11 travnja 2011

DEAREST FAMILY
How is everyone doing?
This week (and today) I've been sick, so I miss my mommy :( That's the thing consuming my mind, because my neck is KILLING me right now, and I just want this bug to be OVER.
I'll try to focus by starting on last Monday.

Monday: We had a meeting with our mission president and wife, it was really nice, and I bought a new book. It's called "Priče iz davnine" and my first transfer here we asked our English students who were the good Croatian authors, and they recommended this book. Well, the elders found it at the "mall" here, and so I went and bought it. It's a compilation of traditional Croatian stories for kids! It's going to be so great! Though, not that I've read it, but I'm going to guess that I'll be sitting by my dictionary a lot when I do go to read it. I'm excited.

Tuesday: Some young boys yelled from across the street at us "ovce! ovce!" which means sheep, and we're guessing that it means they were calling us sheep in the same way that you use it in english, meaning that we're mindless followers of something, and it was so funny because it was like... we're in the minority here! you're the ones who live in majority Catholicism and were baptized when you were babies and got dragged through the receiving the Holy ghost thing and will get married in the church for no reason. It was actually kinda funny. It seems like I've been telling a lot of persecution stories, don't worry, we don't get persecuted that much. It actually seems like the last couple of weeks we've gotten a little more, that's why I have these stories. I thought it was funny.

Wednesday: had english classes, learned a little bit of spanish, went to service. Normal day.

Thursday: We had some errands to run for Sister Dillender's visa, she's renewing it. And so we started the day off early, went to the police station, and the lady at the counter is one of our english students! It was so cool and REALLY good because I guess we were a little late coming in (well, actually a lot late, our bad, we were waiting for the apartment contract and they told us that we should have just come in without it) and she waived the fine for us! Phew! That was a BLESSING!

Friday: same as Wednesday. basically exactly the same.

Saturday: The weather has been doing so well that we wore sandals! For the first time this year. Woohoo! We haven't had a day quite as good as Saturday since, so it's back to regular shoes, but I'm exciting to start wearing my sandals all the time. This is also the day that Sister Dillender started feeling sick. So we were out and about until about 5, and then came home and took naps, I wrote my talk, and we chatted etc. But by the time I was going to bed, I was getting cold chills, body aches, and my stomach was churning. It's not throw-up, just so you know. Use your imagination. Anyway, slept horrible that night.
Woke up Sunday morning and for some strange feeling FELT like throwing up, but it passed really fast. I took medicine, and I was feeling just fine. And I had a talk, so we had to go. And the medicine lasted all through the talk and I sat down and started feeling sick again. Another really BIG BLESSING. Woohoo!

My talk was on "the power to act" -- it went well. My favorite scriptures that I read from it was Alma 24:18 (when I started reading it I thought, what does this have to do with being industrious? That's the topic I had found it under in the topical guide) and so it's the LAST part that I liked. Something about not spending days in idleness. And then I liked D&C 42:42. Something about the lazy person shall not eat the food of the laborer.
I know that all the answers are in the scriptures, and I knew that before this talk, too, but seriously, ALL answers are in the scriptures. It is amazing.
So at the end of sacrament meeting we said goodbye to everyone and hit the road. Went back home, stopped at a little corner shop and bought coke, powerade, fruit tea, and couped up inside the rest of the day. I caught up on my scripture reading (I have plans to read the whole standard works on my mission. And I got behind because my personal studies were spent on my talk) kinda, we wrote in our journals, sat out on the porch in the beautiful weather playing MASH and talking, and just "enjoyed" being sick. Which is not enjoyable at all.
I slept better last night, but... we called the mission president's wife this morning (she's in charge of our physical welfare and GREAT at it) and we made sure that Sister Dillender's unlabeled medicine was what we wanted to take, and I think that it's working, but right now my neck is sore. It was yesterday, too. So I need to buy some water and take some ibuprofen. That's the worst part I think, because I feel like I can't move my head and it just really sucks. I don't mean to complain, but it sucks.
I was glad to read your emails and hear from you!
Sounds like Jude's bday is going to be a bash. You all know what I'm going to be doing to celebrate it! Russian ballet! Woohoo! It was 80 kuna, which is like literally 16 dollars!!!! That's dirt cheap. It will be "Labuđe jezero" which means Swan Lake. It is SO exciting! And yes, Mom, we went together to Nutcracker once. I remember being bored, but that was probably because I was 10. Third grade sometime.

I'm sorry to hear that Olivia has another glioma. Poppy! I'll pray for her as often as I remember.
I'm glad Grandma wants to live again. That's cool that she's doing well enough to stay at home and drive herself to cards, or whatever it was. That's definite improvement!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDE! I almost forgot to even say it.

Love you all tons and tons and tons!
Have fun!
Give all the little kiddies hugs and kisses from their Auntie Keeshie!
Sister Laws