January 24, 2011
Dear Family!
Hey, thanks for the wonderful emails this week! I love hearing from you! I guess I'll get right into my week. We had a little district meeting on Tuesday just to discuss our investigators and the needs of the district, but we kept it short cause President and Sister Dance came down on Wednesday to do a training meeting with just our district. They did it with all if the individual districts in the mission. It was fun to have them down and it was good to see them. We talked a lot about working with members and also helping people make and keep commitments. I learned some good things. Thursday we did the usual things and spent most of the day trying to find new people to teach. And Friday I went on exchanges with Elder Graham and that was good. He's a great guy and great missionary. We met with Dainus that night and that went well. Ah... I just don't know how to help him. He's such a great guy, but he needs friends in the church and there is NO ONE his age in the branch. All of his other friends are drinkers and smokers, so he will pretty much have to say good bye to all of his friends if he joins the church. And that is totally worth it, but he doesn't see that I don't think. Plus he wants to find an answer for himself that the church is true, but he isn't really trying. He's just kind of floating and I don't know how to help him. I hope that the Lord will just lead us and help everything to work out the way that it should. You asked the question about why I always say "nothings sticks" in referring to our investigators... Well, this is what usually happens... We have a first lesson with them and then set up a return appointment and they either call later and say that they actually don't want to meet with us or they just aren't home and we can never get a hold of them again. Sometimes they meet with us a few times, but I haven't seen that in a while and it is discouraging. I think that a lot of times they talk to a friend or family member that tell them not to meet with us or they look up some anti-Mormon stuff on the Internet and that turns them away from us. It's just hard to get them to want to meet with us a second time even if the first lesson was really good. A lot of the time I know that they felt the spirit, but then they go back out into their own little world and decide that they don't want it. It's frustrating. When you talk about that girl getting back from Poland on her mission, it sounds so much like things are here in Lithuania. They are about 79% Catholic here and about 90% Catholic down in Poland and they are usually very determined to stick to their traditions. Anyways, I hope that that answers some of your questions. I wish so much that people were more open to talking to us and would let us in a the time like they did in your mission, Dad. I wish that our problem was that we couldn't decide who to really teach or not. That would be great. But it is what it is and I know that there are prepared people here that will listen. It is just about being in tune enough with the spirit to be able to find them. There really are some very great people here and I do love this country. I'm sorry if I sounded negative at all. It's just discouraging sometimes.
Hey, that was great that you saw Eric Tingey this past week! I knew that he should have been coming home at the New Year. I'm sorry to hear that he was having health problems his whole mission! He was always a great friend and I miss him too. Tell him hi if you see him again! I'll have to get in contact with him as soon as I get home. Haha, I was always planning to write him while he was out, but time just goes by to fast. It's so weird that everyone is starting to come home. All of my friends are going to be coming home at various times this year. Anyways, it's sweet that you saw Eric. Back to my week... On Saturday we taught English class and that was good. It’s kind of tricky coming up with stuff to teach them for two hours, but I enjoy it. Yesterday we just had church and worked for the rest of the night and now we are at Monday again. The dark and cold are getting really old, but only about a month more and then it will start getting warm again! :) But that was my week.
I want you all to know how much I love you! I am so grateful for eternal families and that I have the opportunity to be with you forever! What a great plan our Heavenly Father has created for us. You guys are great. Thank you for your words of encouragement every week. It really makes a difference. Hmmm... is there anything else that I was going to say... I can't think of anything else. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Remember to be diligent and to be happy. If we do everything that we can, the Lord will make up the rest. I'm so proud of you all for all of the things that you are doing and thank you for the examples that you set for me. ALL of you are heroes in my eyes. Again I love you all! Have a great week!
Love, Elder Leishman
376 days down, 354 days to go!
