Ariana’s bye week

Ariana told us a week ago that she might not write this week. She and her district were meeting in Bosnia, or something like that. . . . [Update] so of course 5 minutes after I get around to posting this, I see she wrote today. :) /kjb

Another author for KJB to read

Recommended by an Argentine co-worker when he heard I'd read some Borges: Julio Cortázar

Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Zdravo!

Well, Bosnia was fun. I got permission to do emails today since we were gone on monday. This week was pretty good. I gave marijana a list of the 3 or 5 inactive members who are her age, and she looked them up on facebook and asked if they'd come to church, and one of them, a boy named Toni accepted the invitation. his mom used be an active member and play piano for our church, but then she got a paid job to play piano in a different church, so she stopped coming. Toni has started to read the book of mormon, starting with suggested chapters from marijana, and now he's just reading from the beginning, and he came to church on sunday, and he's working towards receiving the priesthood, and he says he'll start going to seminary. I'm way excited about it. Hopefully that will lead to the rest of his family being active again.

I almost planned myself an exchange to bosnia (with president rowe's permission of course), but it's ridiculous going from osijek to sarajevo and back again, or meeting somewhere in the middle and switching companions, so it didn't work out. but we might still do it a different time. It would be interesting going from a catholic to a muslim country. (don't worry mom, i still have been practicing my asking for big things skills)

So I don't know how much I've said about this, but on the 1st of June, we'll have a celebration to commemorate the first baptism in Yugoslavia 40 yrs ago, and it'll be a huge event with tons of famous people there and lots of cool activities and events, including baptisms in the Adriatic, a history tour of where Čosić translated the Book of mormon, hiding the manuscripts because of communism, where the first baptism was, the first place they met, etc., so we're working really hard to get all of the members and their family and friends to come to the event. and maybe the missionaries will be able to attend as well. it depends on us making our goals. And then we have district conference that sunday in zagreb, which will also celebrate how this is the first time of having missionaries in every european country, with the opening of Bosnia, Montenegro, and Macedonia this transfer.

The most heartbreaking thing of the week was that Kristina decided that our church isn't different enough from the catholic church to be worth disappointing her family and being baptized again. It was really disappointing. We haven't quite given up on her completely, but it was really sad. Things were going so well, and then all of a sudden, she gave up. I've been told several times that I'm not allowed to get discouraged, but it's frustrating when people don't want to make the changes in their lives that you know will make them happier than any other choice they could make.

Did I tell you Marijana's grandma's getting baptized? We set a date for the 19th. I'm excited. That shows all the people I talk to every day who say they're too set in their ways to change religion. we had a lesson with her where basically she just talked forever about how she knows our church is true because it helps people and does what Christ would want it to do. The biggest problem is her husband thinks she's crazy and isn't very excited about all of this, but he'll come around hopefully.

President Rowe was here on sunday, which was awesome, as always. He visited with all the members, and his croatian is getting a lot better. he's been slowly learning. after Church he gave marijana a blessing for her health problems and the surgery she was going to have on monday, but the surgery was pushed to the 16th. It was a really great blessing about God showing his power through her. I wish she could be a normal healthy kid. She's got a lot of faith. In less than a year, she's helped the branch here more than all the other members combined except maybe zoran, and probably more than some of the missionaries that have been here. My experience here would've been a lot different without her.

Oh, speaking of zoran, he moved to the coast for the summer, like everyone else in this city, so we're down to no priesthood besides the missionaries once again. luckily, Toni and Alen are both working on being more active and receiving the priesthood.

Well, things are pretty good here in Osijek. Have an awesome day.

love,
Sestra Ariana Black

Avery, From Mission to Madness: Last Son of the Mormon Prophet

I read this biography of David Hyrum Smith maybe a few months ago. It is missing important details one would want for definite diagnosis, but it probably has all the biographical information that is available. A must read for LDS psychiatrists.

Orson Scott Card, A War of Gifts

This long short story must be one of the most unlikely, not to say bizarre, Christmas books ever written. Yet it shows remarkable skill in its craft, and extraordinary insight into human motivation.