Welcome back to another catch up email - this one is worth the read I promise because this week Sestra Chandler and I went on exchanges to... BOSNIAAAAAA!!!!
Now I want you guys to know that this is the first time this has happened in this mission. Like ever I believe. Exchanges with Bosnia have always been over zoom (gross huh?). But before we get to that, I have a bunch of other super fun and exciting things to talk about soooo let's get into it
This email is for January 23rd to 29th
- it starts of with a bang because for our pday we went to Celje because Sestra Smith and I popped off when we were together and completed our 21 day SYL challenge (speak only in slovene for the day) so we got to go watch a movie
- okay but also it was snowing so much in Celje and we had to walk like 20 mins to the movie theater which would have been fine if I was wearing proper shoes haha
- whatever it was memorable - so we ended up choosing to watch the new Puss in Boots movie and oh man that was such a good movie - it was so so so so so funny like 10/10 would watch over and over again - it was even funnier in slovene - Sestra Chandler and I were cackling the entire movie - it was cool to be at a stage where I understood most of the jokes and punchlines (if anyone has any memes from Puss in Boots please send it to me PLEASE)
- later in the week we had a lesson with Nataša and that went really well - we were able to talk to her more about the history of the Book of Mormon and she even told us that she believes the Book of Mormon to be the word of God! Wooooooo!!! So good
- We went and visited the Kralj family with one of the elder companionships and man there was so much food. It was one of the elder's first times being at the Kralj's and I guess it is a tradition to have me and the newbie race to see who finishes their food first because I am such a slow eater. so far I have won 2 for 2 so let's hope the record keeps up
- we also had zone conference this week and we had to present! It was a little nervewracking but honestly it went really well.
and now we get to the fun part
BOSNIAAAAAA
okay so we drove down to croatia on friday morning and then went to the airport and got on a plane and flew to bosnia. honestly I didn't think I would be on a plane again until I went home so it was a surreal experience but we landed and immediately everything felt so different.
We were picked up by the senior couple, The McLeods and the two sisters there, Sister Washington and Sister Parker and man are they amazing (spoiler alert: sister washington and I are actually going to be rooming together at college - yes this was decided completely out of nowhere and is the best idea ever and I can't wait)
Me, Chandler, and Washington
So straight after being picked up we went to their cute church and Sister Washington and I had a lesson. It was a little nervewracking because it was in Bosnian but honestly I could understand almost everything which was one of the biggest confidence boosters haha. That lesson went really good except for the times I had to read a verse or quote in Bosnian and completely butchered the pronounciation haha. After that we had a Book of Mormon read group which was again really good. We also got to meet the other elders in the area. They are all angels <3
We split the exchanges in half so for half of Friday until half of Saturday I was with Sister Washington while Sister Chandler and Parker were together and then we switched Friday evening. On Saturday, we had district council with the other missionaries on zoom and that was so good. We went out to lunch all together and it was so good. I can't remember exactly what I had but it was authentic bosnian food.
lunch with all of the missionaries and senior couple at an authentic bosnia restaurant
Then Sister Washington, the senior couple, a member, and I all went to go visit that same person we had a lesson with the day before for an in person lesson. And again that was so so so good. It was so cool to see Sister Washington teach and be able to add the couple things that I could.
Later that evening we met up with the other sisters to switch back over, get dinner, and grab a couple different souvenirs. Of course we had to try the most authentic and original čevapčiči you can ever get and man was that stuff absolute heaven. It was so good. Seriously. I also got some really amazing souvenirs.
Dinner with the missionaries!! I got chicken tenders and they were actually fire
We all got hand crafted rings from copper - here is the guy ingraving one of ours
Luncehon after church in Bosnia
missionaries + the sassiest and funniest member ever
Me standing next to the eternal flame (not entirely sure the history of this - could be olympic game related or war related)
the streets of bosnia
Another scenery pic
I did not want to leave but alas the time came for us to leave but I know I will be back.
On the way back from Croatia we stopped by one of our member's houses. She is a sweet single mom with a younger boy and man she just has the sweetest spirit. I love her so much. She has been such a light to me. I actually met her my first saturday in slovenia and she was very welcoming and played volleyball with me which was so sweet.
Daniel (son of the member we visited later) gave us some cookies with minions on them #blessed
Sorry guys I am just in thankful hours over here :,) but fr I cannot express how thankful I am to be on a mission. It has been so so so hard but for however many sad, hard, low, frustrating, and ever other negative moment there has been, there has been an equally if not more joyful, uplifting, spiritually, lovely, experience as well.
I love you all
Turkish delight count: 6
Čevapčiči count: not enough
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