Week 21~ Best Week Yet

Hey Fam,

I have been so anxious to write this email to you all, you have no idea!! So your probably wondering the reason for the subject line but you will have to wait till it comes to that day of the week.  I'm still doing that thing where I find one good thing a day for the week.

So on Monday we had that hike that I told you about last time.  Don't ask me why on the day that we don't have to walk around all day we chose too.... So that was fun we had THE young man go with us.  Emphasis on the because there is only one lol.  So that was fun but not really.....

On Tuesday we had a lesson with a man that the sisters contacted but they have to give all the men to us because it is easier than trying to find a member to go with them.  So hopefully we can start teaching him more regularly.  We have a lesson with him tonight so hopefully that works out good. 

Then on Wednesday.... for the first time ever, and in Croatian..... Elder Eric Massey.... asked someone a certain question..... that is so important to missionary work....and he said YES!  So let me fill in the blanks!  We met with our investigator Marko on Wednesday and Elder Lifferth and I had decided that Marko was ready for a baptismal commit because he responded so well to the ˝soft commit˝.  He was talking about how he always gets so nervous when he has to ask that question.  So I said, ˝shoot, tell me how to say it, I will!˝  So when we got to the lesson we asked him if he has prayed about the Book of Mormon and he said no.  So I thought we would just wait till the next time we met with him hoping that by then he would have prayed.  However, when it came to the planned times Elder Lifferth looked at me and just kinda stopped talking.  Under my breath I asked him if we were still doing it and he kinda kicked my foot.  So in my very best Croatian I asked Marko if he would, ˝Show Heavenly Father his faith and be baptized on the 18th of next month?˝  And he looked at me and said yes! I was so excited first of all because he understood me speak and second of all because he said YES.  So he still really has a lot to learn but he now knows that he needs to be baptized and has committed to do that.  Honestly we will probably be moving his date but we wont tell him that because i think that he will get the impression that the time is not important.  We definitely don't want to rush him but I want it to go fast enough for my own selfish reasons.  First of all I want to be there and it is cutting it close to the transfer and I could move and President also goes home at the end of the transfer and I want him to be here.  So we are working with him about 2-3 times a week and I made him a calender that has what we plan to teach and what he needs to read to be prepared for those lesson.  Then it ends with his baptismal date.  Also, we have a member baptizing their daughter this Saturday so hopefully he can come to that.  But I really am so excited!  This has been a real confidence and diligence booster.  I remember this guy from the first time he was contacted.  I didn't actually contact him.  It was Elder Warren when he was on an exchange but I remember that we were going through our phone and we accidentally deleted his number because we thought it was something different and so I thought it was just done and gone.  Well he called us the next morning and wanted to meet with us and get a Book of Mormon.  Shoot this guy is legit and I am so excited to be able to teach him.  So that, my family, is why this has been the best week yet. 

So I am doing great after that!  It really has helped me to see that the Lord is really preparing people even when it is hard to see sometimes. Like at 2 in the afternoon when you are walking around in the hot sun...... but ya. 

So we taught a few other lessons and had an exchange while people went up to a leadership meeting in Slovenia. 

So I have had a few questions about the branch here.  So the branch had about 30 people in it every week and it is an adventure to say the least.  There is a lot of part member families and a couple crazy people.  It is kind of hard because the things for us missionaries that ˝just are˝ because we grew up in the church is something that they don't have.  I answer questions that I have known the answer to for basically my whole life but they are just learning.  I believe if I remember right, every single person in the branch is a convert.  There is no one that grew up in the church.  The little girl that is being baptized is the only one that i know of that was baptized at age 8.  So that is kind of interesting.  It is not uncommon for fights to break out in Sunday School because people have different understandings of the gospel.  It usually ends up with someone asking the missionaries but we are told that we should have them figure it out so that we are not forced to say who is right and who is wrong.  So there is a lot of inactive and as in any ward or branch and there is about 30 people average on any given Sunday.  There is about 7 kids in primary and mostly sometimes more missionaries than members in gospel essentials.  We as missionaries don't go to any sort of ward council because there isn't one.  So I am actually working on getting that together with the branch president because I want to be more involved and get help from them but the other missionaries keep pushing it to the side.  So ya I love all the members even though the branch is a little dysfunctional. 

Well I am off to play some sand Volleyball but I love you all and thank you for all your love and support.  Hope you all have a good week.