Cute Christmas Tree!
Well...I guess the big news around here this week is transfers. After 7 months in Osijek it looks like they are finally ready to get rid of me. Yep, Im being transferred to Zadar. So Im staying in Croatia but Im going clear across the country to the coast. Im excited about it and I have heard great things about Zadar but I am a little sad to be leaving Osijek. I have been here for so long and will really miss the people and the area but I know that its time to go and that great things are in store in Zadar. Sister Frampton is staying in Osijek and Sister Peel is coming to be with her. And Elders are coming back to Osijek this transfer. Im sad to be leaving Sister Frampton because it has been just the 2 of us for 5 months. I am going to Zadar and will be with Sister Maxwell. She is actually a mini missionary from Vegas. I went on an exchange with her a few months ago in Banja Luka. She is great and I am excited to go serve with her!
Along with that we have had a crazy week! Monday night for Family Home Evening we went to E and J's. We watched the Joseph Smith movie with them and they loved it! E told us that she has heard the story many times but has never seen the film and she liked it. Even D put down the iPad and watched it with us. It ended up being really good! D is so funny! He told us that when we arent there he is constantly asking his mom when the missionaries are going to come over...and she said yes he does! He also said we are their best guests. Then he said "Volim misionarke volim vjeru i volim crkvu"...I love the Sister Missionaries, I love faith, and I love the church! I think he would LOVE church. We just cant get his mom to commit to come to church so he doesnt come either. But we are getting closer. When we left he and J even rode the elevator down with us and walked us out of the building...which they never do!
Tuesday...we read with B and then had District Meeting. After District Meeting we didnt have a ton of time before our next thing but I had a feeling we needed to go out and try to find one of the members that we got her address from her dad last week. So we went and she was home! She was very surprised to see us and said she hasnt seen or heard from missionaries in years. She invited us inside and her dad was actually there too! We found our primary! She has 6 kids...which you rarely see here! They are all under the age of 10 so it is kind of a mad house and we got there right as she was putting the kids down for a nap. So we just stayed for a few minutes and got to know her a little bit but we asked her if it was ok for us to come back. She said she would love to have us back and told us a better time to come. It was short and sweet but she was home and we found her!
Tuesday night we had English. We were learning family terms and the lesson said to play a game similar to do you love your neighbor but it is I love my family and you say I love everyone who is a sister and they stand up and trade places. Well...I decided to try it to see how it went. Needless to say they didnt really understand it. Sister Preston and I were cracking up the entire time. Someone would say I love everyone who is a sister and then a man would be left standing in the circle. Or we would say I love everyone who has parents and no one would move. It was hysterical. Dont worry...we reviewed family terms and they know them now!
Wednesday...we went out to M's parents and did Family History with them. While we were there M actually called from Germany so we got to talk to him for a few minutes which was good! Last Monday (like 2 weeks ago from today) we were out contacting and met a boy named J. Well we had tried calling him and it wasnt working. We then realized that the phone number we had was missing a number. So we used process of elimination and figured out what the number was and called and talked to him. He was so nice and so excited to hear from us! He said that he has been reading the Book of Mormon and likes it a lot and wants to meet with us! It was a miracle that we were able to figure out what his number was!
Then Wednesday night we went to V's. The Prestons came with us for part of it to talk to her and it ended up being good. She is very opinionated and never stops talking. By the end of it we are both drained...but she is letting us into her house so it is good! This time we read some scriptures with her and one of the scriptures that we had decided we needed to share with her was the scripture that she read at her Baptism because she loves it!
Thursday...we did a lot of walking. We always do a lot of walking but for some reason Thursday seemed like a lot more than usual. We first went and checked on some potentials. We then had some time and werent sure what to do and Sister Frampton had a feeling we should go check on an inactive member named J. She is one that we found where she lives a few weeks ago and had gone out there and she told us she didnt have time. So we went back hoping that she would at least be home. We got there and right as we did she was pulling up on her bike. She didnt want to talk to us but now we know...before it was just an I dont have time but come back. But now we know that she isnt ready right now. but at least we have her information for in the future when she is ready. The miracle is that she was home. We have been in Osijek for so long that even clear out on the outskirts of Osijek we see people that we know. We have people all over Osijek that recognize us anywhere we go...sometimes they will talk to us...sometimes they wont! We then went to R's which went good. His Mom is a chatter box and I ended up talking to her for most of the time but we were able to talk to R about his baptism and about his mission. Us going is helping him to bring back these memories. While we were there he played Nearer My God to Thee on the guitar and Sister Frampton sang. It was beautiful and brought the Spirit. If anything our meetings with him are helping him to feel the Spirit which is what is going to help him have the desire to come back to church. We then had English again Thursday night.
Friday morning we got the transfer calls. We spent the whole morning in nervous suspense waiting for it. I really thought that I would be in Osijek for another transfer so I was a little shocked to find out I am leaving but it will be good and I am excited for a change! We did weekly planning Friday because we decided to wait until after we knew what was going on for transfers so that we knew what to plan for.
We then went tracting. A cute older couple let us in. They had met with missionaries before. They are Catholic but like to hear about other religions. They were totally willing to let us talk to them about the church and the Book of Mormon but they let us know that they have no desire to change...maybe another day.
Friday night we had Aktivnost. We had our Branch Christmas Party and it turned out great! We did the Christmas story and the kids acted it out. We had everyone bring a treat to share and then we played Christmas Bingo. I actually ended up sitting at the piano most of the night with some of the members singing the 6 Croatian Christmas songs that we have over and over! But I loved it!
Kids doing the Nativity at the Christmas party
Saturday was a go go go day. The Prestons were actually gone on Saturday so we started out the morning cleaning the church. We then did YW with A. Since the Prestons were gone we cant be alone with her at the church so we took her to Petar Pan and got ice cream and did YW there which ended up being great!
We then went to V's house. They had invited us over for lunch. V's cousin was there and while I was talking to M, Sister Frampton gave her the first lesson. Poor M cried when we told her I was leaving...it broke my heart! But our time at their house ended up being good. Her family is so nice and so welcoming!
V's Dad in a traditional Croatian dance outfit
We then went to D's. We had a good lesson with them and they actually gave me the address of her sister who lives in Zadar. Her sister isnt Atheist so maybe she will be easier to reach with the Gospel than D. D listens but has a hard time accepting it.
Then we went to N and V's. We had planned on reviewing baptismal interview questions with him but when we got there they were both in a bad mood so we decided that wasnt a good idea. So instead we read a chapter in the Book of Mormon with them and talked to N about the importance of attending church.
Sunday...church was good. I had another one man show. I played the piano, translated for Sister Frampton and spoke. My topic was based on Elder Kevin S. Hamiltons talk from this last conference about continually holding fast to the end. And...I was really impressed with myself because I decided that I wasnt going to write my talk out word for word and was just going to do a list of bullet points. I did and made it through! I gave a 20 minute talk, in Croatian, with just a list of bullet points!
We then had Sunday School...the Sunday school teacher had forgot to prepare a lesson. We had prepared a lesson for Primary so told Elder Preston that we could give that and he said go for it. The lesson talked about Enos. So we talked about prayer and feeling the Holy Ghost and how we receive answers to our prayers. For being a Primary Lesson it actually turned out really good!
We went tracting and then the Prestons had invited us over for dinner so we went and ate there. After dinner we had an appointment scheduled with P's friend but when we got to P's house he said that she was sick and couldnt come so we could just have a lesson with him. So we quickly called the Prestons and had them come so that we could teach him. We practiced teaching about the Book of Mormon and Restoration with him and it went really well!
The Prestons took us to the Elders apartment so that we could turn the heat on for the Elders that are coming this week. They said they had been there earlier but couldnt figure out how to turn it on...so I went and pushed the power button and the heat turned on...MAGIC! We then went to R's with the Prestons and sang Christmas songs with her...I will miss doing that!
Its been a good week this week! Its going to be another good but crazy week this week! This week we were talking to V and she was talking to us about how there are letters in Croatian that are hard for non Croatians to say. I said ya, I have a hard time rolling my Rs. And she said you do Ive never noticed it! HAPPY DAY! I have been speaking Croatian with her for months now and she couldnt notice I dont roll my rs. Dont get me wrong, I still cant roll them I can just cover it up now so that it sounds like I can do it! It made my day to hear that!
Packing - does this look familiar?
I have loved the last 7 months that I have been able to spend in Osijek. Although the results werent exactly what I thought they would be changes have been made here. I have seen people Come Unto Christ...maybe there havent been any baptisms but I have seen changes in members. We have gotten in contact with so many inactive members who havent been in contact with the church and we have been planting seeds all over the place with all the people that we come in contact with every day. I love Osijek and I love the people here! I will miss it here but I am excited for the things that I have ahead of me in Zadar! I love this gospel and I am so glad that I am able to share it with others and help them to realize the blessings that it brings! As hard as this Christmas season is away from home I am so glad that I have been able to spend it focusing only on the true meaning of Christmas. This month we have been encouraging the members to read the Christmas story in Luke 2. I have done this myself and the Spirit that is felt while reading that story is amazing! I am so grateful for the Birth of our Savior and for everything that he has done for me and for all of us.
I hope that you all have a great week! Volim vas do mjeseca i natrag!
Love you all lots and lots and lots!
Sestra Clark
Shoutouts!
Thanks for the emails...Lex, Grandpa, Carrie, Mom, Dad
Sretan Rođendan Amanda!
Thanks for the Christmas card Tyson...K maybe you didnt send it to me but Dad did but I could obviously tell it was from you...I hope you survive this next month at home without your college social life! Sretno!
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