FREEZING SMILES

Dear Family,

Things in Vilnius are great! We had another week packed with finding (people and places), and I feel like I know how to get around much better. The bus systems here are incredible, the longest you ever have to wait is never longer than a dozen minutes, and you can get wherever you need to be. Still, one of the best ways to get to know people is by asking for directions. Just by looking at us, they can tell that we’re not from around here so I never hesitate to just ask. In this morning scripture study, Alma’s comment in Alma 26:36 was familiar when he talked about being “wanderers in a strange land.” But Heavenly Father really does have our backs.

Speaking of scripture study, as a mission we’re reading the Book of Mormon and highlighting all of the references to the Savior including pronouns and God. I’d never thought about it, but because Christ is the God of the Old Testament, he is the God of the Lehi’s time as well. Cool hunh?. Well guess how many times any form of his name is mentioned only up until Alma chap. 26, about pg.275 (in Russian) or half way through. A lot.

I’ll actually write it at the end of this letter so you’ll have to guess and patiently wait like one of Grandmas candy jars. I usually did alright at those guessing games, but I’m pretty sure that if I wasn’t the one keeping track, I’d be WAY off.

We’re still working with Paval but were not able to meet last week. Hopefully we’ll be able to work something out; I know there have been miracles in his life to prepare him to accept the gospel. We’re also teaching a family with 3 adorable girls, Carolina, Irina and Agneshka, ages 11, 7 and 4. Gennadi, a member in the branch is renting an apartment in their home, 20 min outside of Vilnius. So another member, also named Gennadi (he’s a saint and a half) takes us out there twice a week. We taught them the restoration last week, and since then the oldest girl read out loud to her sisters 1st Nephi 1, 2. We talked about how she, like Nephi, can be a good example for her siblings and they will “believe on her words.” The lesson went very well and they had great answers to questions, while the youngest one, Agneshka, was smiling the whole time. Right in the middle of the lesson, without thinking, I looked at her and winked. That’s the 2nd time here where I’ve winked almost uncontrollably. I don’t know if you remember dad but when you gave me the fathers blessing the night before I left, you mentioned something about ‘loving/serving with a wink’. It makes me wish I could have remembered all the other fathers blessing you’ve given and notice all the other things come true!

We have done a lot of finding this week, and have been blessed to teach some great first lessons. In the evenings we knock in the apartment domes, and by day we contact to pull people back to a teaching center/office. The church is a building, very similar to the one in Imanta-side Riga (made famous by Elder Glauser's TV appearance) but out of center about 35 min. So we contact in center, which is also where we live. Contacting is probably my favorite, but they are both a joy. This Friday we finished a lesson in center at 7:30. We didn’t have enough time to get out to an area to knock, so we decided to contact in center, even though Friday nights are the most effective time to contact, for somewhat obvious reasons. But after 15 min, we contacted a couple, who were Lithuanian but spoke English very well. They were obviously on a date, but interested in learning more so we invited them to come to the teaching center for 15 minutes, and they said yes! While walking, I asked how long they had been together, the guy answered “well, half an hour.” They had just met on a blind face book date! The lesson was great, despite the fact that they learned a lot about each other in a short amount of time. Let’s just say that she had wanted to be a nun, and he wants to be a comedian. Yup yup. But she was interested in coming to church and meeting with the Lithuanian sisters, which is what I’m talking about.

Other than that most interesting experience, we’ve had a few wonderful lessons with another woman Olga and her son, Karen (21). She also has a daughter with 7 children who we haven’t met. Yet. She is the nicest person I have ever met here. She talks about how it’s a shame nobody on the streets says hi or smiles at each other. We contacted her as we got of the bus and she said that’s why she was interesting in talking in the first place. Before each lesson, she goes to a local stand to buy cookies, which Elder Briggs and I definitely don’t complain about. We’re going back on Friday and I really hope she will come to church on Sunday, I really can picture her as a member of the church. We sang in our first lesson and she said that she would come to church if we sang there, too. Haha, which shows that she’s way nice, because we really don’t sing that well, no offense to us. But she really is a kind and faithful woman that basically recognizes all religions as good. Which is great, I think. But I know that if she continues to read and pray she can gain a testimony that the restored Gospel is the fullness of truth.

I’ve tried to make the talk by Elder Wirthlin from last conference “Come what May, and Love it” the theme for the last couple of days. A smile or a laugh goes a long way when life feels rough, for you or those around. Some crazy and uncontrollable things happen (looking for a man’s home for 2½ hours or getting stopped by the bus police on the first of the month, a Sunday night at 8:30 after completely forgetting to buy a new bus pass,) but as long as I’m doing all I can, I know that the Lord will take care of the rest.

The Savior References up to Alma 26: 3701.I love you all so much! It sounds like Dad is going to be the new Old Michael Phillips, Mom is still an innocent Martha Stewart, Christopher is going to be the new family CPA, Elyse is the next Cheryl Swoops, and Tigey is the next Dale Earnhardt. Hopefully Jr. Keep on keeping on, and smiling!

Love, Elder Barnes #12

P.S. The subject, which I thought was pretty artsy, refers to the temperatures from last week. On sunday I heard it was -15 C which sounds more hard core than it is because it's warmer than -15F. But I don't know if warm is the correct word to use becuase I was much colder than I've ever been. But according to the mission letter, "the darkest and coldest part of the winters are behind us", so you can't help but smile!