#4

Labas Everyone,

First to answer some questions:
Yes we still write a letter to the branch prseident every week.
No, we don't do any scripture mastery worksheets.
Ok, so for Lithuania you don't need a visa, after 90 days you need a 'permission to live'. If we don't get that then they send us to Ireland because you need some proof that you left the country and Ireland stamps passports or something like that, whereas if you cross the border into Latvia or Estonia, you have no proof that you ever left Lithuania. Hopefully that makes sense.
Elder Lippert, my roommate, is new, he arrived last week.
The Greek elders are visaless, minus two that got theirs. The First Presidency and the Twelve are supposed to meet and decide what to do this week, I think. They will either appeal the decision and try to get the elders visas, which the Church has never done with Greece, permanently reassign them to somewhere where they can get a visa, or don't need one. They will be reassigned at least temporarily and will leave within the next two weeks.
I remember the Iron Ring, but did not get rid of it. It was usually on the shelf in the costume room.
Alistair, I warned you that Mrs. Martin would probably spring your Jr. Thesis on you without much warning. Hopefully it turned out well.
Oh, I've heard from Dylan, Kim, Cassidy, Ellen, cousin James, and saw Mckay Johnston, my roommate from BYU, at the Temple this morning. Talked to him a bit, it was nice. Also have seen Ian Decoria, Braxton Facer, Jordan Steffler, and Nyal Sewell, here at the MTC. Crazy.

Have you thought about the memory card switcheroo idea? I think that that would work well.

On Sunday we had mission conference. It was really good. Pres. Smith talked a little about agency and it made me think of the last two lines of the poem "Invictus", I am the master of my fate/ I am the captain of my soul." And how while God does have a plan for us, it is like a map. We need to follow the map making the choices, captaining the ship that is our soul. Thought that that application was kinda neat.

I had never really thought of myself as an extremely oppionionated person, like most Hilton's are, but since being here, I have been told that I am a debator, or extremely opinionated or some other variation on that. I guess I am living up to that nature of the Hilton's...haha.

For gym I've been playing sand volleyball, when it's not raining or snowing. And if it is unfortunate weather than I've been playing four square inside. It gets pretty intense, but I have gotten fairly good at it, it's way fun.

This week we started Speaking Lithuanian for a two hour block of class and at one meal, every day. It's awesome. Hard, but definitely worth it. I can see the improvement in my ability to use the correct conjugations and cases on the fly now, which is essential to really speak it.

The devotional was Elder Larry W. Gibbons of the second quorum of the Seventy. He talked about how the Church is true by using Logic and Reason. Stressing that even though this is the case, the Spirit converts, not Logic. One thing he said that I really like was " Put away your doubts." I envisioned a bottle labeled 'doubts' that we would hand over to Heavenly Father and that he then put in the far back corner of some cupboard. Really struck me.

In the TRC we taught Helvis, a native Latvian who went to Lithuania for his mission, he spoke way faster than anyone else we have taught, and had a different accent, probably a lot closer to what it really is, but it was crazy. He was very helpful and awesome. Interesting though.

Elder Lippert, when he met with one of the Branch Presidency, mentioned that he hadn't slept super well because of my snoring, so at our Tuesday District Meeting, they brought some "Snore Relief" mouth spray stuff. I've used it the past two nights and I guess it works. Funny huh?

A couple culture things: don't show the bottom of your foot in Lithuania while you're sitting- It's like calling them less than the dirt you walk on
They won't shake hands under a doorway, will either come outside or pull you in.
If you stand against a wall with one foot on the ground and one on the wall, you are saying you're a prostitute.

That's all for this week. Ask questions because I don't really know what to write.

Love,

Vyresnysis Conor Hilton