MTC Photos - May 2010

Utah was hit by a snowstorm on May 24th and a huge tree fell over in front of James' apartment building at the MTC.

James attempting to make a phone call from the MTC without getting caught.

James and Elder Black in front of the Provo Temple.

The Elders on their way to the Temple.

The same Elders on their way back from the Temple.

Putting their heads together to decide what to have for lunch.

James and Elder Lippert sharing a moment of reflection.

This is James' name tag for the next two years. It reads: 

Elder Sanford 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Elder Sanford showing his approval for the sign in front of the MTC.

Letter from James - May 29, 2010

Dear seimas,

     So I didn't get to tell you something really cool in my last email letter - Elder D. Todd Christofferson (an apostle) spoke to us last Tuesday. He talked a lot about how we have joined the Brethren in the great call to spread the gospel. He said a powerful line that I love; "Teach with such power that the people cannot disbelieve." It was a really good talk.

     Afterwards, about 30 of us missionaries were waiting outside to wave goodbye to him. He came out and saw us then came over to us! He shook each of our hands. He came up to me and shook my hand and looked at my name tag while still holding my hand and with a puzzled look said, "Where are you going, Elder?" I said, chuckling, "Lithuania. I get that puzzled look a lot with Vyresnysis." He laughed and said, "No wonder. I can't say that. Well, good luck, Elder." It was so cool to shake an Apostle's hand.

     On Wednesday I got to be a new missionary host for the new missionaries arriving that day to the MTC. It brought back so many memories of the day I first came to the MTC. I was able to host six missionaries. I would take their bags and them take them to their rooms and then to the Bookstore, then to their classroom. I think we might be doing it again this coming Wednesday.

     We received our flight plans! So here's the schedule:
      7:15 am  -  Leave SLC
      8:42am  -  Arrive Denver
    
    10:06 am  -  Leave Denver
     3:37pm  -  Arrive Washington D.C.

     5:45pm  -  Leave Washington D.C.
     7:40am  -  Arrive Frankfurt, Germany

     10:55am  -  Leave Frankfurt, Germany
     2:00pm  -  Arrive Riga, Latvia

     I laughed because I remember how you, dad, guessed I would be going to New York because I would fly into there, but I'm not on this flight. :D

     We leave at 4am from the MTC on June 7th. I am nervous and way excited. Our teacher just barely talked to us about accents. Oy - I have been saying so many things wrong. I don't feel too confident in the language. It's been a way stressful and hard two weeks, but I'm still trying. I'm going to study a ton on the plane flights - LOL.

     I included some more pictures. Send some family pics to me, too. I have been writing grandma Sanford a lot and she sent me some family pictures. It made me happy.

     So dad, make sure to put on the Blog and Facebook for people not to write to the mission home. Because it is in Riga, Latvia and not Lithuania, it takes the mail a lot longer to get to us. I will write home and give you my address once I arrive and you can post on the sites.

     Thank you all so much for the love and support. I miss you all so much and can't wait to call you from the airport.

     As labai myliu jus!
     Vyresnysis Sanfordas
    

Letter from James - May 20, 2010

2 and a half more weeks left til I fly out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

         I'm so excited! This week has been so so good. I have studied and prayed so much for this language to come, and it has. I have seen the Lords hand in my life. We switched teaching companions so Sis. Alldredge and I taught together last night at TRC. It was so so so so good. The spirit was so strong. Our investigator went from not knowing if God even knew or cared about her to feeling his love. I learned I know so much LIthuanain if I don't worry about it and just share my thoughts and feelings about the gospel. It was so so good, I can't even describe it. At the end I bore my testimony, and I started tearing up cause the spirit was so strong. I could see and feel God's love for me and his great love for those I teach. :D

         President Dance wrote to us. :D He told us he is so excited for us to come out to Riga. He also said we would be proslyting our first day in Latvia :D I guess the youth and a lot of the adults can speak english so that's how we will do that. I'm so so so excited. A lot of the other missionaries were getting way nervous but I have grown to really love this gospel so much that I will do anything for it. I get so excited and happy now when we got to TRC. I used to get really nervous but now it's more so excited to share the wonderful message of this gospel. I can't tell you how excited I am to go. It's coming so quickly.

         Tomorrow we are having a full day of SYL ( speak your language). I'm so excited. We have been having all of our classtime in Lithuanain and it has been way fun :D It's cool to sit at lunch and talk in Lithuanian. All of the english missionaries just watch us in awe lol. It's so fun.

        So ya my first companionship was Elder Hengst and Elder Hilton and me –  a three-some. Then a solo Elder, Elder Lippert came, and I became his companion.  But he just left for Chicago. It's so sad, all the Greek missionaries visas got declined so they all got permant reassignments. Instead of going to Greece half went to Chicago and half went to New York. they were all really excited though. Elder Lippert and I became really close. We also called eachother Tulio and Miguel like on El Dorado. I was miguel. He left at 3 in the morning and i got up and we talked til he left lol. Surpirsingly I wasn't tired the next day.

         I'm really loving it here and I have been making lots of friends and have really grown a lot in loving this gospel. My love for the savior has grown so so much. I wouldn't be anywhere without his and my heavenly father's help. I love the Lithuanian people and i haven't even met them yet. I can't wait to serve them and bring them the happy message of the true gospel of chirst.

         It's funny. we taught another teacher in English and after we all said we hard a hard time teaching the lessons. In Lithuanian we teach in a more simpliar way and it's more comfortable for us now. I feel it's better cause it helps the investigator to understand what we are saying cause we speak slowly and very simply. Don't be surprised if my english starts to go away. one day after class, speaking only Lithuanian, I was struggling to read english :D

           I love you all so much. Thanks so much for your great love and support. Telll the young woman thanks so much for the cards and candy. It really made my day.

           

                    Su labai myliu,

                   Vyresnysis Sanfordas

Letter from James - May 13, 2010

          So MTC has been amazing this week. The language got really hard. I got really frustrated when we had to do our SYL( speak your own language) at certain parts of the day. We have set times we do it everyday. So I set a new goal for the upcoming  monday that I would study more and practice speaking more, even if it wasn't right. So I did. The results were amazing. I plead with the Lord for help with this very hard task. But, I can speak so much more than I ever have before. At TRC, where we teach our "investigators", went so good. BTW the "investigators" are missionaries who served in Lithuania. So they speak fluent Lithuanian. Anyway, teaching went so so well. We taught the second lesson. Right as we walked in and I said hello to our investigators, this immediate feeling of love and great excitment to share this wonderful gospel came over me. I couldn't stop speaking and sharing scriptures. Helvis, who is Latvian but served in Lithuania, was blown away lol. He gave me a bro hug after and said in his funny accent, " Elder, keep up that excitment to share your love for this gospel and so many people will be converted and listen to you." I was so happy after. Me and my comp did a little dance after. lol.

          Another awesome thing also this week was Jeffery R. Holland came and spoke at our devotional on Tuesday. Oh my gosh I love his talks he gives. He speaks with such power. I took so many notes. He spoke about how important it is to not waste one minute on your mission. He also said, when he starts powerfullly yelling/speaking, " You better have at least one convert after your mission, And It Better BE YOU!" He also talked about how he has no compasion towards the Elders who go home early he said so amazingly and powerfully," Don't your dare go home! You have no right to go home! Don't you dare go home after your mission and leave this faith! Do not let the primary children down who look up to you and my grandchildren!" He said so many other things that I loved. It got me so excited and the spirit was so so strong. I was so happy to hear from him. After we all waited along the road to wave goodbye to him and his wife. It was raining and as he drove by he rolled down the window and said sarcastically, " Get out of the rain! lol" It was funny :D

          I have been here over 5 weeks! Time is flying by and I haven't even gotten out to the field. I can't wait to get out there! As I see missionaries leave it gets me so so excited. We all can't stop talking about when we will finally be there serving.

          I love u all so much! Tell everyone I love them and thanks so much for the goodie packages and the letters. They make me so so happy when I get them

 

               Myliu,   Vyresnysis Sanfordas

Photos from the MTC; April - May, 2010

James sent these photos from the MTC. Dad provided the captions.

James and fellow missionaries from his District/Zone in the MTC.

Some Elders grow faster than others.

James has made a lot of friends with missionaries who will be serving throughout the world.

These Elders and Sister(s) are going to Greece. In some of his letters he calls them the Greek Elders. He sometimes omits the "r" in Greeks - we're not sure if that's on purpose.

James and fellow missionaries in front of the sign for the MTC.

Explaining the finer points of life with a fellow Elder.

Once a week the missionaries are able to go the the Provo Temple. It's a short walk from the MTC. Evidently it also provides a lot of photo opportunities.

The view from the Provo Temple looking toward the west. Utah Lake and the Oquirrh mountains are in the distance. The MTC is just behind the line of trees near the left center of the photo.

James and his companion, Elder Hilton, and missionaries from his District/Zone in the MTC.

James and Elder Hilton.

This is the name tag James will be wearing for two years. It says, "Elder Sanford - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A Lithuanian banner hanging in their classroom.

James' desk in his room in the MTC (one of its cleaner moments).

Morning hair.

The bulletin board in one of their classrooms.

Maps and photos from his MTC teacher(s). Most of the instructors teaching foreign languages in the MTC are former missionaries who served in the same country/language.

A majority of the missionaries' time is spent in class learning the language and learning how to teach the gospel in Lithuanian.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

It seems training to be a missionary has a lot in common with becoming a Jedi.

Letter from James - May 8, 2010

James sent a card to his mom for Mother's Day along with a memory card with some pictures from the MTC.


Dear Mom,

Thank you so much for being the best mom in the world. Being on a mission has made me really miss the love of having a mother around to hug. I can't call home for Mother's Day (missionaries in the field can usually call home on Mother's Day and Christmas) because there are not enough phone lines for the 2,500+ missionaries in the MTC right now. I will be able to call you from the airport thought. It made me sad because I was really looking forward to talking to everyone on Sunday. I have some pics on the memory card I hope you all enjoy.

A quote I love is, "God cannot be everywhere, so He gave us mothers."

Alma 56:47 in the Book of Mormon, "[The two-thousand stripling warriors]...had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them."

Proverbs 23:23 reminds me of what you say a lot :)

I've had some real hard times, but what helps me through them is to imagine seeing you when I return home and seeing how proud you and everyone will be. I'm working hard to make you proud. I love you so much mom! I wouldn't be where I am without you. Thank you for raising me in this gospel where I can feel peace and happiness. I can't wait to share the love you have shown me with the Lithuanian people. You have the sweetest spirit and I am trying to build such a spirit like yours (of course, Sisters' spirits are much more sweeter than Elders' - lol). Thank you for being there for me. No matter where I go, I always know I have the greatest mother in the world. That makes all the worries pass away.

Love (myliú),

Vyresnysis Sanfordas

Letter from James - May 6, 2010

Week 4!!!!!

     

      Time is flying by! I'm really liking it here. The language is difficult but i'm still trying. I finally got the first vision down! It took me a while but I got it. It sounds so funny to directly translate it from Lithuanian to English. I will write it all out to you in a letter so you can see it :D

     Thank you to everyone for writing to me. It helps a lot to feel your love and support. Times get really tough here but i'm still holding on thanks to the love, support, and prayers I receive.    

     (In an earlier letter, we discussed with James swapping his smaller "carry-on" suitcase for a larger one) But with the suitcases, I will talk to the front desk and see if i could leave the small one there and you could give them the big one. I will write u a letter cause i'm almost out of time with this email. I wil be so happy when the time thing is gone.

     I love you all so much. Oh also I have been starting to wear my black suit more. So could you also send me black suit pants size 32? Well my same size lol. I think I wore the good ones we got from JC pennys.

 

     I love you all and I pray for you. Please pray for me to have comort and peace :D

   

     Myliu Vyresnysis Sanfordas