19 Oct 1995

I’m sitting here right now, eating a stale piece of garlic toast that we left from dinner as we ran out the door, late for FHE.  It was pretty fun. Sister Groberg gave this cool spiritual thought. It goes like this:

There was a man who was walking along the edge of a mountain, when a big wind came and blew him off the cliff.  As he was falling he cried, “Please God, help me!” Just then, he reached out his hand and grabbed onto a tree branch.  As he was holding onto the branch, he begged again, “Please God, help me!” Then he heard a voice come to him. “Do you believe I made the wind that blew you off the cliff?”  “Yes, Lord” he replied. Do you believe I made the branch which is saving your life right now?” Again, “Yes, Lord.” “Do you believe I can make the wind blow hard enough to blow you back up onto the cliff?” Once more he replied, “Yes, Lord.”  “Then let go.” Would you?

23 Oct 1995

We went and visited Maja today for a little while.  It was good. Later we went out to try and find Irena.  She wasn’t home, but we met her sister. She seemed pretty cool.  She might come to English tomorrow. So then we went to visit Alenka at the student dorms.  She was really cool, and we met her friends, Andrea and Ermina. They’re planning on coming to English too.  Then we went to visit the other Irena at some other dorms for high school students. That was sad. She said she didn’t have time anymore, and didn’t really want to meet anymore either.  What can you do? We try, and then people have to make their own choice. But, we did meet a pretty cool girl named Nina, while waiting for the bus. She said she’d come to English tomorrow too.  There seems to be a lot riding on this class. In hind sight. I wish we hadn’t used the class quite as much as we did.  There are so many people that have told me that they would come.  

I am so excited!  Saturday Marko and Bojana are being baptized.  Marko will get baptized first, then get the priesthood, then baptize Bojana.  It will be so awesome!! I realize that makes them sound like a couple.  Actually they were just really great friends. Bojana is actually like 5 years older than Marko.

27 Oct 1995

Well, it’s morning and so nothing much has happened yet, but I’m so excited to go get a package in about 1 hour.  I got a slip in the mail yesterday, but we didn’t have time to go pick it up. And, now I have no more room in this journal.  I’m so glad Sister Mix sent me a new one.

28 Oct 1995

Wow! My 1st entry into my new journal from Sister Mix, and what a great day for it too.

We definitely had the coolest baptism today.  Marko and Bojana were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Cerkev Jezusa Kristusa Svetih iz Poslednjih Dni).  Yes!

We all met at the church this morning to practice our songs for tonight, and when we got there, Bojana was there with her mother, talking to Sister Grober and Sister Basker.  She was there wanting us to convince Bojana out of being baptized. She was so, just upset about it. She was saying that she, and Bojana’s father, would not permit this to happen.  She was there at the church for about an hour or more. I just felt so bad for Bojana. She looked so sweet and innocent just standing there listening and trying to explain to her mother that she knew what she was doing was right.  Finally after a long time, they left and her mom said she would not show tonight. We were all a bit worried, but Bojana is so awesome, and of course she was there right on time. I love this girl! She is so strong now. I know we don’t have to worry about her, just pray for her parents.

Marko was a whole other story.  I’ve never seen anyone such a nervous wreck in my life.  He was so stressed and insisted on doing everything himself.  He was at the church at 10am, with the rest of us, and didn’t leave until about 4pm, when he realized he forgot his towel.  The baptism started at 5pm. Then when the meeting was about to start, he was in the kitchen making a cake. MARKO, RELAX!! I know it’s over, but his stress was enough to last for a year.  I know he just wanted to make everything perfect, but really, relax and enjoy.

Well, the baptism was beautiful.  The songs were great. That was a whole different story, as well.  Marko wanted us to sing a song from one of the Book of Mormon cartoons, “Samuel and the Sign”.  Of course, we have no music or words. All we have is the tape. So, Sister Groberg felt it out on the piano and wrote down the words.  Finally we got it figured out, with only six of us singing. I thought it actually went really well. The next was “I Stand All Amazed”.  The next was Sister Basker singing Michael McCleans’ “Gentle”. It was beautiful. The actual baptisms were great. Elder Reynolds baptized Marko.  Elder Tingey gave him the Holy Ghost, then President Lotric gave him the priesthood. Awesome! Then Marko got back in the water and baptized Bojana.  That was an amazing thing to see.  I don’t think I’ve met anyone that has had as much faith, or was more ready to be baptized, than these two friends

Elder Reynolds then confirmed her.  It was so cool! Bojana had about 1000×1000 friends there.  Plus, Mateja and Ana came. Yay! So we have an appointment with them on Monday.  

Everything else is going well.  We have a couple of referrals to follow up on.  Work is going well, and missionaries seem to be getting along again.  Finally!!

Maja is gone for the week, but we will meet her on Thursday.  I think a lot of people are leaving the week for Dan Mrtvih (The Day of the Dead).  Nobody has school next week, so they are all going out of town. That is a huge holiday here.  All the graves are covered with candles for it now, or soon will be.

I’ve received some great mail lately.  Three packages, Woohoo! One just had deodorant and toothpaste.  Very important things. Then one from Merilee and Chris with cool soaps, an etch-a-sketch, and an awesome card that she had friends sign at Kim and Brian’s wedding.  It was so cool! I’m going to make a tape for friends and send it to Marcy P. I’m pretty sure she’ll do a good job of getting everyone together to hear. Then I got another package from Mom.  She had made me a skirt and shirt, and sent a 1st vision coloring book. So very cool! Bedtime!
31 Oct 1995

I’ve got to write really fast, cuz my bed is calling my name loudly.  We had the coolest Halloween party tonight for English tecaj.