Letters from the Baltic

  Hello Everybody! Short version: I wonder if I'll ever get tired of saying 'hello everybody at the beginning of every email, hmmm probably not. This week was a transition from one quarantine to the next. I left Croatia and am now in Riga, Latvia quarentining for 10 days. After that I'll be able to head to my assigned area which will be Vilnius, Lithuania. I'm allowed outside for 30 minutes a day to take a walk or if we need to get groceries thats allowed too, but other than that I'm here in an apartment with 3 other Lithuanian speaking elders. There will be lots of language study and longing looks out the window wishing I could be free. Recently it feels like I'm the Hunchback of Notre Dame. No worries though. Longer(ish) Version: A fun fact to note this week is by the end of my quarantine here in Latvia, I'll have spent more time in the field quarantining than proselyting. Crazy right? That being said, I've only been out for 6 weeks so by the end of my...

  Dear Parent,   We were so blessed today to receive the newest group of missionaries to the Baltics.  The plane bringing these 17 missionaries to our mission arrived late last night and they were all safe and healthy.  We met with them all today and now need to process the paperwork to get their Latvian Temporary Residency Permits.  This will allow them to be legal in any of the Baltic countries.  This process takes a couple of weeks minimum.  Also, since they arrived, the missionaries all need to self-isolate (according to Latvian Law) for the next 10 days.  We have got them all into their temporary housing with their new companions.  In mid-March we hope to send them off to their next mission assignments.  For the next two weeks, we will have some orientations, and they will be in touch with their future companions and have daily language studies with the in-field missionaries.  They will begin meeting with members in their areas...

  Short Version: There is a lot in this email so buckle up. I've been in Croatia for the last week quarentining until I'm allowed into Latvia. Once I get to Latvia, I'll quarantine for another 10 days and then leave for my assigned area and start proselyte again. The past week has been how I imagine the MTC would be if it was in-person. We have native speakers who are teaching us the language we'll be speaking for 3 hours a day.  I'm no longer assigned to teach in Russian, though it will still he very useful. I'll continue reading through the Book of Mormon in Russian to improve grammar and learn some more words, but my main focus will be Lithuanian. Due to circumstances brought by Covid, they are lacking Lithuanian speaking missionaries. Its definitely going to be an adventure learning it. Its not too similar to Russian other than the cases, but it'll be very useful having already learned a good portion of Russian. No more старейшина смит, now its Vrysnysis...

  Dear Brother and Sister Smith,        Your son Andrew is a very remarkable young man.  He is always looking for ways to help and to serve others.  I have been the recipient of his service on occasion.         As you may know our mission covers 4 countries and 4 different languages.  With the COVID pandemic we did not receive any missionaries in almost 14 months.  So, when this group of 17 came, not all of the languages were represented and I have more than enough learning Russian.  I asked these missionaries on the day they arrived if any one of them would be willing to learn and then teach and find people in either Latvian or Lithuanian.  I asked them to search their hearts and then ask their Heavenly Father if that is something they would be willing to do.  Then to have them tell me the following morning.  Your son came forward and said he would do whatever I needed.  W...

  Dear Parents of our newest group of Baltic Missionaries,   They have safely arrived in Croatia!  They are on the bus going to the Hotel where they will get their first meal in Croatia.  I am planning on meeting with them all this evening.  Tomorrow, after their COVID test,  I will begin to interview each one and then they will begin a week of quarantine.  They will also have language instruction and orientations with the missionaries in-field and the plan is to have them fly to Latvia on Friday, April 23 rd .   We are so excited!!   President Huff