Week 34

Hey Fam,

So I know that I usually start an email with, ˝So this week hasn't been to bad˝.  However, this week has been great!!  It was filled with lots of work, service, transfer calls, and a baptism!! So I will start from the beginning, a very good place to start.

So Tuesday was a normal work day but just lots of errands trying to get things organized for the baptism and a big service project that we have been planning.  So we got lots of things done, no worries I will be sending lots of pictures home! So we did that ran errands, had an emergency transfer for a kid who went home.  So blah blah nothing to special.

After trying to bribe our AP's to tell us where we would be transferred we got our transfer calls on Wednesday.  We tried to give them homemade hamburgers with chips and root beer even, you know a good American meal.  So I got my call that night with what I thought was a pretty good idea of where I was going.  Us as missionaries always try to figure out where everyone will be just for a little fun.  I had been joking with Pres. Rowe about it all week.  So I was completely wrong on almost all of them.  I will be going to ZADAR!!  I will be serving with Elder Truman.  I lived with him when we had the four of us in that one apartment at the beginning of my mission.  So I am so excited!!  It is rumored to be the most B-E-A-utiful city that us as missionaries can serve in.  I am so pumped.  Going to the coast baby!

So the fun starts on Friday when we made cards to pass out at our service project.  So I know that I haven't mentioned this before but we planned a free car wash for a service project.  So we went and made some business type cards to pass out that just let them know that it was the church doing this and just to say thanks for coming.  So when we were in the process of designing those and printing and what not we basically ˝contacted˝ the graphic designer helping us.  He started asking us questions and we had a great experience with him and got to talk a lot about the church.  It is always so much nicer when other people ask you.  I feel like that way it is non threatening and they are actually interested.  I have a hard time with the whole stop someone on the street thing.  So he was super nice made us some super sweet cards to pass out and it was fun to meet him.

So then comes Saturday the day of the car wash service project and the baptism.  This was a crazy day but oh so fun!  So how this whole car wash thing works is that we have a free car wash at the church and while the car is being washed the people go and tour the church.  The members do a great job at that!  So honestly it was kind of a flop haha.  We were there for about 4 hours and probably washed like 5 cars.  But it was so fun!  We had a water fight, waved some people down with car wash signs, and had the news paper come do an article.  Since Westie is in this city we had a great time together.  Like I said I will be sending a camera card home soon!

So then after the car wash we had to hurry and get everything ready for the baptism.  That was fun too.  I love being busy with things that are worth while not just walking around in the heat all day.  Ok ok I know that can be a worth while activity but I like to be doing things like this more.  It makes me feel more accomplished.  So we had to make some food, make the church look good (inside and out), and fill up the font.  So we got everything in order but the water was a little cold.  I guess the water heater was broken or something.  It was all good, not to cold.  So Dajana showed up we took lots of pictures and put on our white clothes.  Then we took more pictures.  She was a little nervous and the water was a little to cold for her but she did good.  I memorized what to say in Croatian in one week and didn't even mess up.  It was such a great experience for both of us.  I was so happy for the opportunity to be able to help her on this journey back to her Father in Heaven.  She was so happy and said thank you over and over again.  It made me so happy to see her so happy.  I know that she will be a great member! However, some may be thinking this is kinda serious business for such a young kid as myself.

So yes this week was awesome! I can't wait to get to Zadar.  I will have so many good opportunities there and lots of cool pictures too!!

Well I have to go get my hairs cut!  I hope this week's email was a little happier for you all.  Sorry about last week just wasn't feeling it.  I hate when that happens on P-day then you all worry.  No worries it's all good in the hood.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!

Week 33

Hey Fam,

So this week wasn't too bad. 

So guess who is going to baptize someone this Saturday??  Oh that's right me.  She ˝officially˝ asked me on Saturday and I was so happy.  Other than that honestly we didn't do much this week. 

I wasn't feeling well this Wednesday and it was so hot so we worked a little then i went home and threw up but then i was ok.  I am having a hard time eating just because i don't actually know.  I just got bored with the breakfast food, which consists of the nasty milk and corn flakes.  So i just kinda don't eat and it makes me real hungry so i am looking for other things to eat.  for now it is just a peach and yogurt for most of the time.  But i will get over it. 

Other than that we are just waiting for transfer calls..... I just need to get a real good change going on! I want to go to a diff city with a diff comp in a diff mission in a diff country..... ok just kidding but the comp and city thing is legit. 

Honestly it has just been hot and i had a hard time getting out the apartment.  But it will be a good change/motivator this next transfer. 

I love you all and hope your all doing well. 

Week 32

Hey Fam,

So this week has been pretty good.  I have emailing on Tuesday this week because yesterday was a Holiday here so everything, like the library, was shut down.  They have a bunch of holidays that are kinda stupid, at least I feel like that.  But when it is a holiday here everything is closed and no one is home or on the streets.  I don't know how that is possible but it is and it really just fowls things us.  But luckily it was Pday so we didn't have to try and find some people to talk to.  But we did go play basketball and that was super fun and some sand volleyball.  That was super fun too!  We invited some friends over that we met here and then also some of our investigators.  It was so fun but I got a little sun burnt because we were outside all day long. 

So I'm sorry but i don't really have any good stories for you.  My life really is kinda boring.  We do in fact do the same thing everyday, and we wear the same thing everyday.  We are going to have transfers in a couple of weeks like 2 i think.  I am excited for that.  

So Marijana and Dajana are progressing pretty good.  We have decided move Dajana's date from this Saturday to next Saturday.  We just feel that there are a few more things that she needs to be taught and some principles of the gospel that she needs to grasp before she can become a good member.  It is really hard for me to push it back because i want to see it happen.  I will see it happen even if it on the 27 but i am just so excited.  I feel that it is pretty rare in this mission for someone to be able to see their investigator come full circle.  However, because i have been here for so long i have been able to see Dajana, as well as Marijana, progress to where they are now.  I have come to realize that I need to not think of Dajana being baptized as my blessing.  This, in the end, will do nothing for me except give me some moral boost.  For Dajana, she is one step closer to our Heavenly Father, she is one step closer to salvation.  I have to put all this excitement aside and realize that i need to do what is best for her and that is wait a little.  I also asked her to start thinking about who she wants to baptize her.  She at first said that she doesn't care and that she doesn't want one for thing to worry about.  She asked who could do it and I started listing people in the branch that can.  Then she asked if I could.  I told her that I can but does she want me to.  She said yes.  So as happy as I am that she asked me too I want to make sure she really means it. 

Marijana on the other hand.  I dont know how long she will take.  She said she wants to finish the Book of Mormon first.  Which is fine, but she didnt hardly read any last week.  So I don't know what she is doing....

So we finally got a hold of Marko.  He said that he has been working a lot.  I dont know how true that is but we are supposed to meet on Thursday.  So i hope that works out.  He kinda went of the radar for awhile.  I hope everything is ok. 

As for me, well im doing alright.  This language is just really hard.  I'm just saying.  I still can talk to people I just dont like not being able to saying exactly what I want to.  Some of the things i want to say just dont mean the same thing.  It is really killing my wit and sarcasm.  Making a serious man out of me, i dont know how i feel about that!  Some have asked how I am feeling lately also... tired.  All the time I feel so tired.  I just want to sit down all the time, sometimes it just makes me really ornery.  I feel like i eat the same thing every day too.  I just need to get some mix up going on.  I am feeling a little to routine for my liking.  I did buy some peaches and nectarines at the store that were so good but they had fruit flies on them in the store.  I know that you can just put them in the fridge and all of them will die, but having worked at Lins I know that is not acceptable geez. 

I also noticed something interesting this week.  A lot of people that live here dont like it here.  I thought people were just being nice when one of the first questions they asked was how do you like it here.  Well I asked a Croat why they do that and they told me that it usually means that they dont like it here so they want to know if foreigners do.  oh how sad!

If Ryan is not reading this tell him to read it and reply to it! I know i wasnt the best but i would love to hear from him.  So with all his work and such he moved up north right? So adam is the lone ranger at home? Sounds fun.  Did i understand right that he is going on a business trip back to africa???  Sounds like everything is going alright for him. 

Well i think that is about it.  Hope you all have a great week and know that I love you all!!

Week 31

Hey Fam,


Well it sounds like the week has just been so fun with Ry coming home and all.  I cant say I am to surprised to hear he is a little weird lol.  Just compare to before, worse or better..... But it sounds like you all had a good time and that he is just figuring it all out.  Did you get the talk recorded?  I mostly just want to hear him talk lol.

So this week was not to bad.  We taught the twins once and went and visited an inactive and also went out to 2 members houses and had lunch both times. 

So we taught Marijana and Dajana this week and that was good.  They decided they wanted to see what the Internet thought of us so they went on and found the typical crazy stuff say about us.  But the next lesson we had a member who is really great and knows his stuff so he pretty much did the smack down for us and they took it and well idk but they know what it true now and can believe it if they want.  They also went to Osijek to see Elder Warren before he left.  I don't know how illegal that is for missionaries but they still went to church there.  He got to talk to they and see how they were doing.  I am glad he got to because they are his friends and he has really helped them a lot.  Marijana still doesn't know if she wants to be baptized but Dajana is still good.  I hope that for any reason she doesn't change her mind.  I know that it has been really hard for them.  They are getting a lot of guff for leaving the Catholic church.  They really are amazing seekers of truth. 

Marko... oh Marko.... He has never canceled on us previous to last week now he has canceled 4 times in a row.  I don't know what to do.  i thought he was doing so good.  I really like him, even if I cant understand him and he cant understand me.  So I don't know what we are going to do.  I am kind of at a loss if I cant even get him to meet with us. 

So the first member we went and saw we just moved a piano for him and mowed his lawn.  Not that he cant mow it but he wanted us to come out.  Then we cooked corn together.  It is kind of a summer thing they do.  basically you just shuck it they put it on some coals for a while.  It isn't to bad.  a little weird but not to bad. 

the other member we went to his house and he taught us how to make punina paprika (stuffed peppers).  They aren't like stuffed peppers back home but they are still way good.  He is so funny he calls us his little angels.  he loves the missionaries and feeds us whenever we want.  and we love going to his house cause he is funny and just fun to be with. 

Well that is about it but i hope you all have a great week and i hope Ryan can spare a min to write me!

Love you all!  Elder Massey

Week 30

Hey Fam,

Well this week has been really good.  I think I am coming up on really adjusting to the mission life.  I feel like some of that is learning to just suck it up and some it learning how much our Heavenly Father loves us and really is mindful of all of us.  So learning new things and applying them has really made the mission so much better.  When I realize that many of the things we do are for others the drive to do them increases and all the while I learn things that bless my life as well.  I am really learning just so much!

This week it was so great to hear from all of you and your adventures but unlike Jeffy my response isn't, ˝Well I'm in Croatia!˝, it's more like, ˝AWE I miss my family and I want a pizza party with them.˝  No worries this is just a thought not a mindset.  Hearing of Ryan coming home does make me a little trunky but most of all I just miss Ryan.  I want to hear all about my mission and see him when he is still in the spirit of it all.  On second thought maybe it will be good so I can see him when he is a little more ˝normal˝.  I hope that he adjusts well.  It sounds like he really has it all planned out.  I was a little shocked when I read his request for no big groups.  Alrighty then.... whatev.  Just because you all know I will want who ever wants to come, there so I can just talk for hours on end haha. 

This week was busy, which is maybe the reason it was so good.  I have always kind of liked being ˝busy˝, but most of all busy with worth while things.  And when I am busy as a missionary I love it.  We had people cancel and things and that was a little sad but we found other things that needed to be done. 

We were able to teach the brother and sister who just got baptized.  I really love teaching them.  It is so interesting to see how when they know the church is true and how much happiness it can bring, they just hunger to learn more, they absorb everything that you tell them with such willingness and joy.  I love to see their faces light up as we talk about the gospel.  I just cant express how much I love teaching them.  And they are young so it is easier for me to talk to them.  It is also a great chance to practice my Croatian.  Maja likes to correct me and last lesson I only made 3 mistakes.  That could be a high percentage according to how much I talked but I won't bore you with the details..... Just know that I only had 3 mistakes.  We taught them at their house and they made us homemade pizza which was so good!  The mom, who is now the only member of the family who is not a member, came in quietly and listened.  I think that now that her children, as well as her husband are members she is interested in what this is all about.  We had a branch activity on Friday and she came only with the rest of the family and the dad was so happy to tell everyone that his whole family was there.  It is so great to see the happiness the gospel brings to families.

We didn't get a chance to meet with Marko this week.  I am kind of worried about him.  Maybe because I haven't seen him in awhile.  Last time he was taught we were on an exchange, so I haven't seen him for like 2 weeks.  We had a lesson planned and we had a member come and then he canceled.  So we rescheduled for a couple days later and I think he just forgot.  He hasn't come to church the past two weeks either.  I think the lesson with a member there would have really helped him.  I don't know what to tell him anymore really.  He says he reads and prays everyday but still hasn't received an answer about the Book of Mormon.  We taught him about faith, what an answer might feel like, actions he needs to do, and I don't know what the hold up is.  So hopefully member on a lesson take 2 will work out this week. 

We were also able to teach the twins this week.  When I say ˝the twins˝ I refer to Marijana and Daijana.  They are so awesome.  I love teaching them.  They are the honest seekers of truth.  They are willing to do whatever we ask them in an effort to find the real truth.  Their deep family roots in the catholic church as well as personal beliefs may have them a little confused about some thing but as I see their true intent and honest desire to do what is right I know they will one day be great members who know and actively use the pattern the Lord has set forth to know what is right.  Daijana still is going to be baptized on the 20th and we are still working with Marijana.  They came to the activity on Friday night and talked to Pres. Rowe for quite some time.  They are doing well.  I am excited to see Marijana also progress to a level where she can be baptized. 

Other than that we have had lots of rain here.  It usually just pours in the morning but usually clears us by the time studying are done and doesn't hinder our work, just makes for a very humid day. 

Tell Ryan how much I love him! I hope you all have a great week and have fun with Ryan.  Maybe papa Lance needs to sit him down and break him back into the real world and make sure he can still get a date. 

I love you all and hope your doing good.  Love you all very much!!