Missing

This is what I miss today...

The little girl that I am holding in the picture was in love with me. I had a dance-off with her older sister, who was five at the time. I did the splits and they were amazed, probably because I was slightly over-weight. During our dance-off I got a leg-cramp trying to do a backwards bend. They all laughed. I couldn't move for at least a minute or two. The mom, woman in pink, was my favorite member in Kaunas, I ate a lot of food with her. She would always let us in when we had a cake in our hands. I laughed and laughed with her. I miss her.

The picture where I look awesome in the blue shirt (I loved that shirt) is with my companion Sister Janiec, we had a good time. She thought I was crazy. We almost got attacked by a bee the size of a golf ball, seriously. Sister Janiec broke the dresser she was so scared of the bee. I tried everything to kill that bee, I think I finally hit it was a Dansko and it died. Sister Janiec saw me in the best and worst of my mission, she was my last companion. I was more afraid than anything to go home, I kept on telling myself it was never going to actually happen. She sat up with me the last night of my mission and helped me realize it was all going to be alright. Lily & Fred (story for another day) were our greatest source of entertainment during our companionship.

The picture with the umbrella is with Sister Robbins, we were companions for six months. I love her, I am pretty sure God knew we had to be companions. We saw more miracles than I have ever experienced in my life. We essentially were each other's first companions. We were little, actually getting fatter by the day, sisters stuck in a big city. We found out what it really meant to love others. We laughed every day, Sister Robbins peed her pants about a billion times, seriously. She even peed her pants in my shoes...gross. It rained a lot, we liked the rain. In fact one time, Sister Robbins was laughing so hard over a puddle of rain that she peed right there in her skirt in the rain. Needless to say we were late for an appointment, we went anyway...sick. That black sweater I am wearing was a handy-down from 500 other missionaries, it was gross and awesome all at the same time. I think only sister missionaries can understand the beauty of handy-down clothes. Even though they are usually ugly, they seem to fit like a glove. Sister Robbins had to go home early and I remember the day she left the Baltics, it rained so hard. It was February and I was positive that the entire world was crying for me. I walked away on a cobble stone street in Klaipeda, I probably tripped because of my shoes, and I turned around and she drove away. I was sad.

I miss my mission, I want to go back, I was just there, I think that the people in my mission used to need me more than I needed them and now I need them more than they need me.

Goodnight.

Love,

SJ

Europe.

I have been promising to put up pictures from Europe for the last month. For one reason or another I have delayed. So, to all my loyal readers/lookers, I know there are very few of you, here you are. I have debated back and forth in my mind how to present the trip. It was incredible. I went with Rach and we met amazing people.

Here are some of the people we met...

Lithuania

These are most of the girls from the Vilnius Branch.

(Jolita, Sarah, Aleksandra, Kristinia, Marinia, an old Elder, and Sandora)

This is Alinia, she is one of my MOST favorite little girls in Lithuania.

Did I mention it rained the entire time we were in the country?

This is Giedre, she is very important to me.

I met her about 8 months into my mission and we have been very good friends since then.

We are standing on top of one of the highest points in Vilnius.

This is Lucy and Maggie. They are from China. Lucy makes the best Chinese food I have EVER had. Maggie is afraid of the camera and Lucy has the strongest faith I have ever seen.

These are the girls from Klaipeda. This is a picture of Anna's wedding shower. Anna was my companion, she is native to Latvia. I picked her up from the mission home exactly one year after my mission started. She was a brand new missionary and the first thing she did was correct a grammar mistake. She is the one who really taught me how to speak Lithuania. She moved to Ireland with her husband. I love her. (Anna, Sarah, Vika, and Little Dovile)

This is Edita's mom. Edita lived with my family when she came to America before she got married. Edita's mom was so king to let us stay with her.

This is Dima and Natasha's family!! They are truly amazing. When I began my mission Dima and Natasha had their first little girl, Nikole . She is now 3 and crazy!! They had Sophie about a year ago. Rachel thought she looked just like a cupid. We spend a night with them, it was crazy and fun. Nikole cried when we left. Nikole also ate more than Rachel and me, which is pretty incredible. (Rachel, Sarah, Dima, Nikole, Natasha, & Sophie)

This is Saules and Marinia. I love them. When I was on my mission, Marinia never failed to inform me that I was gaining a little weight. She also taught Jenna and me some hilarious stomach exercises. We could never get through the exercises because we were always laughing too hard. Their daughter Emma, in the picture, was born on my mission. I can't believe how big she is. (Saules, Marinia, Emma, & Sarah)

This is Nijole and her husband. I worked with Nijole my entire mission. She fed me a lot on my mission, a lot. Rachel and I had lunch with Nijole and her husband. We ate for three hours straight. It was great, we were so full we could barely walk away.

Germany

This is Diana, Mitch's cousin. Rachel and I stayed with her in Munich.

Rachel and I went with Christian and his cousin Andrew to a bonfire to celebrate the summer solstice. Christian went to SUU to receive his Master's degree. Christian is from a little city right on the border of Germany and Austria. This was my favorite night of the trip. More details to follow..

Rachel, Christian, and I lit wax candles, walked up a hill, and lit a bonfire with 20 little kids.

It was awesome.

While at the bonfire, we met these nice German men. They were drunk and shocked that Mormons were there. They were also puzzled as to why we didn't drink. On the night of the bonfire, Christian told Rachel and me that he has never seen two girls eat so much food. Should we take that as a compliment? I think so.

Greece

This picture was taken in Athens in front of the Parthenon. These are our (Rachel and my) friends, Lilly and Matt. We met them in the airport in Naples. We were stuck in Naples for a billion hours, our flight was delayed for way too long. Good thing we met Lilly and Matt. They got engaged in Paris a few weeks before coming to Greece. We spent two days with them, they loved us.

I don't know this lady's name. But Rachel met her at church in Greece. She is from Philippians and Rachel was able to speak Tagalog with her. I thought it would only be fair to put one picture up of Rachel with one of her people.

This is us with the sister missionaries in Greece.

Austria

Rachel and I met some of these girls at the temple in Frankfurt. They were so nice to let us stay with them in Vienna. They live in Vienna and took Rachel and me on an incredible tour of the city.

(Sarah, Rachel, Ester, Lillian, Ester, and Margaret)

More to come...

Lietuva

Tomorrow I am going here...this picture was taken June 11, 2007...my last steps in Lithuania...

I am going to see my people. This is Anna, she was my companion and she is one of my people

Su meile.

LIthuania....My LOVE

10 more days until I go to Lithuania...

Can't wait to see my people

(Jenna, do you get my title?)

*Picture from my mission, two weeks before Christmas 06...I felt free...

Lievas Diena Lietuvoje!!

I forgot to mention that today is one of Lithuania's freedom days!! Happy Free day to all my people in Lithuania!! I love all of you!