Dear Family,
Well, another week is over and I'm writing again! It seems like it was just barely Preparation Day! I love writing though, so that's good. Things have been going well here in Klaipeda. It's been colder the last week and I don't think that summer will ever really come here. It's a lot milder here in Klaipeda than it is in the rest of Lithuania so the summers are cooler and the winters are warmer. So that's good, but I want it to be hot! the Sun has been out though so I'm starting to get a funny tan line on my neck where my shirts come up to and I have a line on my arms and hands where my watch and ring are haha so that's funny. I'm glad I'll be coming home in the winter when everyone else will be white like me too! But anyways, I'll talk a little about my week. It's been a pretty normal week for the most part. On Monday we didn't really do much. But we did help an old lady walk her dogs that night. We knocked on her door and she pretty much just handed us two leashes and said that we were going to go talk about religion without us even saying anything! it was funny. She was very accepting and she might come to church this next week. Tuesday was normal and we taught English class that night. We are teaching the first level class this transfer so we speak mostly Lithuanian and teach just grammar. I have been doing the spiritual thoughts at the end by myself cause it's a good chance for me to grow in the language. Ugh stressful!! But it's good. Wednesday was normal and I can't even remember what we did. haha... Then on Thursday we did English class again and we taught on f our investigators named Thomas. He really feels the spirit when we teach him he says, but He just doesn't have enough to progress and he doesn't really get how important the gospel is! So we will see what is happening with him. All of those lessons that we taught like two weeks ago and last week, nothing happened with them cause none of them would give us their phone number so all we could do is see if they would call us. So maybe in the future sometime. And Jonas never came back either so yeah... I hope sometime in the future with him too. But also on Thursday I attempted to make Banana Bread for the first time ever! haha, it actually turned out really good! I was shocked actually! I guess I really can cook! And that is really funny cause, mom, you made dad banana bread too this week and you sent me a recipe which I was going to ask for today anyways! So that is really funny! Great minds think alike! :) So that was Thursday. Friday was a busy day. We met with Oleg and he fed us and I had cold beet stew for the first time! It wasn't bad actually! It wasn't the best thing in the world, but it wasn't bad. We also met with another less active member and also that family that got baptized when I first got here to Klaipeda. We go over there about once a week. They are a great family and I am really coming to love them. The daughters in the family can speak English so they can help me with the Lithuanian. So that's good. I don't know if I told you guys this or not, but a few weeks ago we had to meet with one of the daughters how was going to take an English test for her class and so she wanted to meet so we could help her with English and with a paper that she had to write. So we got the other elders and helped her. We usually don't do that sort of thing, but she begged and the other elders thought it would be ok. Anyways, she had to write a paper on Globalization and she had no idea what she was doing and none of the other elders did either! So... I was the only one that knew anything about globalization! That is a geography thing if you didn't know... But I pretty much wrote her paper for her cause we were trying to help her with the English and with the topic! So I pretty much wrote it for her! I'm really grateful that I took that geography class at BYU! Just thought that was an interesting blessing that I knew anything about that topic. But anyways, we went over to their house on Friday night and it we taught them about prayer and getting answers to our prayers. I also brought my pictures of the family and I have that picture of me out on the salt flats in there too, so I told them about me being in a band and stuff and they asked if my music was on the Internet and I said no, but I told them how that picture was for a music video and it was for Pat's music and stuff. So they wanted his website address and I gave it to them and I guess they looked it up and on Sunday they came back saying that they were in love with the music and wanted to buy the album and stuff! It was funny. So you can tell Uncle Todd and Aunt Cindy that Pat has fans in Lithuania now! Ok, so after that I left with Elder Porter cause we were doing exchanges for Saturday. So we usually go 24 hours and start the night before. So I was with him all day on Saturday. Elder Porter is going home in August, but he is so cool! He is totally into music like me and so we get along really well. He's a great guy and it was cool to be with him for Saturday. So that was Saturday and that night we started our fast. Just like you guys found out, we were having a mission-wide fast where we all started it at the same time and it was really cool. President Dance felt like it would really help all of us and the people here to open their hearts a little. Sometimes it's hard not to have a down attitude about the people because so many people say no to us. It just feels like they are so hard and this country is so hard. The Soviets really messed up this country and sometimes I feel that it is falling apart. But I still love it and I am coming even more to love it. And the People too! But the Fast helped a lot. It helped me to see that there is a lot of hope and that Heavenly Father really does love ALL people like it says in Alma 27:37. He is mindful of all people. So it was good to have that reminder. And thank you for fasting with us! That is really cool that you found out about that and I'm so grateful that you decided to do it with us. That is so cool. :) Thank you. So Sunday was a normal day other than that I had to give a talk again! Ugh stressful! But it went well. It was longer than last time so I gave about an 8 minute talk. That doesn't seem like very long, but in another language that is horrifyingly long! haha... I talked about how we can be better followers of Christ. It was really simple but I thought it went well. The District President (how is like the Stake President of Lithuania) spoke after me and he kind of based his talk off of mine which made me feel all warm and special. :) It means I must have done a good job! I'm grateful that I had the spirit with me cause I never would have been able to speak without the Lord. I am amazed sometimes cause things will sometimes come out of my mouth that I didn't even know I could say! It's really cool. So anyways, that was yesterday and it was kind of a stressful day. But it was good. And now it is Monday again! I was going to get the stuff to make rice-crispy treats this morning when we went shopping but guess what?!?! yeah..... They don't have Marshmallows here!!!! I was so bummed cause you guys know that those are my favorites! So I don't know what I'm going to do with myself! Haha, anyways, funny fact. But that was my week! We actually found more lessons this week than I have so far being in Klaipeda. So that is really good. I have been able to see the Lords hand in my life and it's great to feel the spirit so much all the time. I know that this is such a good thing that I am trying to do and though it is really hard at times, I know that it is and will bless the lives of too many people. Anyways, I need to finish this up. You guys are great and I'm so grateful for all of the constant support. I hope you all have a wonderful week! The Church is SO true! Love ya!
Love, Elder Leishman
Here is a picture from this week! It's of me by a cat statue, here in old town.
166 days down, 564 days to go!!!
