memory #?

Okay I don't know what memory this is. Some of you are asking how can you not know. Well, one I haven't looked at my blog for a long time (2 years), I have been emailing my blog posts by my missionary email. So I don't know what memory it is, if you want to know just take the number from the last one and add 1 to it. It isn't that hard a 1st grader can do it.

Okay, back to the memory. This one is first and only Christmas that I had in the mission field. (I did have two Christmases on my mission, but one was in the MTC.) So my first and only Christmas was in Zadar, Croatia. If you have kept in touch with me you would have known that I spent part of my mission in Croatia and not in Serbia. Well, for this Christmas I first went to some of the members and had a short Christmas lesson with them. After that we had district meeting, had phone calls to the family, and while waiting for that we made banana bread. I will say this. It is one of the Christmases that I will remember the most. I didn't receive anything that day (it came about 2 months latter, stupid postal service in post-communist countries), but I did get to see Christmas in the true spirit as it should be. Helping out with those in need and talking with those that you love. I shouldn't limit this just to Christmas day, but to the Christmas season. During the Christmas season my companion and I helped deliver food to those that where helpless and couldn't leave their homes. That was always a good feeling when we were done.

That is my memory for the week. Holidays on a mission are very different from those at home with the family. Don't think that your well be different when you go on your mission.

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Memory #5

I think that I am on memory #5. I am not sure. Everything seems to me as a bler.This week has been so fast that I just think that everyday has been the same almost. That is one reason why love Sundays. It gives me a day that I know for sure what day it is. I would say p-day, but that is after Sunday, and I didn't have this memory on a p-day.

One Sunday (when I was in Novi Sad) I was trying to play the piano. Most of you know that I can't play, but a few hymns. Well, one of my companions (was the Branch President at the time) was having a interview with one of the members. He had asked for a blessing at the end of the interview. My companion asked if he could use my oil that I had. So I gave the oil over. The first counselor was the one that was going to be placing the oil on the guys head. (something that my church does when we give blessings to the sick. don't worry it is in the bible) Well, he didn't had never given a blessing before. He started off with placing his hands on the shoulders of the member. He then said the beginning of the blessing, however, he had not put the oil on until the middle of the blessing. When he did put the oil on his head he dumped the whole thing of oil on the guys head. (talk about greesy) Tp add on top of that it wasn't just the whole thing, he put it on in a shape of a cross. That was funny. When my companion handed the vilel over to me it felt a little empty. I opened it and tried to poor out more oil. EMPTY. My companion then told me the story.

Don't worry the blessing was done again the right way.

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memory #4

Well, we are on memory number four. I think that this memory was when I first had to stay inside because it was unsafe outside. It was the 10 year anneversiary for the bombing of Serbia by NATO. We cooked a lot of food for we had to stay in for about 4 days. To be honest I got really tired of being in. Not much of a memory. That is about it. Have fun.

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Memory #3

Memory #3 is going back into time from #2. It was my first experience in Serbia that I had with the police. It was the very first day that I had ever seen Serbia. My companions (I say companions for I was trained in a three-some. weird isn't it?) and I were on a train heading to my area. My mission president had dropped me and another missionary off in Belgrade. I meet my companions there. So back to the story. We were on the train when two cops came over to us. They started to ask for my papers. (I not know the language yet didn't understand) I was like what is going on. One of my companions had me get out my passport. The cop took it and started to look at it. The other cop started to ask questions like why we were there. Then, the cop that was looking at my passport pulls out his flash light to look at my passport. I don't know why for the train had the lights on. It isn't like he is going to see any black light marks on it either with a regular flash light. It was a really funny experience. That night was one of the few nights that I got home late on my mission. Don't worry I had permission to get home late every time from the mission pres. or my zone leaders. I got home at about 1-2 in the morning that day. Luckily my mission president let us sleep in 1 hour. Well that is about it for this memory

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Event #2

Okay, event #2 happened in Novi Sad as well. My companion and I were invited over to a house that belonged to two of our English class students. They invited us over, and when we got there they hadn't had breakfast. It was the first time for a long time that I had eggs and bacon. I hadn't had that since the MTC and this was was right before I got put into Sremska Mitrovica. It was great. I wouldn't say that this was a very spiritual experience, but I have made friend with their family because of that. If their daughter gets big with her band then I can say that I know her. She is well on her way too. I just think that if they can brake out of Serbia that they will hit it big. Back to the event. We had a very good talk about the gospel and a few other things, but it was them that helped me to learn that Serbians were great people. Most of you know that I have always said that I love the people here. It was this event that made it even stronger than it was before. There have only been a few other events that had the same effect on me. I can honestly say that I love Serbian now. Sure they can be stubborn, but they can also be some of the nicest people I have meet. I don't think that there are many people that will let you in (not knowing who you are) and just give you cake and juice to drink. They also love to talk. I think that I have heard more life stories from them than I will ever hear again on my mission.

My last thing to say to all of those that are going on a mission. Love the people. Want to get to know them. If you don't want to get to know them, then they don't want to listen or get to know you. The work will be a lot better if you get to know the people individually and as a whole. That is it for this week.

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