A modern-day pioneer

Evijah is a woman in her 40s who was baptized in August. She has been amazing in her devotion and commitment and her involvement in the branch from the very beginning. She began by taking advantage of Sister Gubler's "how to lead music and play the piano" lessons. Evijah was soon called to be the music coordinator in the Branch. She leads the music in sacrament meeting and oversees 3 other sisters, giving them the opportunity to also lead the music in sacrament meeting and in Relief Society. She learned how to play some of the simplified hymns to surprise her husband and her mother for Christmas. She is also the Relief Society secretary and teaches a lesson once a month.

As though that isn't enough, I learned last Sunday that she walks 2 hours to catch a bus for a ride into Riga (probably an hour's ride), stays for the 3 hour block, and then catches the bus back to Cesis and walks 2 hours to her home--which is heated by a wood stove, so the home is cold when she arrives there. And she does that with pure joy. She loves the Lord and this is what she needs to do.

I can no longer complain about this being the coldest winter in 15 years!