Baptisms in Zagreb & Beograd, Visit from Bro. Lotito, Wedding in Ljubljana

Beautiful mountains as seen from Ljubljana. Spring is such a beautiful time of year and everything is finally in bloom.

Elder Lewis finally found a bike and had to take a short ride. Elder Allsop in Zadar let him try a turn.

Tulips are in bloom everywhere and are very beautiful.

At the Adriatic Sea on our drive down the coast to Zadar. The tourists have not arrived yet and so it was very pleasant. In another couple of months, everyone will go tot he sea.

We spent the night with Elder & Sister Manley in Rijeka and went to dinner with them and Ivan and Dragana Haci. We always have a wonderful time with the Manleys. The Haci's are stolworths here in the Rijeka Branch.

On our way down to Rijeka and Zadar we go through Postonja so we stopped again to see the castle built into the rock mountain. In July they have a tournament festival with all the knights etc. This was built by a marauding noble and was back in the hills from a major trade route. There is also a beautiful cave not far from here.

At District conference President & Sister Hill had a special fireside for the YSA. We hosted a lunch after conference and then the fireside. They are great young people and President Hill spoke to them about joining the Church at the right time and "who knows that you were not brought to this point for such a time as this". The Church rests upon their shoulders. He also reminded them that the Strength of the Youth pamphlet contains standards for all of us.

Emillie and Lynn after the win over Maribor. They are playing in a final tournament and then Lynn, from Scotland, will return to England to play on their national olympic team and Emillie is going to Canada to try out for their national team. It has been such fun watching them play. We are headed to one of their final games today in Maribor.

The Kamnik professional volleyball team

We got there a little early and walked through the town and saw some interesting architecture.

The clock tower

Saturday, April 17 was "Clean up Slovenia Day". We joined the Branch in picking up trash. Recognize our "Helping Hands" shirts?

The YSA were out in force.

We all met at the Church and then walked to the mountain we were going to clean. Only took us an hour to find the starting point.

Brother Felice Lotito from Italy came for a visit of our institutes. We visited Zagreb institute and Kranj Seminary and Ljubljana Institute. We took him to see Bled, Slovenia. He lives in Verona, Italy but had never been to Bled.

This picture is for my grandsons. How would you like to have worn that and carried those swords around?

A view of the mountains and the island in the lake at Bled. We stopped and had a piece of the famous cream cake.

Paul & Brother Lotito, our coordinator from Italy

Sister Densley, humanitarian missionary in Beograd, Serbia cooking up some eggs for Nikola's after baptism breakfast. She did a fantastic job, banana bread, muffins, fruit, eggs, juices. We were full.

Nikola Stan is their interpretor and translator. He has been working with them since they arrived and has been meeting in their home and having lessons from the Densleys as well as the Serbia missionaries. A wonderful young man who will be such a help to these people. Pres. & Sister Hill, Elder & Sister Densley, Nikola Stan and Elder & Sister Lewis at the lake where he was baptized.

Nikola is a son to them

All the missionaries in Serbia had a hand in this baptism.

On our way to Serbia we stopped off in Banja Luka, Bosnia to visit the Rowe family. They took us up to Vicki's parents little farm. This is a family they have met that lives very close to them. They have five children and Vickie is the young woman, her mother is on the end next to me and Bro. Rowe is at the other end. The Rowe's are in Bonja Luka working and will go home in June. They have a young man, David, a seminary student. We got stuck trying to get up the hill and Vickie's dad came to get us.

Some of the Rowe family, Brooke, mom, Colton 8, Annie and Jessie

We went to Zagreb for Maja's baptism. Pres. & Sister Flis are in the picture.

Sister Thompson (Zagreb) and me

We drove around the lake close to the Church in Jarun. They were having rowing competitions that day. People were running along the side of the lake cheering them on.

Jure, Monika, and Emillie (YSA in Ljubljana)

Saturday, April 24 was Stanka and Davor's wedding. Many Branch and family & friends met at the Ljubljana Castle for the civil wedding. Tara and Haglund

Emillie, Allan and Rebekah

Sister Justus with the help of Heavenly Father made this beautiful dress for Stanka.

She is a beautiful woman and we are all so happy for them both. She made this beautiful bouquet herself (for get me nots and roses)

The Bride and Groom

Entering the reception from the Church elevator

Pula, Bucharest S&I Mtg, & Baptism in Beograd

Our visit to Pula gave us an opportunity to visit with The Tolemans and Harris' from Camarillo. They were on a 24 day trip through Eastern Europe.

We spent a week in Bucharest, Romania for a S&I Faculty Meeting. While there we met some Romanian friends of Tom & Judy Everton. They met Serban and his wife in Arizona while on their mission there a few years ago. He had his granddaughters with him who were visiting from Germany.

We saw a beautiful double rainbow while they were visiting. It was the first any of us had seen. This is also the Peoples Palace, 2nd largest bldg. in the world.

On our final day in Bucharest Marin and his wife took us to the Heritage Museum where we saw homes from the 17th century. Very beautiful day.

Our British Faculty joined us for this faculty meeting. It was great to be taught by them. Our Europe S&I Coordinator was sustained as an area seventy, Christian Fingerle during Conference.

Sister Dumner, YSA center couple in Bucharest; Sister Heywood S&I Coordinator in Czech Republic, Sister Iachimov, wife of our East Europe Coordinator and myself at the conference.

We left Ljubljana early Monday morning. Arrived in Bucharest and had our first meeting with Bro. Jensen where we were taught about opening and closing seminary & institute classes, how to help and support our teachers.

A view of the beautiful country we live in. Spring has arrived and it is just beautiful.

We were invited to meet with Elder & Sister Wondra, President & Sister Hill, Elder & Sister Schmoe, (humanitarian missionaries), Elder & Sister Thompson and our District Presidents. We had an opportunity to discuss the rising generation we work with.

March 27 we were in Beograd for the bapatism of Velimir. He had great support from the YSAs in Beograd. He spent some time with us at the New Year's party we had in Ljubljana.

Nothing better than a baptism to feel the Spirit of the Lord.

Elder & Sister Lewis with Velimir

Ljubljana Institute and activity. They were having a wonderful time together which is what we hope for.

Davor and Stanka were in charge of the refreshments. Davor's speciality is Palacinkas (Norwegian Pancakes. They went fast. Davor and Stanka will soon we are newly weds. They are being sealed in the Frankfurt Temple on April 27th.