Friday, March 25, 2011

Week 12

Well it was nice to hear from everyone.  I have so many stories this week.  I must say it has been so fun.  We have met some really cool people and some are just straight up crazy.

So, I know your all just dying to hear about our crazy investigator.  Well he has hit rock bottom.  We called him to see if our lesson was still on for that afternoon and he didn't answer.  Then he texted us and said ˝I CAN'T COME!˝  Um ok.... So then Elder Warren called him a little later to see if everything was ok and he told us that he wouldn't be able to meet with us for a couple of months.  He said that he was going to the hospital.  So, I don't know which personality choose this but I hope this is resolved soon.  That is terrible of me to say but he really was just a weirdy.  Whenever we taught him I got a headache because he smokes so much.  So, ya that's done with..... However, I did get my first phone number, in English, but still I'll take what I can get.  Well and he did approach me first but, hey let's not down play this anymore.  His name is Mark and he and his friends wanted to learn what we were all about.  One of his friends Vlatko has read that Bible 7 times. I wasn't very excited when I heard that because I thought that this lesson would just be him wanted to fight.  When we met with them it wasn't to bad.  He did just want proof about everything from the Bible but we just told him we wanted to let him know what we believed.  So he was kinda a tard but it went alright.  We gave them all a Book of Mormon and asked them to read.  They said that would but shoot who knows.  So we do not have any progressing investigators which makes for a lot of finding time. 

So about that smoking thing that I was talking about with Domagoy (the crazy).  EVERYONE smokes here.  You see like 12 years old walking around smoking.  It is crazy.  That means there is cigarette butts everywhere.  It is so gross.  So I figure I have smoked about 10 packs of ciggs via second hand smoke.  I can now tell the difference between a good brand and a bad one.  Domagoy did not smoke good ones! 

So I know this may be a little unusual for missionaries but I love tracting.  The element of surprise just really gets me.  You never know what is behind the next door and it's just such an adventure!  So I'm just loving this, we out tracting, I'm looking like a tard doing missionary work and we are having a good laugh.  So every door has a different Croatian name on it so I work on my accent by saying them.  Usually I say, ˝No worries vrata (insert name) Bog te voli!˝  That means no worries door, whatever, God loves you!  So then someone actually answered the door.  And it was a very attractive young girl.  She heard me speaking English and starting speaking English! No wait, it gets better.  She invites us in.  My first time getting let in.  She has friends over, and a guy was there, no worries, they are all getting ready to go to a concert.  So, were just sitting there talking away and they just happen to ask if we date.  One of them asks if we have girlfriends, or boyfriends which ever and we start laughing.  she says what he looks like he could have a boyfriend and points at me.... ok what the heck! I haven't even said anything at this point! She says I dress well and have a nice ˝approach˝.  Ya nice cover chick.  Not to worry I got a picture with them and we cheered, i had soda water no worries, to the fact that they were the first house i had been in.  it was way fun and very memorable.

Oh so this week has been kinda cold but not to worry i tried my first gelado this week!  now elder warren says its not as good because it's winter and we aren't on the coast but i thought it was quite delightful.  it had real fruit and it is just a lot smoother than ice cream. 

So another funny story.  we were on the way to the church via tram, basically like the tracs in salt lake (dad, that is how we get around most) and i am going through some words i am trying to learn and some lady out of no where starts talking to me in terrible English.  she shakes me hand and asks where i am from.  well we talk for a little and she shakes me hand like at least 5 more times and them it clicks..... ok crap she is just high as a kite right now.  she is talking like a million miles an hour and tells me she is a ˝hyperactive girl˝ and introduces her best friend who is a ˝hyperactive boy˝..... alrighty then.  she proceeds to tell me she can dance like shakira and lets go of her handle on the tram and almost falls over.  she is falling all over people while trying to dance and its is just the funniest thing ever.  shoot dang.  i had to get off at the next stop just to contain myself. 

we have also started teaching english class and that is fun.  these people absolutely idolize us and i love it.  it makes me feel like i have something to offer these people.  they use their very best english to talk to me and it is just terrible.  but just like me they are trying and i understand, that's all that matters. 

i think that is about all for this week.  Thanks so much for all the emails and ya its great to hear from everyone.  Love You!

Elder Massey

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Week 11

Hey Fam!

Ok so I must admit that this week is looking up.  We have gotten more into the swing of things and I have talked to more people.  I probably only say that because I have been speaking a lot of English.  It’s hard for me to focus on learning Croatian when I know I can just speak English.  Everyone here speaks it.  However, when people hear you speak English then speak Croatian they go nuts.  They think it's so crazy that anyone, especially from America, who speaks English, want to learn Croatian. 

So, I went tracting for the first time this week and I actually like it quite well.  We have been handing out English flyers a lot this week and I don't really like doing that because it makes me feel dumb or something I can't really put my finger on it, I just don't like it lol.  We have taught 2 lessons but like I said being ˝whitewashed˝ into the area makes it hard to find people or really know what’s going on.  We taught the same guy twice.  So apparently it is a valid concern to wonder if people are crazy, well we got a crazy.  They said he is a diagnosed schizophrenic.  I’m not even kidding you right now this is freaking ligit.  I guess he is on meds so you can't really tell..  So I joke that we don't know how many people we are teaching but they all have the same body.  So on our numbers chart I put we are teaching two people lol.  ya I’m the funniest person I know.  So other than that we don't have any lessons.  However, while we were passing out English flyers we were contacting people.  it's so funny because they learn English in school so because lots of people speak English when you hand them a flyer they are like ˝znam engleski˝ and I’m just like ya bull crap lets talk right now.  they i cant freaking understand them because they dont really know it.  so im just going off in English and the pretend they know it.... its so funny.  love it so much.  makes me feel good about myself really. 

So, when we were tracting we got kicked out of a building and i thought it was so funny but elder warren was like freaking out.  i don't understand but i still got the most of it and i was just like whateves.  so i was just like hey we going to just go down a floor and keep going cause this building was like 14 stories so ya.  but we didn't, we straight up left and went and ate.  he was so pissed off and i was just laughing.  i was disconnected from it all because i didn't really get what he was saying so i just didn't care but he was all worked up.  awwww the blessing of not understanding people lol. 

so elder warren and i are moving soon.  well just as soon and the zone leaders find an apartment because the four of us are not supposed to really be in that apartment, so ya that will be an adventure.  we are still freaking cleaning this apartment from the last elders.  it's a joke and a half for sure.  im going nuts in the place.  so every pday from comp study we clean.  something im actually good at! so idk when that will be but cha. 

so we were in center, which is just this big  square where lots of shops and it's the main hub for lots of trams are.  so ya we were in center and we heard these people yelling and music and stuff and a freaking rally came out of this side road.  they are like hating on the government or something but i guess it happens every other day and they have a scheduled path they walk.  its was nuts.  they place was freaking going crazy and there was cops every where.  so like good missionaries we pulled out our cameras and documented it.  however i didnt have mine so we'll have to catch another. 

so i thought of jeffy when i heard this next part.  today we are going to play ulitmate frisbee with our district and the zone leaders invited some people that they are teaching.  one of them is on the croatian national ultimate frisbee team.  i just remember jeffy loved frisbee so ya. 


oh ya i saw these people on the street playing a guitar and a violin so i played a little something something and they thought it was amazing.  thats just how us americans role.  president also said that if i want i can have my violin sent to me.  so idk how much that cost or whatev but if yall could figure that out and let me know if you are going to or what then ya.  idk how you would go about doing something like that but some kid had his trumpet sent to him.  just let me know.  if its to expensive then its all good. 

i have to go but i love you all and THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your prayers.  i have really felt them and appreciate you all so much. 

Mom, anyone who wants to can email me but i have to send a letter back to them.  so ya just give them my ldsmail email.  my apartment address is

degenova 6
zagreb 10000

thats all i know i dont know how to mail stuff or what.  maybe you can figure it out.  that is the address thought.  the mission address is

elder eric massey
melekova ulica 3
1211 Ljubljana-smartno
slovenia

dobro je=its all good

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Week 10 ~ From Zagreb Croatia

Hey Fam,

HOLY CRAP!!!!  This is so crazy, I don’t even know how to freakin type on this keyboard cause it’s all messed up! I thought it would be nice to come talk to my family but I can’t even do that these days.   So if you see a Z where there is supposed to be a Y its because they are switched.... oh think that’s annoying try not being able to understand anyone.  This is the most frustrating thing I have ever done and probably the most frustrating thing I will ever do!  Seriously, talk about being humbled.  If you think your smart come to a foreign country and try to talk to them. 

So my first area is Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.  My companion/ trainer is Elder Warren.  Everyone who is here now got ˝whitewashed˝ into the area meaning none of us have been here before.  So that is a little frustrating.  but I would rather just take it all at once.  I went tracting for my first time last night.... ya what a joke.  Sorry this sounds so negative this week has freakin kicked my trash.  I cant say enough how frustrating this is.  Satan knows its frustrating too because he reminds me continually how easy it would be to just give up.  But every time I look at someone I just can’t help but think how the gospel could help them, to bad I can’t share it with them.....

My companion says he remembers how it was his first transfer and I just say ok, now keep remembering that.   We are in an apartment with two other missionaries and they are fun but its a small apartment and its not supposed to be like this but I don’t know I just work here....

So other than last night I haven’t been tracting.  We have been handing out flyers for English class because I guess we teach English class and it is a good finding tool.  Besides that it is very cold so people don’t exactly like standing in the cold talking to us.  We ride the tram every where basically it’s like the tracks in salt lake and we contact on that sometimes.  well my companion does cause I don’t know how to talk

It’s cool to be in Europe.  I think its just like being in the US except I can’t understand anyone, and no Wal mart.  But Zagreb is the most advanced city.  They have a Nike store Adidas, Ecco store, Lacoste, DC, Volcom.  They basically want to be like us, basically lol.  all the buildings are really cool and they have statues every where.  in ˝center˝ the center of town and where most every tram comes and goes too its like a low scale time square.  Like really low scale but ya. i am taking lost of pictures.  Today we are going bowling with some other elders cause well its pday.  oh and no dryers.... so yea for krusty krust clothes for 2 years. 

well idk what else yall want to hear I’m healthy and alive.   I love you all thanks for all your love and support. 

till next week!  Love Elder Massey

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

He Made It!

We got an email this morning from Elder Massey letting us know that he made it to the Mission Home in Slovenia!! 

We got to talk to him briefly yesterday from the airport and he sounded GREAT but a tad nervous as well!!  As soon as we get an email from him (I assume next week) I'll post it! 
He sent me another memory card this week too! Here are a few pictures for now...
The 4 Elders who headed to Croatia...
Elder Chandler, Elder Bridge, Elder West and Elder Massey with the Croatian flag
 Companions, Elder West and Massey

Thanks for all  your support, I know it means a ton to Elder Massey!!  It's so crazy to think he's on the other side of the world right now!!  Strange... Ü