RETURNED WITH HONOR - HOME AND FAMILY

I'm Home! August 2016

SLC Airport - This is what I taught for 18 months.  Eternal Families!

Tell everybody I'm on my way. . . Aug. 15th, 2016

If this were a blog, I would have the song "On my way" by Phil Collins playing while you all read this. But since it is not . . . 

"Tell everybody I'm on my way, new friends and new places to see. 

With blue skies ahead, yes I'm on my way and there's nowhere else that I'd rather be.

Tell everybody I'm on my way, and I'm loving every step I take. 

With the sun beating down, yes I'm on my way and I can't keep the smile off my face. 

Cuz there's nothing like seeing each other again, no matter what the distance between. 

And the stories that we tell will make you smile, oh it really lifts my heart."

This has been a year and half journey that has shaped my life forever. I have learned to love people, even random strangers, in a way that I didn't know was possible. Heavenly Father truly cares and loves every. single. one. of His children. I have felt it for the people here and have felt His love for me. I know He is our Father and has a glorious plan for us. WE are His plan. Our progression and growth and salvation are His goal. Let it be ours too! 

This past week was surreal. There was quite a bit of driving and Sister Rhodes giving out as many Books of Mormon in Serbia as she could! We met some great people and it was fun to see another culture and such a giant city. (The population in Belgrade alone is more than all of Slovenia) 

Then we made it back in time to finish preparing my talk and pull the last strings together for Baka's baptism. It was a wonderful baptism. It is so rare to see entire families in the Church over here. In fact, I think I could count the ones I know from our entire mission on two hands. Yet I got to witness first their son get baptized, then when he baptized his sister and his grandmother. They will continue to learn so much together and Baka is so dedicated. She said in front of everyone at her  baptism "I came here and I will stay here until I die!" I love that kind of commitment. :) We went to their house for dinner last night and I met up with another investigator that I have known for 9 months. I love her dearly and introduced her to Sister Turner so she will still have that connection when she decides to learn more. Wow. People are awesome. 

Including you all. I can't wait to see you and share all our experiences in person and be together as a family. The Church is true. Nobody dare forget it. Shall we not go on in so great a cause? 

S puno ljubavi,

Sestra Rhodes 

Сестра Роудѕ

The Lopert ladies, me and Davis

Baka's Baptism - Just before coming home!

3 Countries...One mission - Writing From a Manhole! Aug. 8th, 2016

Hi mom. Hi dad. 

I am very tired right now. I am writing you because I honestly have no clue what my schedule will look like and I hope I have some time for emails but if I do it will probably just be one email to everyone. Why? Because tomorrow I am the driving myself and a mini missionary to Serbia. I'm going to finish off my mission for 6 days in the capitol of Serbia, Belgrade. So. Epic. I am really excited and have a long drive tomorrow that I have never driven before....hence I just wanted to tell you guys I am safe and will email you something later most likely. 

I love you both so much! 

xoxoxoxo

Сестра Роудз

Cao family!

I am writing from a man hole at the moment. Poorly lit, video gamers all around me, silhouettes of weapons and video game cartoons painted everywhere . . . obviously missionary appropriate music playing. In other words, I made it to Belgrade, Serbia today! We left this morning and just got here. Looooooooong wait at the border, hence this will be my only letter today.

All is well here. I cannot even believe this is my last week. My last week with Milica was so amazing and a miracle baptism happened in the mission, in Rijeka that we attended. We successfully left our investigators with the other sisters, I passed off ALL my public affair duties and am ready to work the streets of Serbia! I will be here for 5 days and then returning on Sat for Baka's baptism and confirmation the next day.

Hopefully I will have time to write a few more details next week, but I love you all and will see you soon. Have a wonderful week!

Sestra Roudz

2 Balkans and 3 Americans in an elevator - Aug. 1, 2016

Bok family! 

Time is going as fast as ever and this week was fan.tas.tic. For starters, this next week (towards the end) I will finally be handing off all of my public affair duties off completely! Then I will have 4 or 5 days in who-knows-where for my final bow out of the Adriatic North mission. So this week consisted of more training, tracting, contacting, the usual. 

Having a mini missionary is life changing I tell you. On average I would say we find about 5-8 investigators (one companionship) weekly. Well this week between the four of us we had 4 people actually progressing who are having constant lessons with us and we found 28 new investigators together. It has been soooo fun. I will forever love talking to random people on the streets, in their homes, in parks...wherever. Talking to people, getting to know them and teaching them the gospel wherever they are will forever be a feeling that I remember and cherish. 

Yesterday I was talking to Sister Turner who told me that she had never been let in tracting. She has been out in the field for four months! So we said, today is the day. We will tract and find someone. We knew Heavenly Father would prepare someone and open a door. So we did. We tracted an entire building and the very last door this old lady answered. Her initial reaction (and I quote) "I know everything there is about God. I do not need to learn more. I know, everything." Aha, ok. Then she continued to chat and told us about her pains and surgeries and what not (actually a very frequent topic when you meet the people at the door. They are oddly very willing to show you scars and tell you all about their medical history.) Well knowing we were not going to get a great restoration lesson in, I asked if we could pray for her. So she let us in. She continued to tell us her story and she wept. I wanted to cry with her. She was so sweet. At the end she just kept telling us over and over how grateful she was to have someone listen to her, that no one has listened to her in months, and that she KNEW God sent us and that now she didn't hurt any more. She just kept saying "girls...you don't know how happy I am right now. Thank you God for sending them." It was so sweet. She told us to come back anytime AND (the best part) her daughter is coming to visit and she wants us to come meet her. Bingo! 

Heavenly Father works in lots of ways, but it was a really cool experience! 

Also, my mini missionary's little sister also went to serve a mini mission this week in Rijeka, Croatia.But she spend a night with us first. Well, what happens when you put 2 Balkans, 3 Americans and luggage in a sketch European elevator?  Haha. Well 45 minutes in there was extremely hot. We got out at 10:30. Everyone's true colors showed. My comp was panicking and singing and hates elevators and is claustrophobic. Her sister was calm as a turtle. (I think those are calm) Sister Turner and I were just laughing. And sister Davis is calling  people to let them know where we were / get assistance. Haha, while we are sweating bullets, she is on the phone "Hey Elder Halling, how are you this evening? Good? Great! Well we just have a quick question if right now is a good time . . . " Haha. It was quite the scene. But we were filled with good Chinese food so all was well. 

Baka is doing great. She is the most active member of her entire family and is so excited to be baptized! She is going to be such a great example for them all! 

So that is the update. Love you all and hope you are enjoying the summer! 

Sestra Rhodes 

Party of Four! - July 25th, 2016

Bokić everybody! 

Wow. What a fantastic week. This mission thing just keeps getting better and better. We started off Monday with the birthday celebrations and the senior sisters treated us to my favorite. . . Indian food! The place was fantastic and a little hole in the wall that you might miss if you are not an Indian food fanatic like myself.

Me, Davis and the Davenpratts

Then Tuesday we had a great lesson with Baka. She cried. Not from the law of chastity lesson that we taught (which with 75 years behind her...she does not exactly have a problem with) but because we told her the new sisters were coming and that I will have to leave soon. She is so awesome. I will have to keep up my Croatian just so I can keep talking to her! 

Right after the lesson we went to the church and picked up our new companions! The whole week I have been with Sister Vučenovioć from Serbia!! She is going to study opera singing and sings like a dream...speaks flawless English but still speaks a lot of Serbian-Croatian with me to let me practice and we are having SO. MUCH. FUN. The first time we went contacting together she placed a Book of Mormon and it is so powerful to have a native bearing testimony right next to you. We both have accents to the Croatian people so it gets quite the reactions when we tell them that an American and a Serbian are preaching the gospel together. It is so awesome! It is also like having a new missionary in the sense that she is so excited and full of hope. Every time we give away a card she says that she really feels like they will look at the pages or that they will call us and she is so humble and hopeful that it is making missionary work even more fun! 

We taught an awesome English class together as well on her second day where we talked about family history and the history of the Book of Mormon and then gave a student a bom right in the middle of class. (She has been coming a while but never wanted one or showed interest until this week. Super cool!) 

We have also entered the party of 4 life. All four sisters in one apartment. We do some splits and mix it up so it is like being in a quad together. Since we double the sisters we also double the effort and numbers and we are finding lots of investigators. So pretty much life is a party. It will be like this until the 8th of August when she goes to a ysa conference in Hungary. I canćt even describe to you all how awesome and fun and exciting it is.

So this week rocked. All the weeks rock, even when they are hard or slow. Missions rock. You all rock. (I dont usually use the word rock that much but today everything rocks. . . so . . . ) 

I love you all and am keeping you all in my prayers. I hope you are all finding living the gospel as rewarding and happy and forgiving and fun as it is meant to be. Have a fantastic week! 

Sestra Rhodes

She is also teaching me some fun Balkan cooking ways and Im returning her the favor by teaching her about american goodness. We cook lots! 

Also....IT IS SO BLAZING HOT THIS WEEK! 

 Some more birthday pics. Rachel Grant is the blonde and her friends who are traveling. We spent some time with them in centar of town. 

Time For Change - July 18th, 2016

Hallo family! 

Wow! You all really came through on the birthday emails. Thanks for all the good wishes! Haha I think everyone mentioned that it was cool to have a birthday on a P-day. Which is true! Today something very novel is going to happen for the celebration. It's called, Indian food. Sister Pratt and her family went this week and her son said (and I quote) "I have had Indian food now on four continents, and this was the best." WAHOO. So we are going with senior sisters and the Hallings. They are so awesome. When I came into the office for emails I was welcomed with a rendition of happy birthday song in Croatian and gifted a GIANT, soft, chocolate chip cookie from Sister Halling. I am well taken care of. :) 

So....now that I am 21, something HAD to change. So another sister is coming from Slovenia tomorrow to take my spot here in the public affairs busniess. She will be companions with sister Davis and I will be serving WITH A MINI MISSIONARY FOR THREE WEEKS! I am BEYOND excited. Having a native companion in these countries is . . . next to rare. The only way to serve with a native is if you get a mini missionary. She is coming from Serbia and we will be bunking with the other sisters in Zagreb for three weeks...so I will be living out of suitcases. Wahoo. I will train the new sister from Slovenia and then be full time with my new sestra! However she is only here until August 8th, so who knows what I will be doing the last week of my mission! (Except for being her the sat. before i leave for Bakas baptism.) 

We taught a lot of lessons this week. It has been so much fun. We are now consistently having lessons with two guys (at different times) that we met street contacting and they are both really open and receptive. However when I asked him to be baptized he just said 'I don't get it.' So then the member that was there (which usually helps) asks him the same thing in even more flawless Croatian. But he just says again, 'I don't get it.' He did NOT grasp the concept that his baptism was not valid the first time...so back to the restoration of the priesthood! 

Also, last night we were talking to people in a beautiful park and after talking to this young girl she asked if she could ask us something personal . . . so we sat on a bench, she told us her situation and how she has a boyfriend but doesnt know what to study or do in life and has been thinking about becoming a nun... In my mind I am thinking 'perfect, now we can tell her NOT to do that.' It wasn't until later that she told us, the entire time she thought WE were nuns. Nuns giving advice not to become nuns . . . haha. She still took a book of mormon and recognized that is was not a coincidence to meet us right as she decided to take a walk in the park to 'ponder' all that was going on. 

Baka is still doing well and is holding strong for her baptismal date in August. She is actually coming and staying to meetings more than her granddaughter who just got baptized. So wait to be the example baka! 

Here's to another great week ahead of us all! Love you a lot! 

Sestra Rhodes

Me, Milica Vucenovic, Sestra Turner, Sestra Davis

KOKICE! July 11th, 2016

Bok family. 

I got a lot of fantastic emails and updates and pictures from you all this week! I love hearing and seeing you guys. It is always a treat to get online mondays and to see how positive you all are and encouraging and how many miracles that are going on in your lives. 

Here is how he has blessed my week. We will work backwards. The whole week, members from our entire mission filled a giant bus and went to the temple in Switzerland. A family from our branch got sealed, one received her endowment, another family from Serbia got sealed and their son opened his mission call in front of all the other members. It was amazing to see how changed they were after one week at the temple. On Sunday all those that went got to bear their testimonies after their trip (it happens once a year.) It was the. best. sacrament. meeting. ever. The spirit was so strong in that chapel and it was visible how the temple changes people. They were completely lifted spiritually and physically. They bore testimony on doing genealogy work, eternal families,  the priesthood, etc. and in 8 months in Zagreb it was my favorite Sunday. I cannot believe how close we have temples and what a wonderful blessing that is. 

We had great lessons with Baka this week and she said (I quote) "I already know all of this! You can just baptize me!" Haha, I agree. She is the one that picked her date for so far away! We are going to try to change that this week. Her granddaughter (the new convert) also NEVER comes to relief society and rarely to sunday school.  But the best part is that when they were all leaving after sacrament meeting their grandma tells them 'we have to stay you guys!' Although they didn't, she is already a great example for them. Soooo awesome. 

We taught two new investigators and will continue meeting with them. Two young men who are displeased with their previous church. (Take a guess which one.) 

We also had another interview this week, similar to the one I did in Slovenia. There will be a video but the majority of it will be a written article. Now I have one in Croatian! Sweet! It is pretty to get interviews when you are a mormon missionary from America in a small country. But hey, I'll take it. I'll let you all know when it goes up! 

So it was a fantastic week and we are going to go on a hike today! I love you all a lot and hope you have a great week! 

xoxoxo

Sestra Rhodes