Letter - January 31, 2011

The Fruits of our Labors...

I figure that nothing could be better than a blog entry, which is also a letter to my sister.

Dear Carli,

ARGh! Hello Mee Beauty! I just felt like saying hi in a pirate voice. I'm not going to have a ton of time to write everyone, seeing as how I got lost from my companion on the bus this morning, but know that I love you, and I'm trying hard to be a good missionary.

You know, it's great to be a missionary and to see the positive effect we have on many. Last week, we had just finished closing a lesson kneeling in prayer with a wonderful mom and her young son. Right after the prayer, Pearla, their little Yorkie dog, came and sat on my lap, and, in her excitement, left me a present. She just couldn't contain herself, and gave me a nice wet-spot to wash before we went to our next lesson. I love seeing missionary work in action.

Love,

Sister Paul

Letter - January 10, 2011

Last year went much too quickly. I want a refund.

Sister Alldredge and I are enjoying our reading of the Book of Mormon. We're on a schedule with the rest of the mission, and are studying specifically for references of the Christ-like attributes of Faith and Charity. I find myself craving this reading and find the words coming back to me throughout the course of the day. I echo my Mission President's words, that these attributes must have been a huge focus in the life of Lehi's family. These attributes have a lot of richness which I had previously overlooked. I have a lot to do in terms of developing faith and charity.

We're happy to report that we have an investigator with a set baptismal date. We're so excited to help Zosana make this step in her life to repent and be baptized. Zosana is 73, and is a single mom. Her son's name is Donatas, and he is autistic. She lives in very humble circumstances but is still very giving. We also had a wonderful lesson with a woman named Rasa today. She has two children, and she's very wonderful and sincere. She had her first lesson with two Russian-speaking Sisters a week ago, and today it was all four of us with her and her young daughter. It will be better to teach her in Lithuanian since it's her birth language. It could have been a potentially confusing lesson, with four missionaries, but it turned out fantastic. The spirit was there as we each testified and asked her inspired questions.

We feel the Lord has really blessed us to be able to teach a lot this past week, and to meet many who are interested in meeting this coming week. What a wonderful privilege it is to keep knocking, keep asking, and keep seeking. I feel Lehi's invitation is as much for me as for his sons. This is 2 Ne 1:21. And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be amen, and be determined in bone mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

I hope I'm the kind of missionary that the Lord can trust with those who are seeking. Thank you for all your prayers and the wonderful Christmas gifts. It means the world to me. I love you all.

Sister Paul

Letter - December 20, 2010

Su Šventom Kaledom!!

Hello Family!

Merry Christmas to you all. This last Saturday, a young girl which Sister Alldredge and I taught over the summer was baptized. We both wish that we could have been there. It is wonderful to see the Lord preparing the hearts of the people here, little by little. We are seeing some hopeful investigators sprout out of the snow, like daisies. Speaking of which, we had daisy tea last night at an investigator's house. The word for daisies is equivalent of "calm flowers," or calmies. Kind of cute, eh?

We enjoyed a wonderful zone conference, enjoying a Christmas pageant afterwards. Sister Alldredge and I were Shepherds. Each zone conference is like a re-charge session. The spirit has a way of speaking to the heart that is unlike anything else. There are questions, trials, and worries so deep that I find myself overwhelmed and unable to express them. The spirit really can act like a balm, drawing out the natural man, consoling, cleansing, and really changing one's desires. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. I have a testimony of the power of prayer.

Yesterday at Church, I was feeling troubled that someone a few weeks before had walked into the church, looked around, and left before any of the missionaries talked to him. I was so busy running around with church preparations that I didn't say anything to him either. I said a prayer, promising that if I ever saw someone new in the church building, I would immediately introduce myself. During the third hour, I saw someone in the foyer, and instead of talking myself out of it, I went and talked to her. Turns out she was just passing by after doing some grocery shopping. We are hoping to meet with her and her family before Christmas. I know that we are surrounded by opportunities everywhere to do missionary work. Last night we went knocking. We are focusing on finding and teaching worthy males who can become Melchizedek priesthood holders. I felt a desire to pray for this specifically, and we were able to teach two lessons to men last night. I know that the Lord is waiting anxiously to bless us if I will just exercise the faith to express the desires of my heart.

I am so excited for Christmas. I know that my Redeemer lives. I am so grateful to be able to serve Him at this time. I could not ask for better learning experiences, or a more wonderful people to serve. We visited in the home of a mother and son. She's 73. He's got to be in his 30's. They live in one room without a kitchen. There was no where to sit together. The walls were decorated with pasted grocery ads. Donatas, the Son, has autism. He is very intelligent, speaks four languages, but sometimes his thoughts get stuck on a track that just repeats itself. He had brought his mom to church the previous Sunday, and we set a time to meet. He seems to already have read the book of Mormon, or most of it, and has even received a spiritual witness that it is true. His mother has a desire to know more of our message because of the impact it had on her son. The spirit has really prepared this family.

Love,

Sister Paul

Letter - December 13, 2010

My hands are still numb....Dear Family,

The Baltics are a beautiful place around Christmas time. I am immensely enjoying the opportunity to serve here. However imperfect my offering may be, I feel the Lord really does accept my sacrifice. I feel a sort of longing, maybe a sadness today, as I think of less effective or less diligent moments in my service. However, I know that there will come from these reflections a more committed Sister Paul.

We've been teaching a wonderful progressing investigator. His name is Gediminas. He is one of the first doors I harvested while serving with Sister Edgin. He has read through first Nephi and is living the Word of Wisdom. It's great to see him searching one step at a time for the truthfulness of this message. We always have to teach with members present since he's a male. At the end of the Word of Wisdom lesson, I said, " If you will keep this commandment, you will become more sensitive." Of course, Gedeminas got this confused look on his face, since, by inference, I had just called him insensitive. I was sure glad the participating member chimed in, "She means, spiritually sensitive, that you'll be able to feel the spirit testify to you."

The Lord sends us wonderful experiences to keep us going. Last Saturday Sister Alldredge and I were searching for a couple named Hortas and Irma. Their teaching record had mysteriously ended in 2006-ish, and our efforts late on a previous evening had ended in frozen failure. We returned, found the building, and tried the doorbell at the bottom of the stairwell. There was no ring and the apartment seemed vacant. We then knocked a few neighboring stairwells and headed off to our next activity. As we neared the bus stop, I looked up to see a passing man with a pleasant look on his face. I said hello, and he seemed to recognized us as missionaries. We talked, and I asked if we could come by and share a Christmas message with him. He said "Sure. Here's my number *******, and my name is Hortas. If my wife answers, her name is Irma." Our jaws just dropped. We told him that we had prayed that morning to find him. He smiled. " My wife and I have been living near Kalingrad for a couple years and have just returned." We are excited to go by to see him tonight.

I've got to run. Thanks for all your prayers.

Love,

Sister Paul

Letter - December 6, 2010

The Perfect Picture for your Christmas Card!
Dear Family,

I got a kick out of how wonderfully Amish Sister Alldredge and I appear in this picture. Transfers were last week, and we're now serving together in Vilnius. In this picture, we're in Riga, not Lithuania.

Thanks for all you're doing

Sister Paul

Letter - November 22, 2010

Here are some lovely pictures from the leadership training in Riga. We red-heads were on the prowl for investigators.
We, of course, don't speak a lick of Latvian. (Latvian is similar to Lithuanian, but all the first syllables have accents, and all the endings are truncated. I would compare it to a drunk-sailor trying to speak Lithuanian.) However, someone I contacted in English now has, or had, a baptismal date. Yay!!
Also, here is a recent letter I wrote to President Dance:

Dear President Dance,

What a wonderful opportunity it was to hear from President Scwitzer. I have personally found a lot of joy and challenge in applying his inspired counsel.

Sister Edgin and I have put in three hard months together. She has taught me very much, more than few people have over the course of my life. Our week was hampered by the fact that Sister Edgin had food poisoning, but it seems that all is better. I feel a sort of sadness and excitement with transfers coming up.

I find that with the increased comprehension of the language, that there is a certain level of freedom and joy in missionary work that has come about. I can help more in branch auxiliaries. I can express more of my personal life experiences. The one thing that hasn't changed is the heart-break that can come when investigators don't follow the witnesses of the spirit that they have received ultimately accepting baptism. I know that I am called of the Lord. The feelings of sadness drive me to want to be better. I want to be a more kind person, President. As I understand the people more, they also have the ability to try my patience, my charity in a whole new way. I find myself lacking in the Christ-like attributes.

The application of President Schwitzer's teaching for me is a deepening of my level of personal consecration. I feel that this can only help the missionary work. Sometimes I wonder, President, whether I'm in a sort of Zion's Camp. I want so badly to see some results of my service here. I long to see someone accept baptism. However, I know that the personal growth I experience because of these times will have impact far beyond these 18 months. I didn't think I was coming here to experience growth. I thought I was coming here to "perform" if you will, or "produce results." I little expected that the product being refined was me. I feel a new acquaintance with my Savior because of this time. I think of his ministry, of his life and example, and I feel often his influence in my life. I am humbled, it is "wonderful to me."

Thank you for the opportunity to serve,

Sister Paul

Letter - November 8, 2010

D&C 103: 9 For they were set to be a a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men

We've had some really neat experiences this week. Sister Edgin called a couple of phone numbers which we hadn't called in forever, and we had some really wonderful lessons come out of it. One of their names was Gabija. Her parents are scientific researchers. She loves to think and reason empirically, and she's also eager to understand the process of personal revelation by the means of faith. She mercilessly studied 2 Ne 2 and Alma 34. She has decided to wait awhile to investigate because her mother has forbidden it, and she's a Senior in High School. We know that she knows where she can turn when she's grown up a little.

Our second miracle's name is Elina. She's a free-spirited Latvian who's studying architecture. She, and I as well, love Eckhart Tolle. On our most recent lesson, she started bringing up concerns that caused her to doubt that Christ could really be the Savior. She expressed a desire to know. Sister Edgin, guided by the spirit, taught about the role of prayer in knowing truth. We knew that this could be a big hurdle for her because her background is in meditation. We invited her to say the closing prayer, and she said she had no idea how to do it. We taught her again very simply, and then she said her very first prayer with us. The spirit was incredible as she thanked God for our meeting, and thanked him for his guidance. As she closed, we sat for a moment and she said, "I want to feel tickles all the time."

This is His work. What a wonderful time it is to be alive. Thank you all for your prayers. Things that grow more slowly generally live longer. I'm definitely experiencing some slow growth. With any luck, something's going to stick :)

We also had some wonderful upside down apple cake this week. I thought I'd send you the recipe:

Melt butter in the bottom of baking pan.
Cut 8 cups of apples and line the bottom.
Sprinkle cinnamon.
Put little pieces of butter on the top.

Then, mix batter in separate pan:
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
200 g butter (between 3/4 and 1 cup)
200 g gretine or sour cream (between 3/4 and 1 cup)
2 cups flour
2 spoons baking powder

This truly is a season of plenty.

Thanks for all your Prayers,

Sister Paul