Week 83 - It's Sneaking Up On Me
Hello Everyone!
Short Version: The office is doing swell. I'm doing swell. Life is pretty swell. Nothing is crazy or super out of the ordinary but I'm really enjoying it.
Long Version: Well not too long ago, my companion and I were both sick. We stayed in the apartment quarantining because they thought it might be COVID and we weren't able to get tested. I took a lot of naps and ibuprofen. I got sick first and then just as I was getting better Elder Adams started getting the exact same thing. In between resting and eating I read a lot of Jesus the Christ and did a lot of scripture studying. I actually went through my college notes from a New Testament class and marked things in my scriptures. I learned things I already had heard but now I have them marked in my scriptures.
A couple weeks back, the Siauliai elders in Lithuania were on National Television. The video was the 4 elders doing service and they interviewed them and were asking why they're doing free service and why they're in Lithuania because why in the world would young American boys voluntarily move to Lithuania for 2 years. About 400-500k people saw the video over facebook and perhaps more elsewhere. That turns out to be a fifth of the country. Now wherever they go, people recognize them. It's crazy how one video can make a difference. There were a ton of questions in the comments section and lots of people asking for service which is like free advertising. Usually it's the missionaries begging people for service to do and now it's everyone and their dog asking us to go to obscure little villages to help them out. Oh how the turn tables... The Siauliai Elders and Sisters also had this Youtuber/Podcaster interview them and it was really funny to hear the question he asked them, things like "are mormon women forced to be in the home you might say 'barefoot and pregnant'" or "can girl missionaries wear pants." Reasonable questions but very funny coming from a guy with broken english and a Russian accent.
Last Pday we went bowling and I decided that bowling is not a hobby that very many people really love but we do it anyways. If you really love bowling, skip to the next paragraph. I do like bowling but it seems like it's like just a thing we could do. No one really wants to go bowling, but I guess if there's nothing better to do you can always go bowling. For me it's a good excuse to hang out with people while trying to win at something at the same time. I would join a bowling league not because I like bowling, it's like a great excuse to hang out with friends and have a good time. When else can you eat nachos, talk to your friends and play a sport? Weird tangent but there you go.
This week was crazy. Elder Yeyna (the AP) caught the same sickness I had, along with most of the mission. The APs had one of their craziest days the exact day Elder Yeyna was super sick so Elder Adams (my companion) stayed with him while me and Elder Andersen (the other AP) went did stuff. We spent most the day taking people to and from the airport or bus station. I didn't get to drive the van but that's one of the achievements I am still waiting to unlock. I decided the office has certain achievements like driving the van, taking someone to the airport, going to zone conference, etc. It's sort of like the movie UP, Russell has his sash of all the wilderness explorer badges and you go on little missions to earn them, or like Pokemon. Gotta catch'em all right? I'm still trying to find an excuse so I need to drive the van. Hopefully it comes soon.
We actually found out last week as well that me and my companion will be going to Estonia and Lithuania for their zone conferences. That is super irregular because just the APs and President go usually, but they asked me and Elder Adams to give some presentations to the zones. I'm SO stoked because I thought I'd never step foot in Estonia. I can't think of the last time a lithuanian missionary has ever been to Estonia so I feel pretty pro. I also am so excited to see all my friends in Lithuania from the zone and friends in Vilnius. I still miss Lithuania so much, especially speaking Lithunian so this is gonna be just what the doctor ordered.
I read chapter 6 in Jesus the Christ recently and it talked a lot about the Pharisees and Sadducees. I thought it was interesting how all three groups seemed to have good intentions at the start but lost focus gradually. Sadducees started losing the doctrines and also held a very literal meaning of the Mosaic Law. Pharisees followed the oral traditions of rabbis and equalized the rabbinical teachings with prophetic teachings. Both of these got more extreme with time. I bet both groups thought they were doing the right thing and they were following God the most. However, they lost sight of the purpose. They got caught up in the what and forgot the why.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40)
An interesting note I learned from President Huff, who is an ancient scripture professor at BYUI and also worked as the program director at BYU-Jerusalem, is that the law and the prophets mean parts of the bible. The Law is the first 5 books (the books of Moses). The prophets is another group of books of the Bible. These verses are a giant waving hand at their faces saying "hey, look these commandments and laws are good and all but you're missing the point". They missed it anyway. Even now, all the commandments fall back to these two things. The commandments point us to loving God or to loving others. Sometimes I miss that and worry too much about the technicalities, but it's worth taking a moment to think about WHY you're doing it. Sometimes we go through the motions but that's not what's important. It's important that we have a relationship and personal connection with God and Jesus Christ. And if you're losing sight of that, maybe it's time to reevaluate how you're living. There's a good video about this that relates. (https://www.youtube.com/
Ciao,
Vyresnysis Smitas
Pictures:
1. Always a good time in the office. Found these comfy Adidas in the back closet
2. Bowling
3. Going to the Airport during my day as an AP
4. Me and my future wife's house
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