Fun with family

Zadar missionaries

We spent a few days in Zadar because the senior couple (the Devers) went on the temple trip to Switzerland.  Elder Dever is the Branch President and  asked EK if he could take over on Sunday while he was gone. So we stayed in their apartment and attended Sacrament Meeting.  We were able to spend p-day with the elders and to say hi to Elder Pantelakis who served with us in Karlovac.  Zadar is a beautiful city, one of our favorites.  We took a walk in Old Town and as we neared the sea organ, we noticed a cruise ship docked nearby.  Two women from Norway saw the elders and thought (with their white shirts and ties) that they worked on board.  We visited with them for a little while and they laughed when they realized their mistake.  We also saw a strange sight on the water passing us by.  It looked like a submarine, and all I could think of was Ringo singing Yellow Submarine.  Of course it stayed in my head all day long.  My brain works that way.  We had some lunch and headed back to the apartment.  We were able to attend district meeting with the elders.  District Meeting is a weekly meeting for missionaries that usually include the senior couple.  It includes planning for the week, instruction and lessons, language review, and goal setting.  We ended up attending three district meetings during the week - Karlovac, Zadar, and Varadžin.  That could be a record, it is for us.

Sailing on the Adriatic Sea

Kate & Gav

We came back to Karlovac and got ready for Kate & Gavin's visit.  They started their trip in Venice, and after a few days headed to Slovenia where we picked them up. We were able to take them to church in Karlovac on Sunday.  It was fun to introduce them to all of our friends.  We spent the next week taking them to Slunj, Plitvicka Park, Dubrovnik, Zadar where we sailed the Adriatic, Pula with the ancient Roman ruins, Split, a castle in Slovenia, and many other sweet little towns along the way. The first three days were brutally hot, and then it cooled off toward the end of the week. The hotel choices were a big hit and I would recommend them highly.  Zadar- Hotel Bastion, Dubrovnik- Hotel Lero, and in Pula- Hotel Oasi.  I have to say the schedule was prettyi ntense, we saw a lot of amazing sites in just a few days, and we did a pretty good job keeping up with those youngsters!  EK and I were tired by the end of the day and had no trouble falling asleep.  It was fun spending time with family and it was hard saying goodbye.  We dropped them off in  Slovenia where they flew out the next day.  It was nice having a little vacation, but now it's time to get back to work.

Pula

Karlovac District

We met the missionaries for district meeting and headed out to Varadžin for a Self Reliance Workshop on Saturday night.  We stayed the night and attended church on Sunday.  A new member of only 5 months gave a talk on pure love. It was a beautiful talk with a powerful message.  He said, "What is the most liked from the first moment I entered our church?  The pure love of Jesus Christ, the most sacred and only love of our Savior warmed my tired heart and that will remain forever."  end quote The message Z gave was simple, yet profound.  The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple enough to understand, for all who will listen.  We are grateful that we listened to those young missionaries who knocked on our door over forty years ago.  Our lives and the lives of our children have been richly blessed.  Another young man in his 20's who was baptized in January blessed the bread.  Although you don't hear D speak many words, he sat at the sacrament table and recited the prayer flawlessly.  The Varadžin Branch is very special, and we are blessed to be able to spend time with them.


The word of the week: obitelj (o bee tel) which means family

Bunny In a Bag

Bunny and family

We took Sisters Rusick and Bushong to Plitvika jezera Lakes National Park a couple of weeks ago.  As we walked the trail we ended up behind a cute little curly headed girl with her daddy. (can you tell I'm missing my unuci?)  As I looked closer I noticed something sticking out of his backpack.  I can imagine hearing this little darling tell her daddy not to forget Bunny.  Notice he didn't stuff him in and zip up the pack.  He made sure he could breathe and positioned him so he could see the beautiful view, as well.  How sweet is that!  I thought this was a cute story to share in honor of all the fathers who have loved like this daddy obviously  loves his little girl.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day!

Mangeris, Pantelakis, Rusick, Bushong

We had to say goodbye to Elders Mangeris and Pantelakis, and Sisters Rusick and Bushong last week.  They were transferred to different areas of the mission.  The good news is when transfers occur and missionaries move,  others will come to replace them.  We now have Elders Lewis and Graham, and Sisters Barnes and Elmore and we are excited to work with them.  I will include their picture in the next posting.  The sister missionaries and I did our service for the Jak kao Jakov Foundation at their workshop. We are regulars on Wednesday nights and look forward to meeting with the other workers. This time we painted boxes which they (experienced workers) will decoupage designs on. We do a lot of painting because it's not too technical and it's difficult to mess up!  We get the easy jobs but have been reminded more than once by Jakov's mother that all jobs are important and necessary for success. Jakov is a young man who died of cancer a few years ago and his mother started this organization.  The crafts are sold and the proceeds benefit families who have children with cancer.  It is a well organized operation and run by a very capable and dedicated young mother who by helping other families, is also providing a lasting tribute to her young son.  

Karlovac Relief Society

We had a District Women's Conference which included all the women church members in Croatia.  To avoid having to travel the distance to Zagreb, the Church provides us with state-of-the-art equipment so that we are able to broadcast such meetings over the internet.  The congregations are wide spread so this is a blessing for the members to be able to view the meetings in their home units.  EK had to attend in Zagreb and I opted to stay in Karlovac and have the women over for dinner before the broadcast for a women's night.  Milena Sarapa brought her two children and I found it especially entertaining that Mihael insisted on holding his trusty pistol for the picture.  It appears that he is protecting his women folk.  After dinner we all walked over to the church and watched the broadcast.  

The Raić's

President Raić's son Luka was blessed last Sunday during our worship service.  The naming and blessing of a baby is the church's method of creating a record for the child.  It also provides an opportunity for a father to publicly pronounce a blessing upon his child.  President Raić was overcome with emotion and it was a beautiful experience to witness.  I was once again reminded of the many opportunities that the Lord provides us to be actively involved in our children's spiritual growth and development.  We took pictures afterwards and baby Luka was the center of attention.  Bless his sweet little heart!                      

Word of the week:  blagoslov (blog oh slove) which means blessing
                                blagoslovi means blessings

Spring in the Mission

Spring has sprung in the Mission, and it is beautiful!  We traveled to Celje so EK could train a new Branch President.  It was our first time in this quaint little Slovenian town.  We especially loved the drive as the road wound along a beautiful river for miles.  We stopped a few times for pictures, but that in itself was tricky as the road was narrow with limited places to pull off.  When a truck came along, you held your breath for a moment in hopes you didn't lose your rearview mirror.   Every time we get on a road like this, we think of Gavin & Kate and how much fun they would have in their little yellow Miata.

After we were done with training we took a drive through the mountains with the Porters, the senior couple in Celje.  If you ever come to eastern Europe, you really need to put Slovenia on your list.  It is a beautiful country with much to see.  We took our time and got out to breathe in the fresh mountain air, and see the flowers covering the mountainside.

When we got back from senior conference in Sarajevo,  we continued to prepare for the  concert with Paul Cardall and David Archuleta which was held on May 13th at the Ljubljana Opera House.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teamed up with the Slovenian Heart Foundation to put on this amazing event.  It was the Foundation's 25th Anniversary Charity Concert with the proceeds going to the families of children who suffer from heart illnesses.  The missionaries were able to meet with Paul and David the morning of the concert at the church building where they spoke to us and performed a few songs.

 We then had a Fireside with David at the Zagreb Chapel on Sunday evening with a lovely reception afterwards.  Chefs Without Borders catered delicious and eye-pleasing  h'ordeurves to all who attended.

Chefs Without Borders Team

 They are also affiliated with the Heart Foundation and we are proud to team up with them whenever we have the opportunity.  On Tuesday, when we thought this whirlwind week was winding down, we got a call from President Grant.  The Grants had taken David and his manager Kari to Pula for some sightseeing.   David asked if there was anywhere along the way where they could stop and meet more members of the Church.  Since Karlovac was on their way back, they decided to stop in our town.  We were getting ready for our English Conversation Group, and decided he should come and talk to our class.  It was an intimate gathering of about 20 people. He spoke with each person individually, answered a few questions, and then sang a few songs for us.  He is such a down to earth, nice young man and has a amazing way of remembering people's names.  He was able to recall the names of the missionaries he had met the previous week.  

We had a baptism in Karlovac.  Rajko Aidinović was baptized on May 7th with many Branch members in attendance.  We have a portable font which was set up in the hallway.  It was a beautiful baptism with refreshments afterwards.

Snejžana made an amazing cake for Rajko and there were other goodies to enjoy.  It has been a blessing to witness Rajko's progress as he embraces the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  There have been many members of the Branch who have participated in assisting the missionaries in teaching him each week.  He is a wonderful addition to our small Branch and we love him.

EK's jump shot

The 2nd Annual Krešimir Ćosić Adriatic North Mission Basketball Tournament took place on May 21st.  Krešimir played basketball for BYU in the '70's and was the first member of the Church in Croatia.  He was a remarkable man and his story is worth reading about here:
http://ldsmag.com/article-1-12138/  There were four teams from three different countries: Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia.  The fourth team was made up of senior missionaries and guess who made the cut?  Yep,  EK was on the  "Dream Team" and he was excited to play!  They did a great job, even winning one of the games, but I'm sure there was a lot of Advil taken that evening.

The final event of the month was a Singles Conference we attended in Beograd, Serbia.  We had a dozen people attend and being a one day conference, was a smaller version of the one we had in March in Zagreb. Many of these people did not go to the  Zagreb Conference because they need a passport to enter Croatia and it's quite expensive.  Many cannot afford the extra expense,  so the committee along with President Grant's approval,  decided to take the conference to them!  We had two workshops taught by President Lotric and Br. Mhailevic.  We participated in a service project where we went to a park to pick up trash, and also to serve food to refugees.  When we returned to the Church, we watched the movie 17 Miracles with Br. Vasica speaking to us afterwards.  We ended the conference with a dance which included President and Sister Lotric heading up fun activities including the limbo and chicken dance. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast Inn in Sremska Mitrovica which is about an hour from Beograd,  and headed home after attending church there on Sunday morning. The Branch members provided a wonderful lunch after church and we felt their love as we said our goodbyes.  What a sweet, sweet Branch.  Then off we went to Karlovac, our home away from home.

The word of the week is:  torta which means cake.

Sarajevo

Old Town Bazaar

In the Adriatic North Mission we attend two senior conferences a year.  Our first one was last October when we went to Dubrovnik. We were new to the mission and still getting adjusted to our new home.  Senior Conferences are a time when we are instructed by our Mission President, are able to reconnect with other senior couples that we don't often see, to report on our various responsibilities, and to take a break from our busy schedules. The conference in May was planned to take place in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.  We decided to go a little early so we would have time to do some sightseeing.

The road from Sarajevo to our hotel snaked its way up a mountain high above lush valleys until we arrived at the Hotel Pino which was nestled amid majestic pines.  The 1984 Winter Olympics were held in Sarajevo, and the hotel was located at the top part of the bobsled run.

Dinner at a Bosnian restaurant

We put on our walking shoes, and headed to Old Town.  The Old Town District is made up of narrow winding streets and medieval type bazaars. There is always time for a little shopping... The weather was rainy but we were prepared with our kišobrans. The corner where Gavrilo Principe shot the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in 1914 is marked by plaques and a small museum.  It is a fascinating story and you can read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand_of_Austria
In the center of Old Town, there is a square where hundreds of pigeons gather waiting for a handout.  Sister Ostergaard and I stood amid the frenzy of our feathered friends as they competed for the corn we had.  It didn't bother me too much except when one landed on my head.  I was worried about what he was doing up there.  Luckily, we came away unscathed from the experience.

The bird lady

A group went to see the Sarajevo Tunnel, or Tunnel of Hope.  During the war in the 1990's, the people dug a secret tunnel below the airport which enabled them to bring in supplies from outside the city.  The far end of the tunnel was concealed in the house of the Kolar family.  It took six months to complete, using pick axes and shovels.  From July 1993 until the end of the siege in late February 1996, the Sarajevo Tunnel was the only connection Sarajevo had with the outside world.  I'm glad we were able to come early so we could see and learn about this resilient city's history.

At the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque

We also were able to tour the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, the largest historical mosque in Bosnia and the oldest mosque in the Balkins, originally built in 1531.  As we entered the courtyard, there was a sign that said the women should cover their heads. With a guide, we were able to go inside and see the beautiful decorative paintings and prayer rugs covering the floor.  It is an amazing experience to hear the call to prayer which is heard several times a day throughout the city. You can listen to it here:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mssgHBsQMd4 

We all got on a bus to travel to the site where the country of Bosnia was dedicated to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  After we had climbed a few hundred steps (I may be exaggerating a bit) we came upon a beautiful view, overlooking  the city of Sarajevo. President Grant read the dedicatory

Dedication site

prayer to us and we listened to the blessings offered by a modern day Apostle, Russell M. Nelson.  

On Thursday evening, we had a guest speaker from Sarajevo share with us the history of Sarajevo, and the local customs and traditions. The hour long discussion held everyone's attention and we came away with better understanding of the country and it's culture.

We had a spiritual feast as our Mission Presidency taught us on Friday morning.   We ended our conference with a testimony meeting.  We heard the heartfelt testimonies of many of our fellow senior missionaries.  Once again we were reminded of the great priviledge it is to serve with such exceptional people. Then off we went to Karlovac, our home away from home.  We are refreshed, renewed, and ready to get back to work!

Word of the week:  zahvalan (zah val lan) which means grateful
EK and I are grateful for this opportunity to be able to visit these countries while we are on our mission, as they are rich in history and culture.

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Baseball in Croatia

Batter up!

It's baseball season in Croatia.  Karlovac has a semi-pro team in the European league.  They have won the championship in the past, so we were excited to check them out.  One of the pitchers on the team is from America and is here for the season. Hopefully, we can meet him at a future game.  We went to a game last weekend at the neighboring park.  The opposing team was from Slovakia. We're not sure who won because we didn't stay for the entire game.  I love watching baseball but why does it have to last so long?  Next time we will be prepared with snacks, sunscreen, and a cushion to sit on.

Sisters Bushong, Rusick, Higgens, Martineau

We had exciting news this week.  We found out that one of our sisters who went home early due to illness, is coming back!  Yes, and the best part is she is coming to Karlovac.  Sister Rusick landed in Zagreb on Friday morning and the Grants drove her to Karlovac Friday afternoon.  She is healthy, looking great, and ready to get back to work,. We are happy to have her back.  That means that we will have four sister missionaries for a week.  Sister Higgens and Sister Martineau will go to Rijeka and Sister Rusick and Sister Bushong will stay here.

Happy Birthday E. Mangeris!

Karlovac District (plus two)

 Everyone came over for dinner Friday night to celebrate Elder Mangeris' birthday and to welcome back  Sister Rusick.  He turned 20 on Sunday and we were in Rijeka for Branch Conference.  He has been here for several months, and we know the day is coming when he will be transferred.  We love these missionaries. His companion Elder Pantelakis has fit right in, and they are both amazing with the language.  We had a nice dinner and instead of birthday cake, we had strawberry shortcake for dessert. (with candles of course) The strawberries came from Italy.

Chestnut tree in bloom

 When we arrived in Croatia last October, we noticed numerous roasted chestnut stands on the streets. Which means there are a lot of chestnut trees. It is the first time I've had roasted chestnuts.  They taste like a hard cooked potato and are quite bland. The chestnut trees are now in full bloom, and the blossoms are spectacular!

We are gearing up for the David Archuleta Fireside in Zagreb on May 15th, and working on getting the word out.  He is famous in America, but not everyone knows him here in Croatia.  We would like to fill up the chapel, so publicity is important.  We have several capable people working on posters, Facebook pages, and pass along cards. We are enjoying being a part of the planning committee.

Welcoming committee

 Dinner w/ Petersons & Grahovac's

We visited Rijeka this weekend for Branch Conference.  We stayed at the Hotel Jadran.  When we arrived, this little guy was there to welcome us as we got out of the car. We went out to dinner with the Peterson's and the Grahovac's.  The Peterson's have a week left on their mission and will head home to Utah to plant their garden and hug a grandchild or two... The Grahovac's are taking their place. They come from Germany, but were both born in Croatia. They raised their family in Germany and here they are, back in their homeland. They are fluent in both Croatian and German, and I know the people will be blessed by them being here.  We are happy when we hear of new senior missionaries coming out.  EK said had he known how amazing serving a senior mission is, he would have retired five years earlier!

We headed back to Karlovac on Sunday and will have Zone Conference on Monday.  I'm looking forward to spending a Sunday in Karlovac.  I feel like we haven't been in our home branch in weeks.  We have a baptism next Saturday.  Rajko has attended different churches in the area, looking for the truth.  He saw the sister missionaries and asked them about the Mormon Church.  They have taught him for several weeks, and he has committed to being baptized.  We are excited to welcome him into our branch.  As he learns more about the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the light in his eyes grows brighter, and we are blessed to be a part of it.  Being converts ourselves, it brings back many sweet memories of our conversion.  It seems so long ago that the missionaries knocked on our door in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  The decision we made to be baptized, is one that has blessed us in so many ways, and has allowed us to be here to serve the people in Croatia.  God loves all of His children and wants them to return to Him.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ allows that, if we strive to follow Him.

The word of the week:  Stretan Rođendan (stre tan Ro jen dan) which means Happy Birthday!

Transfer Week

We love you, Elder Poore!

Elders Mangeris and Pantelakis

This week was transfer week, which means missionaries sometimes move to new areas.   Our two sisters went home this week, after  serving for 18 months.  We said farewell to Sister Washburn and Sister Peterson and wished them well.  They will be forever blessed for their service and this mission will be better for the work they have done.  We also had to say goodbye to Elder Poore who is being transferred to Podgorica which is in Montenegro.  He is excited at the opportunity to train a new missionary and be a District Leader.  He is our Minnesota Elder and we plan on seeing him again after our mission.  We are blessed to meet many amazing people both young and not so young on this mission.  He was replaced by Elder Pantelakis, an experienced missionary who had been serving in Beograd, Serbia.

Proud Papa

Dušan and EK

We went to the hospital last week, to meet the newest member of our Branch.  President and Sister Raić had their baby and he is beautiful!  His name is Luka and his parents are very happy!  We took dinner over to them tonight (and to get another look at the precious bundle).  They have waited a long time for this little blessing.

We travelled to Zadar last weekend and stopped to see Dušan in Koranica, which is about half way between Karlovac and Zadar.  He always gives us a warm welcome and his sweet wife provides us with refreshments.  Many times when you visit people in Croatia, you are served sok (juice) and sweets.  Sometimes they will serve a meal.  They are gracious hosts and sharing their food with you is a must.  Since Dušan only speaks a little English, we were able to practice our limited Hrvatski with him.  It was good for us, as it forces us to concentrate on the language.  I was on the sidelines hurriedly looking up words in my dictionary.  It worked out quite well and the time went all too quickly before we had to leave.  We said our goodbyes and hopefully we can see him again in July, maybe with Kate and Gavin.

Mario and EK

Catch of the day

In Zadar, we stayed at our favorite hotel and was greeted by our favorite desk clerk Mario.  He always makes us feel like we are excelling in our language skills and we know he is just being kind.  We love being near the water, and we walked around Old Town and saw the Roman ruins, the Sea Organ, and walked across the bridge to the marina so EK could take a look at the sailboats.  It was a lovely walk and as we were near a park we heard accordian music and cheering.  A wedding party was making their way through the park and walking towards the marina.  I got a few pictures of the happy group, and the bride even gave me a wave.  We had dinner with the Dever's (senior couple serving in Zadar), and took a ride along the beautiful coast.  We attended church the next day with the Zadar Branch.  We taught a combined adult class.  There are always challenges when you are trying to teach and it has to be interpreted into another language.  You may have a thought that comes to mind and as you are expressing it, you have to remember to pause and give the interpreter a chance to speak.  It doesn't flow as you would like it to. Sometimes you will forget and keep going, and then you look over and see a panicked look on your interpreter's face.  Then you know you need to slow down.

English class

We taught English class alone on Tuesday because the sister missionaries were in Zagreb , and the Elders were busy teaching a Bosnian family on Skype who are living in Switzerland.  The family lives in a French speaking part of Switzerland, and since they do not know French, the missionaries there cannot teach them, so they requested missionaries from here to teach them in their native language, Bosnian.  Our Croatian missionaries were able to teach them because the two languages are very similar.  Isn't technology amazing?

Word of the week is:  riba (ree ba) which means fish

Spring in Karlovac

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the trees are leafing, and the weather is gorgeous.. It is interesting because we hear from the locals that they think it's too hot for this time of year.  We think it is a perfect 23 C which is about 70 degrees back home.  We are also told to be prepared as the

Croatian riding lawn mower.

summers here are hot and humid.  We have air conditioning in our living room, but not in the bedroom.  Good thing we have two comfortable couches right under the air conditioner!  As we walk around Karlovac, we see the magnolia's blooming, and flowers everywhere.  EK planted some onion sets last week and I planted my flower boxes.  Last summer I saw beautiful trailing geraniums throughout the city in window boxes.   We found some flower plants at  Pevec and Ivana had some planters on the deck that we were able to use.  I also have a poinsettia from Christmas that is flourishing outside on the patio.  I have a green thumb in Croatia!

General Conference was this last weekend, and we watched most of it at the church.  We brought our tablets with earphones so we could listen to it in English. We stayed up Sunday night to watch the Sunday afternoon session at home. (several time zones away) We love General Conference weekend, as it is a time that we can listen to inspiring counsel and instruction from our church leaders.  When we prepare ourselves, we undoubtedly hear messages that seem to be just for us.  We are looking forward to our Liahona (Ensign) magazine next month, which includes all of the talks given at Conference.
https://www.lds.org/?lang=eng

Fresh eggs for our omelet

 One of EK's friends from English class told him about some back stretching exercises he should try. As I watched him demonstrate a few I told him to be careful as he was pulling himself up from a lying position.  It looked like he could strain his back.  I asked him where Toma had found these exercises and EK said, "Well, he thought of them on his own".   I reminded him that Toma is NOT a doctor and I am NOT his mother.  What can I do with this companion of mine?  If you have any suggestions, please comment below...

We are heading to Zadar this weekend, and will be able to see Elder and Sister Dever. They are the senior couple serving there and will be going home in July.  Sister Dever is an excellent cook, and I've tried out some of her recipes.  I started a mission cookbook, and I'm adding recipes from some of the senior couples.  There are quite a few good cooks here in the mission, including the Mission President's wife.  I have quite a collection of recipes and it continues to grow, thanks to their willingness to share.

Transfer announcements are tomorrow, and the actual transfers will take place next week.  We know that we will lose one of our Elders.  We love them both, so it will be hard either way.  Sister Higgens has arrived in Karlovac.  We have two sisters going home next week, so for now they are a threesome.  We all went bowling on P-day at a new bowling alley in Old Centar.  Bowling is different here.  The pins are on strings, so when the ball hits, they tend to flop over rather that fly around.  After your ball is thrown,  it's funny to see the pins being picked up and dangling on strings in the air, until the ones that were left are set back down.

We went to visit Anto Antolovič last week.  The Elders gave a lesson and then he showed us his fruit trees and garden.  He lives about 20 kilometers from Karlovac, and does not have a car.  The bus does not

Fields of flowers.

run on Sundays, so he is unable to come to church.  We are working on some creative solutions that may allow him to get in to Karlovac on Saturday, stay the night and go to church the next day before getting a ride home on Sunday afternoon.  That will have to be addressed in Branch Council.  He would be a great asset to our Branch!

The word of the week is:  proljeće (pro lee eh tsay) which means spring.  Don't forget to roll your "r".