BOK!!! Nov. 9th, 2015

Good-bye Kranj - Beautiful Alps!

Draga obitelj, 

What an amazing, crazy, fast fast week it has been. Here is the recap for you all.For starters, right now I am writing from Zagreb. My new home. Last monday Sister Duffy and I went to mission leadership council in Zagreb and that evening I found out that I would be moving to Zagreb to work here and to work in a calling that involves helping out with the new country communication pages (church websites in the native language). So...President announced it officially at zone conference on Thursday, I gave my testimony to my Slovenian fellow missionaries along with Sestra Christensen who is going home and said farewell to Slovenia yesterday after church. Quick change and the task of learning Croatian and working in a new country has lead to some pretty earnest prayers and going through my american beef jerky way too quickly... but I know the Lord is in charge and that President Grant receives revelation for this mission. So I will do my best to rely on the Lord in this new phase of my mission. Whew...here we go. 

Other amazing parts of the week. We talked to two really amazing moms in Kranj in our last few hours of Slovenian contacting, and it was a big blessing to be able to not just have small, meaningless conversations for my last few hours, but to teach the gospel and share what we believe. Sister Duffy and I enjoyed our last few days together. We also have been teaching a very much older man who brings his daughter (25 yrs old) to sit in for our lessons. He is not really interested, but we kept going back in hopes for his daughter. Well we decided we needed to talk to her once without her dad, and invited her to come into Kranj, cent 'na kavico.' "on a coffee or tea" they say. She came! AND she had soooo many questions and is just so cute and shiny and the best part... after a good plan of salvation talk, we invited her to church AND SHE CAME! There were multiple visitors that day and the members all greeted her and she stayed for two hours and really enjoyed herself! Sad to say goodbye right when we are making some headway but she is in great hands of sister duffy and sister arsenjuk and the members! 

Sister Arsenjuk, she is a member from Maribor, a dear friend, and SHE TOOK MY PLACE IN KRANJ! I am soooo excited, she is going to be serving a mini mission for a bit and I know it will help her grow sooo much. 

Also..... to be saved for last. Not only did I get to go back to Maribor to teach my friend Tina, but this weekend, she was baptized and confirmed and sister duffy and I drove with the elders from Kranj and their investigator all the way to maribor for the baptism (getting pulled over for looking suspicious and foreign on the way from the scarriest looking, undercover cops, with Slavic accents ..... story for another day.) We sat in the back and then right before Tina went to get baptized we saw each other and she gave me a giiiant hug and was just filled with light and the spirit. What an amazing day to be a part of and to feel the spirit that is there when someone decides to follow Jesus Christ. Sister Duffy and I sang 'I stand all amazed' in Slovenian while she was dressing. 

    So....that was my week. Wonderful. Fast. Spiritual. A little tough. But sooooo rewarding and I am excited to start the next challenge! We are now going to look around Zagreb. Should be fun. >) 

I love you all and pray for you daily! Stay close to the Lord and know that He is in charge! 

xoxoxo

Sestra Rhodes 

Tina's baptism in Maribor!

Good-bye to Sestra Duffy! :(

Patricija (mini missionary) and I...notice the beautiful view of the Alps!

Fun packages from home! (Stephanie)

First day with new companions in Zagreb!  New challenges ahead. Sister Richardson, me, Sister Allred.

Holidays - Nov. 2nd, 2015

 What a week here in Slovenia! Two holidays, an exchange with sisters in Ljubljana and a half way mark! Starting with exchanges, I got to work with my trainer again! It was really great to serve with her again and work for our goals in unity. Exchanges are a time to learn a lot, and I always learn a lot from Sister Robertson. We enjoyed the time in Kranj together and got to teach a sweet member while she was here who happened to feed us a delicious, Slovene rice dish. We also celebrated my half way mark together! I blew out some candles and we watched the Joseph Smith movie. A true party I tell you. Especially considering the fact that neither of us were aware that they were trick candles and it took about 5 minutes to get them all out. 

    We also had two holidays, Halloween (noč čarovnic..night of witches) and Day of the Dead (dan mrtvih). Our miracle on Halloween was that . . . people were having a good time and didnt want to talk to us, but. . . one of our friends who is taking the lessons called to get together for a lesson that night! Perfect time to talk about the . . . plan of salvation! It went really well and she had lots of great questions, and I cant wait to meet with her again. She is so tiny and studying in Ljubljana and very busy, but has one of the kindest hearts I know! We also ran into her and her dad yesterday and her dad knew our names and was pleased to meet us!! pleased! (Having family support is HUUUUUUGE.) I would say the leading factor if they do or do not get baptized. So that was another miracle. 

    Day of the dead miracle . . . President Grant gave us an hour to go see a cemetery. They are COVERED in candles and at night it is really beautiful. But the true miracle is that while everyone is remembering those who passed on, we as members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can remember with gladness in our hearts, looking forward to the day when we are reunited with our family. The knowledge and a TESTIMONY of the plan of salvation is one of the most priceless gifts we have in this life and it is vital that we have both. 

'And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, (notice the two part equation here)  they were firm,and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin;and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace,or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.' Alma 24:19 

When we believe and know the truth of the plan of Salvation, our hearts are changed and we can live with the type of hope that is intended and described in this verse: 

'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.' 

1 Cor 15:22 

I know that God has made a perfect plan for us in order for us to be happy here and become like Him in the eternities. I love you all and testify that this is God's true church on the earth again led by living prophets and apostles. Have an amazing week and know that prayers are coming your way from Slovenia! 

Sestra Rhodes 

Egg and Milk dispenser!  So cool!

The lovely Sister Duffy! 

Happy Halloween! 

Sister Courageous and Cat Woman. 

Beautiful Train ride!

Night of the dead where all the graves are lit with lanterns! 

Happy Halloween!

P-Day! 

Half way mark!!! 9 months and counting!

Sweetest family ever after a Halloween evening with them! 

Nina and her children.