Sestra Erin Rhodes: Discovery Channel and Mr. Bean!

Zdravo Družina!!

First off...thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! I read and loved them all but don't have time currently to write you all back. Give me time, I'll get there. You are all so awesome and I appreciate all your support. Tako... an update on the works in Slovenia.

You would all be shocked at the amount of times Slovene's bring up the Discover Channel. It is my favorite thing and is so funny. I am talking about a spiritual conversation context. Me: 'So do you believe in God?' Them: 'Well, I have watched Discovery Channel a fair amount of times, so...no.'

Next.

Also as far as tv goes...apparently Mr. Bean made his way over to Slovenia. I was never a big fan myself, but boy is he a conversation starter now! So many random things that make me laugh ever day.

We had a pretty epic day on my birthday. We got to have a yw lesson with two less active girls at the church and went for ice cream and we really felt the spirit. It was super great and reminds me how grateful I am for the yw program and primary and growing up feeling the influence of the holy ghost. Take advantage of these things people! they are there for a reason. :) We then ended the day with a concert! Here in Maribor. Instrument: Half an electric keyboard, guitar, half an electric organ...and missionaries. It was actually pretty successful and we had a few non members come too! A total of about 25 people! Which was almost filling our little chapel. It was great! However...the greatest part? The afterparty. We met a man in the park a couple weeks ago who came to church even, ( i think I already mentioned him), well he came to the concert. AND he brought his accordion. (Accordion over here is like the piano in Utah, everyone knows it or wants to.) But he really knew how to play and played a bunch of Slovene songs while everyone sang along and ate banana bread and had a great time. It was sooooo awesome. Just singing around an accordion in Slovene. Soo fun and the members really loved it. So that was a great birthday bash.

The saddest part of the week? This morning we went and made omelets for the senior couple and invited the elders in our area and we all laughed and shared memories and (while being humble) awed at Sister Rhodes flipping omelets (thanks Dad), BECAUSE . . . today they left. They are going back to Canada. They have been such an awesome senior couple and I appreciate them sooo much. (Shout out to my grandparents for their missions) However life moves quickly and we have to enjoy it, so that is what I am doing..... Being diligent and being happy. I encourage everyone to do the same. The dictionary has diligence as :Persistently and energetically striving to complete a task. Maybe it is prayer, maybe it is searching the scriptures, seeking forgiveness, seeking for help...whatever it is, seek in diligence. God will give it to you. In the words of President Rich Wood : Hang in there! We grow when we have diligence and faith to continue our search when it gets hard.

Sorry for the random thoughts. I love you all and am very grateful for the knowledge of the gospel. I know that sharing that is the most important thing I can be doing right now. Stay safe, have fun at powell! xoxoxo

Sestra Rhodes

ps. If you can give feed back and scriptural evidence to this question, I'd love it: If God is so loving, why do bad things happen around the worlds?

pretty common on the streets here in Slovenia.