Lighting Lithuania: Start of New Beginnings!

Hello Family and Friends!!!

I am committing myself to write this email first so that I can get in all the details of the week. Oh man, it was a great week. We were able to serve one extra week together as the traveling trio, and it has been crazy awesome!!

View of Vilnius

So on Monday we ate at the TV tower to get a huge view of our city Vilnius! It is such a pretty city and so cool to be able to look at it all. On Tuesday we met with a young student named Jonas. He actually committed to a baptismal date in July! He still isn't sure if God is even there but is willing to find out. He has great love for his family and is trying to follow Christ. That night we were able to be with a member as she opened up her mission call to serve in Finland! It was such a great experience to support another missionary being sent out from Vilnius!
That night we met with a student who is from Nigeria. She is very strong in her Christian religion and shared a lot of her thoughts with us. She has great faith in Christ and hope that we can still meet with her.

On Wednesday we met with an older investigator who happens to be pretty rich and happy with life. Or at least he thinks :) It was kind of a struggle to get our message out because he loves to talk, but the Lord helped us through. Then we were able to meet with a couple of less active members who are so great. I truly love them so much and am thankful for the faith they have. We met with Sergei, who is a new investigator, and he is super strong in the Catholic church but willing to learn more about the gospel.

On Thursday we met with Rojus who is really struggling right now. He has read a lot of anti mormon material and isn't sure if God exists. It was a heart wrenching lesson because of how Satan has worked so hard on him, but my testimony was strengthened in my knowledge that God does truly exist because I have seen His love in my life. He has answered every one of my prayers in His way and timing. The Book of Mormon is His true word on the earth today. If anyone will read the Book of Mormon even with a desire to believe, they can know that it is true because God does live today. We were also able to meet with Danas!!! He is super awesome!!! He is working towards baptism in June, and we are so excited for him. He has received a lot of signs from God that this is His true church and is willing to act on them. He is still waiting for a really big one, but the spirit truly speaks to each of us through soft and simple ways. We were able to meet with him again on Friday to talk about some of God's commandments! He is progressing really well. He even came to church on Sunday and stayed for all 3 hours!!!

On Saturday we received transfer calls! I will be in North East in the apartment where we have been in Vilnius, Sister Griffin will be in Vilnius East, and Sister Hodson will be going back to Kaunas. I am so excited to be able to stay in Vilnius but will definitley miss Kaunas. I am so thankful that i was able to serve there for a few weeks; it is an awesome city with so many great people. On Sunday we had church in Vilnius and then traveled to Kaunas where we will be for a couple days until we go to Riga to pick up the 5 new sisters!! We are all so excited for them coming.

I truly know that God knows us each individually and that He loves us so much. Every day is a blessing from Him. Through our hardest trials is when He supports us the most. I know that He speaks with us through His Holy Spirit. He will answer our prayers because He is our Heavenly Father. I know that Christ lives today and that this is His true and restored gospel. Through the atonement of Christ we can truly change and become new, cleaned from sin and guilt. I know that God loves us.

I love you all so much. Have a wonderful week!

Su meile, Sese Dzerman