So, I've spent the last week seeing sister Hall off to America. She wasn't the only one packing her bags, since I've also been transferred to Kaunas.
Sister Janson, my MTC companion, and I are both training Sister Aldredge, who is an angel in every respect. There is one other pair of Elders in the city, one Senior Couple, and plenty of ward support helping the work run here.
Kaunas is West of Vilnius, is the second largest city in Lithuania. (For a short time, it served as the capital of Lithuania, while Vilnius was annexed into Poland. ) Kaunas, I hear, is the heart of Lithuanian Nationalism. I don't know if I've seen much so far, except that there are very few Russian-speakers, and hardly any immigrants or foreign students or tourists. This place definitely has more of a small-town feel. People are more apt to smile and say hello to strangers.With a new missionary from the MTC has come a shower of blessings. We have been allowed into many doors. The first building we ever harvested together was chosen by our wonderful Sister Aldredge. As we knocked, a few people even recognized us, and said, "Hey, I know you guys. Our neighbor, Lolite, goes to your church!" It was so wonderful, that the spirit led us to people who already had favorable contact with the church, without our even knowing it. We were able to teach lessons because Lolite's great example.
We can be certain that the Lord takes into account our weaknesses as well as our strengths. The other day, after being lost for a few minutes, we walked around a corner, and spoke to a man just walking from his driveway into the house. He invited us in, and we had a wonderful lesson. We still don't know what will become of this man, but the spirit was definitely there. The Lord knew we would be lost for a minute, and yet his timing is perfect.
The sisters and I share a love of exercise and a healthy amount of spontaneity. While jogging the other morning, we decided to take a short cut home through a gully and across a creek. We soon found ourselves in waist-deep foliage, and then running through a patch of thistles. The short-cut didn't actually lead home, but the experience led me to much reflection on the importance of staying on the Lord's straight and narrow. That night, we were attacked by mosquitoes in the park. I don't think they've taught me anything, but they added nicely to the thistle-scratches.
Our Kaunas apartment is very nice compared to the one in Vilnius. To light our old oven, we would strike a match, and drop it in the bottom like a barbecue. The Kaunas' oven is a nice convection. The only problem was that Sister Jansen had never used the oven until last week. Sunday dinner sat in the cold oven for about an hour, until we went to pull it out. I'm sure grateful for canned food.
I couldn't help but be grateful once again that I'm in this different apartment, especially when the Elders now living in my Vilnius apartment called to ask whether the bathroom had ever locked us out before. They couldn't hack it. They're shopping for a new place to live.
Well, it's not much, but my time is up.
Love,
Sister Paul
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