It's hard to believe the last month has arrived. Since Christmas time has flown by and now we are trying to get it all in before heading home. One last trip to each of our units.
Sister Justus and I went to Idrija, Slovenia, to get some bobbin lace. Bojana's mother works in a shop there and she took us around and let us watch them make some lace and put them into pillows, etc.
Here's some history:
Bobbin lace: It is the careful handiwork of a patient lacemaker, created over long hours of sitting before a special pillow. The tradition behind this lace, however, is far older. Bobbin lace has existed in Slovene territory for at least 400 years, and for the last 200 most notably in Idrija, Ziri, Cerkno and Zelezniki. Over the centuries, special techniques of bobbin lacemaking and different lace designs have been developed which can be classified as Slovene bobbin lace, also called Idrija bobbin lace--certainly one of the greatest treasures of Slovenia's cultural heritage. Slovene bobbin lace, a local cottage industry, has long been appreciated by both local experts and those beyond the borders of the lace's origin.
Bojana and her two daughters Zala and Kaja Iskra. She took us to their summer home outside of Idrija. It is in a beautiful area and then she made a typical Slovene lunch for us. What a special woman she is. She has been a member for several years and is so faithful. We love her.
We attended one of our last baptisms in the Maribor Branch where we were with our friend Simona. She is 33. She has been to America, Idaho, where she trained in yoga. She helps take care of her grandfather.
Patricija & Dojanka Arsenuk from the Maribor Branch. Patricija is our only seminary student there and is taught by her father. She wants to serve a mission.
We were in Maribor for a baptism for Tomislav which was performed by a Branch member. What a great day for all. Tomislav went out and bought a suit to wear every Sunday. What a great example he is going to be for all his fellow Priesthood holders.
Simona and Maja's baptism in Ljubljana. Mother & daughter. We met them during the summer at Pres. & Sister Haglund's farewell party. They came with her cousin, who was the 2nd member baptized in Ljubljana 20 years ago. She had moved to Idaho, married and has four children. She came home for the summer and invited Simona to hear the missionary lessons.
Elder Maynes and Elder Johnson taught them and their family came with them.
The Slovenia Missionaries when Elder & Sister Schutze came for a mission tour standing in front of our building which was dedicated in 2008
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The Lewises, Jure and Sister and Elder Schutze. Elder Schutze spent a lot of time with the YSA at the Poland Conference. He is a great champion of the YSA.
Our last institute in Zagreb with Tihana and Lahorka. Elder Schutze was giving a fireside for the YSA that evening in Zagreb. He was on a tour of the mission this week.
Ljubica Asler and myself. What a great woman we have here. She has been a member for over ten years and is so faithful. She is our institute teacher and also teachers her son, Daniel, seminary. We love her. She has many challenges but faces them with the help of the Lord.
We thought these corn stalks were quite beautiful.
Our trip to Zadar takes us by Plitvica Lakes in Croatia. It is a National Forest. It has nine lakes each cascading into each other by beautiful falls. We walk right by each of them and around the lakes. Half way up we catch a boat which takes us across the largest lake and we walk again from there.
This is a little village before you get to the lakes. The river flows through and under the houses. Some of the most beautiful countryside you can imagine.
Some are large waterfalls and some are small.
The colors were just gorgeous this time of year and there was plenty of water and not too many tourists.
Another view of a beautiful falls
Sunday night after District conference and YSA lunch, a few of us went down to the Hotel Lev to hear Oksana and Samuele perform. They are terrific. She was signing autographs afterwards. Oksana is a new convert to the Church. She is a professional violinist.
After District conference, the week before we left, we inivited the YSA to our last lunch. Sister Stampe, Uros, Luka, Monika, Jure, Davor and Stanka Majc were able to be with us.
Dora Glassford, President & Sister Swensen, former Mission President, were with us for the 20 year celebration. Dora is an amazing woman. She has served as PR in Slovenia for 20 years. Next year she hopes to serve a mission.
Jure and Monika, two of our YSA, performed during the celebration.
Damjan and Marija, our landlords, came over to check things out. They are such wonderful people. We really enjoyed them. They are so kind and thoughtful to us. We are happy the Taylors will be taking over our apartment and hope they enjoy it as much as we did.
Some of our Zagreb YSAs and us in the Mission Office.
We stopped by the mission home to pickup mail for our travels.
These two fine Elders are our new Assistants to the President. Elder Fowler and Elder Matson.
Friday night we spent in Ljubljana with Peter, Monika and Barbara for institute. We've got to grow there. We had a great group but they are moving on. Davor and Stanka got married, Elvi is on a mission in Ogden, UT, Urska is at the U of U etc. etc. A wonderful group of YSA.
Thursday we drove to Rijeka to meet with the Rijeka Branch and Institute. Our last goodbyes to Emma, Ivan, Dragana, Marija, Alexander and Roberto in the back.
We stopped in Zagreb on our way to Serbia to pick up Elder Christiansen who had been AP for the last couple of transfers and was now going back to Serbia to finish out his mission. Elder Fowler and Matson are the AP's now. Elder Woods is in the back. He is Zone leader in Croatia.
We attended institute in Beograd Saturday evening with Nikola Kovic, Branch President, Miso Vasica, teacher, Irena Metrovic, and Lidija Vasica. Irena and Goran are getting married November 27th. We are sorry to miss this wonderful event.
The Sremska Branch is made up of the Vucenovic Family and the Ivanovic Family. The Elders were moved out of this city but come to visit once a month. We were able to bring Elder Beumont and Elder Jasper from Beograd out to Sremska to speak and teach SS.
Our last Sunday we went to the Sremska Branch in Serbia. President and Sister Vucenovic invited us and the Elders to dinner after Church. We were asked to bear our testimonies in Sacrament meeting and that was a special treat for us.
Monday is kind of a free day for those going home. The Sisters had come in Sunday evening and Sister Justus and I picked them up and drove them to Bled. It was raining but we didn't care. They needed to see it before going home. We always need to stop at the Park Hotel and walk out to the restaurant where we sit and have some cream cake. A must try!!!
This is the group of missionaries who came out with us. Well actually there are a few more Elders but Elder Matson had just been called as Assistant to the President so he was with us. Elder Matson, Sister Fitsimmon, Sister Kelly, Sister Whitaker.
Monday night Sister Hill made a delicious gourmet dinner for us. She is a fantastic cook and it is always a treat to eat at her table. Afterwards we had a testimony meeting and answered the question from Preach My Gospel pg. 10. Which of these attributes made us feel successful as a missionary?
President & Sister Hill came to the airport to see us all, six, of us off. What a great mission couple. They have done a tremendous work and we were so privileged to serve with them.
Early, 5 am, we picked up Sister Justus at her apartment. She has not wanted to to leave this beautiful country. We got to her apartment and everything was dark. I said "Someone else must have picked her up". We wrapped on a window and suddenly a light came on. She had overslept, having been up really late the night before for her last interview with President Hill. Luckily she had everything ready to go and off we went. She was headed to England area for a week to look up ancestors and visit where her family came from.
We flew out of Ljubljana Airport to Frankfurt where we caught a Lufthansa to Chicago.
Sister Kelly traveled home with us. She lives in Sandy. Her family were waiting for her and it was a joyous reunion. She was a great missionary, she trained the two new sisters who came in to replace her.
The morning after returning home from our mission in Slovenia, Croatia, & Serbia we woke up to 4 inches of snow. It was beautiful and we were happy when it only lasted the day. The next week was a beautiful week in the 60's.
We loved our mission and the people we met there. The Church is true wherever we go and there are wonderful Saints living the gospel all over the world. We are all Heavenly Father's children and He loves each of us. What a special blessing for us to have had the opportunity to meet so many of the great and faithful Saints.
