Well...here goes writing another letter. Hopefully I can answer the questions you have and tell you about the other exciting things that happened this week. This week was another crazy busy week. But it was good. I already told you about last pday so I will skip right to Tuesday.
Tuesday...Every Tuesday the senior couple reads from the Book of Mormon with B (the older man that has been investigating for years but wont get baptized) and they usually have us come read with them to help translate. Anyway...Tuesday we were reading about the commandments and why we have commandments and talking about how if we keep the commandments we can have happiness for eternity. We asked him what he thought the commandments were and he started listing off the ten commandments. My companion then asked him if he thought baptism was a commandment. He paused for a minute and answered "No, but God is love.". Me and my companion both looked at each other really confused by what he was trying to say so we asked him again. His response again was "God is love". We came to the conclusion that he didnt realize why we have baptism and that it is a commandment and that if we want to have happiness for eternity we have to be baptized. So we assigned him a few chapters to read about baptism and this week we are going to talk about it in hopes that we can get him to realize what baptism really is.
On Wednesday we went to the hospital to visit a member that was in the hospital. Croatian hospitals are a lot different. Each area of the hospital is a different building and there is no master list of where patients are. So if you dont know exactly where someone is then you have to wander from building to building to try to find them. We knew what she was there for so we went and asked someone where she would be. They told us exactly where she would be. So we went there...but she wasnt there. However, another member of the branch that we didnt know was in the hospital was there so we were able to visit with her for a few minutes and then we were able to get directions and find the other member too!
Thursday we had scheduled to spend an hour or so in the morning cleaning our old apartment with Sister P. On the way Sister M started feeling light headed and dizzy. So we took it slow to the apartment and once we got there she slept the whole time while Sister P and I cleaned. It was disgusting but we got it finished. Sister P told us that we were to go home and let Sister M sleep for the rest of the night and cancel all of our appointments. But we got home and felt like we should still go to our appointments. So we decided to say a prayer and both felt strongly that we were supposed to go about our appointments for the rest of the night. So we did. And Sister M did just fine. I made sure she was drinking a lot of water and we just took it slow and walked in the shade as much as possible. We dont think she had completely recovered form Sunday. But she is doing a lot better now. I had several people ask me in emails...yes I am drinking plenty of water. I always have a water bottle on me and I drink a lot. I probably still drink more than Sister M even though she has been dehydrated and I have been fine. I have started to let her worry about herself because every time I would remind her to drink water or bring a water bottle with her she would get mad at me. So if she passes out from dehydration again it wont be my fault because I have tried. :)
Friday we had zone conference. We decided to take the bus to zone conference with the Elders so that we could do some language practice on the way. So we had to catch the bus at 7 for a 4 hour bus ride to Beograd. It actually wasnt that bad of a ride. Zone conference was really good. They talked a lot about resolving concerns and we did a lot of practicing. President Rowe talked about finding in the Lords way rather than our way and gave us a list of things that had scriptures that are some ways we can know that we are finding in the Lords Way. He really is great. He knows exactly how to teach in a way that we can understand and learn. Because my birthday was last month I got to have my birthday celebrated at Zone Conference along with a few other missionaries. What they do for birthdays is they have a two minute timer and you have to stand up for 2 minutes while everyone gives you complements. It was really awkward...1. because we all know how much I love being the center of attention and 2. I dont know most of the other missionaries besides the ones in my district very well and they dont know me either. But I survived it. We rode home with the Prestons because they wanted to stop and visit a member on the way home. She wasnt home though and what was supposed to be a 3 hour trip turned into a 6 hour trip. It was awful.
Saturday morning we went to the dog shelter. We know how much I love dogs. And then we had a lesson with D. I think I have mentioned her before. She is an atheist. We taught her the first lesson even though she has heard it before. We felt like it went really well. But after she told us that she thinks its great that we belive it but she doesnt see how it is different from any other religion. She also said that she doesnt ever see herself changing and becoming religious because what she has now works just fine for her. It was a little bit disappointing.
We really need to find more investigators to teach but we are having a really hard time with it. Everyone we talk to is either not interested or they seem really interested but when we go back they arent interested anymore.
Sunday for church we watched the world wide mission broadcast in Croatian. After church we went to a mans house (D- he isnt a member but comes to church every week, its a long story) because it was his birthday yesterday and he invited us over. He made a cream pie type thing that was pretty good. His Mom had also made some cookie bar things. Elder M took a bite of one first and pulled a really funny face. Which made me really nervous to try it but I couldnt not eat it so I took a bite. And there was something really hard in it. It was a cherry bar cookie thing. It was good. But the cherry pits were still in it. We didnt really know what to do. So we awkwardly ate it while trying to pick out the cherry pits. It was an interesting experience.
After we had a meeting with V and S. They have been investigating the church for over a year but this is the first time I have met with them because they are really hard to set up appointments with. He is Catholic and she is atheist. And they are both really nice! We had a really good lesson with them. They were asking us a lot of questions and we were asking them questions to make sure they were understanding. We could feel the Spirit and after we got S (who is atheist) to pray! We were really happy about it! She also said that she would pray about the Book of Mormon. I really hope that she does and that she does it with the attitude that she can recieve an answer rather than that she wont recieve an answer.
This week was a good week. We have transfers in a week and find out what will be happening on Friday. I am terrified. I honestly could not tell you what is going to happen. Sometimes I feel like I will be staying in Osijek and sometimes I feel like I will be going somewhere else. I honestly will be ok with whatever happens I would just really like to know. I just hope Im not training. I barely know what I am doing for myself let alone having to teach someone else. But we will see. There are 7 Sisters coming out from the MTC so its kind of a lot. I wouldnt be surprised to see a few new areas opened to sisters. There are a few areas that only have Elders in them right now. Especially with the addition of Montenegro to our mission...I personally dont think Sisters will go there yet but I could be wrong. So we will see what happens. I know that it is all through inspiration so I will be in the area where I am supposed to be with the companion that I am supposed to be with.
The language is still coming. I am improving and getting better every day and thats all that I can ask for. I would like to just all of the sudden be fluent but I know that that wont happen...I have to work for it. So thats what I am trying to do.
I hope that you all have a great week! I love being a missionary and I love it here in Osijek. I am learning so much about myself and about the Gospel. There is no place that I would rather be right now and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to serve here. I really do love it here!
Volim vas!
Sestra Clark
Shoutouts!
Emails- Carrie, Lex, Ryan, allie, Dad, Tyler, Grandpa, Mom, Heidi
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