Week #52

Hei

How is it going? My Grandma emailed me this week. It was nice. We all need friendly reminders sometimes, so I will now friendly remind these people as well:

Jon Ruggles (I need minion Buchemi)

Adrian Ramjoue

Melissa Wood

That is all. 

Anyway, this week was quite busy. We watched all the sessions of conference on Saturday and Sunday (in Latvian) which I sort of understand now. It was good.

Met with some members and ate some food this week.

It is crazy to tell people that I live within a 20 minute drive of 4 temples, and now it will be 5 with Saratoga. As President Chugg pointed out to me, we can now go to the Temple and then hit the lake. I AM STOKED. Members here, who travel 4 times a year to Sweden are always SHOCKED. Blessings on Blessings on Blessings of a Riverton, UT boi.

>:GENERAL CONFERENCE:<

My Favorite talks in order:

1)Elder Renland - Always steller. Compassion.

2)Elder Holland - Shaking things up a bit, but still marvelous. (Although i really dont like ''Saulains Prieks" (Sunshine in my soul today))

3)Bishop Causse - This talk made me think about growing up and all the guys who put up with me.

I will now give a online shout out, due to Bishop Causse's talk, to some great guys who kept me going when I was a snotty teenager (still am, actually, until thursday) 

Steve Boehme - When I was in middle School and didnt have a ton of close friends, we would go fishing. Wonderful example of humility and all in all an Incredible guy. Me and Elder Birch (who was Boehmes ceramics student) have many wonderful conversations about being called fatties and other mean names. Great memories.

President Chugg - Same thing here with the fishing. We fished A LOT and will fish EVEN MORE when I am home. One of the guys who treated this fatherless boy as his son. I remember being so excited to go fishing for the first time. We went on a monday nightto Pelican bay and caught some cats. 

SIDE NOTE: I love to make jokes about not having a dad, as most of you uncomfortably understand, but I had anywhere from 5-10 guys who filled that roll, and I am GREATFUL.

Mike Bohling - Also fishing. Great example of being able to have fun and be serious about the Gospel too. He would also steal every Crappie I ever was going to catch, and he wont let me forget about never catching one either.

Tom Hildebrand - When I had nothing to do on saturdays, Tom would invite me over to watch Utah games. He was a wonderful Teachers advisor.

Trent Earnshaw - We always just got along. Also would fish. Always made me feel welcome in every situation. Also a great teachers leader.

Jim Groethe - A great teacher who was actually never officailly my teacher, but nontheless had an impact on me. Helped me through a lot of rough times and helped me see the good in everything.

Steve Schaber - Another great teacher. I had many teachers who cared individually about me, but im not sure if a teacher has ever cared about his students more. Kept me going through some hard months of senior year, and for that, I am quite grateful.

Stewart Hudnall - One of the only guys whose sarcasm made my humor seem wet. I always enjoyed going to his class, because it was always uplifiting for me (although it was often uncomfortable and sarcastic, but that is where I thrive) In the words of a horrible country artist ''Its a great day to be alive, I know the sun is still shining when I close my eyes'' I dont actually see how to fit this in well but anyone in that class will understand.

Joshua Briggs - The most humble man I have ever met. Had him as a teacher all 3 years. Helped me through the tough times with genuine care for me and my well being.

I would also like to shout out all my friends parents but we DEFINANTLY dont have time for that. I am straight running out of TIME!

If you are all still reading, good job. I know that most of the people who read these dont know these guys or for that matter care about my young mens leaders and teachers. I do, however, understand the importance of looking back and seeing how the Lord always places the right people in our lifes, at just the right time, and I KNOW that the Lord has done and will continue to do that for me.

INVITATION TO YOU ALL

Think of the people in your life that have helped you along and thank them. 

When we show our gratitude for what God had done for us, we begin to recognize our blessings bigger and brighter.

Loves

Week #51

Hi

I was a kid in a candy shop this morning as I went to the ''Stūra Maja'' or ''Corner House'' today. It is a very large and nice white building on the corner of Brīvības Iela (Freedom street) and Stābu Iela. This building was built in 1912 and had many flower shops and grocery stores, as well as offices and apartments. 

In 1940, when the Soviets arrived, it was the perfect building for Interigations. Today, I stood in rooms that held prisoners and saw first hand the KGB methods (tourture, humiliation, execution, etc) Absolutely disgusting, but soo very interesting for my brain.

I am happy to have the knowledge that I do and the Peace that comes from our savior, Jesus Christ.

If you have not seen it yet, go to mormon.org and watch the churches Easter video. It is (in my opinion) the best video the church has made. SERIOUSLY GOOD!

Ja was succesfully dunked and has given the Holy Ghost and is now the sassiest 65 year old in the Church. She seriously reminds me of my grandmother, Linda, who has not written me for 3 weeks. Post dunk, she turned and said to the congregation ''Ļoti Patikami'' (Very Pleasing).  She later said her only thought was ''Žel ka man bija jākap ārā" (Pity that I had to come up(*out of the water)). She is GREAT.

Me and Elder Birch are well. We met with a referral today who is PREPARED AS A HORSE and will soon be baptized. GREAT JOB! (Of course, it is God who does all the work, I am simply a chubby redhead servent)

Met a cool lady in Jelgava on an Exchange. We were walking in an area with few people and just felt like we had to keep walking. We then, at the last moment before turning away, met a former investigator who wants to meet again! GREAT JOB!

That is it, I have no more. Tee hee. Also, I forgot my camera at home and am deeply sorrowful that I wont be able to send Picture of 1) the baptism and 2) the KGB house. 

NEXT WEEK I WILL REPENT AND DO BETTER! tee hee.

Week #50

(my birthday is April 13th and it takes 1-2 weeks for a letter to get here and 2-3 for a package, FYI)  Just a friendly reminder.

Well, the 30th of March will be my 1 year mark, and I have accomplished NOTHING. Tee Hee.

I am a new boy. I am a glasses boy now and also now I am smart and can do math and science and can argue about literature with the highest scholars in the land. Also, I look like Dwight Shrute and Peter Griffin had a baby.

Also, I have gotten back into thrift shopping and found a ''Vintage'' store and LOVE MYSELF.

Ja will be baptized on the 1st of April. Me and Elder Birch have a BIG pool of investigators (for the Baltic Mission). We have 6 solid investigators and we are finding more. With the summer coming around, people are happier.

Found maggots in the apartment and it was gross. 

I don't know what else to say. I do the same thing everyday. Im still sarcastic. Not too much has changed. Except I have HOTT GLASSES AND A HOTT BOD. And I am more spiritual. 

I hope General Conference treats you all well.

Week #49

Me and Elder Satterlee are no longer companions. I am very depressed and will need birthday letters. (my birthday is April 13th and it takes 1-2 weeks for a letter to get here and 2-3 for a package, FYI)

I am now once again with... Elder Birch.

Yes, my absolutly pathetic MTC companion.

Jk I really like Elder Birch!

I also am still in Rīga Center South. 10 months strong and still going.

Ja and the family of 9 are all well. Ja will still Baptize on the 1st of April (it will be a huge joke) lol

Hope all is well in Amerika or where ever the heck you all are, I dont care. The world will soon all be Amerika because I TRUST TRUMP. Tee Hee im glad im in former Soviet Latvijā with agressive Putin knocking on the door. Tee HEE.

Im bored, I usually get really bored writing these. So I will stop. 

Week #48

Hei Hei Hei

We are ROLLING in the Investigator dough here in Rīga Center South! Elder Saterlee is a very well oiled machine.

We have a great family of 9 that we are teaching and the parents came to church for all 3 hours and loved it. WOO HOO.

Megan is awake and just emailed me, she is great. I fear I may have to kill some high school tool boys when I get back. She is too good for them. I love her and Becca (missions change people) and my Mom and Grandma and Aunts and Uncles and friends and SOPHIE!

Lol, I am sappy as a horse.

We are going to the Ghetto Bus Station glasses shop to get E. Saterlee some now frames and to get my eyes tested! Wish me luck, I need some shades for my health.

Ja  is still great. Sassy, but wonderful.

The Church is true. The Doctorine is sound. Prophets walk the Earth today. Studio C is not, was not, and will not ever be funny. I love this Gospel.

The Pixies, The xx, Jose Gonzalez, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Foo Fightersare all coming to Rīga soon.

Ata

Week #47

I bought Kevin Durants

Now that we ball every monday, I thought it would be nice to get some new kicks. So I bought a very nice pair of KD's. Love myself.

MLC was great. Got to see Elder Seegmiller. I also just read his email and I shed 3 tears. Here is the paragraph from his email, with a few added touches, by me.

Also Elder Yost and I had a special week this moment. During MLC, we were invited to role-play (I hate role playing in front of other people) teaching the doctrine of Christ together in front of everyone. Elder Curtis (aka Serena Williams) (acting as an investigator) had a lack of real intent. And as Elder Yost and I taught together, asked inspired questions and got to the core of our fake investigator, I felt wonderful. (As a matter of fact, it was arguably the greatest role play of all time. We already had companion unity from years of poking around together in R-Town) Memories trickled back to me, of camping trips (Elder @PKseegmiller is a City Slicker and cannot handle bugs) and spike ball (I miss spike) and fifa (for all you football fans out there, he would only play as Manchester City because his favorite player is Joe Hart...) and laughing and my subaru (my dream car) and his stupid saturn (best car ever) and crying (we actually would cry quite a bit) and a lot of long night conversations (when Marci wouldn't kick us out at 10:00) and somber moods (only when Elder Seegmiller was on acutane and when we would watch 'Bernie') and farewells and (few) emails (this was a shot at me) and silence (another shot at me) and surprises and rejoicing and our whole friendship just sort of culminated in a quiet moment in Riga, Latvia talking about the Savior of the world. (top 5 moment of my life) God has a plan. I am grateful for that plan. (BFF's forever <3)

I am very greatful for you all.

Ja will be baptized on the 1st of April.

I am very happy here.

Давай

Week #46

Hei 

Went down to Liepāja this week with Elder Birch to do an Exchange. It was snowing and there was no one outside and I LOVE THE SNOW but no one wanted to talk. At a members house, I read all about ''The Kolob Theorum'' and I am amazed at the amount of information that science does not know! Even Neil DeGrasse Tyson (one of the loves of my life) does not know about ''The Dust Veils''! Kolob is at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, we just are blinded by the dust veils! CRAYZY!

Shout out to my boy Casey Affleck for finally living up to your potential and taking that Oscar.

Also, I recently learned that I can ''Glamour Retouch'' pictures on my camera, and I am content with my life. 

Ja is an older lady, kinda quiet, and REALLY sassy. She will be baptized soon. We are working side by side with some Sisters to get her in the WATER. Woo Hoo.