Letter from James - April 14, 2010

We received our first email from James - one week after he entered the MTC.

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      How are things at home? I finally get to have my first P- Day at the MTC. I'm really loving it here. My 4-way companionship is great. Today we moved to another apartment. It's a lot lot nicer than our old one. The showers have pressure. yay! The language is.... ok. It's really hard but im enjoying it. It's a really pretty language. I can say my prayers on my own and small little phrases. I can read now. Pretty much how I thought things were said before, I was way wrong lol. It's funny there are no articles so to translate exactly what your saying is like cave man talk. We also sing all the hymns in Lithuanian. We learned that this language is one of the oldest languages. So if we went back 600 years they would be able to understand us. I will write a letter and write out my prayer and testimony to you. I run into brock all the time and talk to him in french along with all of his comps.
       It's really cool how they teach us here about the gospel. They really get us to think hard and how to teach. They started off last week with having us watch a lot of people from around the world who told their life story. We would look at them and see how God has been a part of their life or how we can help them to know God loves them. It's really neat. Yesterday we had our first real practice of going into someones home and teaching them as an investigator. It was really good. I enjoyed it a lot. The spirit was so strong. I have had so many opportunities to practice teaching and bearing my testimony. Next week we have to give a short lesson all in Lithuanian. Im nervous. It's hard for me to remeber a lot of how to say things. But im trying my hardest. I study a ton. A lot more than I ever have before. I enjoy it though. It may feel overwhelming at times but I know that the Lord wants me to teach his Lithuanian People.
         I got a letter from spencer. After I finish this email i'm going to write to him. I haven't gotten any letters in a while. It's quite depressing being the DL and going to get the letters and none of them are for you. lol but i will live. and yes I have wrote to lots of people. I'm not just sitting here expecting letters to come to me. :D Right now im in the laundry room waiting for my clothes to finish washing. I miss you guys a lot and can't wait to see you and the rest of the family again.
         I was writing in my journal on sunday and found your letter. It made me so happy. I was really stressed out and when I saw that it made me so happy and I really felt your love and support. It helped me to feel that I can do this. Why im out here. I love serving. I can't wait to actually get out to Lithuania and teach the people. lol when I actually can understand them and I can talk back.
        So something crazy we learned. In the summer the sun comes up at 3:30 in the morning and does a huge circle around the sky then goes down from where it started at around 11 PM. I can't wait to see that. Then in the winter it just barely comes up and then goes down. So it will feel like it's always night time during the winter. I'm excited. Broulis Wallace said that no matter how much your wearing, the cold goes right through your bones. lol.
        I wrote a letter to mom. I believe I sent it yesterday. I asked if you guys could send me two tops of the silky kind. I have two extra shorts and I need two  more of the silky tops. You'll have to read the letter too. We had a really amazing devotional and after an amazing District meeting. We all bore our testimonies. All of us were crying. Definitely make sure to read it. Pretty much you can share whatever I email or write unless you feel not to or I say not to.
        But ya, life is good. I'm really loving the MTC. Tell everyone hi and that im doing good. You can even share this idk. Make sure to tell the Preists or anyone who is thinking of the mission that the MTC is really hard but really rewarding at the same time. You work from 7AM to 9:30 PM everyday. They expect a lot from us. You cant ever sit back and think things will all work out. The lord will only help you if you put forth the effort and do your part. But he will help you. I feel his help. Especially with this language. It's been really hard but i'm really loving it. A lot of Elders I have seen haven't thought about really what you do in the MTC or haven't been told. They think it's just class and that's pretty much it. It's a very interactive way of teaching. You teach your very first night here. Then you practice lots in teaching, contacting random people, and builing your spirit and testimony. Studying is something you cannot avoid or try and go around. I have never studied so hard in my life. But I know that I need to casue the Lord needs me to and asked me to.
          Tell everyone I love them and to please write to me. :D I can only check email on PDays. But i love writing and recieving letters.
           I know that this gospel is true. I love the spirit here. It's so so strong. I look out beyond the fence from our apartments and it would feel so scary and weird to leave and go into the real world. lol. I enjoy living and teaching the gospel everyday. :D  I can't wait to here back from you all.
                           LOVE,
                                   VYRESNYSIS SANFORDAS

1 comment:

  1. Comments posted here do not go to James. This is just a space for you to comment on the photos, letters, articles, etc. If you want to send a message to James you can use the email link under his photo on the right side of the page or you can mail a letter to him at the MTC address.

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