Week 24

Sarra, Selina, Leva

August 1, 2011

On Monday we had kebabs. They were quite messy, especially with us all trying to swat at all the bees. There are so many bees here, they are inside the stores, just everywhere. Luckily they don't sting or anything like that. We were able to visit with the Tolmacovi family and talk about the temple. They have plans to go, but they aren't concrete. Brother Tolmacovi has a great desire to go though and we hope that he will be able to with his wife to be sealed for eternity. We went contacting on the bicycle path. My favorite person we contacted was this man visiting from Russia. We ended up getting his name and number, so we were able to send that referral off to Moscow. He is Russian Orthodox, but willing to hear and learn about other religions.

Tuesday was insanely rainy. The elders called us about two minutes before it started pouring to remind us to shut our sky lights (we've only left them open in rainstorms twice). We didn't need to worry about that though because our ceiling is leaking! It has been quite the adventure to try to figure out what to do. Elder Holdaway hosted another wonderful district meeting. This week we focused on asking good questions. It is definitely something that I can work on. Asking good clear questions for understanding, to make them think, for commitment, and the list goes on. Never mind tying them in with scriptures and such. That is the great thing about teaching, there is always stuff that you can work on. We decided to throw Oskars a curve ball for his retention lesson and we watched The Restoration film. He really enjoyed it and ended up bouncing out of the room to summer institute. He is in our prayers currently as he’ll be getting some kidney stones removed from his body August 1. Visiting the active Beldavi family was quite a surprise. We were ready with a fun Holy Ghost/car activity for energetic Raivo and Lauris but we entered a peaceful home. Raivo was asleep on the couch and just Dace (the mom) and Ingus (the eldest son) were home. So we made them do the blindfold activity! It was still a great lesson and we left the game so they could do it with the other boys.

Wednesday I enjoyed studying and being mildly distracted by the nuns taking pictures of this Catholic march that was going on with singing and banners. It just seemed so silly seeing a nun with a digital camera that I almost took a picture of them. We did take a picture of two couples from Sweden. It was so nice to talk to them. One of them reminded me of Sister Call (Julie's mom), just the nicest lady. I love my ancestry! We have such great people and one of the couples lived near Karlskoga, so that was neat. It was stormy by the evening so we played ping pong for sports night. President was pretty hilarious imitating an old lady, and no one got a black eye from a ping pong ball, so that was good. We went into the slightly sketchy Jaunliepaja to go knocking. The highlight was most definitely the umbrella. I wanted to see if it would slide down the banister. It did. For three flights. I was just laughing and laughing and hoping that there wasn't anyone coming because a giant black umbrella would be colliding with them shortly. The second highlight was the eavesdropping neighbor. We were talking to this one woman who was asking us if we believe that we literally become Christ. It was a fairly long conversation and all the sudden out popped out her neighbor. "I've been listening through the door. This is very interesting, say something else smart!" Sadly neither neighbor was interested, but we had a nice conversation about the sacrament. I'm grateful I know what I know.


















Picture from President Scerbenins

Thursday was incredibly random. We visited Ena who still does not want to come to church, but knows she needs to. We then spent the rest of the day with the Boswells. They came down to do interviews and so we were at the church for a long time. Sister Ferrin's interview was 1.5 hours. Mine wasn't that long. President Boswell is such a great man though! He tells lots of great stories and he is very spiritually in tune. It was kind of fun to see the things that he knew about me that you know there is only one way he could know. My favorite thing he said to me was, "Well, at my house WE pray for Sister Lindstrom." That really meant a lot. He has some pretty great one liners. "Free agency is the pits" as well as "give them some rope to hang themselves" (rope being agency, hanging being a possible consequence of said agency). So we recommended that they eat at the Pastnieka Maja to which the response was, "Well sisters, why don't you just come with us. But first, what is one thing that we need to see in Liepaja before we leave." A ride in the car to the beach and then to lunch ensued. We all had soup and at least I sat there semi-awkwardly thinking, "Wow. I'm having lunch with my mission president. I wonder how many people have done this. Weird." I guess it is to make up for never getting to go to "eat with the principal" when I was younger. Definitely a step up from McDonalds. We did weekly planning and then got our weekly gut-wrenching laugh attack from Santa. I think I might have to start a page of "Santa-isms." This evening she told us the story of her neighbor when she found out "those Mormon boys" were coming over. "They are going to take you to America to make you work and be one of their wives!" "Great! I'll be wife number 54!" "But America?!!?" "Cool, a free trip!" Oh Santa. Well, I tried my hand at potato pancakes today...still need some practice with this popular Latvian dish, but not bad for a first try and no recipe.

My favorite contact on Friday was this nice lady named Marika who said that she may come to church. I also ran into Elvira, a anti-church less active on the tram. She was actually really excited to recognize me and just talked my ear off. She was having a bad day so I invited her to our Relief Society activity, and you know what, she came! We walked into the church and there she was, sitting on the couch. Everyone was kind to her and she asked for our autographs. She is probably 50 or 60 and she loves to write poetry. She brought some of her work that she has had published. Oh how my heart broke for her. I'm not totally sure, but from what I understand she gets electrical treatment because it works better than pills. It reminded me of "The Bell Jar." That is a sad summer read for anyone who wants to venture off into the world of mental illnesses. Some music was on and that opened a floodgate of memories for her and she cried. My heart just breaks for her. I wish I could understand all the sad stories that she was telling me better. Sandijs (the dry member since his mom won't allow him to get baptized) invited his 14/15 year old friend Santa to the party (not that Sandijs could go). She came and stayed! We got to teach her after we ate the yummy cake that we made. She is looking for a religion right now- baptized Russian Orthodox but thinks that she is Lutheran.

Santa came to English (as well as the other Santa and her friend Viktorija). We taught her a full first before class and she accepted all of it, except the baptismal date. She is going to be in vacation in Ogre (yes, Ogre) for a month. Another Santa-ism was the highlight. We watched Finding Faith in Christ and by the end Santa had on her sunglasses because she was crying. She declared, "Since I got baptized I get like this all the time. This is that Holy Ghost that Rihards gave me!" Um yes, yes, it is. I love "that Holy Ghost" and am so glad for its influence in my life. It was a beautiful day to be contacting on Saturday, nice and sunny but not too hot. We have been so blessed with a fairly cool summer (knock on wood!). My favorite contact was this lady through her window. We were walking by and I felt like we should talk to her and we ended up chit-chatting for twenty minutes or so. She was a funny larger lady. "I don't believe in God. I'm too old to change. (5 minutes later) I'm Lutheran. I go to the Lutheran church sometimes."

Did I mention that blueberries are in season? They made for some great blueberry pancakes to start a lovely Sabbath day. Sunday was a fun sacrament meeting, although we were few in numbers. Madara and Elder Clark both spoke. Elder Clark because he is going home this week and Madara because she is going on a mini-mission! She will be serving in Riga and will be set apart on Wednesday. Sisters Wilson and Sutterfield will be her trainers so it looks like Sister Ferrin and I will be together for the next two transfers (assuming she gets the same trainers for the 12 week training), if not three. They did a trio with Elder Holdaway that was very good. We had a great third hour. It was great mostly because we got to have translation all high-tech. Rihards translated into the little tour guide ear piece thingies so we all got to listen. The beginning he was doing all in English and just being goofy. He was embarrassing his girlfriend Kristine from Imanta. President S. was going over the talk by President Monson from Priesthood session. The best part was when he told the elders to go home and find a wife. Did lots of calling and setting up appointments along with a little contacting after church. Favorite contact was Walters by far. He is a gentleman [yes, a gentleman] from Germany who knows more big English words than little. He was quite interested in knowing about got and finding a connection with him. He talked to us about the energy in water molecules and we just had a splendid conversation which ended with us giving him the church website. He is quite the world traveler and we hope he enjoyed Liepaja. Walking home was also enjoyable. We may or may not have been laughing at the exhorbitantly drunk young man who could not walk straight, nor keep his body straight up and his friend who wasn't willing to help him. Two younger kids then ran by with a giant blown up walrus and Sister Ferrin and I just lost it completely.

The church is true. I am so grateful for this gospel and for my loving family and friends.

Sister Lindstrom
















Relief Society Cake Making