November 26, 2015

Labas Everyone!!

Ahh - I'm so close to going to Lithuania! 10 days from today (Friday)! Sorry because P-day was on Thursday, and that was Thanksgiving, we couldn't write emails. Hence I am writing today (Friday)

Well, to start off I am singing in a choir of 40 missionaries on the fourth of December at a Christmas dinner. It will be with the branch presidencies and also an apostle is coming as well I believe! So that was really cool to be selected for that! 

So this last week, seven and a half weeks into the MTC, we finally learned how to tell time! There is a reason for that! Just like everything in Lithuanian. Time is really, really hard to do. Our teacher still doesn't fully understand how people do it in Lithuania, but he does know most of it! Numbers are one of the hardest things to do in Lithuanian! Weird right? It's because there are Masculine and Feminine numbers, any number in the teens changes to a different case, 51 for some reason is different (there are a lot of things in Lithuanian that just happen for some reason), and they have to be changed into different cases, to match the verb/whatever its describing. Just know that it's really weird! haha! 

On Thanksgiving we did a lot of service as you can imagine! As an MTC we packed about 357,900 meals for a charity program! It was the most the MTC has ever done before! It was awesome knowing that we are going to be blessing so many families! Also, Elder Oaks came and spoke to us and we listened to his family all play their instruments. So it was a good Thanksgiving! Elder Oaks gave a great talk about gratitude and the origin of it!

Something I learned was actually during the closing hymn "Because I have been given much." At one part in the song it talks about how we are so grateful because we have been given much, so we will give back. For some reason I just thought about it and realized that we are given so many gifts. However, a lot of the time the gifts we are given... are given to us so we can "share" that gift with others. It reminded me of a Mormon Message I had seen earlier in the week with a mom and her two kids. The mom's sister was in town and she wanted to get stuff done earlier in the day so she could meet with her sister! However, it seemed like random things she hadn't planned kept "popping up", like having to babysit her neighbors daughter or make dinner for a family who just had a new born baby. In the end she wasn't able to meet with her sister. She was really sad about it at first, but then began to realize how much good she had done. She had babysat a child, while her mom went to the doctor and was having a hard time. She had helped a brand new family have food when money was scarce, etc. ... in the end the message was "you never know how much good you do in this world". You bless peoples lives "all the time" in ways you never imagine. So just keep being you! Remember who are, because "who you are" is a blessing to so many others, you just dont realize it! I saw a really cool quote that  ties in with this... "Don't feel bad if people only remember you when they need you, feel privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there is darkness." 

Sorry this kind of a long email, but I promise this is my last spiritual thought here. My Branch President said something really cool about the spirit this week. He talked about how when you "feel the spirit" it's like the Heavenly Father giving you a pat on the back saying "atta boy" you are on the right track. So anytime you feel the spirit, think about how awesome it was for you to feel that, and then feel good because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are proud of you!

I love you all!! Next P-day is my last P-day here and then I will be flying to Lithuania!! Ahh, too excited!! Oh, and I'm also very excited it's "officially Christmas time". It's my favorite time of year!

Love, 

Vyresnysis Kurtis

November 19, 2015

Labas Everyone!

Well, to start out something crazy happened! I slept one night and in the morning when I woke up, I was told by one of the Elders that I was sleeping talking in a different language!!! It was Danish.. It would have been great if it was Lithuanian... but still pretty cool, haha!!

Also, two other Lithuanian missionaries and I sang a three part harmony of "Mary Did You Know" and got accepted to sing at a devotional here, so that was really awesome!!

Now time for the cool insights and stories of the week.

Cool story number one! So background. My mom served in the Manchester, England mission and taught a woman there. She married in the temple and had three sons. One of her sons is now going on a mission to the Philippines.  He came into the MTC last Wednesday and so I tried to focus on finding him! I couldn't find him for a day. Then at dinner I said a prayer that I could and when I went to go pick up mail, I walked into the mail room and there he was!!! Elder Walsh! I gave him the biggest hug and then found out where his room was! Turns out he was in the same residence as I was, so at night I went down and we just talked for 30 minutes! It was honestly the coolest thing, to see how my mom, who I love and look up to soo much, had taught this "one" family... and now their son is out teaching other families. (His older brother went to Milan, Italy) It made me think how even if I help "one" person on my mission, it will bless generations to come! Also, Elder Walsh has a "cool accent" and I wish I could have a British accent hahaha! Im so lucky I got to meet him and "literally see" the fruits of my mom's labors!

This week I have been reading a lot in Alma and it occurred to me how much of Alma consists of teachings of "trusting in the Lord"! It seems like every chapter has to do with that! Now tying this into the atonement, because the atonement is the greatest gift we have, when Christ atoned for our us, not only did he atone for our sins, but for every pain, trial, affliction, sickness, that we have been through. So when we are going through tough times in life it's nice to have someone that understands where you are coming from. Well, He knows EXACTLY what we are going through. So if you ever need anything get down on your knees and pray. Pray morning and night. Pray to the Father in the name of his son, Jesus Christ... our mediator... who loves us!

One thing they tell the solo missionaries here (missionaries going to their mission but are the only ones here going there) is to remember that Jesus Christ and the Spirit will always be your companion. So if you ever need anything just remember to pray. Alma states that if you will even exercise a particle of faith, then you can work miracles. I know this to be true! I know the Lord loves each and every one of you! I miss you all and am praying for you all!! 

18 days left and I will be in Lithuania!! Ahhhhhhh im sooo excited to get to the field even though it's going to be really cold there!! I love hearing from you all so don't be shy to write! Hope all is well!

Lo

Vyresnysis Curtis  

November 12, 2015

Labas Everyone!! Kaip Sekasi??

It's crazy to think that in three weeks I will be IN LITHUANIA! If you can't already tell I'm super super excited already! This week has been crazy and has flown by! To start off I was called as district leader a week and a half ago. After a week and a half I was released from that calling and called to zone leader so I have been busier than normal but it's a lot of fun! I just love serving!

Also, this week the prayers of many missionaries were answered. We were walking to dinner a few nights ago and there we see it....it was Chick Fil' A!!!!!! Somehow we had gotten chick fil a for the whole MTC!!! Shout out to Uncle Kevin on that one!! It was the most heavenly meal I have had here at the MTC haha! 

Also, Elder Hugo Montoya came and spoke to us at the devotional. If you can recall he spoke at a recent general conference. It was hilarious because I leaned over to Elder Mecham and Elder Kendall and quoted Inigo Montoya from princess bride. We laughed a lot... and the first thing he said was dropping that joke so it was pretty funny! He gave a really good talk on smiling and showing people that you care, which was absolutely awesome and it reminded me a lot of you mom! Love you!!

Last Sunday Elder Mecham gave a really good talk on faith and I thought I would share it with you!! It was a metaphor about the armour of God. How each piece of armour we wear is our faith. Our shield is our testimony! The strongest piece of armour that we have! The sword is the only piece we really fight with and that is the word of God/the spirit! As in regular armour, not every "chink of armour" is as strong as another piece. So when Satan sends his "fiery arrows" towards us, whether it be temptation, trials, or anything, what we need to do is defend ourselves! Satan tries to aim for those weak chinks in our armour and we know where those are. However, if we use our shield (which is our testimony, the strongest armour we have), we can lower it and deflect his bullets. I think it's cool to realize the shield and the sword are the only movable parts in our armour! So if ever you are feeling doubt in some area look to your testimony!! Use that shield!! Stand upon the rock of Christ and his Atonement! I testify he lives and loves each of us!

Another cool thing I learned this week goes with the story of Meshack, Abidnego, Shadrach. (I'm not even going to attempt to spell those names correctly). It is the story of the three boys who were tossed in the fire for not praying to false ideals. Anyways, a thing that I had never caught! If you look at verse 27 in Daniel chapter 3 I want to say...(I think that's were it is, if not just read the story) it talks about how they didn't smell of fire after they walked out of the burning furnace! Not even their clothes! Nothing!! Now think of a real campfire. Most of the time you come home from camping and have to wash all your clothes because you smell of campfire and smoke. So why would these three come out not smelling like fire? What did that have to do with anything? It is that God knows exactly how long we can be in the fire before we get out. The Lord knows exactly what we are going through trial wise and won't let anything happen to us!! We can be perfected through him! So when life feels like it's burning down all around us look to prayer for help! I promise he will be there and is there for you! He has a plan for you and it is a plan of happiness! I know as we strive to do our best the Lord will bless us!!

Anyways! I love you all and miss you very much and would love to hear from everyone of you!!!

Love,

Vyresnysis Kurtis

(next time I email you it'll be two weeks until I leave!!)