Chris Belyeu has spent the past two years on a spiritual journey in Ukraine, thousands of miles away from his home and family.
But this week, the 21-year-old’s mission trip with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) concluded, and Belyeu returned to his old life – an undeniably simpler one on 80 acres of land in Kellyton.
kAm“x 5:5?’E C62==J <?@H H92E E@ 6IA64E H96? x =67E[” r9C:D q6=J6F D2:5 2E 9:D 72>:=J’D 9@>6 uC:52J] “x <:?5 @7 H6?E :? E@ :E H:E9 2 ‘D66 H92E 92AA6?D’ EJA6 @7 2EE:EF56[ 3642FD6 x 925 ?6G6C 366? @FE @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 367@C6] xE H2D G6CJ 5:776C6?E 7C@> 96C6]”k^Am
kAm%@ AC6A2C6 7@C 9:D ;@FC?6J 23C@25[ q6=J6F DA6?E EH@ >@?E9D EC2:?:?8 2E qC:892> *@F?8 &?:G6CD:EJ :? !C@G@[ &E29] %96C6[ 96 3682? =62C?:?8 E96 #FDD:2? =2?8F286 2?5 >6E9@5D 7@C E6249:?8 E96 8@DA6= :? 2 5:776C6?E 4F=EFC6]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 @G6CD62D[ q6=J6F D2:5 96 2?5 E96 @E96C >:DD:@?2C:6D DEF4< E@ 2 D4965F=6[ H:E9 E96:C 52J 368:??:?8 2E eib_ 6249 >@C?:?8] tI6C4:D6[ 2 D9@H6C 2?5 3C62<72DE H6C6 7:CDE @? E96 286?52[ 7@==@H65 3J 2 A6CD@?2= DEF5J @7 E96 D4C:AEFC6D 7C@> g E@ h 2]>]k^Am
kAm“|:DD:@?2C:6D H@C< :? EH@D[” 96 D2:5] “$@ 7C@> h E@ `_ 2]>] H6 H@F=5 DEF5J E@86E96C 2?5 AC6A2C6 =6DD@?D 2?5 E2=< 23@FE H92E H6 925 C625 :? @FC DEF5:6D] }6IE[ H6 H@F=5 92G6 2? 9@FC @7 =2?8F286 DEF5J … 2?5 7C@> `` 2]>] E@ h A]>] H6 H@F=5 8@ @FE E@ H@C<] ~7 4@FCD6[ H6’5 92G6 =F?49 D@>6H96C6 :? E96C6[ 2?5 5:??6C D@>6H96C6 :? E96C6[ 56A6?5:?8 @? E96 52J]”k^Am
kAmx? @C56C E@ D92C6 E96 8@DA6=[ q6=J6F D2:5 E96J H@F=5 G:D:E 9@>6D 2?5[ :7 E:>6 A6C>:EE65[ E96J H@F=5 2=D@ 8@ @FED:56 2?5 E2=< E@ A656DEC:2?D] %96J DA6?E E:>6 H@C<:?8 :? 2 ?F>36C @7 2C62D :? &<C2:?6 E9C@F89@FE E96 EH@ J62CD[ :?4=F5:?8 z92C<@G[ |2<66G<2[ {F82?D< 2?5 $F>:]k^Am
kAm“~FC 49FC49 92D @?=J 366? :? &<C2:?6 7@C 23@FE a_ J62CD[” D2:5 q6=J6F’D 72E96C[ sH:89E q6=J6F] “$@ 96 H2D DA6?5:?8 2 8@@5 3:E @7 9:D E:>6 96=A:?8 E96 >6>36CD E96C6 2?5 EC2:?:?8 E96> 9@H E@ CF? E9:?8D]”k^Am
kAmq6=J6F’D C@25 E@ &<C2:?6 3682? 2 ?F>36C @7 J62CD 28@[ 7@==@H:?8 E96 6I2>A=6 D6E 9:D 72E96C[ H9@ D6CG65 :? ~2<=2?5[ r2=:7][ 9:D >2E6C?2= 8C2?572E96C[ H9@ D6CG65 :? !6CF[ 2?5 9:D F?4=6[ H9@ D6CG65 :? r9:=6]k^Am
kAm“x? E96 49FC49[ H6 6?4@FC286 2== @7 @FC J@F?8 >6? E@ 8@ @FE 2?5 D6CG6 2D >:DD:@?2C:6D[” sH:89E q6=J6F D2:5] “(6 5@?’E 92G6 2 A2:5 >:?:DECJ[ 2?5 E96J 5@?’E 364@>6 AC@76DD:@?2= >:?:DE6CD 27E6C E9:D[ 3FE :E 8:G6D E96> 2 =@E @7 AC6A2C2E:@? 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96:C =:G6D[ E@ 92G6 DA6?E D@>6 E:>6 =62C?:?8 E96 8@DA6= 2?5 E6249:?8 E96 8@DA6=]k^Am
kAm“*@F 2=H2JD =62C? :E 2 =:EE=6 3:E 36EE6C H96? J@F 92G6 E@ E6249 :E]”k^Am
kAmq642FD6 D@ >2?J @7 9:D C6=2E:G6D D6CG65 :? $A2?:D9\DA62<:?8 4@F?EC:6D[ q6=J6F DEF5:65 E96 =2?8F286 7@C J62CD :? 9:D 9@>6 D49@@= AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAmqFE 27E6C >@?E9D @7 A2A6CH@C<[ :?E6CG:6HD 2?5 962=E9 6I2>:?2E:@?D[ 96 =62C?65 :? u63CF2CJ a__h E92E 96 H2D 9625:?8 E@ &<C2:?6]k^Am
kAm“#FDD:2? :D 2 G6CJ 5:77:4F=E =2?8F286[” 96 D2:5] “qFE :E H@C<65 @FE] x <?@H 6?@F89 E@ 86E 3J]”k^Am
kAm%96 &<C2:?6 4F=EFC6 AC6D6?E65 @E96C 492==6?86D 2D H6==] q6=J6F D2:5 96 @?=J D2H EH@ 5:D9 H2D9:?8 >249:?6D 5FC:?8 9:D EH@ J62CD :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ E9@F89 >@DE A6@A=6 96 >6E 5:5 92G6 C67C:86C2E@CD 2?5 4@>AFE6CD]k^Am
kAm“%96 DE2?52C5 @7 =:G:?8’D =@H6C[” 96 D2:5] “%96J 92G6 4@>>F?2= 9@FD:?8] %96J 92G6 H6:C5 E9:?8D =:<6 4@>>F?2= 962E:?8 DJDE6>D] %96J 92G6[ 2E E96 4@>A=6I6D[ J@F 5@?’E 92G6 E6>A6C2EFC6 4@?EC@= :? J@FC 9@FD6] %96C6’D ;FDE E9:D H2E6C A:A6 2?5 C25:2E@CD 2?5 E96 H2E6C A:A6 :D 7@C E96 H9@=6 3F:=5:?8 2?5 D@ E96C6’D 2 8:2?E 962E6C :? E96 32D6>6?E 2?5 :E ;FDE 962ED 6G6CJ@?6’D 9@>6] x7 J@F 86E :E E@@ 9@E[ J@F @A6? 2 H:?5@H]”k^Am
kAmq6=J6F’D >@E96C[ $96C2=J? q6=J6F[ D2:5 D96’D 8=25 E@ 92G6 E96:C @=56DE D@? 324< :? z6==JE@? 7@C E96 E:>6 36:?8[ 2=@?8 H:E9 96C 7@FC J@F?86DE H9@ 2C6 DE:== 2E 9@>6i y@D6A9[ `ej r2DD2?5C2[ `cj (:==:2>[ ``j 2?5 q6E9[ g]k^Am
kAm%96:C D64@?5 @=56DE[ y@? Wa_X 92D 366? D6CG:?8 2D 2 >:DD:@?2CJ :? r@=@>3:2 D:?46 u63CF2CJ 2?5 $96C2=J? D2:5 96’D 5@:?8 “G6CJ[ G6CJ H6==]”k^Am
kAm“~7 4@FCD6 E96 =2?8F286 32CC:6C :D?’E 2D D6C:@FD W:? r@=@>3:2X[ D@ E92E 92D?’E 366? 2 3:8 AC@3=6>[ 3FE E96 7@@5 :D C62==J 5:776C6?E[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmsH:89E q6=J6F D2:5 96’D AC@F5 @7 3@E9 r9C:D 2?5 y@?[ 2?5 :D E92?<7F= E92E r9C:D >256 :E 324< 9@>6 D276=J]k^Am
kAm“x H2D ;FDE E92?<7F= 96 5:5?’E 92G6 >@C6 5:77:4F=EJ E92? 96 5:5[” 96 D2:5] “%96 $@G:6E &?:@? 92D 366? C2E96C ?682E:G6 23@FE WE96 49FC49X :? E96 A2DE] xED ?:46 E9:?8D 92G6 @A6?65 FA 2 =:EE=6 3:E D@ E96 H@C5 @7 r9C:DE 42? 86E :?]”k^Am
kAmr9C:D q6=J6F D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ C6EFC? E@ q*& :? y2?F2CJ E@ DEF5J E96 #FDD:2? =2?8F286] qFE :? E96 >62?E:>6[ 96’D ;FDE 6?;@J:?8 36:?8 324< 9@>6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@@5[” 96 D2:5 H:E9 2 D>:=6] “v@5 3=6DD p>6C:42]”k^Am
