish aquarium that was kind of nice. The hotel in Zap was good and eventually Zap got a couple of good places to eat - the pizza place and the Irish Pub. At the end of the mission, we actually drove through Zap on purpose just to eat there. Zap used to have a real good Chinese place but it closed. We like the food at Tequila Boom and the Three Fats Guys but we didn’t like what was on the TVs. The Red Dragon and a few other places in Donetsk were good but I think we have covered most of the places there. There was a good Chinese place in Poltava where you could get a huge salad with lots of garlic. We did have a couple of good meals at the Kiev Hotel in Poltava. The memorable meals in Poltava were at the University. Elder Roberts taught the lady that ran the cafeteria how to cook hamburgers and fires. Gee, we had some good times there including a Thanksgiving meal that was great – she even made good dressing. When we could eat at members homes, we had a great meal at Brat Valodia’s house in Golovach. Sister Nadezda made a wonderful meal out of the things grown in their garden. Isn’t it interesting how food was a form of entertainment and relaxation in the Ukraine.

Elder Jessee - Elder Craw

2009-02-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

We were driving with the assistants from Kharkov to Sumy one day early on in our mission. This was a difficult drive because you had to go through so many small villages. This meant you had to drive slowly. The speed limit in towns was 60 kilometers per hour or about 36 miles per hour. We had traveled through the majority of the towns and were finally on the open road when we came upon an accident that had just happened. The Ukrainians did not have any emergency kits or bandages so we stopped and provided assistance. We gave them our emergency kits and we started bandaging people who were bleeding. Elder Jessee was taking care of an older lady who was going into shock. We had her on the ground and covered her with a blanket and raised her feet. She kept looking at Elder Jessee who was dressed in his white shirt and tie and she kept asking, “Where are you from?” Elder Jessee kept replying “We are from God.” She would ask again, “Where are you from?” and, Elder Jessee just as insistently replied “We are from God.” As we talked about the exchange, we laughed. The lady was probably trying to find out which country Elder Jessee was from and he was just trying to calm her by saying don’t worry we are missionaries. I’m convinced that when this lady receives a knock on her door and the missionaries are standing there in their white shirts and ties she will either accept their message or she will have a heart attack. It will be another visit from the messengers from God. I must make a comment about Elder Jessee and Elder Craw. These are the two missionaires who helped us adjust to missionary life. No finer friends do I have in this world than these two men. They helped us from day one to understand what missionaries wanted out of their mission. I remember asking them if we should have a few days of orientation for the missionaries once they arrived in country and Elder Craw was adamant that this would be a bad idea. He said all he wanted to do was get with his companion and get to work. He had had enough of the talking and training and just wanted to be about missionary work. They helped me focus on making the mission experience a meaningful experience. Elder Craw taught me that each missionary thought that they were the best missionary in the mission and that I needed to encourage this thinking. I was amazed at how they sang the praises of all the missionaries. Just two good guys who loved the mission, loved the missionaries and took pity on two old people and made them better.

McDonalds

2009-02-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

As most missionaries know, we tried to bless our food as we traveled around in the Ukraine. We did this for a variety of reasons: to show respect for our bounty, to seriously ask that the food would nourish us, and to set an example. We didn’t make a big deal of it, there was no rule, and some missionaries blessed their food and others didn’t. We often had to just watch the area and general authorities we were with because some were comfortable with this practice and some were not. In fact we had discussions with other mission presidents and their wives about blessing the food in public. Some blessed their food in the morning asking the Lord to make sure the food was all right throughout the day. One president’s son felt that they should bless the food the minute it was brought home from the market and get the entire process over with. We were comfortable with doing it because we had seen so many people in the Southern states pray over their food in public places. Elder Page and his companion blessed their hamburgers at the McDonalds in Zap. A few days later they were tracting and knocked on a door. The lady remembered seeing Elder Page in McDonalds and let them in because she wanted to hear more about the type of people the missionaries were. She was baptized and became a great member missionary. This is such a simple but profound event that shows the impact one can have by setting an example and it elevates the simple act of prayer to a wonderful faith promoting experience. I don't know how the rest of you feel about McDonalds but I loved it in Ukriane. good food, fast service, clean restrooms. We had lots of fun in Zap, Dneper, Kharkov, Cymi, Simferopol, and Donetsk. There were times in Donetsk when Sue and I would just head out late on a Saturday nigth to get a McFresh. When we had zone conferences in Dneper we went to the Pobeda McDonalds sometimes three times a day. The guy in Cymi who had been to the states loved serving us. We bought a lot of hamburgers at that place. I tell people that the two things that will help Ukraine is McDonalds customer service and the Churchs' selfless service principles.

Eye Surgery

2009-02-26T18:35:00.001-08:00

We were in Zap one day and one of the Elders had a huge boil under his eye. It looked so sore and uncomfortable. We finally decided to take him back to Donetsk with us to let Doctor Nelson do his thing. When we arrived at the Nelson’s apartment there were other missionaries who wanted to observe the operation. Doctor Nelson made a small incision into the boil and then took an instrument and told us he was now going to rupture the pus sack. We were not prepared for the after effects of the pus and blood coming out of the wound. The pus kind of flew, gushed, and exploded out of the cut under the eye. A few missionaries captured the event with a camera. I don’t think I had my video camera yet otherwise I would probably have been stupid enough to video tape it. Needless to say with Doctors Nelson’s steady hand and good medical techniques the Elder survived and has no scar. One wintry night we received a call that two Elders had been riding home in a taxi and had been hit head on by another car and that we needed to go to the emergency hospital in Donetsk. We arrived late at night and were greeted by Doctor Nick and Doctor Syme. The one Elder was OK with just a few bruises but the other one had an awful looking eye. We watched as the Ukrainian doctor was examining his eye with equipment that looked like it was 90 years old. We were told she was a good doctor and she seemed to be OK. The next day we took a picture of the Elder with all that green stuff the Ukrainians used on cuts. We were worried that he might have some damage to his eye lid but he recovered fully. To this day, he has just a little scar which could be used as a topic of discussion at any party - a manly scar - wounded during the call of Duty with the Army of God.

Fashion, Fads, Haircuts

2009-02-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

We really felt sorry for the sisters. We think someone with a good mind for fashion could make a million dollars developing an outfit for the sisters. You could not find many fashions in the Ukraine that could be worn by the sisters. Some one needs to come up with three out fits which are interchangeable and make the sisters look classy. The elders had it easy because all they had to do was wear a suit and semi-good tie. I loved how ugly the ties were in the mission. The uglier the better. The bigger the knot the better. Oh, how we let simple fashion rule. The cheaper the renok tie the better. I still feel very bad about the time when I commented on an Elders tie – “That is the ugliest tie I have ever seen,” I said to him and then he told me he had spent a lot of money on it and bought it especially for the zone conference. I felt bad but only for a few months. I’ll bet every time he puts that tie on he remembers Zap. I loved Ecco shoes. Still wear them. Still wear the ugly ones I bought in Donetsk. Best darn pair of shoes I’ve ever had. Some times ugly just feels good. I was speaking at a priesthood meeting for our stake and mentioned how I disliked hair that was parted in the middle. A man came up to me after the meeting and really took me to task about how ridicules it was to make hair style an issue. I explained my Vietnam experiences and told him it was me simply trying not to categorize missionaries as druggies. Didn’t phase him and he went on to tell me what a nut I was. I was always amazed with the worn out socks missionaries could wear. If I can feel my shoes through the socks I get a new pair of socks. Missionaries on the other hand could wear sock until they were held together by just a thread or two. I remember at a zone conference seeing the entire sole of a foot through the sock. I asked the missionary why he even worn the socks because they were so thin. He looked at me like I was nuts. Didn’t seem to bother him at all. I felt sorry for the sisters when we got in the Ukraine because we made them wear nylons. Prior to our arrival they could wear sandals with no nylons and they were pretty mad when we told them to wear shoes and nylons. I loved the use of duck tape. It was used to make wallets and to mend pant cuffs (staples were also used for this purpose).

Fight in Kharkov

2009-02-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

One of the senior couples had just arrived in Kharkov and two missionaries took them to the Renok to buy a vacuum. They had just purchased the vacuum and some one came by and stole it. The thieves got away. The missionaries were trying to think how they could exchange some more money to get another vacuum and they decided to take a chance with a local group of money changers. They gave them the money and the money changers played the game with them that the police had seen them doing something illegal and for them to run. The missionaries on the other hand decided to stand their ground and fight. Bad decision. The senior companion was getting hit and was on the ground when the junior companion decided to get into the action. He started towards the group and then he felt himself being lifted and thrown into the air. The senior companion had to have some dental work done and the junior companion was a little humbled by the action. The senior couple was rather frightened about the whole ordeal and wondered what they had gotten themselves into. I’m sure I showed the right amount of sympathy as they told me about the incident in the National Hotel or did I?

Out of Your Comfort Zone

2009-02-26T18:10:00.000-08:00

I think one of the things I miss most about the mission experience is being out of my comfort zone. Life is just too comfortable and I don’t feel the personal growth I felt in Ukraine. Elder Pilisko mentioned the same thing when he and his wife came to our home for a visit. He was the first branch president in Evpatoria and he mentioned how inadequate he felt taking on that calling. I felt inadequate in a number of areas but you had to make up your mind to work through things by just doing it and relying on the Lord to assist as much as possible. When I was a bishop, I remember people asking me what was the most important part of their calling? What is your priority? How can I help you the most? My reply was always the same. “Just show up.” It was the same in the mission field. If you just showed up to tract, if you just showed up to English class, if you just showed up to companionship study – usually something happened and usually that something was good. Sue and I would usually try to walk in the early morning regardless of the city we were in. While walking we discussed the previous day and what was going to happen that day. Inevitably, we would end up talking about missionaries and how we loved watching them grow. The growth came through stretching into callings. I simply loved watching the faces of missionaries as I asked them to be senior companions. I don’t think there was a single missionary who didn’t dread but really wanted that day for a variety of reasons. Some missionaries didn’t want to be seniors – tough, I would tell them. You are next in line and now it is your time to be really challenged. Your mission starts now. Some missionaries would cry and plead not to be made a senior – I simply told them it was their time in the barrel and to buck up. Some missionaries were made seniors early on and others later. I liked telling the early on missionaries that they were going senior. The shock, the awe, the humility really showed through. You could see the fear on their faces along with the desire to be the leader. The same was true when I called some one to be a trainer, a branch president, or an assistant. The look of – am I ready, do I have the knowledge, can I really communicate, will they like me? I liked the look because what followed was usually a great deal of soul searching, prayer, repentance, and determination to get the job done - all those things that cause us to stretch and grow. I really think the most pressure filled calling was branch president. The responsibility of being the leader of a Ukrainian branch must have been awesome- a 20 or 21 year old kid, running a religious organization - awesome. It is almost laughable. How could you do this? Only one way and that is by, through, and with the spirit. No other way. If you didn’t have the spirit, you could not have survived. I do not regret calling anyone as branch president. Each missionary took the challenge and did wonderful things to help the branches grow. The branch presidents watched over their little flocks with care and love. There were many time members would tell me they would rather have missionaries as branch president as opposed to a brother in the congregation. Why? Because you showed forth love and compassion. I don’t think there was another calling that put missionaries into the fish bowl quite like being called as an assistant. If I had it all to do over again, I would change assistants every month. There was nothing like this calling to get a feel for the big picture view of the mission. Because the assistants drove around with us all the time, there was no way we couldn’t fall in love with them. Sue and I developed bonds that we wish we could have developed with every missionary. Every missionary called to be an assistant had a trait I needed for that time in the mission. I felt I just called the right person, for the right time, in the right place. I must admit I had a really hard time each time I had to replace an assistant. There were so many qualified missionaries to fill the vacancy. Some times the choice was as plain as the nose on your face while other times I really struggled. I think the thing I hated most about calling an assistant was that I was going to hurt feelings. There were so many deserving missionaries and so few chances. That’s why I would shorten the length of time as an assistant. The assistants had to have a thick skin because if they did something wrong – everyone would tell me about it. I also wish I could have found a way to give the sisters a leadership experience. Again, if I had it to do over again, we would have had more “sister” conferences. I don’t think I got the input from the sisters I needed or wanted to run the mission – for that I apologize. I hope you were stretched as much as the Elders. I’ve talked to a lot of former mission presidents. There have been some who had challenging experiences but nothing like Ukraine. We are so thankful we had a mission that caused us to stretch in our calling. We hope that you are having experiences now that are causing you to stretch. If not, go look for some.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

2009-02-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

During a zone conference held in the Kievsky chapel in Donetsk, I was asked to comment on the commitment pattern exercise we had just observed. One Elder was challenged to commit his companion to slicing his bread thinner for his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After a few moments of BRTing and committing, the companion finally relented and made the commitment to slice his bread thinner. The Elders then turned to me and asked if they could have done anything better? I replied, “Yes, you needed to testify more about why the bread must be thin and not thick.” I could feel everyone looking at me trying to figure out how you could testify about bread and peanut butter. Then I launched into one of my best impromptu speeches. It went something like this: “Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I mean do you really like them? If the answer is yes then you know that you must have a thin slice of bread for your sandwich. A thick slice of bread distracts from the true meaning of this sandwich which is to savor the flavors of peanuts and jelly and not just any peanut butter and jelly will do. You must use chunky peanut butter and grape jelly. Some people think you can use smooth peanut butter and honey or strawberry jam, but this is a false assumption and I will tell you why. You take your thin slice of bread and spread a thick helping of chunky peanut butter on it. You then add an equally thick helping of grape jelly – Welches grape jelly. As you bring the sandwich to your mouth your taste buds are anticipating the joy they are about to receive – you are already starting to salivate. As you sink your teeth into the grape jelly, you can actually feel your teeth slicing through the jelly and the jelly being smashed to the roof of your mouth. Your teeth continue through the jelly to the chunky peanut butter which adds a salty peanut buttery taste to the sweet jelly. Finally, your teeth reach the bread and you get a hint, just a small hint, of the bread flavor. It is not over powering but just the right amount of yeasty flavor to finish the sandwich. And, I testify that is how you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When I got through, there were a couple of missionaries standing up and shaking their fists in approval. I asked if there were any Amen’s and I got a few Amen’s. Maybe even a hallelujah. I sat down and looked at my wife. I could tell I had done something different. I really think she thought I had gone crazy, but this is what I enjoyed most about the mission. I loved motivating missionaries. I might not have been the most spiritual mission president around (but there were moments, weren’t there), but I could tell a good story. I know our missionaries are the choicest souls that have ever walked the planet earth. My wife and I are so proud to have served with the few, the spiritual, the great ones who blessed our lives, in the Ukraine Donetsk Mission.

Spiritual Helping Hands

2009-02-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Helping Hands and Spiritual Moments and More:

There were numerous time when my hand would shoot out and pull Sister McQueen back from a car speeding out of an archway or a car making a turn or her going to step on or in something or hitting her head on an object sticking out of a kiosk or stand along the sidewalk. I want you to think of the number of times you may have saved your companions life by reaching out a hand or saying some thing that stopped an event from occurring. I’m convinced that these spiritual moments happened every day in our mission we just don’t recognize them as spiritual helping hands. I was walking home from the office one wintry night and was just starting up the hill by the lake. There was a manhole near the sidewalk in that area and as I approached the manhole I heard a voice yell “stop” - being a good military guy I stopped and then, feeling rather stupid, started looking around. If I had gone a few feet further in the direction I was traveling I would have gone right down the manhole because the cover was off. I wonder who yelled? Many of you might remember our two office rats George and Natasha. They were brother and sister and had some connection with President Yudin. He was always taking care of them. He had George put in kind of a day care orphanage. The people watched him during the day and President Yudin would pick him up at night. One night about 630 or 700 PM Elder Lopez received a call from the orphanage. President Yudin had not picked up George and they were getting ready to close. Could some one come and get George? He told the caller we would be right over. When he told me about the call I said OK, where is the orphanage? He didn’t know. OK, let’s call them back and find out. We don’t have the phone number was his reply. Great, the orphanage ladies and George were waiting for us and we had no idea where to go. So the Elders and Sister McQueen and I got in the car and started to drive by the spirit. We drove on some back roads down by the Prague Hotel. We finally came to an apartment complex and I stopped the car and told Elder Lopez to ask the guy walking by the car if there was an orphanage near by. When he asked the man, the man pointed to a building in the apartment complex. We went to the building and walked into the hallway. Sitting on a chair was George. When he saw us, he ran to us and gave us a hug oblivious to the small miracle that had just taken place. We took him back to the chapel. I wonder who led us to George? Christmas eve 1999, door buzzer buzzed, opened the door and the sisters from Gorlavka came into the apartment. Pretty frightened. A guy in their apartment building had roughed them up and they were afraid to stay in the apartment so they came to Donetsk. The next day we made a pilgrimage to Gorlavka in President Yudin’s Ford van. We went to the police station and explained our problem. The police listened and decided that they needed to talk to the man involved. So we all piled into the van and went to the sister’s apartment building. The police with the flack vests and machine guns got out and went into the building to confront the culprit while we waited in the car with the detective. I told the detective that I was a little concerned that the man might retaliate against the sisters because we got the police involved. He basically said don’t worry. He went on to explain that the police were scaring this man to death. He assured me that from now on the man will be nothing but nice to the sisters. He said if he wasn’t then they would put him in jail. The two armed police came back and we drove them back to the police station and thanked them for their help. The man was very nice to the sisters. Now for the spiritual event that happened at the police station - Sister McQueen is writing now - While waiting in the police station, we saw an older women talking to the police. The police seemed very angry, impatient, and rude to her. They were yelling at her and telling her to get out. Someone told us they thought she was old and crazy. She kept telling them she needed help, but they made her leave. She walked past us using a cane and went outside where it was very cold. She didn’t leave; she stood outside the door. As she stood there I noticed her hands on her cane and she didn’t have any gloves on. At that time a got a thought in my head “Give her your gloves”. I mentally replied, “No, these are my new gloves and I just got them.” Then I remembered that I had some gloves that I had been using, that I really didn’t like, and they were in the van. I went out to get inside the van to get the gloves but realized that President Yudin was the only one with keys to the van, and he was inside in an enclosed room of the police station. Again the thought came to me “Give her YOUR gloves.” I sat there for a while. I looked outside and the woman was still there. I kind of hoped she would leave but she didn’t. Finally, I said to my husband “President, I think I’m suppose to give that little old lady outside, my gloves. He replied “Well, go give them to her and put this 10 griven bill in them.” So I went outside and using my terrible Russian, I handed her the gloves and the money and said these are for you. She starred at me with the most amazing look on her face. As if to say “Why would a complete stranger who can’t even speak my language give me anything? Why are you being nice? All these people treat me awful. Why are you giving me these gloves and this money? There were no further words between us, but there was a beautiful feeling. I felt wonderful and so did she. I felt total, complete joy. And I almost missed that opportunity by my selfishness. Here is another Gorlavka story. One Christmas Eve, a woman was sitting in her dark, apartment feeling cold and hungry because she had no money for lights, food or heat.. Things had gotten so bad that she sat there a prayed to die. As she sat there she heard a knock at the door. When she opened the door, two young men dressed in dark suits and white shirts were standing at the door. They are here if she wanted to hear about their church. She had nothing better to do, so she said yes. They sat down and had a wonderful first discussion with her. One Elder told her that she would be alright until they met with her again. She said that as she talked with them, she could see the truth of what they were saying in their eyes and she knew it was true. She said she was alright until they returned. She continued the lessons and soon became baptized. When we left the mission, she was the Young Women’s President and was making plans to attend the temple.

Sumy

2009-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Cumi or Sumy (Spelling on internet) Historical Information about Sumy: “Sumy, city in northeastern Ukraine, capital of Sumy Oblast, on the Ps’ol river, about 90 miles northwest of Karkiv. A cultural and industrial center in a rich agricultural region growing grain and sugar beets. It was founded in 1652 by the settlers from Bila Tserkwa (White Church) regiment as a fort. In 1658 – 1765 the Slobids’kyi Regiment was located in Sumy. The regiment distinguished itself in battles with the Turks in 1677-78. Sumy became a town in 1780. The legend has it that Hetman Doroshenko lost his bag here. It is also believed that the name of the city comes from three bags, which were found here. On the city coat of arms there are three bags on a silver background. During the 18 and 19 centuries trade and industrial enterprises flourished here. When regimental rule was abolished in 1765 the Sumy Cossack regiment became Hussar light cavalry regiment. The abolishing of serfdom in 1861 helped to spur industrial development of the city. Before WWI there were over forty enterprises in Sumy. In the present day Sumy they produce machinery for the chemical industry, electron microscopes, pumps, and fertilizers. Light industries include sugar refining and other food processing. The city is known for production of clothing and footwear. In Sumy are Bio and Porcelain Plants”. Another article states: “Sumy was founded in 1652 by the Cossacks who had migrated here from the areas on the right bank of the Dnipro river. The town grew rapidly and in 1658 it acquired the status of a Cossack headquarters. In the very early years of its existence Sumy turned out to be a bulwark against the Tartar inroads. The town bravely withstood all the attempts to storm and destroy it. The siege by the enemies was almost a daily routine, The chronicles say that life was nothing but <<>> But the town survived even the worst of times and grew in size. There were approximately 300,000 people living in Sumy in 1998.

Personal views of Cumi: When we arrived in the Ukraine June 1999, there were four missionaries in Cumi – two Americans and two Ukrainians. They asked for and received permission to begin English classes on a large scale. They wanted to put posters around the city and get as many people attending English classes as possible. Late one night Elder Bradford called me and told me that “we have a problem.” The results of the advertising had paid off big time. Elder Bradford stated that they had 1,200 people signed up for the English classes. Thus began one of the most interesting situations in the mission – the best English classes in the world. Cumi quickly became known as the place to go if you wanted to participate in theatre. The English classes turned into interesting classes culminating in the Saturday night Cumi drama. Throughout our three years we saw many productions that were worthy of academy awards. Missionaries spent numerous hours planning, producing, costume making, and acting in outstanding shows. In December of 1999, we had a play in our house and while doing a off take of the show “Top Gun” Cumi was identified as the “Top Gun” location in the mission. I never tried to stop this mystic about Cumi. During this time Cumi was the farthest point away from the mission home. I had to put individuals in Cumi I could trust because they were truly on their own for the majority of the time. When we decided to put Sisters in Cumi, they added a great deal to the growth of the church and they were “Top Gun” material just like the Elders. We remember meeting with the members during tithing settlement in the winter of 1999. At that time we were meeting in the old airport building; a very cold building with no toilet. If nature called, you went outside and made your way through the fence and into the bushes; not such a difficult task for males, but Sister McQueen was not pleased with the out-door-fresh-air facilities. I conducted the tithing settlement in a small room with candles and my mag-light. The city had not paid its power bill to Russia and we were in the middle of a rolling black-out with only one section of the city receiving power at a time. Most of the time we had no light. Best interviews I ever held. Powerful members showed up to declare that they were full tithe payers and tell me how blessed they had been for joining the church. We moved to a new rental in the center of the city a while later. This place had a large room with a stage and some individual classrooms. The stage made the English productions more elaborate and dramatic. Edith Head would have been proud of some of the costume designs. We have fond memories of meeting with members in their homes, at church, and during open houses. One member stands out in some respects. He used to ride his bike to church – 3 hours one way and 6 hours on the return trip. It took him longer to get home because of the stiff winds in his face. So on a normal Sunday he spent 9 hours riding to and from church and 3 hours attending meetings. He was deaf so he had to have one of the teenagers write notes about the subject being discussed in church. I asked him why he made such an effort and he replied, “because I feel the spirit while I’m here”. When I put one of our Russian signing missionaries in Cumi he was overjoyed. Cumi was an eight hour drive from Donetsk and a little longer from the Crimea. The nice part of driving to Cumi was passing through all the little villages. You truly saw the Ukrainian country side at its best. We stayed at the Khimik Hotel in Cumi. The rooms were not heated very well. The beds were way too soft and the hot water was sporadic but the hotel had the only good place to eat in the city other then McDonalds. I believe some missionaries ate every meal at this McDonalds. On a regular Saturday night between English-classes we made a run to McDonalds, we would probably give them the biggest order of the day. Ate a lot of meals in that McDonalds. I think every missionary in Cumi had a run in with the minister of religion. This man was really a difficult individual to deal with but I think we have finally made friends with him. I remember when we gave the hospital a blood gas monitoring machine and numerous people in the city came to thank us for this machine.

Donetsk

2009-02-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

Donetsk Region Eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region has long been recognized for its natural and industrial resources. Rich in coal and other minerals, the region developed rapidly as a center for mining and steel production, as well as machine manufacturing. Donetsk is the most densely populated region of Ukraine: its population of 5.3 million resides within an area of 26,540 square kilometers. It borders to the east with Russia's Rostov region; in the south, the Sea of Azov, which flows into the Black Sea, provides the region with abundant shipping, fishing and tourism opportunities. The city of Donetsk, Ukraine's fourth largest city, has a population of nearly 1.5 million; its nickname is the City of Roses, referring to lush rose gardens that color many of its parks. Zaporizzhia Cossacks, who inhabited the region since the 17th century, are the first-known settlers of the region. Even then, Donetsk region was valued for its natural resources. The Cossacks took advantage of coal deposits, calling this plentiful mineral the burning stone. The first industrial coal mines appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. As industrial development continued to progress, the region soon became recognized internationally as an industrial hub -- this reputation is still enjoyed by Donetsk today. The Donetsk region also bears a strong tradition of foreign involvement in business and industry. When the government commissioned the construction of a metallurgy plant in 1869, it was the British manager John Hughes who was invited to manage the factory. Hughes' favorable imprint on the local surroundings is evidenced by the fact that one of the first industrial towns created during this era was called Yuzovka, or little Hughes. Vestiges of pre-Soviet foreign influence in Donetsk remain. For example, the geometrically squared streets of Donetsk defy the more random pattern of Soviet city planning; in addition, older citizens still refer to the city's main streets as the first line and the second line" instead of Artema Street or Lenina Street. Donetsk Ukraine Our Home Away From Home (here are some initial thoughts, we will add to these city stories as we remember events). Our views of Donetsk: The day we arrived in Donetsk was hot and humid. We had just completed a very long but memorable train ride from Kiev. We wanted every missionary to experience that train ride so even though the Kiev Service Center tried to get us to fly the missionaries to Donetsk we resisted. We found the train ride to be a great introduction to the next two or three years. We lived in a wonderful apartment and we wanted missionaries and members and local leaders to enjoy it also. We had numerous gatherings in our apartment. The people below us were not very enthusiastic however, particularly after a water pipe broke and we flooded their very expensive apartment. We did repair the damage but they still complained about having too many people too often in the apartment. During the Christmas season of 1999, we held a separate missionary and member party in our apartment. The missionary party was a classic with skits, scriptures, stories, and good food. The member party was to thank all the leadership in both the districts in Donetsk for their faithful service. Zone leader conferences in our home were simply the best meeting of the month. We loved getting together and talking about the nuts and bolts of the mission. We loved the free flow of information and how serious every one took their callings as leaders in the mission. It was a sad moment in the Donbass when we were asked to “disinvite” the branch presidents from this forum. Some of our best thinkers were the branch presidents and we valued their input during this meeting. The area presidency was not happy that we had the branch presidents attending a Zone leader meeting so they asked us to stop which we did. Sister McQueen prepared food for two days prior to each zone leader conference and if anyone left the apartment hungry it was their own fault. We were amazed at how much food missionaries could consume in one sitting. We enjoyed walking around the lake in back of our apartment complex. When we were in town we would get up early and walk down towards the soccer stadium and back to our home. It was really fun when it was very cold and icy. We didn’t spend a great deal of time in our apartment because we traveled so much, but we did call Donetsk home. The office in the Kievsky Chapel was really nice. Air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. Our favorite part of the office was the mystical TRANSFER BOARD. Everyone wanted inside information as to who was going where and when. We found out very early that we needed to demystify this process. After the first six months of trying to keep a lid on the transfers, we basically let the information out as soon as possible. Transfers were simple: X number of missionaries leaving, X number of missionaries arriving and Y number of slots that needed to be filled and Z number of missionaries needing to be called as senior companions or trainers. When new assistants were called everyone wanted to know who they were and why they were called and what the President was looking for in an assistant. We loved studying with the office Elders and taking them on weekends trips to the branches around Donetsk. We loved traveling with the assistants. We were confined in the VW for so many hours together that we knew almost too much about each other. We had friends at the center Renok. The meat man would save us his best cuts of meat. The vegetable lady and her husband would make sure we only got the best stuff. We made sure we made our rounds and bought something from almost every vendor. When the meat man saw us coming he knew he was going to make a monetary killing that day. These people all treated us very nicely. The guys in the computer shop were also great with us. We loved the interaction with the leadership in Donetsk and Makeyevka. President Deloyn (Donetsk District) and President Peredereev (Makeyevka District) were outstanding leaders who tried their best to lead the church forward in these cities. They spent hours working on church issues. Other leaders I loved were President Shushkevech and President Yudin – these two men helped me more than any others in understanding the Ukrainian mind set. I loved their insights. I really liked President Shushkevech’s sense of humor. At the end of our mission, the people we really worked well with were brother Oleg and Sister Maross and Aleksey. These people held my hand through a variety of experiences – some really good and others really bad. But the main thing that held every thing together was the focus on one important purpose and that was growing the church. I really felt a spiritual presence in Donetsk. That part of the Ukraine is special. I didn’t have the same feelings in other parts of the Ukraine or Russia. The Donbass was special. I thought President Shushkevech made a wonderful plea to one of the counselors in the area presidency about Donetsk being the location the church should build the first temple in the Ukraine. He talked about the availability of land, the pro-LDS minister of religion in Donetsk, and the solid membership. I was impressed with his presentation but it didn’t get very far. The members in all the branches in the area were wonderful. When Sister Smoot, Relief Society President, came for a visit, the ladies in all the branches were able to show her all their crafts. They also hugged and kissed her and made her feel at home. I can’t remember a day when I was more proud of a group of people. The Ukrainian members and the Donetsk Women’s league made her feel comfortable in their city. We loved the hours we would spend answering missionary questions over the phone. During morning study time we would often get a call asking us about gospel questions. We would often do a little research for the answer and then call the missionary back and discuss the answer. If we didn’t know the answer we would say so and leave it at that – “just hasn’t been revealed yet.” We would get a little annoyed at some of the “how do you construct a universe questions” and we would voice our displeasure by stating “first learn about faith and when you can move a mountain then maybe we can discuss the universe building issues.” This approach worked well with all but the most stubborn missionaries. Zone conferences in Donetsk were the best. We would sometimes meet with just one zone and other times we would meet together with two or more zones. Some of our best talks started in Donetsk. Testimony concerning the M1 Tank, Planning - Military style, testifying about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (a truly remarkable moment in missionary history – for us as well as for those in attendance). We met sometimes in our house and other times in the Kievsky Chapel. We were equally comfortable in either place. We think some missionaries preferred our apartment because they could sit on our comfortable couch and Sister McQueen usually had something to eat at these conferences. As always, the highlight of any conference for us was hearing the missionaries bear testimony about their experiences. You lifted our spirits, we felt humbled being in your presence, and we were warmed by the spirit. All feelings we miss. We had Elders Eyring, Oaks, and Holland visit Donetsk. Sisters Menlove and Smoot also visited us. We were excited to have them but also sad that all the missionaries were unable to be in attendance at the missionary meetings we had with them. Elder Eyring told us that he thought we should smile more and be more involved in getting our paperwork correct. Other than those comments he was pleased with the mission. We told him the smiling problem was President McQueen’s problem and that the missionaries were just following his lead. We also mentioned that President McQueen did not like paperwork and would do almost anything to be out of the office and with the missionaries. Elders Oaks and Holland had nothing but good things to say about the mission. Sisters Menlove and Smoot were also pleased with everything. We were never worried to have anyone visit our mission because we knew they would see only missionaries who were interested in the work and in doing their best. There were only a few times when we had some differing views with the area presidency about how the mission should be run. We don’t think the Donetsk Ukraine Mission is on the list anymore for general authority visits which is too bad. We loved to show off the members and missionaries.

Zaporozhye

2009-02-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Zaporozhye (I found this article on the internet) The town of Zaporozhye is more than 200 years old and is situated about 600 KM South-East of Kiev – Ukraine’s capital – and half-way between the fields of iron ore in Krivoi Rog to the West and the coal in the Donetsk basin to the East. The town is built on the wide plains along both banks of the mighty and ancient Dnieper River, which give Zaporozhye a unique atmosphere. The residential areas of Zaporozhye are very spacious with plenty of light and greenery, and the streets crossing Lenin Prospekt – the longest road – slant down towards the Dnieper River. The town stretches out for over 30 kilometers along the river, and in its width the new residential districts extend for 25 kilometers. A most remarkable sight and the pride of Zaporozhye’s citizens is Khortitsa Island, which is the custodian of an antiquity reserve, museum, and a nature reserve, popular with weekend visitors. Railways, highways, airlines and water-ways connect Zaporozhye with Moscow, Kiev, Kharkov, Poltava, Simferopol and many other cities and towns in our country. Just beyond other borders of the town to the South, you can find the vast Kakhovsky Reservoir, which is often called a sea, and the Sea of Azov – a very popular health-resort area – lies about 150 – 2—kilometers further towards the South. Kakhovsky reservoir finally flows into the Black Sea close to Odessa, one of Ukraine’s major ports. You can travel all the way from Kiev to Odessa by boat on the Ukrainian waterways. Historians and archaeologists tell us that the territory of Zaporozhye had been inhabited by people from time immemorial. This is shown for example by stone tools of the late Paleolithic Age (about 15 thousand years ago), two settlements of the Heolithic Age (6th millennium B.C.), objects of material culture of the late Bronze Epoch (1st millennium B.C.). Both the Scythians (4th Millennium B.C.) and the Samatian (2nd century B.C. – 2nd century A.D.) lived here while in the 9th – 13 centuries the area was already heavily populated by Slavs, which is shown by the remains of 57 Slavonic settlements which were discovered near the Dneproges Hydroelectric Dam. However, according to the historians, most of the Slav dwellers left this area in the 13th century, running away from the Golden Horde invasion, and by the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, Zaporozhye Cossacks became master of the lands beyond the rapids of the Dnieper River. The impregnable Khortitsa Island became one of the centers of Cossack civilization, and became a mighty force for the Ukrainian people in the struggle against foreign invaders and the feudal yoke and for the reunion of the Ukraine with Russia. But the town itself was founded much later, during a period of united struggle of the fraternal people against the Turkish Sultanate. Its origins go back to the end of 1770, when one of the fortresses of the Dnieper fortified line was built at the mouth of the Mokraya Moskovka. Zaporozhye was originally named Alexandrovsk after the commander of the first Russian Army, Prince Alexander Golitsyn. The builders, a battalion of Russian soldiers and toilers “lopatniki” who had come here with their families became the first settlers of the future town. Among them were also Zaporozhye Cossacks, who founded a large village nearby after the abolition of the Zaporozhskaya Sechin 1775. Initially, the settlement grew up very slowly. Plague, epidemics and wartime hardships had a negative effect on its development. At that time, the people were mainly occupied in raising cattle, farming, growing vegetables, hunting and fishing. Handicraft and trade were poorly developed. Present day Zaporozhye has over 1 million inhabitants and is the center of a range of industries and the home to Zaporozhye State University. It now produces nearly half of the stainless steel and ball-bearing steel in the country, a third of the cold-rolled steel sheets and about half of the transformers. It is the first domestic producer of the “Zaporoshyets” mimi-car, and manufactures products from titanium, aluminum, ferroalloys etc. About 400 different products are being exported by the town’s enterprises to more than seventy foreign countries. The town has 100 secondary schools, 14 professional schools, a university, three institutes, 13 technical secondary schools, two medical schools, two pedagogical institutes and a musical college, about 30 scientific research and design institutions. Every fourth inhabitant is a scholar. The community has access to 400 libraries, 50 cinemas, a theater, concert hall, and a circus. Zaporozhye has over 1300 avenues, streets and squares. A child is born every 48 minutes. The public transportation covers routes over 1000 km long. (Zaporozhye from our view point) The drive to Zap was very pleasant. We drove through some beautiful country side and some pretty villages. As we drove into one town we could either take a left to Zap or a right to Dneper. There were numerous dairy farms and horse breeding outfits along the way. We stopped one day at a large horse breeding operation and a lady took us all around the place. We thanked her by giving her a Book of Mormon. We remember seeing a beautiful horse which had a very stubby tail. She laughed about the tail and told us it was a genetic flaw. We loved Zap. The zone meetings there were awesome. The missionaries tried hard to be the most obedient in the mission. We had a small group of people and we could really hold wonderful meetings. The place where we met had green walls. We remember telling everyone to remember the green walls and the feeling we had that day. It seemed that the most spiritual meetings we held with missionaries often took place in Zap. How could anyone forget the blue planner-man zone conference? The missionaries decided to have a skit about the blue planner and they made costumes and provided us with a great deal to theatre while teaching us the importance of the blue planner. I remember my longest missionary interview took place in Zap. It took about 2 ½ hours. We loved the interview process there. We would arrive in the afternoon and hold interviews with the missionaries that afternoon. We would hold member interviews that night. The next day was zone conference. We liked to start early so we could have all day and not be rushed. The hotel we stayed in was within walking distance to the place where we met so that was convenient. Zap also had some good places to shop. We could get .05% milk there for a number of months. This was the best packaged milk available at the time and the shop where we could get it, was right along the way to the meeting location. After zone conferences we usually went to eat at our hotel or a western restaurant, or the pizza place or McDonalds or finally at the Irish Pub. The Irish Pub had a great room we could meet in and a really good schnitzel. We could also relax with the missionaries and enjoy a few moments of fun. Oh, we can’t forget the Chinese place which went out of business. It was a really fun place to eat and they had great Chinese food. It was located right by the Lenin statue just before you went over the dam. We loved the informal conversations and we could watch the interaction of companionships and friendships. Our hotel room was often cold so in the winter time we took our sleeping bags with us to keep warm. During the summer time, we would often wake up and not be able to see the other side of the square. The smog was so dense that we often worried about the air quality. There were rumors that Zap had a very high radiation count but our mission doctor looked into this and found it was no higher than in Salt Lake City. We had one missionary who was in the hospital for a long time. He was from Mongolia and came to the Ukraine with limited Russian and English skills. The missionaries in Zap had to rotate staying with him in the hospital and after he was released he spoke fairly good Russian and English. We visited him one time and we were impressed with the care he got but the facility left a lot to be desired. Zap had one of the longest boulevards in Europe. During our last year, they were doing a lot of work to make it very pretty. They cut down some of the old trees and planted new ones. They have an Afghanistan War Memorial which looks much like our Vietnam War Memorial in the center of town.

Dnepropetrovsk

2009-02-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

From an article on the internet "Dnepropetrovsk – simply Dnepr, as it is called by local inhabitants is a dynamic and lively city. The city is surprisingly green along the wide and slow-moving Dnieper river (Dneper in Russian, Dnipro in Ukrainian). The city has remarkable embankments, long boulevards and spacious parks. It is also the center of high-technology industries, education, machine-building, metallurgy and trade. The city is not only famous for its commercial industry, but also its green hills and deep history. The city is very warm in the summer and cold in the winter. The best time for visiting is the late spring and early autumn. The central streets of the city were renamed during the Soviet time in honor of the outstanding revolutionaries. It is interesting, the largest of them is in honor of German figures. The central street of the city has the name of Karl Marx. It is very beautiful, wide, and long parkway, which stretches east to west through the central part of the city. The city was founded in the XVIII century and pars of its buildings are the actual decoration of the city. In the nucleus of he city is Zhovtneva square, on which is the majestic Cathedral that was founded by order of Katherine II in 1787. On the square, there are some remarkable buildings: the museum of history, Diorama “Battle for the Dnieper River (WW II), and also the beautiful park in which you can rest in the hot summer. Walking down the hill to the Dnieper River, you will arrive in the large Taras Shevchenko Park (which is on the right bank of the river) and on Monastyrskiy Island. This island is one of the most interesting places in the city. In the IX century, the Byzantian monks based a monastery here. It was destroyed by Mongol-Tartars in the XIII century". Dnepropetrovsk was our favorite city for material things. The main street had the best Ecco shoe store in the mission. There was a mink store near the Dneper hotel that had some awesome coats and hats. Great restaurants throughout the city. We started by doing all the interviews and zone conferences at center branch which was up a few flights of stairs and then into a two room area. The one room was small and the other much larger. The nice thing was you could look out the windows or get a breeze blowing through the room. Some really good zone conferences were held in this room. Once the “remont” was completed in Pobeda, we started holding all our meetings there. This place was great. We had a number of rooms and a kitchen. It wasn’t the easiest place to get to by car but we really liked the privacy and holding meetings in our own place. There were numerous spiritual moments in that place. We remember one meeting where a missionary was testifying about some very tender moments in his life and President McQueen stopped him and in a hushed voice asked if everyone could feel the change in the room? He then went on to explain that the change was the spirit. It was one of those times when you could really feel the spirit. President McQueen really enjoyed conducting interviews in Dneper. He really liked the walking interviews out in Pobeda where you could walk up that one lane for 15 minutes and then switch companions and walk back for 15 minutes. We tried to conduct interviews and shed a few pounds all at the same time. We loved all the members and particularly the leadership in Dneper. The district president and the branch presidents were all wonderful people. We never worried about a district conference in this city. President Davydov was as capable an individual as we have ever seen in the church. We could call him late in the game with changes to the district meeting and he took everything in stride. There was one conference where the visiting authority was very anxious about starting on time. The bus from Zap had not arrived yet and it was getting close to starting time. President Davydov wanted to wait 10 or 15 minutes but the authority wanted to start on time. President Davydov explained that the bus being late was not the fault of the members and that starting late would not be a problem and we started late - right after the members from Zap arrived. Never fazed him. When we first met him, President McQueen asked him if they had met before, he had a strong feeling that they had met some place before. President Davydov replied that they had probably known each other before coming to earth. We got along so well together. President Davydov in now a counselor in the Kiev Stake. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be one of the leaders of the church in the Europe East Area for years to come and if he learns a little more English he could very well be a general authority. He has leadership skills that are outstanding. A modern day pioneer. The members in Dneper always treated us kindly. Whenever we came to the city people would show up to talk to us. After district conferences we would stay afterwards and talk to the many people who wanted to say something about their lives or just bear their testimonies. President McQueen would often have to do temple recommend interviews in the most unusual locations – on the stage, in a hallway, or any other place where he could get some privacy. The Pobeda branch president was always willing to let us use his office for interviews. The Dneper Hotel was one of our least favorite places to stay. It was cold in the winter time and hot in the summer. It was also windy inside our room. We usually got a room facing the river so the view was nice but that was about all. The ladies who checked us in did every thing possible to make us feel unwanted. We were extremely happy when they opened the Academia Hotel. The people at that hotel were wonderful. The rooms were great. The bathroom was wonderful. And we had heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. The ladies at the desk treated us well and the men who carried in our luggage and watched our car at night loved to see us arrive. They also had a telephone hock-up where we could use the internet. It was located near the center of town and close to the Euro Mart and Melrose restaurant. When thinking about each city, our thoughts almost immediately turn to zone conferences and interviews. Sometimes we would have small zone conferences and other times we invited Zap and the Crimea. We liked either way. We liked giving the people from outside Dneper the chance to live the good life. Three of the four most trying events of our mission took place in Dneper. Elder Pixton died, an Elder decided to quit his mission, and at the very next conference, one of our most humble and courageous missionaries asked if he could go home for medical reasons. We cried buckets of tears during these events. There were times in the mission where our mental, physical and spiritual strength was tested to the very limits of endurance. Thank goodness for missionaries who helped us through the hard times. There were numerous missionaries who helped us through the death of Elder Pixton but we will always bless the names of two individuals who helped us the most through these times – Elder Morrise and Elder Isaacson. If we remember correctly Elder Isaacson was with us, in one way or another, in each event and we could not have survived the death of Elder Pixton without Elder Morrise. We feel Elder Isaacson’s calling was to be the behind the scene strength to keep us going. The drive to Dneper was really fun. We went through some great country side. We really enjoyed driving fast on the country roads. During the winter time, to keep our window washing fluid from freezing we would use Vodka instead of water for our wiper fluid. Driving home from Dneper one time we ran out of wiper fluid and we had Elder Redko go into a little place and purchase some Vodka. When we poured the Vodka into the windshield washer container, a Ukrainian was watching us in awe. Elder Redko mentioned that the Ukrainian thought we were performing a great sacrilege using Vodka as wiper fluid. Another time we came upon an accident just outside Dneper. We asked if we could help or if the police needed our cell phone to call for assistance. Sister McQueen was getting ready to administer mouth to mouth resuscitation on the individuals who had been thrown from the car when we looked closely and realized they were both dead. The policeman thanked us but said he wouldn’t need our cell phone. One of many spiritual experiences we had in Dneper, involved the police. We were traveling to the hospital one day to check on Elder Pixton. We had lots of people in the car and our Ukrainian translator told us we needed to let her out because if the police stopped us we would get in trouble. We told her to stay in the car and Sister McQueen said a prayer asking that we could get to the hospital without any delay or problems with the police. On our way up the hill from our hotel to the hospital, we passed a police officer who looked directly at us and did nothing. Our translator did not ride back with us to the hotel, but as we were returning a police officer pointed his black and white baton at us and we pulled over. We had done nothing wrong and he let us go without incident but it was a huge reminder to us that the Lord was in control and we all felt a great relief that our pray had been answered on the way to the hospital. President McQueen was speaking at a district conference meeting for all the leadership in the district at the Pobeda chapel at about the time we were getting ready for the Nauvoo temple dedication. Prior to his talk, a Ukrainian member was speaking, and while he was talking President McQueen keep getting the feeling that he should talk about Joseph Smith. As some of you might remember, President McQueen gave a number of impromptu talks. The assistants or whomever translated for him often wanted the talk written out but he would change the subject material so often he simply stopped writing his talks and the translators did the best they could. Topics like the parachute talk and faith, or the cat and dog story, or translating the “getting your arms around the issue” seemed to cause some translation problems. Anyway, President McQueen after thinking so much about Joseph Smith, stood up and began his talks by almost yelling “Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, they are building the temple in Nauvoo” and then went on to testify about Joseph Smith being a true prophet and a person we should all praise for his accomplishments. He was really sad that not very many missionaries heard this talk. Oh, well, just another time you had to be there and feel the moment.

Kharkov

2009-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Kharkov was a very interesting city for us. We could not tell if the minister of religion liked us or not. We were constantly fighting him about the number of missionaries in the city. Early in our mission, the missionaries were kicked out of Kharkov. We only had three missionaries who could legally stay in the city. They did a marvelous job of keeping everything going and getting the members involved in missionary work. We moved the other missionaries to Donetsk and they worked hard getting converts in Donetsk for a couple of months. We don’t think being kicked out hurt the over all missionary effort - just another road bump in the life of a missionary. The three missionaries who stayed in Kharkov did not want to leave the city. When we did transfer them, they let us know how disappointed they were with us. They wanted to stay in their beloved city. A few of the Kharkov police loved messing with the missionaries. For some strange reason, we had more missionaries taken to jail in Kharkov than any other city. One missionary was arrested seven times. He also stepped on a needle that went through his shoe into his foot and was bitten by a dog which required him taking the rabies shots series. He has the record for bad luck in Kharkov and we are sure it will stay the record for years. We had a lot of conspiracy theorists talking about our missionaries being watched and targeted but we think it was simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or just one or two policemen who like to harass missionaries. We loved holding the zone conferences in the National Hotel. It was so convenient to hold interviews in our hotel room one day and the next day to hold the zone conference in the hotel. We used two different rooms – one room was smaller and had some black leather chairs and we could open the windows if needed. The other room was just off of the restaurant and we used this room when we had multiple zones at a conference. The only draw back in this room was it could get very hot in the summer time. We loved hearing about the work in Kharkov at these conferences. We invited President Ashannan to some of the conferences and if I had it to do over again we would have invited him more. We loved him and we were extremely happy when his wife was baptized. He added a different perspective to the zone conference meetings. We enjoyed it when the missionaries from Poltava and Sumy came to the conferences. We think they enjoyed it also. We liked to see old companions getting together and friendships being renewed. It was also nice to play soccer or ultimate Frisbee together. It was fun to move the zone conferences from the hotel to our chapel which was just a little drive from the hotel in Alekceevka. We were really surprised when the city let us put the satellite dish on the building our chapel was in so we could see the Nauvoo temple dedication. This was a very historic event in the history of the church. District conferences were wonderful in Kharkov. President Ashannan was always prepared and did an outstanding job leading the church in this city. We met monthly with him when we were in the city and had pleasant conversations. He was always prepared when the area presidency came to town. We are not sure that the missionaries liked translating for us when President McQueen did temple recommend interviews and Sister McQueen met with members out in the old dentist building. We remember one winter evening when our car was broken into and all our Christmas packages stolen. This was not a good night. We had temple recommend interviews that lasted until about 1130 and then we went to our car and found a couple of windows broken and a tire slashed and all the packages missing. Elder Roberts was with us and helped us get through this situation. There were numerous indications of a set up. We enjoyed walking around Kharkov in the morning. We walked around Liberty Square a lot and it is fun to have a webcam looking at the square. Our favorite place to eat was at Norma’s. We also liked the donut/pizza place. We had a few meals at the hotel and it was also fine. We also liked the McDonalds and Baskin Robbins place. On the drive to Kharkov, we passed Slovonogorsk and Izum. Two places that we thought were fairly beautiful. We took pictures with almost every assistant companionship at a rest stop near Izum. The scenery overlooked a river and some open fields which would have made a really neat 18 hole golf course. Izum was known for the mushrooms grown in the area. They had some “renoks” that sold nothing but bottled mushrooms. The police also set up some interesting speed traps along the road to Kharkov. We were stopped one time for the “intent to pass” and fined 17 griven. We tried to get as many missionaries as possible to Slovonogorsk to see the lime stone caves on the Russian Orthodox Monastery compound. Sister McQueen was apprehended one time for taking a picture of a priest without permission. The assistants had to rescue her from the security guard. We told him we would give him the film but after a discussion he let us keep the film and we left. We gave one of our Ukrainian guides a Book of Mormon. The first Book of Mormon placed in this area of Ukraine. We really didn’t like driving to Kharkov during or after a snow storm. There were lots of hills and the driving was dangerous. During the winter of 1999, we had so much snow we had to take the train to Kharkov. The next two winters were fine and there was only one other time that we were delayed in getting to Kharkov because of the snow, but that was only a one day delay.

Elder Dupre

2009-02-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

I was going through some files and I ran across one of the more interesting situations that happened in our mission. Elder Dupre was called to be the mission’s Membership Records clerk – not one of the glamour positions to hold in the mission office. Elder Dupre attacked this job with all the fervor of a seasoned genealogist. His mission – to find every baptism record in the mission – even if he had to look in every missionary apartment and find where the records were stashed. He bothered district and zone leaders like no other MSR clerk had dared to do in the past to get records done and done correctly and done on time. At the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001, he found numerous baptism records which had not been processed and sent to the Kiev Service Center. The missionaries thought the branch president had taken care of the records and visa versa. We quickly sent the records forward and received credit on the next months report. I remember our baptism count being 80 baptisms for that month and when that number was put on the monthly report that went to all mission presidents, I started receiving calls asking what we were doing to get all those baptisms. I told everyone to get a dedicated MSR clerk and let him start spreading the “get-your-records-straight-news.” What was fascinating was the effect this had on the baptism momentum for the mission. This “paper success” instigated “real” success and for the next year and a half we never looked back. Baptism pools grew, contacting increased, teaching opportunities opened up, new teaching techniques were thought of like computer classes to three on three basketball. Zone leaders, district leaders, individual companionships caught the fever and action happened. Sister McQueen and I just sat back and watched this incredible experience happen. We were simply cheerleaders standing on the sidelines watching the game play out. When proven leaders went home, others were waiting to take up the challenge. The bar was constantly being raised. You could feel the intensity growing day by day. No one wanted to miss out on the “spiritual high” we were achieving. We found missionaries were reluctant to go home and those coming into the mission could feel the excitement. They knew they were part of something special. Zone conferences got more spiritual; missionaries seemed more obedient; love and concern for companions, members, investigators became more important; we were getting close to “thy will be done” and we all loved it. When we left for home, Sister McQueen and I didn’t come off of our “cloud” for many months.

Crimea

2009-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Crimea played an important role in helping to keep the intensity level high in the mission. We were really excited when President Trythall called and asked us if we would be willing to take responsibility for the Crimea and Kherson. We did not hesitate to accept this challenge. We liked the idea of having more branches where missionaries could be branch presidents and we thought missionaries would enjoy the challenge of living in some of the most beautiful parts of Ukraine. We also realized that it would require us to change our pattern of zone conferences and our visiting branches which were under the mission district. We had been meeting with the missionaries on a monthly basis. The process of adding the Crimea changed our zone conference rotation schedule from a monthly basis to a five or sometimes six week interval. This was difficult for some missionaries who wanted to see us often but we were able to work the telephone lines well enough to keep everyone happy. The drive from Donetsk to the Crimea took most of the day. We left Donetsk and traveled towards Mariupol and then turned West towards Militopol and then South towards Simferopol. There were times on the drive where you could see both the Sea of Azov and the Black sea. There were also some small mountains around Simferopol which were a welcome change of scenery. Yalta and the Southern coastline of the Crimean peninsula are beautiful. Sevestopol and Evpatoria are equally scenic. Kherson is right on the Dneper river and is a beautiful city. We felt sorry for the missionaries who labored in Evpatoria in the summer time because of all the beaches in the city. We had to emphasize the need to look up or down because of all the swim suits being worn in the city. During the winter months, the Crimea was fun because of the mild weather. The branches in Evpatoria, Semferopol, Kherson, and Bogota were functioning well when we took over this area. Sevestopol had been closed but we opened it again just before leaving the mission. It would surprise us very much if there wasn’t a missionary who didn’t want to serve some period of their mission in this area. The first missionaries we sent to the Crimea were some of the best in the mission. We needed people who were going to set high standards of missionary work and member cooperation that only Donetsk Missionaries could set. After a few months, it was apparent that the members liked our standards and the emphasis we place on them. We had a couple of Crimea Conferences where we got all the members together so they could see they were part of a large organization. We made a big deal out to the dedication of the Chapel in Semferopol and we had some wonderful young adult conferences. We also spent a wonderful Christmas with the members and missionaries in 2001. One of the most spiritual zone conferences we ever held was on the 25th of December 2001. We held the conference in our hotel room and for about four hours we studied the scriptures discussing the life of the Savior. We also had a fun dinner at the hotel. We liked our hotel room because it looked like a small apartment and was very reasonable. We had a large room with a big table that could seat all the missionaries in the zone. They also had a nice sitting room and large bathroom. We didn’t eat many places in Semferopol except at the hotel and the McDonalds. We only stayed one time in Evpatoria and that was at a resort hotel that was very nice. The church rentals in Evpatoria were adequate but really hot in the summer time. We understand that we are building a chapel or one has already been built. This should really help the growth of the church in this area. Bogata was a beautiful little town to the East of Semferopol. There was a small but functioning branch in this town that was set up in the mountains. We went there a couple of times and had nice meetings. We spent time in Kherson learning to love the branch in that town. The hotel we stayed in was right on the Dneper river and the scenery was beautiful. We ate at a restaurant we found in the center of the city. It was fairly good and we had some fun times with the missionaries in this place. The branch really liked our missionaries and the work seemed to get better and better as time moved along. We started with just two missionaries in each location in the Crimea and we tried to up the number to four in each location. We always felt it was healthy to have at least four missionaries in each city. We were fairly liberal on companionship exchanges in these situations. We were able to take a day with the one of the area presidency to travel to Yalta and go through some of the museums in the area. It was probably the only day during our entire mission that we had a full preparation day. We drove from Semferopol through the mountains to Yalta and then along the coast to Sevestopol and then back to Semferopol. It took all day. We certainly saw some wonderful scenery. The greatest thing about gaining the Crimea in the mission was to watch the growth of the missionaries who served in that area. We loved watching the branch presidents fall in love with their branches. We loved watching them build their own portion of the kingdom. We loved watching the zone leaders take care of missionaries and members alike. We loved watching the missionaries taking care of their investigators and members. All in all there was a special spirit in the Crimea. The missionaries felt they were part of something special which can do more than anything else in keeping the missionary zeal burning in the soul. There are times when we think it would be nice to be able to get in the car and head to Semferopol to stay in the Moscow hotel, but only if the assistants were with us and we could discuss the developments taking place in the Ukraine Donetsk Mission.

Elder Callister

2009-02-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

Elder Callister and his wife had an extremely important impact on our mission. We believe our second mission tour set the stage for a number of our successes. We will never forget Elder Callister’s talks – the best in our mission. We marveled at his mastery of his subject material. We couldn’t believe his ability to recite scriptures and poetry with equal passion. We loved his wife’s sound judgment and willingness to get involved with our lives and the lives of our missionaries. Being with a general authority and his wife for a solid week can be very stressful. The Callister’s were so down to earth that we simply relaxed and tried to feast on the wisdom of their guidance. We can not find a missionary in the mission who heard their talks who were not duly impressed. We had a wonderful thanksgiving dinner with them in Poltova. The missionaries had killed some turkeys out in Golovach and they had taught the lady at the University kitchen how to cook a turkey dinner. We all sat around a beautiful table after our conference and ate an excellent turkey dinner. The missionaries were able to mingle with the Callister’s and we feel fun was had by everyone present. Elder Callister provided us with the best direction of any general authority. He provided advice that helped us deal better with missionaries and members as well as our own relationship. He probably knows more about us than our parents. I loved our PPI’s because he always wanted to know how I was treating Sister McQueen. What’s fun is he still reminds me about treating her well when we talk on the phone. We don’t think there was another couple involved with our mission who truly loved the missionaries or members as much as the Callister’s. Their leadership style caused a great deal of growth for the church in the Europe East Area. Can you imagine being responsible for an area that covered something like 13 or 15 time zones? Just the travel time would have been a trial for me. I wonder how I would have dealt with all the idiosyncrasies of the different mission presidents and hundreds of missionaries. He also had to deal with the district presidents, members, and government officials. Just think of the job of trying to get us rentals that had heat let alone land on which we could build chapels. He did such a good job in these areas that we now have some real nice properties all over the Donetsk Mission. I remember during the mission tour that Elder Callister emphasized knowing your material when you speak. Many of you will remember he never referred to notes while he was talking. I remember Sister McQueen standing up after his talk and she did not use her notes. When Elder Callister asked her if she normally used notes while she talked she replied that she normally did use them. He wanted to know why she didn’t use them this time and she explained that she was trying to follow his example. Throughout the mission tour the Callister’s were able to see how efficient Sister McQueen was in teaching missionaries and members. When the tour was completed, Elder Callister complimented her on her abilities to teach. In just a short time, he was able to see what we all knew which was that Sister McQueen was an exceptional mission mother, teacher, and scriptorian. The only part of Elder Callister’s visit that caused us some consternation was when he kept referring to the Samara Mission as the best mission in the Europe East Area and he kept emphasizing that they were a “one language” mission meaning that they only spoke Russian. He talked a little about a factory which had a foreman who would write a number on the floor as a challenge for his people to produce an ever increasing amount of what-evers. The foreman for the next shift would erase the number and put his own in and so there started to be a little competition between the shifts. He wrapped this nicely into our mission and the Samara Mission. In Kharkov, after hearing this comparison for the third time, I stood up and told him and the missionaries I was tired of hearing about Samara being so good. I told him to just wait. The line in the sand had been drawn, the gauntlet thrown down, the challenge given and the challenge accepted. Throughout the entire tour as he talked about Samara being better then any other mission in the Europe East Area, no missionary stood up and challenged him. In Kharkov, Elder Day, in a rather forceful manner, explained to him that the Ukraine Donetsk Mission was in fact the best mission in the Europe East Area and then proceeded to list a few reason why. I don’t think I ever told Elder Day how much his support meant to me. I was so thankful for his comments and the impact they had on Elder Callister and us. Elder Callister’s challenge did cause a great deal of thought and thought lead to commitment, and commitment lead to action and for the next fifteen months our mission really shined. So, thanks to President Callister for the challenge.

Poltava

2009-02-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

This city was one of our favorite places to visit. The members were happy, the missionaries were happy, and the people in the city seemed happy. For the first year and a half, the branch met at the Chess building which provided us with a large room for sacrament meting and smaller rooms for class rooms. We enjoyed zone meetings in this place because no one bothered us and it was close to our hotel. We initially stayed at the Hotel Kiev which was old but adequate. Later on, a new hotel was built down by the University and we stayed there. We also got a new rental which was constructed to look like a chapel. It really turned out nice except for the lack of heat in the winter. We had a number of different rooms and the members were very happy with the facility. There is supposed to be a chapel built very soon just in front of the rental. We always thought the missionaries had nice big apartments in Poltava. The one apartment in the center of town was really nice and roomy with a great kitchen. We actually held a zone conference in the apartment out by the police station and the apartment was big enough to accommodate all of us. You can’t talk about Poltava without talking about Golovach, a small village outside of Poltava, where a number of members resided. One family was the center of church activity in the village, Brother Valodia and Sister Nadezhda, and they made sure the missionaries had a great time when they visited Golovach. The missionaries usually spent all day Saturday in Golovach. They helped Brother Valodia plant and harvest his garden. We had a great dinner that sister Nadezhda prepared with things from the garden and things she had bottled. This was before we could not eat in members homes. I tried to pay her for the food for all of us and she got very angry at me. I was able to return the kindness by getting some Army colored garments for her husband. He worked on the railroad and she could not get his white garments clean so she asked if I could help. I called my son, and told him to go to the distribution center in Bountiful and get the garments. The one lady would not give the Army garments to him because he did not have an Army ID card. Finally, another lady interrupted her and said, “his father is a mission president and has asked for the garments – give them to him”! Sister Nadezhda wanted to pay for the garments and I just smiled and told her this was payment for the feast we had months previous. She got mad at me again. Some of our most tender moments were in this village: we held meetings, gave temple recommend interviews, gave blessings, and held the hands of one of our members who was very sick and was ready to pass on. They had the best, I mean the all time best, baptism site in Ukraine just outside of the village on the bend of a small river. We tired to get to as many baptisms as possible in this area. It was so peaceful and picturesque. We remember the story of one older lady who had been captured during WW II and had been sent to Germany as a prisoner. When the war was over she and her sister were freed by the Americans but were given to the Russians, she said the Americans were good to them but the Russains took all the gifts the Americans gave them and made them walk back to Ukraine. She cried and asked “why would they do that to us”. She said very few people survived the walk back to Ukraine. One day on our way out of Poltava, we stopped in Golovach to give temple recommend interviews to an older couple who had joined the church a year earlier. We attended his baptism in the river. The wife told about how they had prayed that morning asking that the electricity would stay on so that “President McQueen could conduct his interviews with the lights on.” The electricity often went off in the morning and she knew we were coming about nine o’clock. My wife looked up and noticed that the one light bulb in the hall was burning brightly as was the lamp in the room where I was interviewing. The wife went on to say that during the spring time they were worried that the late frost would kill all the fruit blossoms so they prayed that the Lord would “spare every other blossom”. She went on to bear testimony that they did have a good fruit crop and that the Lord indeed spared every other blossom. We were so glad we stopped and had this wonderful spiritual experience. The most interesting place to eat in Poltava was the University cafeteria. One of the companionships made friends with the lady who ran the cafeteria and the missionaries taught her how to make hamburgers and all the fixings. We had Thanksgiving at the cafeteria in November 2000 and the food was great. Turkeys were killed in Golovach and given to the cafeteria lady who proceeded to make a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Elder Callister and his wife were doing their mission tour at the time and were able to eat Thanksgiving dinner with us. Zone conferences were always a treat because the missionaries from Sumy would prepare some sort to play or production for all to observe. The play where everyone was dressed up in the armor of God outfits was particularly good. The spirit at our zone conferences in Poltava was always strong and I think it was because everyone was so happy serving in Poltava and Sumy. The missionaries in Poltava felt they were in the choicest city in the mission and the missionaries from Sumy felt they were all “Top Gun” candidates. After zone conference, we would often go to dinner at a Chinese place that served a cabbage salad with a real strong garlic sauce. The salad was huge. We liked our last hotel because the room was nice. It had air conditioning and heat and its own hot water source so they never ran out of hot water. The people were nice and actually remembered who we were from month to month. We would walk in the door and they would have our key ready. They didn’t ask us for passports or anything. It was kind of nice. The members in Poltava made the city enjoyable. They loved the missionaries and were extremely supportive. When we called a member to be the branch president, he accepted the calling and did a wonderful job from the very start. In fact, he is still doing well. The church in Poltava is in very good hands because of the caliber of members who attend church. We would drive from Kharkov to Poltava, a two hour drive, and then stay there for a couple of days and then drive on to Dneper or Donetsk. It took three hours to get to Dneper and seven to get to Donetsk from Poltava. The drive to Dneper was really a pretty drive through little villages and over a few rivers. In the winter time, the road could get very icy and at times it was hard to see where the roadside ended because there was so much snow. We would love to build our Dacha on the bend of the river in Golovach. The air is clean, the river clear, the sky blue, the soil dark and deep, and the memories good – Oh, so good.

Mariupol

2009-02-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

Mariupol was a steel town just a two hour drive South of Donetsk. When we first got to Ukraine the members were meeting in an old Naval Building. The Sunday school classes were held in various classrooms that had Navy type training materials on the wall. The spirit in the meetings was great and the members really pulled together. We also had some of the most spirited discussions because of a couple of the women who were really out spoken - never a dull moment. President Manzhos was in charge of physical facilities for the church in Ukraine. He made sure that Mariupol had a chapel built. It turned out to be a beautiful little chapel with all the good stuff – rooms, kitchen, heating and air conditioning. It was without a doubt the best building in Mariupol. Mariupol is right above the Sea of Azov and therefore was usually humid making it seem much colder in the winter time and much hotter in the summer. The missionaries loved Mariupol. They had the best of all worlds. They were far enough away from the mission office so no one could bother them but close enough to get everything they wanted. One cold foggy night the sisters had a very interesting experience involving the police. They called us and asked us what to do and we told them to get home and stay low for a while and let the incident pass. Another time we had a funny incident happen with the Elders. I think the incident was blown out of proportion but it was a good reality check for all of us. When the chapel was dedicated, we had a lot of members come from Donetsk to support the branch. Elder Orton dedicated the building.

Lugansk

2009-02-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

Lugansk was a three hour drive East of Donetsk. It was one of the branches that fell under the mission president and therefore we visited there fairly often. At times, it seemed like we were there twice a month because of all the activity going on in this branch. The branch president, President Letvidov, was just about the nicest and most humble man we had ever met (I wrote an article about him blessing Elder Eyring). He was so worried about how to tend for his little flock. He would often call me on Mondays and talk about questions which had been raised by members the previous day. We always had interesting discussions. The missionaries loved working in Lugansk. They had a number of programs going and the branch seemed to grow. English classes were productive and lots of young people were joining the church. Some of them eventually went on missions. I remember one day during a zone conference in Donetsk, all the missionaries arrived with new rabbit fur shopkas. Apparently for Thanksgiving they wanted to have rabbit, they decided to buy rabbits, kill them, eat them, and then have their furs made into shopkas and they did this all on their own. The missionaries came to the zone conferences with an “official” church driver. The taxi driver drove them so often that he had a sign made that he would put up in the window of his van – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He loved the missionaries but didn’t seem interested in getting baptized. We met in two different buildings while we were there and both of the sites were old, big, and cold. It was not hard to pay attention in meetings because we were freezing in the wintertime. The members seemed oblivious to this discomfort and just took it in stride. We marveled at their faithfulness and desire to come to church. We have been told they are meeting in a nice facility at this time and we hope that is true. They really deserve it. When we first started going to Lugansk, we would leave on a Saturday afternoon and stay over night in the Druzbah Hotel. The rooms were old initially and then they decided to renovate the second floor and make some nicer accommodations. This made staying there much more pleasant. The hotel had a good restaurant and there was a good Ukrainian restaurant near the church rental. We remember eating one night in the hotel restaurant and they were playing some music that was not on the approved music list. The Elders were getting worried until I told them to relax because they were playing some country music that we hadn’t heard for months. Later in the mission, we would just get up early on Sunday and drive to Lugansk stay all day and drive back. I don’t recall a missionary ever saying they disliked serving in Lugansk. The missionaries had good apartments and seemed really involved with the branch. We also let them hold open houses and sponsor city concerts in our rentals. The city seemed to be supportive of all our activities. We even rented the Children’s Theatre one night for our jump rope program which was a huge success. Elder Cunningham was a seven time world jump rope champion who took over the stop smoking puppet show program and added a little twist which included his jump rope skills. The puppet show plus the jump rope program made for a very entertaining night. The missionaries from Lugansk attended zone conferences in Donetsk. It was always nice to see them and hear about their experiences.

McQueen Soccer

2008-10-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday 25 October 2008 watching the McQueen children playing soccer. It was the last matches of the soccer year.

McQueen Soccer

2008-10-26T06:32:00.001-07:00

Mini-Reunions

2008-10-25T11:54:00.001-07:00

We have been able to see a few missionaries in the recent months. We saw Elders Bischof, David Mann, and Zawrotny and their families along with the Bostons (Elder Boston and Sister Walker)at the Bischof's home. We saw Elder Hale and his wife along with the Tegeder's (Elder Tegeder, Sister Phillips and Erica) in the Tegeder's home while we were visiting in Arizona. Sister Heather Morris has pictures on her blog showing the time we met with the sisters at Sister Brown's parents home. We had a small reunion and I didn't take any pictures for some reason which I have forgotten.

Soccer

2008-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on our visit watching soccer. We hope you enjoy this post.

Furry Soccer

2008-10-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Arizona Visit

2008-10-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting Mary and her family in Arizona. We went on numerous bike rides and watched soccer and baseball. We went to Apple Anne's and Tombstone. We learned a great deal about cowboy hats and had lunch in Tombstone. We loved the visit and hated to come home. We did get a few neat pictures on the way home.

2008-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

2008-09-28T11:26:00.001-07:00

2008-09-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

President and Sister Podvodov

2008-06-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

New Mission Parents for the St. Petersburg Mission: Gennady Nikolaevich Podvodov and Sister Tatyana Anatolyevna Bakovskaya Podvodov

The Podvodov’s with the McQueen’s at Welfare Square

The Podvodov’s in Ukraine

Genndy Nikolaevich Podvodov, 42, Russia St. Petersburg Mission; Petrovsky Branch, Donetsk Ukraine district; former district president and counselor, counselor in a branch presidency, seminary teacher and branch Sunday school president. Unit manager in a private enterprise. Born in Polyanovka, Melitopol district, Zaporozhe region, Ukraine, USSR, to Nikolay Ivanovich Podvodov and Pelageya Stepanovna Podvodov. Married Tatyana Anatolyevna Bakovskaya, two children. Sister Podvodov is a former district Primary president, district family history center dorector and family history missionary. Born in Vladimirovka, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, Ukraine, USSR, to Anatoly Petrovich Bakovsky and Nina Petrovna Bakovskaya.

Dec 1999 Arriving Missionaries

2008-04-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is our first video of many we took in our mission.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Matt and his family spent Christmas with us and it was great having them around the house.

We have had a few good snow storms and we have had plenty of time to play in the snow.

Matt, Liz and the kids.

Mary, Travis and the kids.

This is a picture of Ardes and all of her family.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-11-25T18:01:00.001-08:00

Matt, Liz and the kids came for Thanksgiving. We had a great time with family and tending the children.

Fort Huachuca

2007-11-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

Our first tour at Fort Huachuca, Az we lived in Cloud Nine Trailer court. This was our first home - 103 Nelson Circle. David went to MIOAC, Airborne School and Counterintelligence School while here.

The house was small but nice.

111Grierson Ave, Fort Huachuca.

We had hundreds of hours of fun with Travis, Cockaynes, Browns, Ardes and Isaac and Robert. We loved Thanksgivings with the Cockaynes almost every year while we were here - 4 and a half years. David taught school, worked in DOES, and was the IG.

This is for Matt. They have refurbished all the old homes and they look great.

Furry Grandchildren

2007-11-09T18:10:00.001-08:00

Taylor and Emileigh are so much fun. They really make us feel at home when we visit. The bike rides, the mall, the ballgames, and the orchards are all so fun when we are with them. Even the rides to the Fort are better with them along.

Three really nice women.

McQueen Grandchildren

2007-11-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

These are recent pictures of Megan, Isaac, Mallory and Eli. Each child has such a wonderful and expressive personality. They have a combined energy with enough wattage to light an entire neighborhood. We love riding bikes, hiking, playing games and going to church with them. Two girls, two boys, two blue eyed, two brown eyed and four lovely children.

Introduction

2007-11-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Family of David Michael and Susan Bennion McQueen

This blog is dedicatied to the two most important things in our lives - our family and our LDS Mission. Our daughter Mary is married to Travis Furry and they have two children. Our son Matthew is married to Elizabeth Hawes and they have four children. Sue and I served in the Ukraine Donetsk Mission in the Eastern portion of Ukraine. We were mission parents to 342 wonderful missionaires over a three year period of time.

Isaac, Liz, Megan, Mallory, Matthew, David, Sue, Eli, Emileigh, Mary, Travis, Taylor

3/11/2007

This picture was taken at our last reunion held on Matt and Liz's front lawn. Mary and Travis provided the Army shirts in honor of our family's 23 years of following Dad around the world so he could have fun serving in the United States Army.

Our missionaries arrived on this very train to begin their mission in Donetsk Ukraine. We loved waiting at the train station to pick up new missionaries and to return to say goodbye to the ones leaving our mission. The blue Donetsk train station holds a special place in our hearts. We arrived in Donetsk on this train on 30 June 1999. President and Sister Manzhos were the mission parents we followed and they had really trained the missionaires well. He became an Area Authority Seventy and came back to visit the mission and conduct district conferences. He never made me feel uncomfortable. We consider him and his family to be great friends.