Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Jan 31, 2011

Well this past week we had a branch activity Saturday night. We celebrated one of the member’s husband’s bdays. The member made tortellini and other great food and we sat around and ate it in silence. ha ha it was a little awkward, it was really good so that was part of the reason for not talking too. I guess everyone was tired or something. We pretty much just ate and left and talked a bit. But it is always nice to be with them.

Elder Brown is going home at the end of this transfer which is at the end of Feb. When he first came he was this funny guy with not much to say and now the real Elder Brown has come out before he goes home, and he's just gotten really sassy. We now call him sassy Elder Brown. He goes along with it even though it makes him more sassy. He even puts up his finger and does this head roll because he can't do a neck role ha ha.

Two Mondays ago we went to Biograd which is a small city south of us. We didn't know what was going to be there so we just walked around and found out it is a whole lot of nothing. It was a cute whole lot of nothing though. It was on the coast so we sat by the water and ate our kinder egg surprises, which has little toys in a chocolate egg shell that is so tasty. It was a beautiful day so it was really nice to see the clouds over the sea with the sun shinning through them. You could see all the islands too, which just looks like big chunks of brown. We saw a small Catholic church and a dog hanging out on a roof, I don't know why he chose that for his leisure spot!

Well the whole point of talking about Elder Brown was that if feels like I am going home soon. Sometimes I wonder where all the time went and why I still don't seak hrvatski well? I feel like I have been away from home only a couple of months and not over a year.

Well, Sister Laws had her bday this past week and she is now 22. It was the same day as district meeting. She didn't know at the time that it was a Harry Potter district meeting until we came out in our costumes. I was Hermione and all I did was take my hair out and comb it so it looked like a fro. Elder Rhodes was Ron Weasley and he put a red plastic bag on his head and taped it down for red hair, but it ended up looking like he was wearing a plastic do-rag. Then of course our district leader sassy Elder Brown was Dumbledoor and he used a cream rag and hung it from his ears as a beard. I made black glasses from construction paper for Sister Laws to be Harry and they looked great on her. We had sticks for wands too to make it all real. My favorite part of district meeting was when Elder Brown gave the spiritual thought with his beard on ha ha it was hard to concentrate.

I hope you all have a great week love you!

sister dillender

Jan 17, 2011

Dear loved ones,

I hope that after a year you are not sick of these letters by now, but you only have to hold on for a little longer and then I will be done with them, and when I say a little longer I really mean six more months because I hit the six month mark on the fifth.

I haven't written for a couple of weeks because things are crazy! I applied for a postbacc degree to Oregon State for the Fall of 2011. I stated my major as Education and that also helps me to get certified to teach. Rachie said that mom got a call saying that I have been accepted...I think that is what I read, but I haven't gotten a letter or anything I will tell you when it is official. Yahooooo for being able to take care of myself....in a few more years....and I can start paying back all the people that have helped me for so long, I am more than just grateful to you.

Well I never told you that on new years we had to be in by six o clock because it starts to get a little crazy. So we were eating dinner and decided to make goals we made goals for the rest of our mission and for when we go home so that we don't go crazy! It was really nice and it was nice to have the time to evaluate and think of the person I want to be when I get back to wearing jeans and saying in English, "Hi my name is Kristy." (Weird sounding) Then we played games till 11:30 (since we were told we could stay up till 12 but had to be up at 6:30 like usual.) We got ready for bed and then we out on the balcony and realized we are going to miss the fireworks there so we walked one set of stairs to where our land lord lives and found the whole family out there. We live on the second floor of a three story house and each floor is a full on house, with bathroom, kitchen, bedrooms etc. The son lives below us and the landlord lives above us with a family who is somehow related. It was so nice to watch the sky light up at midnight with all sorts of colors and sounds. Well there were enough fire works going on before that too, but 12 o'clock was its own show. It was so wonderful! Then when the fire works died down, we went straight to bed.

A couple of Mondays ago we went to Uglean which is an island close by and I mean thirty minute ferry ride. If you stand on the sea you can see it and it looks like I am on the San Francisco bay looking at Oakland....but European style. We hiked, and I mean hiked all the way to the top and it was so worth it. Fortunately the day was perfect for a hike, perfectly sunny and blue skies but it was around fifty degrees Fahrenheit. We ate some chocolate when we got to the little fortress at the top, since we need so many calories for the trip down, and then realized we are going to miss the ferry and ran some of the way back....just to miss the ferry and have to wait forever for the next one. This may all sound boring but don't you worry I will send pictures next week!

I have been trying to finish the New Testament before the transfer is over, which will happen because that is in the beginning of May. I read a while ago Romans 5:3-5 that tribulation works patience, patience experience and experience hope because of the love of God which is shed forth among all the children of men. It is so nice to know that trials are here for a reason and that we have someone helping us through them. I know that my trials have brought me great experiences that I know are specifically for me and that the Lord knows why they are specifically for me and further knows how to specifically help me through them. The Lord loves us!

I hope you have a wonderful week, even to the ones who just came home from a mission! aka sam.
s ljubavi,

Sestra Dillender