Hello from Bosnia‏

Well...I finally made it to Bosnia this week! I will give more info on that later. I will first start with my last few days in Zadar.

 

Monday...we had a fun Pday hanging out with all of the members. We made pizza and just hung out at the church. Monday night we went to L's to have a lesson with her and to say goodbye. It was sad to say goodbye to her. We talked to her more about the Book of Mormon and how she feels when she reads it. She still struggles to understand exactly what it means to apply what she learns. After L we didnt have much time so we went back to our apartment so that I could start packing because we knew we had a crazy couple of days.

 

Tuesday we started off the morning going back and forth from the MUP and the health center so that I could get deregistered. It took a lot more time than we wanted to but it is finished. We then had District Meeting. We had a good district meeting except for the fact that Elder Peterson went off on an hour lecture about the Plan of Salvation. It was really interesting just not the time or the place for it...but he wouldnt stop. So that was pretty much our District Meeting. After District Meeting we had the last piano lesson with B...unfortunately neither of the Sisters that are in Zadar now play the piano so they wont be able to keep teaching her piano. We had English after. We taught about adjective word order which was something that they actually had a hard time with so we could actually teach them something.  Then Tuesday night we went to have a Family night lesson with Z and her kids. We ended up doing it outside and the kids brought some of their friends. We talked about families with them and had them draw pictures of their families and then talked about the importance of families.

 

Wednesday morning I got as much packing as I could in advance done and then we had some time to go out contacting. We then went and met with A. We talked to her about her baptism and the feelings that she had then and how she can experience those feelings again...through coming to church, etc. We then went to the church and took a lunch break. Sister Rowe had told us that there was a video of Krešimir Ćosić that she wanted us to watch. It is on byutv.org and is titled an off court story (or something like that...if you type in Yugoslavia in the search box it comes up). Anyway...it was really cool to watch and hear about the early startings of the church and just to learn more about Krešimir.

 

Wednesday night we had German class and then we had FHE. It was a good FHE and we had a really good turnout which I was really happy about since it was my last time seeing everyone. The Elders taught the lesson and talked about the Commandments and how they help us. We then made cookies. We had two teams. One team had commandments (a recipe) and the other team did not. Obviously the team with the recipe actually made cookies...the other team ended up with something else. They talked about how sometimes we may feel like the commandments get in the way but without them things wont turn out how they need to be... they really help us. The Elders had also made a cake for my birthday so we had a mini birthday party at the end of FHE.

 

Thursday...we woke up in the morning and got ready and then the Petersons came and picked us up and gave us the car and we drove to Zagreb. We met the Sisters from Tuzla there and we did a switch. Sister Konietz and Sister Menjivar headed right back to Zadar but we didnt have a bus to Tuzla until the next morning so we spent the day Thursday helping out in the office. They were having leadership meeting so there were a lot of missionaries there so it was fun to see the other missionaries and say hi to them. Thursday night Sister Peel and I grabbed some dinner and then we spent the night at Sister Sares (she is the mission nurse).

 

Friday morning we got up to go catch our bus to Tuzla that we were told left at 7 AM. So we hauled all my luggage to the bus station only to find out that there actually wasnt a bus until noon. So we took all the luggage back to Sister Sares and then went in and helped with things in the office for a few hours which actually ended up being good because both President and Sister Rowe came to the office so I got to say bye to them. After helping in the office for a little bit we went back to the bus station to catch our bus to Tuzla. The bus ride ended up being about 6 hours. It was long and by the end of it I was going really stir crazy and couldnt sit still. But I survived. When we got back to the apartment we ate dinner because we were both starving and I got all of my stuff unpacked and got settled.

 

Saturday morning we started out the morning with District Meeting. For some reason in Tuzla they do District Meeting on Friday instead instead of Tuesday but since we were gone they did it on Saturday instead. We set District Goals for the month of July and how we can accomplish them. We then had a lesson with a member named S. She is 19 and was baptized last August. When she was first baptized she was really excited about going on a mission but apparently the past few months went inactive due to some family issues and has just recently started meeting with the missionaries and coming back to church. When we talked to her she mentioned to us that she wants to start preparing for a mission again.

 

We went back home after meeting with S and did weekly planning and then we went to visit a member named J and her daughter B. They are actually both members but are more or less less active. We talked to them about what it means to be an example and imparticularly to J about the example that mothers have on their children. We read some of the verses in Alma about the Stripling Warriors and talked to her about how the best way to teach her children is through example.

 

Sunday...church. Wow. The church here is very small. There isnt actually a branch here due to the fact that there arent enough Melchezidek Priesthood holders. So it is just a group here. There are actually only 12 members on record here in Tuzla (thats what Sister Peel just told me) and most of them are inactive or less active. There are only 2 members that they actually consider active at this point. At church yesterday there were only 4 members. One of them did speak in Sacrament Meeting so that was good. Another thing I learned from being in Croatia is that the people here cant sing. Well in Croatia they just wouldnt sing...here they actually sing. And they sing really loud. When we started singing the opening hymn it was one of the worst things I have ever heard. Seriously, everyone is so loud and off tune. But they are trying! We have Sacrament meeting here and then we have Sunday School so it is only 2 hours. The missionaries alternate every other week teaching Sunday School. This week the Elders taught and they taught about the life of Christ. A woman came to church this week named A. Apparently she came last week because she was walking by the church and the senior couple invited her in and she was given a Book of Mormon. This week she came back on her own. She told us that she has read about half of the Book of Mormon and that she had some questions about it. We told her we would love to answer her questions and asked her when we could meet with her. She quickly gave us her address and we have an appointment with her tonight! She stayed for both hours of church and loved it!

 

After church we did some contacting and then we went to the Senior couples house because we needed to make a poster for an Activity. The Senior couple here is the Shepherds. Bless their souls. They are super nice but a little bit crazy. I cant tell you how many times us and the Elders were all basically rolling on the floor laughing because of the things they said. And the best part was they have no idea. I would tell you some of the things that they said but they would make no sense so you wouldnt find them funny.

 

Anyway...I am safe and sound in Tuzla. Tuzla is definitely different than Zadar. It seems to be a lot less developed here in Bosnia than it is in Croatia. It is beautiful here though...just a different beautiful. Zadar was more of the sea/coast beautiful. Here there are more trees and hills. I have only actually been here for 2 days so hopefully I will have more information for you next week on the area because I am still trying to get adjusted. The biggest difference here is that the people are Muslim instead of Catholic. And Ramazan just started which is some big Muslim thing where they fast for a full month from sun up to sun down.

 

Anyway...hopefully next week I will have more information for you on the area and when I have met more people. But I am doing well and I am happy to be here and be with Sister Peel! Thanks for everything! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Volim vas!

Sestra Clark

Emails...Dad, Mom, Jordan, Carrie, Grandpa, Ryan, Chris

Sretan Rođendan...Trisha!