This week has been so long and so jam-packed full of stuff, and so AWESOME. I'm not sure where to start.
I'm sorry to hear that Grandma may or may not choose to live longer. That's kind of a weird concept, but I've been spending more time around old people (because we take lunches to them twice a week) and so I have a little more insight into the whole idea of old people, and so, basically... that's too bad. I can't remember what I was going to say here. I'd like to be able to send her something, so I wouldn't mind having an address or something to work with, for that. I think I'll just e-mail something to Mom and she can pass it on. I was going to ask last week, but I forgot that all of you can hear from each other whenever you want, so I thought "Kelsey asked already, so I'm sure it will be in Mom's e-mail next week to everybody." But of course, you can pass that along the very next day! That's kinda funny. Um, I may have a home address, though, now that I'm thinking about it a little more. So we'll see. I'd guess that if I sent something there it would get to her. Oh, and Mom, I told President Hill in my e-mail this week about it, so you don't need to worry about contacting him.
It seems like some of you are in a period of transition (waiting for bosses to make up their minds, or waiting for schools to make up their minds, waiting for babies to be born etc) so I hope everything works out. I would say that I'm praying for that, but I have the worst memory when it comes to praying for things. I cannot make promises, but I will try to remember you all in my prayers. And I know that God will lead us in the right paths! He's pretty good that way.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I keep forgetting to say so, because I was never a big one for the holiday at home and here it's not a big deal at all. They have bears and hearts and things in grocery stores, but it's nothing like the mass hysteria of red and pink and proposals and diamonds that goes on in America. And yes, Valentine was a Catholic something, Saint or whatever, but the Croats haven't picked up on that holiday especially. No traditions or anything. Maybe we'll see a few more people going to mass than usual, but other than that nothing.
It was great to hear from you all! I actually did hear from every single one of you this week, a couple of you more than once. I love hearing stories and quirks about your kids, and I like hearing even the smallest tidbits about your lives (that means you, Michael, I even enjoying hearing that nothing happened in your week) and I love to just hear how you're doing. I love my family, and that is something great in and of itself. I won't get sentimental, though.
Lets see... how long can I drag this e-mail on without saying anything about what you're probably all wondering about?? Ok, I give in. This is how my last week went!!
Lets start at Tuesday! We woke up early early to catch a bus to Zagreb, where the zone leaders picked us up and drove us to Slovenia. Luckily I did not forget my passport, or it would all have been for nothing. One other elder was supposed to come with us and he DID forget his passport, and the only thing he could do was turn around and get on a bus back to his city. That would suck. We were invited just for a change-up, they invite other missionaries occasionally to these meetings to get different insight. And I would say, especially sisters, since we seem to have a different perspective on everything! Just kidding. It was a really good meeting. Sister Hill cooked for us, really yummy "Thai" food, (rice and stuff) and it was really good weather. It was fun to meet a couple of Slovene elders that otherwise we would never have met. Afterwards President Hill showed us a movie called the Quest, which was really corny and fun. So we didn't get back to Zagreb until about nine at night. We slept at the sisters' apartment of course. It's fun to see them. ((I've been to a new country now!!! Yay!))
Wednesday, we had a good exchange. It was fun to work with Sister Nelson, my old companion and I enjoyed missionary work in Zagreb! I was a little surprised, because I didn't expect to like for example, contacting on trams. But I did!! I really liked it. It's such an easy way to start a conversation with somebody you don't know. It's so natural when you're sitting next to them on a tram to start talking to them about something and it invariably leads to "what are you doing here, you have quite a weird accent!" just kidding, they didn't say that. It helped me to be able to look forward to going to Zagreb (because I will probably serve there before the end of my mission), already knowing that I like it. Also, at the end of the day we caught a little bus to our tram stop and a police officer checked us for tickets! And everyone had one except for me, because I didn't know better and Sis Nelson forgot to buy me one (because they have bus passes so they don't have to buy tickets), and actually Sister Dillender's ticket had expired! So he pulled us off and was talking to us and said he had to fine us 200 kuna! each! And then he let us off with a warning!!! It was a miracle. Sister Dillender said she has never seen the police officers let anyone get off without being ticketed. That was our miracle this week.
Thursday, zone conference was great, in Zagreb of course still. It was good to see everyone. We had that meeting and then afterwards there was a baptism! Two 9-year-old boys, their Mom is a recent convert, and so they got baptized and all the missionaries got to go to it. Actually on Wednesday Sister Nelson and I taught them a little lesson, so that was fun because then I actually knew who they were when I watched the baptism. They were really cute and the talks were SO GOOD! Two ladies gave talks for the program, one of them used a bucket of water and towels, she started with a blue towel and said that as we sin we have a dark burden that we sometimes don't know is there, and then we are baptized and we leave behind the burden in the waters of baptism, and then she pulled out a white towel, and talked about how then we're clean and white and stuff, and the two boys both like, jumped when she pulled out the white towel and after her talk they jumped up to look in the bucket, but she covered it -- it was a really good talk and I think the boys really understood the concept behind it. The second talk was on the Holy Ghost and the lady used radios to talk about being in-tune to the Spirit, the best part of that one was, that she said there are things that we all hear through prophets and church leaders, but when God wants to talk to us personally we have headphones! I thought that was really clever. It was the first baptism that I've seen on my mission so far, and it was really nice. We went home on the bus that night and it was so nice to be in Zadar again! And on my own bed!
Friday was good, Saturday was good. Sunday was nice, we actually got let in tracting by a really cute little family (couple and 2-year-old son) so that was a good start off to this week! Today we don't have any special plans or anything.
I am reading in the Book of Mormon at the end of 2 Nephi. Those are some GREAT chapters! I really liked in 2 Nephi 26:13, 24-28, 33 how often it says that God doesn't deny anyone who comes unto Him, and that He does everything that's the best for his children, they were really great verses. And then I read 2 Nephi 28, which talks about these last days (those prophecies are absolutely being fulfilled today! it's amazing to read things and be able to say, I definitely know people who are this way) and says "woe unto him who says he has enough of God's words and needs no more" a couple times and how we receive things line upon line, precept upon precept. It is really REALLY good! I recommend reading it. And I've read some ensigns, I stole one from the Sisters in Zagreb that's more recent, and we didn't have it here in Zadar, and that's fun to read. I can't remember what month it was or anything. So GOOD STUFF!
OK! That is it! I will send a few pictures, and I LOVE YOU!
Sister Laws
The first one is my first moments in Slovenia! We were inbetween check-in thingy places. I don't know how to describe it, because I'm really hungry right now. The second one is the mission home, my mission president (he's talking to the Croatian zone leaders) it's the best picture of the mission home, I didn't take enough while I was there! One fun thing was we got to raid the supplies closet, and I snagged a Croatian Our Heritage while I was there, which I will treasure for the rest of my life :) We didn't get one before or anything. And the last one is of the flower mom sent! it finally bloomed! (While we were gone, of course) Just so you all know and remember, Mom sent me this flower at the beginning of December. It's the middle of February! It didn't really start to grow until maybe the beginning of January, I put it in the sun (even though the box says to avoid direct sunlight) and it sprung up! It's funny how it needed just one thing and then it was ok. And it's funny that through all of that we didn't kill it :)
Love you again! Have a great week!
Sister Laws
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