Yeah. When I was in a a mission
in a mission school and Mt here in
pro,
we have
little meeting, our group, Russian speaking missionaries
with president Author
Yes. A hostile,
o and he... I remember he looked it
into my eyes and said, like,
you
should, like, study English, learn English, and I
thought, maybe it's, you know, for everyone.
Advice.
And... So president Oak tells you to learn
english on your mission. I know.
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Hey welcome everybody to this week in Mormons
the Twin Siblings, Matt and Melissa, we're here
for an interview. How are you doing Melissa?
Oh, I'm doing great. I'm really excited to
have another interview,
this is a guest that I think is
gonna be really interesting.
And is also very close to your heart.
So, yeah, When don't you go ahead and
introduce for us.
Yeah. So, listeners who... If you've been listening
to the interviews, you know that we have
people from all different backgrounds, all different walks
of life.
Recently, we had Sa on. She was a
Palestinian,
and she helped us understand a lot more
about Palestine and the things that her perspective
of things were her culture and her life.
And so I have a good friend. Her
name is Marsha Ba.
And,
actually, I taught her when I was a
missionary.
And so she's joining us today. Marsha, you
wanna go ahead and tell us a little
bit about yourself?
Oh, I sure. No. My name is Masha.
Magnet. I'm,
I serve my mission in Russia, S saint
Peter petersburg.
And I had a small flower business,
merit,
raising 3 kids through children movie.
I moved
from war in 2014
to United States of America
Toyota.
I work at school as
nutrition assistant
or like... Like at the at the elementary
school. Right? And at elementary school. Yeah. It's
all my kids in this school. Yeah. U.
Yeah. And
I work
as a part time job
for chores, in a department of translation
as
like, voice acting for
Ukrainian language,
and at church, I serve as the young
woman president in Russian speaking branch in Salt
lake stake.
So
There are a number of things I wanna
ask you about, Masha. So I'll just start
asking some bio geographical questions,
and then, I'm sure my melissa will jump
in and kinda ask some more questions.
So
the first thing I think where I wanna
start is,
so in the year 2010,
my son Max and I, we went back
to Ukraine because we adopted Max from Ukraine.
And so we took him back, the key
of temple was about to be dedicated.
And we stopped by to visit you and
your family. You were living in Done get
the time. And as I recall, you had
a flowers stand. You were like, the small
business owner in
Gone Ukraine. Can you tell us a little
bit about, like, how that
how that came to be? I love flowers
and creativity,
and, we were in, like, involved in office
landscape and flower decorations both retail and
most it's, like, weight advance, like, weight arrangements.
It was interesting, but like we're stressful be
honest.
I... It's not like how it looks like
because it's perishable boots, and,
but most difficult things for me was, like,
all this taxes fines,
states, like,
it's have to kinda like know the right
people in order to succeed?
Yeah. You have to
have connections to have better price
to
avoid extra taxes,
you know, just... Mh. So so in my
recollection,
the church of Jesus Christ of latter day
saints took
had a strong foothold in Don,
specifically.
And I remember coming back in 2010,
and there were like, church buildings all over
the city of Done.
Almost every place I ever served had its
own church building, and it just seemed to
me, and then the temple was being dedicated
in Kiev, and it seemed to me like,
this was as good as it could get.
It was like, a sign of, like, the
future. Like, hey, like, Ukraine has arrived, and
things are just gonna get better and better
and better.
Did it kinda of feel that way to
you or was that just maybe my perception?
Is it?
When
this is when I start my fellowship and
this is when I returned from my mission.
And I not not that
Ukraine blossom, even more, like, economically,
you know, It's like, lots of new buildings
generally,
well be over the people.
And
more charge buildings
like built in The
it was placed especially for youth, but seems
to me,
that with prosperity,
a moment also came
when church members became inactive.
It's like
I feel like short growth in our region
stop.
So do you think that it was just
Done yes because that it was like that
where the mission work started to slow down?
Or do you think happen in other places
too.
This is probably true
about
Whole Ukraine. Last mission president compare and log
hit
went out on their way to inquire church
members to do mission work.
I personally
felt that they put extra offer effort
and even
concerned
concern for the church in our region. But
you can freely go to church
big base.
So I think that there are a lot
of people who listen to this podcast that
have no idea what's the difference of Ukraine
and Russia. Like, you grew up in Ukraine,
but you spoke Russian,
and you served a mission in Russia.
So
Help well, help me understand, like, how is
Ukraine
different from Russia? Like, is going from Ukraine
to Russia
the same as going from, like,
Utah to Las Vegas, where there's, like, the
same culture, the same people. Is there something
different between being Ukrainian
and being Russian.
Even if I speak russian, and I remember
I wanna speak Ukrainian, and I wanna go
to Ukrainian school, but it was like a
privilege.
It was more Russian schools than Ukrainian falls.
Like, in other part of Ukraine, it was
an African Ukrainian school in our part of
Ukraine not an ukrainian schools.
And I love my culture. We still, like,
do, like, college or start, you know, just
wear clothes sometimes, like, something sing songs.
Like... But it was years when
propaganda and everything. We doesn't think back days
about this. Try to pull, can't torture out
of
the people like, people lives and everything. But,
like, yeah. Like, folks. They have
own traditions and
language and,
like,
writers,
music,
land, even, like, dirt different, like, in Ukraine,
This is the best children's. I don't know
what to say this Is the best dirt
in the oil. Soil. Like soil. Yeah.
Like, I remember, like, all, like, windows information
in Russia, that's all, like, products from Ukraine
was in their stores because, like, we was,
like... The best food. We haven't you grow
the fast process. Maybe there's for
all juices from Ukraine, all vegetables fruits was
from Ukraine,
grains, like everything was in
another store, and I'm just like, oh.
I was so proud. I didn't know before
I start to admission there this I'm so
proud to be premium.
Because we just leave
you know what doesn't. Oh, I think we
have better back. I have better bed.
But. Yeah. This, I remember this deal. So
even boris. Right? People think of Boris this
traditional Russian soup. Isn't there even a difference
in Ukrainian? 17 the same, I think they
new this is supreme in Dish. They have
she. It's different.
So Bo is a Ukrainian soup. It's not
a Russian soup. They like,
like, you have here in United States so
many taco places, but it doesn't mean it's
like American dish,
but, like, you know, probably more places than
in Mexico.
We have lots of our own dishes. And
because Ukraine, this is the land where we
grow all this products. We can use this
first,
and it's cheap for us and
accessible, and I remember, like, I don't know.
I don't wanna say, you know, bad things
about...
Russia. Well.
Yeah. About... Because I know some good people.
Even more, like, go, Still go in and
I support your thing
every day
with every
being what They can.
Yeah. Money prayers.
But I imagine it must tear your heart
a little bit because
you served a mission, and I know that
Matt has a left for the Ukrainian people
because that's where he served his mission. And
so it must tear your heart a little
bit. They you serve those russian people and
came to love them, and, yeah, you still
have this, you know, conflict going on between
the 2.
Good question.
I surf in 2006
2008
when Ukrainians were well,
risk
well received in Russia out through. I'm you...
I'm from Ukraine, and I
from this region where people speak russian, but
they still can hear my accent.
By the way,
split a story like always. Yeah. When I
was in a mission in a mission school
an Mt here in pro.
We have
little meeting, our group, Russian speaking missionaries
with president Author.
Yes.
Hostile
O, and he... I remember he looked it
into my eyes and said, like,
you
should, like, study English, learn English, and I
thought, maybe it's, you know, for everyone
advice.
And... So president Oak tells you to learn
english on your mission. I know.
I know. Yeah.
You have because you're really good at speaking
English?
I'm not. I have to repent and start
our name.
Yeah. I love my mission. We pressed the
gospel of Jesus Christ offering people
repentance through the baptism, and we talk about
plan of salvation about restore church of Jesus
Christ.
After 2014,
church members were were divided in opinion,
some begin to support the invasion and
a annexation of Ukraine
and annexation. This is right.
And... Yeah. Annexation of Ukraine. So. Yeah. Russia
says that
Ukraine is a part of Russia, and they're
gonna take that territory back into their country.
So that The word for that is annexation.
Yes.
This is what I mean. It was difficult
for me to accept it. Like, it was
so difficult
I tried to prove this.
That this is not correct, but it's hard
to convince people.
Everybody have their own, like, background,
knowledge
resource where they're... I don't know. Just like,
Just... Yeah.
Possible.
We have the same problem in the United
States. Maybe not to the same degree, But
there are people that love love love Joe
Biden, and there are people that love love
Love Donald Trump, and it's very hard to
convince them 1 way or the other.
Yes.
It's the same.
The problem
that these church members leaving in the
territories were also divided.
Some supported the
regime believe in the propaganda, Russia Tv was
not banned on the territory of Ukraine.
And it seems to me that they were
also bright, maybe by the like seller payment,
pay pension that
Russia prep
promised them
if they received russian passport, you know?
Yeah. And now, maybe Bribe wouldn't be the
best word in English, but it would be,
like, they were promised
that if they became part of Russia, then
pension or in the United States, we'd call,
like, your social security payments, They were... They
thought, oh, we're gonna get higher payments from
our pension from the government. Yeah. And and
a Russian passport is gonna allow me to
travel more places and give me benefits. And
so so there were Ukrainians that were thinking,
oh, I really want the benefits that come
from a Russian passport
whereas as other people were like, no. We
wanna be our own country. We don't want
that.
Yeah. It was
what you... How you said, like, simple, sometimes
just like, oh, what the benefits we can
get from this?
So Masha...
So from 20... So your mom goes to
kiev, did your dad go to key with
your mom?
No. Because like, we cannot move Grandma because
she was, like... She was I was saying
yeah. And we were saying in English that
she was aging So So for how many
years
is your dad living in a different part
of the country than your mom.
And and you they could not see your...
Their grandchildren at all. Right? Because you're in
the United States, they can't come to the
United States even to visit.
So for how many years is this, that
the whole family just split up like this.
I don't know. Like, I think 10 years.
Yeah. Crazy. Right. So
and your grandmother had a home. Right? I
I remember your dad telling me this, your
grandmother had a really nice house,
but because of the invasion with
because Rush invaded,
hit... Your dad was not ever able to
sell the house to anybody. Right? Yeah. Yeah.
But hey I think you said he gave
it away to a family for, like, a
dollar or something like that? It was so,
like, just, like, symbolically, like, 1000 or something
like this. Like, like, cities that just were,
like, for papers, you know, maybe you have
lots of kids, and he said this is
good. Good place for them, Building.
I think they still there.
Flat. Got like, still Yeah. Because he's from
Ukraine and he's back from saint People petersburg,
and they just hide in in this house.
I don't know. If it's still
everything find it. Really doesn't know. You know.
So what what happened to all the church
buildings that were there. The... Our church buildings
that weren't in Don.
I remember how alarm I was
that 1 evening all missionaries from our region
left. In 1 a night
literally.
Missionaries said that they received a call from
their,
like,
stake area presidency.
And... Yeah. But before state presidents
area presidents got called from first president. See
about emergency move to another part of Ukraine.
There were missionaries in our house that last
evening.
Sis house mission. Yeah. I know. Did... And
they did not know that they were gonna
be leaving the next day? Oh, no.
They
parking
through the night in in the morning.
Yeah. It was, like, really
strange
situation, like,
so We we had somebody on our podcast
that during Covid, they had something similar happen
in the Philippines. They'd like suddenly, like, overnight
told all the missionaries, you're leaving, you're going
home because of Covid.
And
But this is different. Right? This isn't because
of Covid. This is, like...
Because I would imagine there were people questioning,
like, is Russia really invading? Is it really
gonna be scary? Like, people don't know what
to expect. So then I would imagine when
the missionaries suddenly leaves, does that send you
some signal like, oh, things must be worse
than we thought?
Yeah. This is for me signal, and I
before, like, have this, like, comfortable feelings that
something...
Doesn't goes
right, you know,
and
this is was just 1 more,
sign.
Actually, I met this sister here in Utah.
She can you imagine and she came to
my apartment company. She knocked in my door,
and she opened the door and they started
to say something talk about something and I
don't understand. But, like, I just remember her
face and I'm just like, I know you.
And she just, like, a surf mission in
Ukraine, but I used to, like, she finished
in her mission in Utah.
And with met, we start cry
and she said, like, oh I know. This
is, like,
heavenly the father taken can care about us
as a missionaries, he will take care about
you this is, like, it was
such a...
That's so cool. We... So this is... She's
come home from her mission. And she's in
Utah. And then your family had moved to
Utah, and then you just bump into each
other in Utah. Yes. Yes. This is how
is Well, what about the people that stay
like in in Ukraine. Right? Was... It's scary
for them?
Yeah. Soon after missionaries was allocated,
armed people
burst into the 1 of the church built
in
and asked to where we kept Americans weapons.
They laid the church members on the floor,
the occasions were that we were American spice.
So so the Russians come into church, They
think that you guys are all American spies
hiding American weapon somewhere. Yeah. And they just
they came in with guns. Do a church
meeting. Yes. Oh, wow. Yes. Yes... Church leaders
announced that we would no longer meet
other churches, no non orthodox also stop meetings.
Church members,
some was interrogated.
Pastors of other churches too, and
some of them was
in... They put them in prison.
After this gathering was prohibited up to this
day. So there are no more church meetings
in Done?
No.
Then you... So Guns and The So the
the Russian orthodox... Oh, okay. So the Russian
Orthodox church is allowed to keep having meetings.
But leaders of any other, like, protestant church.
They're, like, they're
suspicious of them that they think they're paying
kind of ambitious. Yeah.
And such a protect church members, they just
stop having church meetings altogether. Yes. Correct. So
your friends that,
stave in Don.
They just have never gone back to church.
There's just no more church to go to?
Yes.
Church buildings
was confiscated.
Wow. Yeah. When I was there in 2010,
every place I had served as a missionary,
there was a church building there. The church
was building churches all throughout Don, all throughout
that whole region. And so what happened to
those church buildings?
They all confiscated
by the
regime. New regime. Yeah. With these people came
and said, like, bring documents
and go away.
And even through this happens like this
persecution happens,
some church members
like still justified all this persecution and supported
this regime can you imagine?
Yeah.
So... Yeah. Just to I just to clarify.
So... Because Melissa doesn't understand the geography as
well as as I might... This stuff is
happening in done yet in the far eastern
part of Ukraine, and it starts in 2014.
But it doesn't spread to the other parts
of the country yet. That that stuff happens
in 2022.
So this is like... That 8 year period
of time, when most people don't even really
know that there's anything going on, Russians
were separatists
in Ukraine,
are doing these sorts of things to their
to Ukrainians in your home city.
Yeah. I remember 1 more more... Like... Thinking
but I, you know, when it just starts,
and I see in with my kids on
the playground, and some guys would have equipment
skin came to me and say, like, where's
your ukrainian passport. I'm just like, who are
you what you have I'm so like scared
because I'm with
my kids.
And I'm just like, you mean you Ukrainian
passport like, should like, you have to burn
it and something like this, and I'm just,
like, we will give you another 1, and
I'm just, like, what I can say they
them no. I'm just like, oh okay Okay.
Okay. And they leave and after I'm just,
like, that's not okay. It's not okay. And
I... Doesn't wanna talk here about me.
It would just be so tragic.
But I can't even imagine it. It's let
let me ask a different question, Marsha. So
I imagine if if Ukraine is anything like
other parts of the world that when it
comes to matters of politics,
there's people in the church that are kind
of on, like both sides of the issue.
Did this create
divisions within the ward or the branch
at church
like,
everywhere, people have different opinions. Some... Some... It
was not so many people and then it
for support. This regime, but still it were
some people who support this, like,
invasion? So... Don't know. So how how did
the members of the church? How do you
deal with that? Because If I'm sitting at
a park and somebody comes to me and
says, give me your passport, I'm gonna burn
it up or I'm gonna shoot you. I
I would have a very hard time.
At the next testimony meeting if somebody stands
up saying something supportive of that group. I
would feel very angry, and I would want
to be mean to them be like, hey.
Stop that. Like, How do you deal with
that?
It was really hard because I remember when
it was, like, just in the beginning when
we support, like...
My done and everything we put, like, flags
and her cars and on our balcony and
everything. And cars with Ukrainian flux, in the
morning was burned.
And, like, meal is cool. And. What's the
before they said, like, 2 is. Okay. You
old or you go into another part of
ukraine order your stains for russian.
And people just have to choose right away,
like, what they I don't know. They probably
talk with their families and decide what they're
gonna do. Somebody moves somebody stay. A lot
of our listeners don't really understand. Like, what
is the difference of Ukraine and Russia. Right?
Like, I would imagine that if there are
members of the church who live in Ukraine
that are... Supportive of Russia that they probably
kinda of feel like, oh, maybe we're Russian
or something. Like, what is the difference? Is
when Russia says Ukraine belongs to us to
Are they wrong? Like, is there something different
about Ukraine than Russia?
Well, I can say that
like in addiction, we have our own language
with folks, you know, have... Or Yeah. Our
our own language Ukrainian and our own territory
are even soil different,
like, China's own soil is different,
traditions, own culture, songs,
literature,
our history.
Our our own style of cooking,
I could say that the boris is the
tester in Ukraine,
but rust.
Yeah. Of course. Like anywhere.
But the most important thing, yeah.
It's...
That is a described in the history, and
this is... Obviously, right now that Ukrainian people
are fighting
for freedom.
This is our symbol in the wall freedom,
free will.
Ukrainians know the taste of freedom.
It's in their genes.
In their genes. Yeah. Yeah. So the the,
yeah, real fast wash. So the thing you're
talking about Bull, bull means the word freedom.
But there's... If you see a Ukrainian flag,
it'll have blue on top, yellow on the
bottom, and sometimes you see this symbol in
the middle, and that's what you're talking about.
That symbol is the the trident
and it's also the the letters in that
spell out the word volume, which means like
free will or freedom. Right? So Ukraine has
always been about
individual freedom.
Yeah. Through host history, we fight for freedom.
Yeah. And... Yeah. So tell me about this,
most people don't know this. So there was
a... Like, the time of Peter The Great
and Catherine,
the Empress of Russia,
Ukraine was its own territory. It's like, all
the way back in the 16 hundreds, there
were the c that lived there. And Yeah.
And like, what were... What... Like, how is
that different? Yeah. Like,
they try to kill Ko movement too because
they always was so,
like, they doesn't have fear. They write letters
to the kings,
they don't care about. They fight to the
end.
They don't want to be slaves.
Ukrainians want to be free people always.
Did you have by chance in movie 20
days in Mar?
Yeah. So that's 1 I couldn't watch because
I lived a little time in Mara. And
so when it becomes too personal, I'm not...
I I just can't handle
it's like traumatic for me to watch it.
So I'm familiar with it, but I couldn't
watch the show. I know what you feel
like I feel the same.
And
in Ukraine and Mar maduro, they people there
speak Russian language.
Mh. And they
through the whole this movie, it's not even
movie. I cannot say this movie. It's just
like records from their
what's going on was there doing this time?
People ask same all the same... All people
same question.
Why are they doing this to us what
did we do ron?
Hundreds of thousands of people, civilians
died there? We pay the price for freedom
with our own lives right there
right now. Mh. And they're still doing it.
Right Ukrainians are still finding for freedom. Like,
they haven't given up I don't think they
ever will give up. Like, there's no reason
for them to stop fighting for freedom in
their own land.
This is our home. This is
Like, they that don't have place where to
go. This is their house. This is their
place. This where they raise their their kids.
Okay. So now we're gonna transition So you
leave Ukraine and You go to the United
States. Your mom goes to keep, your get
dad goes to take care of his mother
what kind of a welcome do you receive
in the United States? Because as I'm thinking
back to 2014,
not a lot of Americans were aware of
what was happening in Ukraine at that time,
what what was the church like? What were
people like in the United States when you
arrive?
Like we came to Yu.
This was the best choice.
And this is the best people like
extremely
love and welcoming and friendly.
Like,
oh, moving to another city is difficult, but,
like, moving to another countries very difficult.
Different language,
like,
your
beloved ones far away from you.
In danger, no documents,
like not driver's license.
You just constantly
look in the news crime is.
But, like, what is
important for me days, it was, like, my
kids. My family
safe. And it helped me to move on.
We move to Yu,
members of the church
of Jesus christ the letter they says have
become
a second family for us literally.
We felt and feel the support of heavenly
father
and blessed
even through this time, we feel blessed. Tempo
have become my place of
consolation. There are many of them here.
The temple
is
the house of god, and he's my creator,
he knows how to comfort me. So when
you first get to the United States,
you stayed with your mission companion who was
Russian
for several weeks in their little basement apartment.
Yeah. Yeah. Church members brought us everything we
needed. For rented thousand, like, everything. Like, I
remember I was all in tears
because I don't know that's here a rented
housing, like empty.
Yeah.
They were in everything table, sofa creeps, toys
kitchen kitchen items, just towels,
everything...
Like, everyone shares something,
like, really
real family.
I felt that the Lord himself was stressing
me through them and taken care of
my family.
I still keep in touch with sister Robin
Luke. As she was
early decided is an entire sister.
Sister Luke. Thank you sister Luke for helping
me. Yeah.
1 of my friends. I remember, like,
we have little money,
and I remember, like, 1 of my friends
and who live with us in an apartment
complex. You said, like, I hope you don't
think to pay titan to your church.
U.
And I answer her, like,
I first like, all on the foyer. I'm
just, like, this is privilege for me, and
especially now,
I need these lessons that come through the
pain tighten.
And right now, I am touching the walls
of my house.
Yeah, God bless
us as he promised, this is faith that
you can touch.
Oh, that's sweet, Marshall.
Wow. It's
Yeah. It's nice to became independent. We were
very grateful for the work permit meet, and
it is very difficult to ask for help.
It's like
You never... You think it's easy to accept
help. It's hard too. Sometimes to accept.
Okay. Like,
it was some, like, 1 more story.
Back in Ukraine,
it was year before 2000
like, 2013,
probably. I was sleeping... I was pregnant, and
I sat with
my another daughter and the playground. She's play
with another kids, and
I met
refugee woman from Taj With her kids.
And I remember I feel like so,
you know,
connection with her,
and she said that she didn't have a
washing machine and at home and she washed
her clothes by hands. I offered her help
to watch her clothes, like laundry service.
Mh. And I remember she was so pleased,
but the same time she was so shy.
Right.
I... Then I could not even imagine
that year later, I would coming at future
myself.
Now I know how they feel?
It's
how it's phyllis.
Yeah. It's crazy. Right? Like, in Ukraine you
totally self sufficient. You had everything you needed.
Like, obviously, nobody has everything that they need,
But you're doing fine. Right? You have a
business Yes. Taking care of your family.
Everything's going well, and then suddenly just out
of nowhere.
Everything changes and suddenly, you have nothing.
And, yeah. It's a very a very hard
thing to imagine how that would be.
But even more so than you're a refugee,
and now you're totally dependent on the mercy
and kindness of strangers
to help you out.
That's true.
This is 1 of my favorite things about
the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day
saints.
I know that almost anywhere in the world
where I go,
I can find another member of the church
of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints,
and they're gonna have that same kindness in
their heart and willingness to help me. That
if I'm ever in need, the lord's gonna
help guide me to people that are there
that can help me out.
Yeah.
I feel this is like family,
everywhere everywhere you go, where church,
like, if there's a church you can
you can feel part of the family you're
not alone.
This is how heavenly father wants.
Us to to do to act.
So you and your husband just became Us
citizens within the last year. Is that right?
And then we should have the applause. When
did you become Us citizens?
And this March, March 19,
We're so excited 10 years. We were
to be americans. You've been here for 10
years. I know. Wow I'm going flat fast
because we know that America is really trying
to protect freedom. We found this freedom and
protection here.
When the war started, we went to A
rally, I remember for Ukraine,
collecting
signatures in support, I was so surprised.
All pub,
all government instrument really worked. You have to
proud of your country. The governor came to
us
all his team, and they understood the issue.
They
investigate the question
all parties help us, like American voices have
power.
It really is. Every...
Elected officials will listen to you. Yeah.
Yeah. Yep. It's true.
Like, in whole system words. Your president hears
you.
Even he hears even immigrants
like, big days with was immigrants, you know?
Thanks Yeah. To president Biden for the program
United for Ukraine.
It's helping
refugee more than. Like, when we started whole
invasion in 2022,
more than For this day, it's more than
16. Can you imagine 16000000
people.
Run became a refugees from run from Ukraine.
Like my grandma said, it souls, 60000000
souls.
And,
America
give more than 202000
people,
shelter in the United States.
Yeah. And my parents, my husband parents here
right now. They safe.
Thanks to your mercy American people.
Thank you for Karen.
About
all freedoms, all
innocent people.
May god bless America, and this is not
the phrase.
This is what many immigrants feel.
We are so grateful
for this length of freedom and opportunity.
This is country of immigrants,
a lot of culture,
and everyone leads together in harmony harmony, like
it's perfect, but still.
Mh. It's so important. It's like god wants
it's to be everywhere.
That's really nice for you to say
about the United States. I think it's aspirational.
Right? I think it's something we're trying to
become
And it makes me really, really happy when
we succeed in that. I don't think we
always succeed, but I'm super happy that
that our country has been there to help
you and your family because I care a
lot about you guys. Thanks.
Yeah.
Thanks, Marsha.
So
so you serve in the church in a
Russian speaking branch.
Yeah.
They So I imagine, there's Russian speaking there
are a lot of places where people speak
Russian. Like, there's Ukraine. There's probably Kazakhstan,
Mongolia,
Like, what is it like in this Russian
branch, especially after the invasion of Ukraine?
Yeah. My husband and nicer in Russian speaking
branch in Snowflake Lake
from the end of 02:20
20. And the... Oh,
yeah.
I serve as the young woman president, and
we have 5 girls. There are
enough hands in, like,
our local words.
But
we feel
we're more needed there.
Sometimes it's difficult, like, kids get tired travel
for,
but between us with my husband, we call
this like mission.
You feel like you're serving ambition in the
rocks speaking branch.
Yeah. There's many juice right now from Ukraine
and also from Russia our orange.
When war started,
I remember I cut myself with a bit
feelings
to
Russian people.
It was difficult to love everyone. And when
sacramento meeting starts.
I felt the holy ghost. And when I
was able to continue.
After this, I can, you know, continue to
serve
and
see
people how god see us these as we
bear his children.
God will judge every person by his actions
no matter what nationality or skin color his
He's our redeem,
and he has the right and power to
sort,
you know, sort it out
No. All of us. Yeah. Yeah.
I need to look after myself.
Yeah.
Actually, many Russians who do not support their
regime of genocide
a Ukrainians donate need money for army for
Ukraine funds for victims for hospitals, thousands food.
Because they understand by doing this, they will
bring freedom.
Freedom for Ukraine, freedom for their own country
for Russia.
Mh.
So so in some ways, supporting Ukraine is
a way for these Russians
to
fight for freedom in their own country?
That's true.
Yeah.
So how do you think Americans are different
from Ukrainians?
We are no different.
We are just like you.
We just want to leave, leaf freely,
have children be happy.
Leave in safety
to build a free future for the next
generations,
Americans know the price of the freedom too.
We are the same.
Yeah. I like that masha. What do you
think about that, Melissa?
My head is spinning at your life, Masha.
Like, it's
so very
You've had such a different experience in life
than I
could imagine.
I do, but then it's also interesting because,
like, this stage in our lives, our life's
probably look very much the same. Right? Like,
we're both living in Utah and we have
families that we're trying to take care of.
And I just... I'm just... My mind is
blown at what you've been through and experienced
to get where you are. I'm wondering to
a little bit? Like, what is your life
like day to day now? Because, like, when
you're in Ukraine, It was so different. Like,
what do you do for a job? What
do you do for a church calling? Like,
what is life like. Melissa doesn't know this,
but I know this. Aren't you translators for
the church?
It's like,
it's not transparent. It's like our voices where
record our... Voices in Ukrainian language 1 general
conference. Like, we have, like, team who translate
like, pick. U, they translate the talk.
The talks. Yeah. And we read this talk
during the. I don't know if they can
this like how it works.
Yeah.
Like... So like, if the release society president
is speaking,
the people in who are listening to the
Ukrainian language feed they hear your voice.
Yeah. That's true. First time it was so,
like, emotional where it's it's because worse started,
they they don't know what's going on we'll
be there. They cannot it and its life.
It's like seconds.
They you start to collect people here, like,
who can do that can help with this
and
I remember, like, when I think, like, it's
my voice in hear, like somebody in in
the boom shelters,
you know, Yeah. Like, I members. It's awesome.
It's so cool.
What is it that you wish that people
in the United States or people in Utah
knew about Ukraine. That you feel like maybe
people don't quite understand about Ukraine.
With the same people. We have the same
families. We wanted this freedom just with... We
have we have to have this chance to
leave otherwise, how they won't.
Say but they won't.
Just be happy.
Have kids from, like, the same people is
you. And these sacrifice
example for
for me whole world because
they, like,
the war zone between them
evil and then
for 3 world.
They fight for this. They can... They First,
they can't fight. They have just, like, feel
Yeah. We wanna be just free people. We
don't wanna late. We don't wanna be tortured
and killed.
And either stock.
And we just wouldn't be freed.
Most of you have any questions?
I don't wanna make marsha keep feeling sad.
Oh, man. It's a... It's... Yeah. It's emotional.
That'd a be wet.
Yeah.
I I don't have any questions, but I
have learned so much from listening to you
today.
And
And I'm just... I'm I'm really glad to
have been able to meet you to
just hear a little bit from you and
and to know that there are people like
you in the world. This has been really
touching to me.
Yeah. And and Marsha, it's your it's your
life. Right? Like, this is this is your
personal experience, but I'm grateful that you share
it with us. Because it builds my faith
in Jesus Christ. It reminds me that no
matter what difficulties I'm facing that he'll always
be there for me. He'll always be there
with me.
It renew my faith in my own country
in the United States because whatever flaws we
might have, there's goodness in our country where
we're at least trying to help other people.
And so I really appreciate you sharing this
with me because it does, it builds my
faith and makes me feel better about the
the prop It actually makes me feel, like,
the problems I complain about, I really should
stop praying and complaining about my problems because
other people have problems there are so much
worse. Yeah. But Like, I've known you for
so long, marsh. Like, I just... I just
love that you're willing to share this with
people. I'm sure that they're also gonna just
feel your spirit, and I just... Thanks so
much for joining us. Is there anything you
wanna say Marsha before we end. At
America.
It's it's not like just the words for
me. Like, you know, just like, grace. Yeah.
It's really like what I wish
and to
my people I can say. I'm a,
right now, I'm citizen.
And
I feel this is, like, heavenly father plan.
Dave when we became a United States Citizen.
This is when our Ukrainian passport was expired.
Can you imagine?
It all this things they
When we open our documents,
prepare for the next day, we just like
saw, it was
expired
March night wow
And next day, it's, like, in the evening
residence. It's a this oath ceremony. We it
doesn't choose this day, not us. Like, just
compromise and this letter. Okay. This will be
the and place where we,
said this old ceremony it was, like,
Heritage park. This is not the place. This
is the place.
I know
that heavenly 5 have a plan for us.
I know that's where his children.
And if I don't know his plan, this,
like, plan of solution where we're from where
we go. I don't know how you how
you can even, like, go through all these,
like, hard teams and,
miss privately,
not
injustices.
And injustices, you know, because I know that
everything will be okay with these guys who
protect their land
with
people
who
just wanna be free,
and I know heavenly father will put everything
on the right place. They all go through
deep different,
like, challenges,
from war, you can try to fight. You
can try to, like, run.
But from some sickness you cannot run, you
know, just go through this.
I know he loving us and
through a tournament of Jesus Christ,
we can... This pain can go away. He
can can't, like, give us
peace, real piece. Yeah. But nobody can give
us
anything
bad
situations
can be washed away from our, like,
memory even
because of the tournament of jesus described.
And I knew he can keep doing this
for me and for each
child,
of heavenly father, who
will
open their heart to him. He can do
this. So Elder O do, if you're listening,
perhaps sister Sis y did not take your
counsel to learn English when she was a
missionary. So you can see, she follows your
counsel. She's learned English now.
Through much trial and tribulation, she's there. And,
thank you so much, Marsha for joining us
Listener. If you have any comments or anything
you'd like share with us, please reach out
to us at contact at this week in
mormons dot com.
And if there's somebody like us to interview,
let us know. And we will talk to
you next week. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, Masha.
Thank you, guys. Thank you so much. For
inviting me. Feel so facial.