July 12, 2010

Hi Family!
For some reason I was under the impression that everyone was getting together this past weekend, not this next weekend. I don't know why.
How is everyone doing?
I had a good week, the MOST EXCITING news I have: I tried real live Croatian bread balls!! Amelia and me made some before I left Columbia, and it was so fun, and I haven't seen a single one the whole time I've been here, but last night we went to a member's house for a little lesson and she had just finished making some! They were good, a little more bread-like inside, not doughy, but bready, and they weren't as wheaty as the ones we made before. So that was really fun for me. She put less sugar on them, too, but that was ok. I think they have a name, but I didn't ask what that was and I forget.
I also tried a smokva, which is a fig. Straight from the tree or wherever figs grow. It was a really good fruit thing.
Our apartment house thing has some kiwi vines growing on a lattice over the driveway, and there is also an apricot tree somewhere, so fruit is sometimes in the driveway, and the other day I TOTALLY slipped on an apricot, it was really funny, and somehow I didn't drop my Book of Mormon or get scrapes on my hands. I think my volleyball instincts took over or something, because I ended up doing a roll-type thing and landed on my side. Hard to explain. It was really funny, because we were laughing really hard and then Sister Nelson tried to help me up and almost slipped on the same fruit!
Also we had zone conference this last week, so we took a little trip into Zagreb, woke up pretty early to catch a bus, and got home at 9:30 or something. It was good to see President and Sister Hill and all the other missionaries, always fun to get together.
Today we're heading to Šibenik, about 30 minutes away, so hopefully I have some pictures to send next week. Should be fun.
Thank you for telling me Sophie's full name, Sophie Mae Richards, that is so cute! And she looked like a cutie again. Does she have blond hair? It kinda looked like that from one of the pictures.
You all sound so busy, running around traveling everywhere and visiting everyone. I hope everyone is safe and happy. I am so happy to hear that Mom is taking some names to the temple for initiatories etc. it is so excited to me to see "the hearts of the children turn to the fathers" and to see that prophesy being fulfilled! It's amazing that we can do temple work and help those who have gone before us without the gospel receive it. It's a powerful tool in missionary work as well, to help people do family history. We don't have a center for it here in Zadar, I think they do in Zagreb.
Dad, thanks for letting me know that Spain won the world cup, someone may have told me that, but it was in Croatian, so I didn't understand! And I didn't know if they were talking about the final or if it was just a preliminary game. So thanks. Michael, your new job sounds AMAZING. I hope that when I get home I can find a job where I get to speak Croatian. That would be a miracle. I am already jealous.

Love you all!
Have a great week!
Tell all the chidlers that I say, "Hi" and that I miss them, too!
Love, Sister Laws

Keshia asked us for the pin code to her debit card (which we sent) and I thought her response was really cute:

I'm pretty sure that one of those numbers is my number, thank you SO much!
I was searching and searching my brain, but I couldn't think of any clues, it totally left me. I still can't believe how I couldn't even remember anything, it's like Croatian invaded my brain and stole all my occidental knowledge space. And I looked at the papers I brought with me and nothing said anything about that.
No need for Plan B!
Love you!
Keshia