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- [00:02]
Dr. Garrett Dirkmaat
Welcome to the Standard of Truth podcast. In this podcast, Dr. Garrett Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard Leduc explore the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the life and teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith. They examine the original historical sources and provide context for events of the past. They approach the history of the church with faith, expertise and humor.
- [00:29]
President Risi
Foreign.
- [00:37]
Dr. Richard Leduc
Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of the Standard of Truth podcast. I'm your co host, Dr. Richard Leduc and we'll be joined today by President Risi from the Lithuania district. In this bonus episode, I will be interviewing President Risi and he'll be sharing some of his experiences at the Helsinki Finland Temple, which was a recent Sweetwater Rescue Temple trip from the district of Lithuania to the Helsinki Finland Temple. We hope that you enjoy.
- [01:07]
President Risi
Thanks Richard. Thank you for having me here.
- [01:09]
Dr. Richard Leduc
So if you could just kind of share with the listening audience your thoughts, your experience.
- [01:18]
President Risi
Yeah, absolutely. And first of all, I just would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart and with the gratitude of those of the Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania district for the donations and for all the support we have received from everyone. We are very, very grateful. This has been a historical trip, not just here in Lithuania, but in my life. I have never been on a temple trip where I have seen so many people being an example of the Savior in serving, in loving each other, as we have seen in this trip, right as we started to take this project into, you know, taking this district to the temple. Can this even be done? You know, and I remember in some nights feeling very overwhelmed to the point that I could not sleep. You know, this cannot be done. It's undoable. There's too many obstacles. And this is where the miracle started to happen. You know, I remember distinctively one night I was struggling to fall asleep, just feeling overwhelmed. And I said a prayer and I said, you know, heavenly Father, if we can do this, please help us. And immediately I heard a voice and it was like, you're coming to my house. Don't you think I'm going to help you in this process? I immediately felt peace and everything went well. But this was a lot of work by many people here, some of them doubting themselves as well, not sure if they could do it. But luckily everything went well and we, we organized the hotels, we organized the buses, we organized just how the temple work is going to have to go. And imagine you have to do that for about 100 people, divide them in groups, getting all these sessions going. But in the end, everything went well. One of the things I want to mention about the trip itself and there are some tender stories which I wish I could tell the audience. But I would like everyone to know that we have seen miracles, literal miracles happen. We did have someone outside of the district that up until the day prior to the temple trip, they did not know if they could go. But the missionary that taught this person 20 odd years back was just by luck, if you want to believe that, on their ward and was able to sort out a situation for them and they were able to get on the bus. So it's incredible to see how much in advance the Lord started to move the cogs and the wheels to make sure that it would be possible for everyone to go on this trip and be nurtured by the Spirit. We did have one experience from my wife got permission to talk about. She did do the temple work for her aunt and we had some issues printing the card. So we were able to do that in a good old fashioned almost at the last day. But when she was doing these ordinances, the spirit was so strong in the room that several people went, approached her and told her. We all felt that the ordinances were accepted. We felt a strong spirit in there. These are just two experiences that I am kind of able to talk about. But one of the things that definitely stayed with the Lithuanian group is the example given and the ministering given by the Sweetwater Rescue foundation members. You know that that includes Richard here in the podcast.
- [05:30]
Dr. Richard Leduc
We, everyone would be, everyone would be surprised to hear that I, that I did any service at all. Actually, any of the listeners, they'll be shocked. They'll just assume that it was my wife that did it. And we can both agree that she did far more than I did.
- [05:47]
President Risi
That's, that's, that's a good take. I did see Luke. Yeah, Richard, I did see you working and cooking with an apron. So, so, so, so that's, that's record. But the service that you guys gave to the district members, you know, and some of you were waking up every day at 6am to prepare breakfasts to, you know, to make sure everything was okay. Because we did have three shifts for breakfasts, you know, for different times of the day. And it was not only that, it was the joy with which you guys were ministering to the members and trying to connect with them despite there being a huge language barrier. And then on Thursday, we had this amazing dinner that you guys cooked for us. Not only you cooked, but after we left the building, you guys stayed behind to clean up after. And if there's one thing the members are taking from this trip is a living, first hand experience of serving as the Savior served. And this is what's going to stay with us. And this is the message that we as a district presidency are going to keep reminding people. You know, you saw it firsthand how the Lord asks us to, you know, to love each other, to serve each other. No, without excuses. You know, language was a barrier, but, you know, we quickly overcame it. And so this is a, this is one of those situations that, you know, you gave the fish and you taught the person how to fish, you know, so next time we are preparing something here in Lithuania, they will remember your example, how you served, how you love them.
- [07:37]
Dr. Richard Leduc
It is one of the things we, we had talked about this before. We have the vast majority of the donations came in five and ten dollar chunks from people that, you know, from all over the world actually. And it's actually, it's quite, it's quite humbling. It's, it's terrifying actually to accept donations. I'm, I'm terrified of it. Because you want to make sure that you're a good steward with the money that you're given. But it, I, I, we, we talked about when, when people get off the bus and I don't know any of them and I can't speak to any of them and it doesn't, it doesn't matter. And it's kind of a sweet, it is kind of a sweet moment. And so that's very kind of you to kind of you to say. I did want to say though, one other thing that we were, we were kind of joking about before, which I think would be kind of fun to talk about. Here is our previous experience is with, you know, in, in Central and South America, specifically South America, Peru and Argentina. And so we hadn't been out to Eastern Europe before. And one of the people that, that was a volunteer that came, that helped prepare was his name's Rob, Rob Harap. And he was put in charge of making the porridge. And Rob was really, really, really bad at making porridge. And the reason that we know Rob was really bad at making porridge is because he was told that he was really bad at making porridge. But you were trying to communicate to me that this was a sign of love and friendship, that they would be like, hey, that's really terrible. Let's do better.
- [09:14]
President Risi
Absolutely. You know, when, and I come from Western Europe, right, if your porridge is bad, people out of politeness, they're gonna say, hey, thanks for Making it. It's great. When you move into Eastern Europe, they're gonna tell you, hey, just a heads up, this does not taste good. No. Others may not enjoy it, so you gotta step up your game. You gotta do your. But it does come from a place of love and friendship. I learned that. I've been in Lithuania for 10 years now, and it took me a while to figure that out. But it does come from a place of friendship and of concern. And if you ask them, okay, can you help me? They will gladly do it. They will stand shoulder to shoulder with you and say, hey, look, this is how you make an amazing porridge. Do you have this? Do you have that? Okay, now just do what I do. So they will take your hand and help you. So. Absolutely.
- [10:15]
Dr. Richard Leduc
And to Rob's credit, because he's like, I don't. I've never made porridge in my life. By Friday, people came up to him and would say, the porridge is much better. So Rob, by the end, he was killing it.
- [10:29]
President Risi
Amazing.
- [10:30]
Dr. Richard Leduc
Yeah, it was very, very fun. So I wanted to, you know, talk a little bit about the preparation. You guys put together several committees, because one of the things I would say is that the folks in Argentina and Peru, they've also done really, really great organizing this because this is an enormous, like you say, moving about 100 people from multiple branches all over the country, actually, multiple countries. In this particular case, this was so well organized. Could you talk a little bit about what that process was. Was like? I loved your story of. Because what's interesting, the experience that you had was President Ruggero, who is the district president in Rio Gallegos down in Argentina, he had a very similar experience where he also was praying to the Lord, asking. He's like, I don't know. I don't know how to do this, and I don't live. I'm so concerned about this. And he had a very similar prompting of. These are my children. Do not think that I want them to come to my house.
- [11:35]
President Risi
What really helped us to stay united and make this happen. And I have no doubt that without this, we couldn't have done it. It's because we were going to the house of the Lord. You know, there's nothing special about, you know, myself or anything. We were just servants that were bringing people to the house of the Lord. And that was a very humbling experience. The preparation itself. You know, we met several times with you with Karen and Jeff and. And the other. Sometimes late night for you guys, very early morning for us. But we knew what the goal was, hey, we're going to the temple. We're, we're gonna do something very special. So.
- [12:24]
Dr. Richard Leduc
Yeah, well, so. And you mentioned, you mentioned Jeff. So Jeff, Jeff Meyer, he served his mission in Lithuania. He was able to kind of connect us in with you. And he, he was like a kid in a candy store being back with the Lithuanian people. He, he was just, every day was just, just loved so much being able to re. Engage with people that he met a long time ago and all the new people that are there. And it was a, was very, very special.
- [12:54]
President Risi
Well.
- [12:57]
Dr. Richard Leduc
Was, is there, is there anything else that, that stood out to you or that you'd love to share as it relates to this? What was kind of your favorite part of, of the last week?
- [13:07]
President Risi
Right. Just before I get into that, just to talk a little bit more about Jeff, the way this whole thing started is because one member of our district was in Salt Lake, was in Utah, and he was either going or coming from the temple and Jeff saw him and you know, Jeff has been in Lithuania 20 years before, and he recognized the member and he went to him and he said, hey, Edward. And then they started talking. That's when this idea started, you know, to, to bloom. I don't believe in coincidences, in the work of the Lord. You, you know, a couple of seconds later from one side or the other, and, you know, they would have missed each other, you know, and we wouldn't be here talking about this.
- [13:54]
Dr. Richard Leduc
I think it was even more dramatic than that. I think that Edward was leaving the bountiful temple as Jeff was going in, that, like they were both hanging, holding on to the door as one was opening and one was, was trying to get in, one was trying to go out.
- [14:08]
President Risi
Okay. Wow. Wow. That, you know, imagine a five second difference. Probably wouldn't be here, but my, my favorite part for this whole week, and I mean, and it's very tough to choose just, just one, but really was to see the members worshiping in the temple, you know, and seeing them all dressed in white, you know, these people that I've been serving for about two years, you know, and seeing their smile, you know, taking those that went to do their endowments for the first time, those that went to do the work for, you know, for their loved ones and just how happy and radiant they were and how grateful they were for everything that was done for the Sweetwater foundation members from their service. And I stress this, I cannot stress it enough actually, because this is what we're taking away. And this was one of my Favorite parts really was seeing you guys serving the people tirelessly. As I mentioned, breakfast, you have to get up. Maybe it's six in the morning or even earlier. I know that in the first night I think we slept, you know, maybe below five hours, you know, but I would say that was my favorite part indeed, because this is what's going to stay with them.
- [15:38]
Dr. Richard Leduc
That's, that's wonderful. It was, it was wonderful to get to spend the time with you guys. And we're excited. We, we are trying to do better on our social media in Instagram and Facebook, to post the pictures from previous, from previous years and previous experiences. But, but this was kind of the linchpin, I think, that my wife has hired my son and is willing to pay for his first month of rent at his apartment in college if he can post all the pictures. I think that's how the, the leduc foundation is compensating myself, if you can do that. So we're very, we're excited. So we hope that the listeners of the podcast can go to Sweetwater Rescue and on Instagram or Facebook or wherever to be able to, to check out those pictures and videos. And we hope as well, President, that, that you and members of your district post pictures and videos as well and, and allow for us to be able to share those because it was a very, it was a very sweet experience and we really appreciated the opportunity to, to come in and to work. And one of the things that was really, really great is like I said, how well organized and how well run you guys did things. It was, it was, it was incredible. You have incredibly talented and faithful district and even though the numbers are, are small in Lithuania, they are, they're incredible, incredible districts. So it was a real pleasure.
- [17:16]
President Risi
Thank you, Richard. And it was a real pleasure to be with you guys and to serve together. And once again, to all the listeners, you know, thank you very much for the donations and for all the support. You mentioned it quite right here in Lithuania, we are a small group actually in the Baltics, it's a very small percentage of members of the church here compared to the countries where we live. But these are very good people. They have a very good heart, you know, and they are trying to turn it around and we are seeing some fruits in our communities already. So we will be looking for opportunities to emulate what you have done for us and to give back in return to, you know, to our communities, our cities, in our, our branches. So really, on behalf of the Lithuania district, you know, thank you very much for this opportunity.
- [18:13]
Dr. Richard Leduc
Thank you so much for your time and thank you to the listeners for listening. And we will, we will catch you later. Thank you. Bye bye.
- [18:24]
Dr. Garrett Dirkmaat
Thank you for listening to the Standard of Truth podcast, hosted by historian Dr. G. Garrett Dirkmot and Dr. Richard Leduc. If you know of anybody that could benefit from the material in this episode, please share it with them. Until next time.