04 Jul 2019
Having an opportunity to visit the Homeland of my ancestors was a truly extraordinary experience. Our tour guide, Andrius took the stories of my childhood and turned them into memorable experiences. He brought us to a traditional farmhouse where we had a chance to go inside an see how my family lived. We were at the train station on the anniversary of the deportation of 300,000 Lithuanians to Siberia and experienced school children learning the history of the horror Lithuanians endured. We had an opportunity to see artifacts depicting daily living interpreted by two different artists. We had a spectacular traditional Lithuanian lunch consisting of cepelinai and cold beet soup. Andruis was so well versed in Lithuanian history, culture and charming stories. In particular he shared the stories of survival and deep faith as we arrived at the "Hill of Crosses". I knew the stories of my family's survival... this holy ground demonstrated how a nation and faith filled people could not be destroyed. I am deeply indebted to Andrius for being an engaging storyteller and an integral part of our Lithuanian journey.