Sunday, May 4

March 17, 2014

Labdien visiem,

I am so glad for email and that I can write and share with you all for this week. It isn't quite as exciting so the letter won't be as long, but I do love you all. Please know that my email length does not reflect my love. ;)

So, by the title of my email, you can tell it snowed! Not much, but it was pretty. It is already all gone, but it did snow. I was exicted for that, especially because this winter was so pathetic that I am still craving snow! It has been feeling like spring the last week, so the snow was a surprise. Pleasant surprise for me, but maybe not for others!

Also, there was a baptism this week and I had a hand in it! I was on an exchange in January here in Liepāja with Sister Peterson. We had a lesson with a member and she brought her friend. We taught the friend about restoration and commited her to be baptized. Well, that friend just got baptized yesterday! It was wonderful! While I wasn't teaching her, it was cool to see how our work can effect others (and vice versa). Our lack of work also affects others. This is an important concept to remember. Everything we do has consequences, whether good or bad.

Quick update on investigators. Viktorija: We lost contact with Viktorija this week. Her and her mom's phone were off all week. That was hard. We didn't have her address so we weren't sure what to do. Well, she showed up to church on Saturday and that was good. We got her address as well as her dad's number, which works for now. So, because of the loss of contact, we were unable to have a lesson with her, as well as her mom has been sick. We are working on getting a lesson set up for this week. She is so excited for baptism though! She helped clean the church on Saturday and she told everyone that she is getting baptized on her birthday. She also stayed and watched the baptism and she is very excited for that. We are working on getting a lesson set up with her this next week for her and her mom. We will have a potential problem with her as her dad is against the church. She told him she was getting baptized into this church and he told her he would prefer if she picked a different church. Viktorija's mother is still happy for her to get baptized where she wants to be baptized. 

Our other investigator Inara has dropped off the map a little. She decided she didn't want to commit to be baptized in April. She is older and I think she is scared to change. We are going to reach out with love this week and hopefully get her back. She does really want to learn, but maybe it was just too much at the beginning for her.

So, a big question that everyone has been asking if whether they celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Latvia. No, it is not celebrated here, but I am wearing green! I never loved St. Patrick's Day, but it does make me think of home, so I thought I would celebrate! I think Latvians would like St. Patrick's Day if they knew about it, but I don't think they even know what that is! We'll probably teach our english class about it tomorrow.

This last week, we were in Rīga again. We go almost every week (3 and 1/2 hour bus ride one way). It isn't my favorite think, but it isn't awful. I usually sit by someone and talk to them. It is great Latvian practice! We were in Rīga this last week because Sister Scott couldn't hear out of one of her ears so we were at the Doctor's office. They cleaned her ears out and she can hear great!!!

Little story from a woman's talk at church this week. I really like it and it will be my spiritual thought for today! 
A man went to a Barber shop to have his hair cut and his heard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, The barber said, "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that? asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me if God exists would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God would would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The Barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed heard. He looked dirty and unkept. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist!" "How can you say that?" asked the suprized barber? "I am here, and I am a barber, and I just worked on you!" "No!" The customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist," because if they did there would be no people with dirty long hair and unrtimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but Barber do exist! Thats what happens when people do not come to me." "Exactly!" affirmed the customer, Thats the point! God too does exist! That's what happens when people do not go to him and don't look to him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

So that is all I have time for! I love you all! I know that this church is God's church! He loves us and He is very involved in our lifes. Don't forget it!
Love,
Māsa Klauvarda

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