It's almost December!

Sister Madison and I all bundled up for the snow outside!

Sveiki!

It has been such a wonderful week this past week! On Monday we were invited to a member's house for Thanksgiving dinner with the other missionaries, so 11 total. The members are from America, so we had a real Thanksgiving dinner. They special ordered a turkey and everything because they are no turkeys here for some reason.  It was so great because it felt like the Thanksgivings I've had from the past. We also played ping pong with the Russian elders in the church as part of preparation day.

P-day Ping Pong with the Russian Elders who challenged themselves to a game using the reflection of the ball off the glass doors.

On Tuesday we had a Russian language thought with the Russian elders. So they taught us how to read the Russian alphabet! Oh man, I am grateful I don't have to speak Russian! We just learned basic phrases to say in contacting because there a few people we meet who only speak Russian. So we are kind of learning it. That night we were able to teach english to a member and also a non member. It was really fun to talk in english with them. They are pretty fluent, so we just discussed the gospel, and it was super great.

We also taught Rimantas, an investigator who isn't too interested in the gospel, but we hope he eventually gains the desire to investigate further. It turned into a crazy lesson because our members kind of went off about spaceships and random prophets, so next time we will practice the lesson with them first before we meet with him again. It was good though. While we were there we used the member's bathroom and it made me really grateful for a toilet. She lives in a bendrab, where they have tiny one room apartments and a community kitchen and bathroom. The community bathroom is just a hole in the ground, no toilet at all! I was super surprised and have been grateful for an actual toilet ever since then.

Our Thanksgiving dinner that we made: kicken Chicken, Rimi rolls, cooked spinach that tasted like mushy pumpkins, and mashed potatoes :)

On Thanksgiving we attended a concert at the church put on by an investigator. She played the violin for us all, and it was super cool. She made the church library into her dressing room, so it was pretty intense :) It was a great concert though.

On Friday a member from Kaunas took us out to lunch. That was so cool to meet with a normal member of the church. She is amazing and just so sweet. She speaks english and Lithuanian, so that was super fun to practice lithuanian with her. 

There have also been a few random nights with fireworks going off. Apparently you can blast off aerial fireworks any time of the year, so I woke up to a few of those right oustide our apartment one night this week. It is pretty cool to watch them on random days like that!

I really do know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. He is willing and waiting to hear from us. Because He loves us, He will answer us. We need to put forth the work in order to get the answer. I know that He knows each of us individually and that He loves all of His children. I know that He will help us if we go to Him. I love you all so much.

Love Sese Dzerman

All the sisters with Sister Harding and Klebingot on the left

This is just one of our many face masks that we do

This is the snow outside from our window :)

This is fried cepeliniai from a restaurant called Forto Dvaros. They are so good. Fried potatoe flour things with meat inside. So good

This is saltibarsiai on the left and potatoes on the right. The cold beet soup. It is pretty good, tastes like the cucumbers that Ruth makes when we go to Iowa, just in pink soup form :)

We made fried honey bananas. They are super good. They reminded me of Brett's mission, so had to send a picture. Super good!

Just some more cool graffiti underground in a tunnel

Thanksgiving dinner in Lithuania

The 11 missionaries in Vilnius gathered at the end of P-day for a Thanksgiving dinner

prepared by Sister and Brother Bender who work at the embassy.

Look at this dinner with all the fixings!

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have to get a picture with food in it! We went to Donut Lab in old town. Super good

Labas!!

I hope you are all doing awesome! We had quite the exciting week in Vilnius!! To start off, we met with the Elder's investigator to help fellowship her, and we attempted to make cheese fondue. It didn't quite turn into fondue, mostly just melted cheese. But it was still pretty good. It was fun to meet with her and help bring her unto Christ. It was a fun experience for sure.

Then Thursday was quite the day. We had exchanges with the Sisters from Kaunas, but right after we met up in Vilnius, we were told to return home because there was a guy with a gun on the loose in the city. A lot of it was closed off as they searched for him.  So the Kaunas sisters stayed with us in our apartment, and the other Vilnius sisters joined us because their apartment was in the area that was closed off. It was a pretty exciting night to have us all in one apartment with a maniac on the run, but we were safe.

​This is our mega exchange while the maniac was out and about :)

  I thought it was super fun. The next morning we got news that he had been caught, so all was well. They had about 3000 police men after him, so no worries. We still had our exchange the next day, and it was really great! Best exchange ever :)

Sister Madison saw Sis Webb when she went to Latvia

On Saturday we had a baptism! Another of the Elder's investigators was baptized. His name is Arunas, and he is super cool. It was so amazing to see him come unto Christ by being baptized. It was a great experience.

Afterwards, we were able to watch Meet The Mormons in Lithuanian! The translation into Lithuanian was just finished, so we watched it as a branch. It was so cool. 

Then on Sunday we had our first snow for the winter! It was super pretty with big white flakes. It didn't last too long, but it was great. It snowed again this morning, so I guess winter is here!

Last night we were also able to have a lesson with a new investigator. He is a boyfriend of one of our members. He seems really interested in the gospel, and we get to meet again on Wednesday. I am super excited! I love being able to teach people; it is the best! 

I know that God loves each one of His children. I know that He answers our prayers. We have the atonement in our lives so that we can change and become more Christlike. Because of God's grace, we can become worthy to live with Him again. It doesn't mean that we are off the hook, but that by using the atonement, we are reaching up to accept his gift of grace. I know that Christ is waiting to help us if we ask. I love you all so much! Have a good Thanksgiving and be grateful!

Love Sese Dzerman

Cool grafitti under a bridge. We found the good part: faith, hope, and love

Laba Diena!

Hey Family and Friends!

We had a really great week here in Vilnius! I just keep learning so much every day, and I love the time I have to serve the Lord. It has been a huge blessing to be here!

This week we had zone conference all day long and Elder Klebingot and his wife attended for their last time. They are powerful servants of the Lord. We talked about the great power of having latter day prohpets in our life!

This week we got a new district because an Russian Elder left and a new one will come this week. That is pretty exciting.

Last district photo This is our district with the Russian Elders. Elder Pierson on left, then Elder Kimsey. Elder Kismey was transfered to Estonia last week, so now we have a new elder, Elder Downs.

We were also able to visit a cool National Lithuanian museum for our preparation day. Lithuania has a very cool history!

 traditional Lithuanian dresses at the museum

 The people here are great examples to me every day.

I know that this is God's true chruch on the earth today. He loves each of us so much. He cares for us and wants to help us so much. I know that as we strive to serve Him and do His will, He will bless us so much. Although it can be hard, His plan is so much better. I love you all so much. Have a great week! 

Love Sese Dzerman

p.s.   Mommy, So I just have to say, I wipe our counters quite often and think of you!  Everytime I do, I think of you :)  I am glad I can as you have always done for me.

Also, saw the Norby's at the MTC, forgot to tell you. They were headed to serve another mission in Paris, how crazy. They totally recognized me and rememeber I came to their house. ELder Norby asked about Brett, so if you could tell him that he remembers him, that would be great. Sorry, out of time. 

Also I tried to send pics, but it won't let me! Ahh, I have so many good ones.

I saw my elders from the MTC. It was so much fun mom. Like I love them too much. We got such cute pics together I wanted to send. It was so fun to talk with them and hear how they have been doing and how they have been seeing. It was the best. Anyways love you so mcuh! I will try pics next week, and it better work. I am happy and doing well. Loving it here.

But miss you love you!

Love sis kay

           Elder Martin and Seegmiller demonstrating Chinese                 exercises at the museum.

~pictures compliments of her companion, Sister Madison

49 photos !

These are in random order but show the things Kayleigh is seeing and doing.

Our cool new house!! It is so nice. The Russian Sisters left us a ton of tomato plants, and we have a super nice tv... that we don't use. 

Our nice living room with African paintings, Sister Madison wanted to be in all of the pictures.

Here is our beautiful kitchen, we have the nicest apartment ever!

Our huge bedroom with Sister Madison's huge bed!! Mine is the cute blue one.

My cute desk where I study every morning.

The Beautiful flowers in the city during the fall.

The cool big white cathedral in old town of Vilnius.

This pic is for dad, there is a KFC!

Our cool view from the huge windows we have. The sun is shining! We have an awesome balcony too.

The road we walk on to get to our church now. It passes by Mykolo Romerio Universitetas, a college here. We walk through the campus. This is right before that, the fall is so pretty here. We live right by a huge forest too.

Our beautiful church in Vilnius

Sister Madison, Hubert, Seamond, Harding, Brown, Nealy, Nuttal, and me

The view outside of the church of the city

The view after walking out of our apartment. There is the main city down the road

Our super nice apartment building

Here is a super sketchy but cool looking stadium (I think) that is right next to Acropolis, the mall where we go to eat and email. It was never finished, so it is just a half made and empty stadium sitting there.

Making brownie cookies. Sister Madison couldn't quite get me in the picture :)

Drinking tea like every other night :)

We also had a tomato turn red! 

We had this plant and it bloomed as a yellow rose! So fun.

Eating at Boom!Burger. They have good burgers :)

Elder Hassel's second day in Vilnius, so we had to take a pic :)

Eating eel!! I took one bite and that was enough. It was for Sister Bestenleinher's birthday

We went bowling for Sister Bestenleinher's birthday. It was a party.

We got gelato for Sister Madison's one year mark, it was a lot of ice cream!!

Sister Madison holding up a one for her year mark

Our TRAIN ride to Kaunas. It was so fun to take a train. Sister Madison went on exchanges there

Our trip to Kaunas so Sister Madison could do exchanges

I dropped her off at the Kaunas church before heading back to Vilnius with Sister Hubert. Here are the Kaunas sisters, Sister Nealy, Hubert, Brown, Madison, Seamond, and I.

This is my second exchange with Sister Hubert, while our companions went to the zone training in Riga. It rained while we were out contacting, and we forgot an umbrella. We got pretty soaked! So we had to take a pic

We also ordered Pina Colados, Sister Madison's favorite treat. They are super Yum

Our Lithuanian food meal at Can Can Pizza. I think the big one is bliniai, so potato stuff filled with meat. Then the little dumplings filled with meat also. Very good. 

We tried on glasses for the Halloween party

Walking through the forest to get to our house, not sketchy at all. Going to make donuts for the Halloween party, so we can do donuts on a string. On the way, we saw some random ghosts.

This is Giedre, one of the Elder's investigators. She is super sweet, I love her so much. She was a pirate. I am an old lady or nerd, whatever you like.

My other grandma sisters because we all wore fake glasses. Sister Argyle and Sister Bestenleihner, who are in Vilnius too. This is a member, and she reminds me of Amy! She looks just like her and is so cute, sassy and all. I had to get a picture of her for Ames :)

This is Elder Nevins as a zombie, and Elder Nelson with a cool bow tie.

This is Mindaugas, a member. He is hilarious. He dressed up as King Bob, from the Minion movie

These are our Russian elders, our new district. Elder Pierson and Kimsley.

This is Kamile, a member. She is something really cool, i am not sure. But I love her, she is great to help in lessons.  

This is the cake walk treat table if you win. The boy in the back reminds me of zac, he is super cute and helpful and funny

This is our cake walk! We also had apple bobbing and donuts on a string

This is Samuel, a member. He is the funniest person ever!

Haha, this is kind of sketchy, but it is just Eric the professional soccer player. He is super sweet and nice, so it is kind of funny he was a mob member for Halloween at the party.

This is out walking on the streets at about 5:30 pm. Lots of pretty lights to look at from the city and streets

It was All Saints Day, or Day of the Dead, a special holiday instead of Halloween where they honor the dead and their ancestors by putting candles on the graves. We got to visit one, and it was very pretty. Here is one grave

I put the flash on to see what some of the graves look like

Here are some more graves and you can see the candles

Very cool, but also a little sketchy to walk around at night. Definitely a memorable night!