Day 3: Ropes and Testimonies

We were half way through Youth Conference and feeling pretty good with how well it was going. We learned that there were some minor petty issues with both the young men and women but since we didn't understand the languages, we didn't have a clue what was going on and the local leaders had to deal with those issues.  It was actually very nice for us.....

And we still had a day of good times ahead....

Up early for our meditating in the woods, this time we were prepared with more mosquito repellent.

Breakfast was rather unusual for us missionaries; steamed rice with strawberries on top. Hmmmm. Is that something Sister Davis wants to try?
Sanita gave her no choice; she was serving the food and said, "Here Sister, eat your breakfast."

It was delicious! 

Another scripture marking class...

Noemi is at the end of the table because her family spent the night on the floor of the staff room...and it's a good thing they stayed, unbeknownst to Elder & Sister Davis, one of the young women needed to leave conference early and no one had made arrangements for her to get back to Riga. So Noemi and Martins drove her home, another tender mercy.

Next class:  Plan of Salvation Posters or Ropes Course. When we divided the youth up between the two classes, the ones coming to Sister Davis's poster class weren't happy.  She didn't understand why until one of the leaders said, "They are wondering why some kids get to do ropes and they don't."  Sister Davis quickly explained, the classes would be trading places the next hour and assured them they would get to do the ropes course also. That made everyone happy and the youth went to work...

First, Sister Davis showed a Plan of Happiness poster that she made as an example. She gave a review of Heavenly Fathers plan for us, where we can return to be with Him some day. She cut pictures out of the Church magazines and had scads of pictures for the youth to chose from.

Some of the youth worked together on one poster but most made a personal one that they could take home. It took hours to cut out all these pictures but there were so many old magazines in the mission office, we had to do something with them.

One young woman  told Sister Davis how wonderful it was to spend an hour looking at uplifting pictures and making a poster out of them.

Sister Davis  felt the same way when she was cutting the pictures out of the magazines...it was hard not to stop and read every article that had a picture with it! Our church magazines are amazing and so full of great information that bring us closer to Christ.

So here are some of the results.....

Elder Davis's favorite poster was a very simple one...

1. We lived with God

2. We come to earth.

3. We have a family.

4. We go to the temple

5. We get married

6. We have children

7.  Sad, but we get old  

Then finally we can be with God again :)

And then we had a group of young men who just didn't want to think about any plan...they made their poster about a rainbow and a unicorn named Yolo. It was signed, "three boys who have no art talent".  But Sister Davis thinks those three boys have hidden talents... creative thinking being one of them. And it was nice they included a picture of Jesus above the unicorn!

And while Sister Davis was up to her neck in glue sticks, paper and markers...Elder Davis was having a great time helping at the ropes course out in the forest.

 You can't say we didn't have a variety of activities for the youth!  Most LDS youth in America would be jealous to see this camp.

After a little free time, Linda did a  nature activity with the youth...where they learned that all things testify of Christ. Then each team had to gather certain types of plants from around the forest and gardens that matched the pictures on a board. And the teams were being timed!  You should have seen those youth hustle to find the things they needed to win!

And after dinner, we had a short campfire program. It was overcast and rain threatened as we let the youth go change into Sunday clothes. Testimony meeting started with no mosquitoes around.

Linda Cekule spoke first about the theme "Arise and Shine Forth" and how they need to be examples to the world. Then Pres. Blindarukas spoke about being strong in the world and not lowering their standards.

Skaiste then came forward to talk about their individual testimonies. She likened them to lanterns, that need to be opened up, and lit with the Spirit of God. Once that happens their testimonies will soar and teach other people truth. 

Each young man and each young woman were given a paper lantern like they used in the movie "Tangled".  They put their names on them, opened them up, and someone came around to light them.  When the air got hot enough inside the lantern they would gently float out of their hands and soar skyward.

Edmunds, the owner, is in the green shirt watching the lanterns rise. Sanita and Marta wrote their testimony in a Book of Mormon and gave it to Edmunds.  We saw him read what they wrote and then he came and sat down to watch our testimony meeting.

 There was a quiet, stillness as the youth watched their lantern/testimony drift away.

Forty of them went skyward headed towards the Baltic Sea...

And then the youth shared their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ with each other. It was powerful and lasted over an hour, with people translating whenever someone got up to speak in their native tongue.  Marta sat by Edmunds and translated everything into Latvian for him.

 The youth seemed to LOVE it!

Well, who wouldn't want to light a paper lantern and send it upwards? Of course, these are probably illegal in the "States".  The lanterns are meant to burn out before they hit the ground...but more than that, everything is so green in Latvia due to their abundance of rain, it would be hard for these lanterns to start a fire.  We have even seen them in Riga soaring over the apartment buildings on holidays.

And that is how we ended our last night of Baltic Youth Conference 2012.

Tomas, Austeja, Viktoria, Rihard, Riina

But it isn't over yet.....