šeima! That means family in Lithuanian. But, getting that keyboard to work took way too long, so, I don't know how much more of my letter I can write with it :)
So, hi.
MANDY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Yay yay yay yay yay yay yay. I wrote you a 23 page letter (well..i tried to, it's not that long), and I don't know how oft you check your mail in Orem, but you should check it today or tomorrow. I threw the letter in the air and just prayed it would get to you. I hope that it's such a fun day! What are y'all doing for it? Cake? Hey, did you ever go to Beauty and Beast? I just remembered that, if so, was it good? Anywho, I hope that it's the funnest day for you. Hopefully Kev is finished with finals so you can celebrate. And I hope the fam sings how they know how to sing. I love ya sis.
I loved the Madsonian! Lace, sending it to my email worked perfectly, I could download it and print it out, pics and all, and I loved what everyone wrote! I loved reading about everyone's Thanksgiving together, and seeing pics of Hank on his blessing day! He was the cutest thing! And Mands, I didn't realize you ate at McDonalds on Thanksgiving, that's funny. Hopefully you splurged on a parfait. Mom, I can't believe that you compared my MTC experience to our cousin's prison experience, that's so funny. I hope he's doing okay, I'm glad he thought it was funny too. But I mean, I can totally see how it's true, so structured and we're totally enclosed. But he probably doesn't get to put up 36 flags outside every Friday, which is what me and the sisters get to do, and we always put up our country's, and love it.
Mom, that's totally fine about the package! Bummer Grant got caught sneakin in goods. That's so nice of the ward. And Sis. Curtis sent me a Christmas card of their family, so kind too. I keep getting surprised by our ward's niceness. So, I've been getting my typhoid pills orally, and I'm just double checking that our insurance doesn't cover them, is that right? It's not that much, but they gave me a reimbursement form, so I'm double checking. Also, do I have any more garments that I left at home? Because, I need like, a pair or two more, that I can TOTALLY buy here, no problem, but i just wanted to double check. Ookay, and, I told you that Sis. Beal might like gray tights? Well, her mom totally sent her some. LAME, I know. She should have known we were in cahoots (that's not how you spell that) So, maybe you don't need to send those anymore. But she'd love some pretty earrings or a headband. I think. Okay, and, have I already gotten Callie a Christmas present?! Can you check the presents I left, because if so...I can't remember in the slightest what I got her! And want to! And I need to get TayMan something too, so, just know that'll be coming.
So, this week! Sis. Dalton spoke at the devotional last night, and it was fantastic. Seriously, best devotional yet. And that's not just because she's a woman, although I loved that. She talked all about spiritual gifts, and that topic has come up in my personal study, and at various times, almost every day this week! So, it's been really cool. She talked about Christmas, and how this year we'll be seeking for gifts so different than we ever have before, gifts of the Spirit, of teaching, of loving, or patience. And it's so true. I would love if the Savior just wrapped me a giant box of understanding how to teach the Restoration effectively and put it under a tree for me. But the thing is, He will! If I work hard and study and have patience, I think He will. I'm realizing that you have to seek and ask, and I don't know, it's been a big learning week for me.
The BYU men's chorus gave our devo on Tuesday, and it was fantastic too. I loved their Christmas music, and they told cool missionary experiences, and it just made me excited! And then yesterday, my teacher was sick, so I had a substitute; he was brilliant. Some gospel phenomenen, I swear ("by the sun and the moon in the sky...") and I learned so much about baptism! Because i said I don't want to offend people by saying their baptism didn't have the proper authority, and he took me to D&C 22, and the Lord answers that exact question, and does so without ever using the word authority, and anyway, so cool.
I'm learning about adverbs and adjectives in Lithuanian, they all change, according to whatever you're describing; it is seriously so crazy to me that one word can have like, 8 endings, and that's if it's masculine. I'm like, yeesh. Pick an ending already! Haha, not really. I love class time.
An elder stopped me this week and said he knew me from somewhere. I had no idea where from. Then he remembered. He worked at Cafe Rio in AF and saw me a lot. Hahah, I felt no shame in admitting that I ate there a lot. Another big learning experience this week, I taught in English for the first time! And with a companion! Sis. Clark (Latvian) and I taught one of the Greek teachers the first lesson. It was such a new experience for me, and I felt bad afterwards, that I hadn't done better, when it was in my native language, and it was still so hard. The teacher totally acted his part! I thought he WAS Greek. He wasn't. But he is really good at forgetting English words and using an accent. He pretended to be Atheist, and it was so hard to teach him! But, good practice I s'pose. But Atheists are so hard, because they listen to you, but just say, uh huh, that's a nice idea. Anyway, it was fun with a comp, and I love Sis. Clark so much. I really love my district, and me and Sis. Beal had a good week too. We are both trying to do more push ups, and she reads the scripts to me as we're trying to work out in our room. It's hilarious, listening to her doing sit ups and reading. We got 4 new roommates, all got here after us, and will leave before us. But they are a lot of fun, and I like the fresh stories in our room! Mel Fitz left this week! I said bye to her, she was so excited to go! And so ready. She'll do sooo well. Danielle Tamang leaves next week...I think.
Lace, I'm glad Matthew is engaged! That's exciting. And I hope your show went well! DID IT?! Your outfit sounded totes cute :) You could slip me a pic or whatevs. Have things slowed down at all, or are you still busy?
Mom, I definitely want a copy of the Christmas card! Never know what dad puts in there. Dad, thanks for writing back too, and helping me with some of my concerns. You're so great. Miss, I sent you a letter today, so, don't be sad that I didn't write to you here :) Ahh! I have so much I want to ask everyone, and say, but there's never the time! I love you all so so so so much. I'm teaching about the Plan of Salvation, so I get to think about families a lot, and I love that I get to think about you all so much during the day. It makes me happy, not usually sad, and I get to teach about how the Gospel blesses families. And it really does! I know we've been so blessed by it.
Mands, I want to hear more about your work, you might have responded and I haven't gotten your letter yet. Just so you know, I write letters on Wednesdays, but Dear Elders written on Wed don't get to me until that night, so if you write, try to do it by Monday! So I can write back. Or else.
LOVE YOU ALL!!! Hip hip hooray.
Jess
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