Family Letter - February 18, 2010

I was so glad to hear about the wedding details. How I wish I could have been there.

I wish you all good health. It's hard to choose the healthy food here, when I'm surrounded by all sorts of junk! I'm sure lucky to have stayed healthy so long with the sickness that seems to spread so quickly here.

Another week has flown by, and I just can't believe it. It feels a bit like the same day over and over here. I have to try hard to make things a little different each day. It's hard never being by one's self. People see my best, and otherwise, when I have no time to get away and just breathe. I'm still my good old fiery self here on the mission. Even gym lost it's savor for awhile. You can only play four square against the same people for days on end without exhausting the entertainment value.

My loved ones will be proud to know that my companion and I have been waking up the extra half hour early to work out, and even sneak in a little extra language. It feels good. Our new roommates are three sisters going to Salt Lake, and one going to Detroit. They love sweets, and they are always so nice to share. I even ate ice cream for my first time yesterday, since I've been here, and I had a headache all afternoon and evening.

I'm trying to slacken my stress-level as much as possible here. My teachers and everyone around me are very uplifting, but I still catch myself taking things a bit too seriously. Luckily, I opened my journal to the day that the girls and I made those Hanukkah dishes and just spent the afternoon together in the kitchen. That memory helped me remember to get lost in the joy of living a little more.

I wish my teaching skills were sharper. The language, forces me to be humble, but I still have to be careful to make sure I'm teaching by the spirit and relying on the Lord. There is a total difference when I'm trying to speak the words myself, and when I just let myself speak. Since my speech isn't very comprehensible anyway, the spirit's power of understanding is indispensable.

I really enjoy delving into the simple principles of the gospel. The quantity of doctrine found in the scriptures is greater than I could master and teach in English, let alone Lithuanian. I'm really excited that I've only got a month left. I love you all and miss you very much. I wish I had time to respond to some of your personal letters, but time ran short today for some reason. Did Skylar get my letter? Thanks Rachel and Ahnalisse for your letters. Next week will hopefully be a little more open. My hair just takes forever to do here, and it eats away my p-day.

Love,

Sister Hayley Paul

P.S. tell Jordan and Avalon that I get to see Elder Schultheis.