Sisters Abroad | Mormon Women - Part 2

Sisters Abroad

June 22nd, 2011 by admin

A Different Kind of Pioneer

A Different Kind of Pioneer

Bindu Sudhir Sabbavarapu

Bindu Sabbavarapu joined the church in her hometown of Visakhapatnam, India, in the face of cultural and familial barriers. She married another Indian Mormon and together they are striving to pursue lives that bear witness to their families of the goodness of the gospel. Soon after her marriage, Bindu immigrated to the United States, where she and her husband are pursuing advanced degrees and raising their 10-month-old baby girl. Although the gospel transcends culture, Bindu’s interview reflects the challenge of practicing a religion in a nation where Christians and Mormons in particular are a significant minority.

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Posted in: 20 - 30 years old, Conversion Stories, Conversion Stories, English, Featured, India, Married with children, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: BYU, conversion, convert, education, graduate school, india, Indian Mormon, mission, Mormon women, motherhood

June 2nd, 2011 by admin

No Time To Stop

No Time To Stop

Tatyana Marchenko

As an early member of the Church in Moscow, Tatiana was an essential contributor to the establishment of the gospel in Russia. For seven years, she led a choir of church members that sang hymns and folk songs, toured with their performances and recorded albums. Tatiana speaks astutely about the impact of Russian culture on spirituality in her country and about the tremendous work she’s put into building the Church in her homeland.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Lives of Service, Lives of Service, Married with children, Russia, Russian, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: conversion, convert, hymns, LDS culture, LDS woman, missionaries, music, Russia

May 18th, 2011 by admin

To Smile and Talk Again

To Smile and Talk Again

Agnes Twagiramariya

Agnes is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Although a witness to devastating horrors, Agnes has embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ taught by the first missionaries in Rwanda, Brother and Sister Andrus, and is working to forgive those who killed her family. Agnes recently graduated from university and works as an accountant in a hotel in Kigali.

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Posted in: 20 - 30 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Rwanda, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: Africa, atonement, conversion, convert, depression, faith, forgiveness, LDS woman, mission, single

May 4th, 2011 by admin

A Savior To Her Family

A Savior To Her Family

Susan Anneveldt

Susan Anneveldt knows that, even though she is the only member of her family to join the Church in this life, her passion for family history work has led her deceased extended family members to the gospel through temple work. As a single woman caring for aging parents and living far away from her local branch in the Netherlands, Susan combats the plague of loneliness with her understanding of the gospel’s worldwide community and the assurance of eternal families.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, 51 - 60 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Holland, Lives of Service, Lives of Service, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: Africa, conversion, convert, disease, education, Europe, family, family history, LDS woman, mission, Mormon women, service, single

April 20th, 2011 by admin

Embracing A Culture of Faith

Embracing A Culture of Faith

Julia Klebingat

Julia Klebingat grew up in Riga, Latvia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Introduced to the Church when Brigham Young University’s Legacy Dixieland Band performed in her hometown, she married at 19 and attended Ricks College. Julia recounts the culture shock she experienced getting married, joining the Church and moving to the United States in such a short time, and the blessings that have come into her life since that time. She is preparing to move from Frankfurt, Germany, to Kiev, Ukraine, to serve alongside her husband, who will preside in the Ukraine, Kiev mission.

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Posted in: 31 - 40 years old, Conversion Stories, Conversion Stories, English, Married with children, Russian, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Ukraine, Uncategorized - Tags: conversion, convert, education, Europe, faith, graduate school, LDS culture, LDS woman, Mormon women, Ricks College, Russia, Ukraine

April 6th, 2011 by admin

A Pillar of Faith in New Delhi

A Pillar of Faith in New Delhi

Swarupa Katuka

Swarupa Katuka was born and raised in India, joined the Church in 1988, and currently lives in New Delhi. In 1995, as the mother of two children, Swarupa decided to give her third child to family friends who couldn’t have any children of her own. In this interview, she shares an intimate look into her daily life, the state of the Church in India, and the relationship she has with her adopted daughter.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, Conversion Stories, English, India, Lives of Service, Lives of Service, Married with children, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: adoption, conversion, convert, family, Indian Mormon, LDS woman, Mormon women, motherhood, prayer

March 23rd, 2011 by admin

In Perfect Harmony

In Perfect Harmony

Liz Shropshire

Liz Shropshire is the founder and director of the Shropshire Music Foundation, which provides free musical instruments and instruction to former child soldiers and refugees in Kosovo, Uganda, and Northern Ireland. Since 1999, more than 10,000 young people have participated in Shropshire Music Foundation classes.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, English, Lives of Service, Lives of Service, Northern Ireland, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: Africa, careers, education, Europe, graduate school, humanitarian aid, LDS woman, Mormon women, music, philanthropy, single

February 16th, 2011 by admin

The Way Already Prepared

The Way Already Prepared

Shu-Chih Ho

Shu-Chih grew up in Taiwan, came to the United States by herself as a teenager and joined the Mormon Church. She had to overcome many obstacles, including family disapproval, living in a foreign country and raising three kids as a single mom. Shu-Chih is an accomplished artist and owns her own art school where she teaches a growing Chinese population in Irvine, CA.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, Conversion Stories, Divorced, English, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Taiwan, Uncategorized - Tags: artist, BYU, California, Chinese Mormon, divorce, LDS woman, Mormon women, single, Taiwan Mormon

December 1st, 2010 by admin

Enthusiasm and Endurance

Enthusiasm and Endurance

Kovács Ildikó

Introduced to the gospel as a teenager in her native Hungary, Ildikó had to wait four years to be baptized due to her family’s disapproval. Ildikó discusses the challenges of joining a community that is still small in Hungary, marrying another Hungarian member and raising her three children in the Church there. She expresses confidence in the Savior’s role as head of the Church, the practical and spiritual safety that comes from living by its principles, and benefits of raising her children in the gospel.

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Posted in: 31 - 40 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Hungary, Magnifying Motherhood, Magnifying Motherhood, Married with children, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: conversion, convert, Europe, faith, hungary, LDS woman, missionaries, Mormon women, motherhood

November 24th, 2010 by admin

Bearing Her Testimony in a Different Way

Bearing Her Testimony in a Different Way

Trang Thach

After graduating with her master’s of public health degree from Yale, Trang Thach moved to Romania to research drinking water with the aid of a Fulbright Grant. Her search for a career, along with her family history and temple work for ancestors from Vietnam, has helped strengthen her testimony of God’s love and mercy.

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Posted in: 20 - 30 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Romania, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad - Tags: careers, conversion, convert, education, Europe, family, LDS woman, single, temple

November 17th, 2010 by admin

Peace Through Conflict

Peace Through Conflict

Sahar Qumsiyeh

Raised near Bethlehem, only a few blocks away from the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Sahar Qumsiyeh intimately knows places that are considered holy by many religions. However, this significant area is marked by conflict and war, and as a Palestinian, Sahar faced barriers (both figurative and literal) to joining the Church. In this interview, Sahar describes how her introduction to the Church and understanding of the gospel enabled her to overcome the feelings of anger and frustration that accompanied her life in this turbulent region.

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Posted in: 31 - 40 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Palestine, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Uncategorized - Tags: BYU, conversion, convert, education, faith, LDS woman, Mormon women, Palestinian Mormon, prayer, single

October 27th, 2010 by admin

I Am Home

I Am Home

Heather Willoughby

Heather Willoughby discovered she had a destiny: To study ethnomusicology and return to teach it in the beloved country of her mission, Korea. Now a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, the largest women’s university in the world, Heather teaches comparative culture classes, as well as classes on gender and human rights. She has a special appreciation for Pansori, a traditional Korean music, and feels a deep spiritual connection to this country she loves.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, English, Korea, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad - Tags: careers, education, graduate school, Korea, LDS woman, mission, Mormon women, music, professor, single

September 22nd, 2010 by admin

Coming to Know Him Who Suffered

Coming to Know Him Who Suffered

Galina Goncharova

On June 10, 1990, Galina Goncharova became the first member of the Church to be baptized in Moscow, in what was then the Soviet Union. In this interview she describes her journey to the Church, the ravages of alcoholism on her family, and how the gospel has helped her to forgive and given her power to change her relationships with others.

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Posted in: 61 - 70 years old, Conversion Stories, Conversion Stories, English, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Russia, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Widowed - Tags: alcoholism, conversion, convert, disease, LDS woman, Russia

September 1st, 2010 by admin

More Than Skin Deep (with Photo Essay)

More Than Skin Deep (with Photo Essay)

Kimmie Matthews

Kimmie is featured in our first photo essay. After a difficult childhood, Kimmie joined the Church in Korea. Now a successful business owner, Kimmie talks about how the healing properties of the algae supplements from her cosmetics company help people overcome debilitating illness. She has started a non-profit to help those who can’t afford the treatments have access to their benefits.

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Posted in: 51 - 60 years old, Conversion Stories, Divorced, English, Korea, Lives of Service, Lives of Service, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad - Tags: careers, conversion, convert, disease, divorce, Korea, Mormon women, philanthropy, prayer, single

July 27th, 2010 by admin

Nothing Short of A Miracle

Nothing Short of A Miracle

Gina Traynor

From Dublin, Ireland, Gina talks candidly about her struggle with infertility. A lawyer by training and a convert to the Church, Gina overcame a fear of doctors and hospitals to complete IVF treatments, resulting in the birth of her daughter Ella. Gina reveals a deep gratitude for her supportive husband, although not a member of the Church himself, and their precious daughter.

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Posted in: 41 - 50 years old, Conversion Stories, Conversion Stories, English, Ireland, Married with children, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad - Tags: convert, Europe, family, infertility, legal, Mormon women, motherhood, part-member marriage

June 30th, 2010 by admin

The Spirit of the Islands

The Spirit of the Islands

Safalaia Arvay Si’ufanua

Born into the Church in Samoa in 1944, Safalaia attended Brigham Young University, Hawaii, and was among the first group of dancers to open the Polynesian Cultural Center in 1962. Safalaia describes how the PCC helped her gain a greater appreciation for her own culture and for the church’s missionary program.

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Posted in: 51 - 60 years old, 61 - 70 years old, English, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Samoa, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, United States - Tags: BYU, dancing, education, Hawaii, LDS culture, missionary, Mormon women, Polynesian Cultural Center

June 23rd, 2010 by admin

I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go

I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Ruth Wise

As her name suggests, Ruth epitomizes wise, eternal choices: After being the only one in her family to join the church in her native Bolivia, Ruth came to the United States to pursue additional training as a dentist. The death of her first child was crushing, but she chose to endure two more pregnancies, each resulting in a healthy child although requiring months of bed rest. She is currently pregnant a fourth time. Ruth discusses how she uses her time while on bed rest, how she uses her dental skills for good, and how she appreciates being able to spend time with her children.

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Posted in: 31 - 40 years old, Bolivia, Conversion Stories, Conversion Stories, English, Magnifying Motherhood, Magnifying Motherhood, Married with children, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad - Tags: careers, conversion, convert, Dentist, depression, education, faith, graduate school, Mormon women, pregnancy, South America

June 9th, 2010 by admin

A Better Doctor, A Better Christian

A Better Doctor, A Better Christian

Ines Pinate

After serving a mission in her native Venezuela, Ines Pinate married another returned missionary only to have the marriage end three years later in a divorce. Now, with an 8-year-old son, this single mother is attending medical school. In her interview, Ines expresses her love for her Heavenly Father and explains how being a doctor helps her be a better Christian.

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Posted in: 31 - 40 years old, Conversion Stories, Divorced, English, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Single, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, Venezuela - Tags: conversion, convert, divorce, education, graduate school, mission, Mormon women, single, South America, Venezuela

May 12th, 2010 by admin

“Just Call Me Ruth”

“Just Call Me Ruth”

Ruth Lybbert Renlund

After being able to have only one child, Ruth Renlund became a personal injury trial lawyer. At the peak of a long and fulfilling professional life, Ruth has now become the wife of a General Authority serving in South Africa. In her interview, Ruth discusses the challenges of having an only child within Church culture, and how she’s transitioned from being an independent professional to to serving with her husband in a foreign country.

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Posted in: 51 - 60 years old, English, Married with children, Professional Paths, Professional Pursuits, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad, South Africa - Tags: Africa, careers, education, family, graduate school, LDS culture, legal, mission, Mormon women

April 20th, 2010 by admin

As Joseph in Egypt

As Joseph in Egypt

Thérèse Kanyanga

In 2000, Thérèse Kanyanga was living in the Republic of the Congo as a wife and the mother of seven children when her husband, Gilbert, mysteriously disappeared. Thérèse discovered he had been accused of treason and exiled to South Korea. For the next six years, Thérèse raised her children alone. In 2006, she was able to join Gilbert in Seoul where she was baptized into the Church.

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Posted in: 51 - 60 years old, Conversion Stories, English, Korea, Married with children, Personal Challenges, Personal Challenges, Sisters Abroad, Sisters Abroad - Tags: Africa, conversion, convert, family, Korea, Mormon women, motherhood, prayer

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