May 3 and 17, 2010

May 3, 2010
Dobro Jutro! (good morning)

So Sister Laws came last Tuesday! It was such a crazy week, just to put that out there. She is so nice and easy going and super cute. We were all in District Meeting when we heard a lot of noises in the hallway of the church. Then Sister Thompson (senior couple here) said, "she's here". We all just look at each other in silence and then Elder Matson half yells, "look at us, get it together guys." and we all scramble around to clean up the candy wrappers and make the table look nice. So President Hill walks in with her and we meet her. I am so happy to have her here. We talked for a while all of us and I got to ask her a lot of questions about the MTC since I just left from there two months ago. She stayed overnight with us and the next morning President and Sister Hill took them both up to Vraždin (I keep mixing up ž, and š in the name Vraždin, sorry). Since Wednesday it has been just me and Sister Fitzsimmons and I'm not going to lie, it has been.........AH-MAY-ZING! She is such a good friend and missionary. She has been carrying me through my first two months here and has been so wonderful. It's so funny that we spend twenty four hours a day with each other and still don't have enough time to say all the thing we want to. She is just so wonderful and I wake up so happy and excited every day.

We are doing a lot better with having more people to meet with this week and we are so excited! We started our next set of language classes and already have four investigators out of them, well, all of us missionaries and hopefully more to come. My Spanish class had about thirty people come which is awesome because most usually have ten at the most. I hope at least half keep coming though, there are a lot of young adults in the class, so that would be great.

So we went to Darija's house last week and we talked about the atonement and repentance. The best part was when Sister Fitzsimmons finished saying all this great stuff about how repentance is a changing process and a great opportunity for us while we are here on this earth. It was quite and Darija looks at her and smiles and says, "what's your Zodiac sign?" ha ha. So we talked about that for a little while. Needless to say, Darija is a wonderful investigator and loves hearing about the gospel, she loves it, but it still is just talking time for things to click into place. My sign is Cancer if any of you were wondering.

We have Zone Conference this week and I am so excited because my battery is running a little low and it will be nice to have a recharge. Fortunately I have Sister Fitzsimmons to keep it recharged too, so I am doing well.


I'm sorry I don't have much to say this week but it was a really long weird week. But I will have more to say next week! Thank you again for all the emails and prayers. I feel so loved and blessed!

I love you,

Sestra Dillender


May 17, 2010

Hello loved ones,

This week in Croatia has been on the not so sunny side, and I do mean weather. I hate the rain, but I do love my rubber boots. They are one of the best purchases I made before coming here. It was raining really hard the other day and Sister Fitzsimmons and I got stuck in a mud puddle. So no big deal, we just stomped our feet to get the chunks off our boots and then went to a puddle to wash off the mud. We were standing there swishing our feet around in a puddle to our ankles when Sister Fitzsimmons stops, looks at me and with a straight face says, "I have a hole." ha ha. Nothing like a puddle to show you have a hole in your boots by getting your socks wet. Also, there is nothing like a mission to show me my holes, and I feel like my socks are soaking.

We went over to the Thompson's last night with Maja (incase you forgot, the Thompsons are the senior couple here and Maja is our new member, well technically the Lords new member). We watched Elder Uchtdorf's talk in a CES fireside last year. Maja loved it and she heard a lot of things she said she needed to hear. I on the other hand heard everything and most of it was very inapplicable....for example finding your eternal mate. It's nice not to think about if someone could ever like me enough to put up with me all the time. Instead I get to relish in the fact that Sister Fitzsimmons has to like me and if she leaves me she's going back to Finland. Too bad marriage isn't like that, "ha ha You have to be with me companion, because the Lord said". Well, that is just another reason why God's thoughts are higher than my own.
But we only have the Thompsons for another five weeks then they go back home to Eastern Oregon, while we are trying to manage without them here. They have not only been invaluable to the people here, but for Heavenly Father as well. I truly love them and I am so happy that I got to serve with them....what am I talking about, I still have five weeks left.

Speaking of time, I have been on a mission for five months and three in the country. What have I learned? Well here is a list:

-Elders are still 19 and 20, if you get lucky they are 21
-how to make a lazy eye
-Croats are happy when it's sunny
-I love American food
-root bear isn't as good as I remember
-I still can't explain that my last name isn't Dillinger
-everyone looks better in white
-Finns are passive aggressive and know where you sleep
and
-There are only two types of people in the world, those you love and those you don't know yet

I know you and I love you and I thank you individually for making me who I am today....well only the growth parts of me not the annoying parts.

Volim Vas jako puno! I love you all so much!

Sestra Dillender

Photos from the field...

Maja's baptism day; me, Maja, Sister Fitzsimmons, Sister Whitaker

From right to left: Sister Whitaker, Sister Fitzsimmons, Maja, Elder Matson, me and then Elder Rhodes at Maja's baptism

At the zoo by the petrified lion.

All the sisters here in Croatia. Starting from the left: Sister Nelson (my MTC companion), Sister Carter (who has been here the longest and we think she and the new sister coming in a few weeks will open a new city to sisters), me, Sister Fitzsimmons (the one from Finland), and Sister Whitaker....and a bunch of 19 year old boys in the back...oh I mean missionaries.

All three of us with Elder Causse at Zone conference. Like I said last week, he was amazing. WOW! he was so good and said and taught a lot of things that I needed.

April 6th, 12th, and 19th letters

Kristys Brother Lynn here, I was on vacation for a couple weeks and am finally back to upload Kristy's letters - so here are the last three she sent, separated by the date she sent them out. I will also figure out how to upload some of her photos to her blog - enjoy!

April 6th
Hello to my dear friends and family,

I miss you all so much and think about how weird it is all the time remaining until I get to see you again. But at the same time, I am grateful because I have a long way to go to become a good and better missionary. I can't wait till I get better at being a missionary and can actually be a useful servant. I try everyday and it will pay off...eventually. The language will eventually come, and I will get better at thinking of others over myself and...well, there's a lot.

Conference blew me away being a new missionary. It was so special to see President Monson and hear what he and the others had to say. I have been testifying about him for weeks to people at their doors, on the streets, and even to our investigators....in whatever Croatian gets out, and then it was a huge blessing from Heavenly Father to watch him speak! I watched conference through new eyes and with a new heart and I am so grateful for that opportunity. I think of how much better next conference will be in October when I am even deeper in the work.

I love to see how the Lord answers prayers! We live by train tracks and I love to lay coins on the tracks and get them squished. But lately, they get lost or....I personally think people take them...lame-o's. So we were walking up the bitty trail to cross the tracks and I said a quick prayer, oh please bless a train to come so I can squish this quarter. We got up and crossed over and as we were heading back down we saw a train coming way off in the distance. I ran up and put a few coins down and ran back. It was a little caboose. When it passed I had four perfectly squished coins and they looked better than I thought they would. I was thinking about it all day. I felt Heavenly Father's overwhelming love. I asked for a train to squish coins, I mean come on, He has so much more to do than send a train. But the lord loves us, He loves us so much He wants to even give us the little things that will bring us joy. In Matthew 7: 7-11 it says “ye being evil know how to give good gift how much more your father in heaven being perfect give greater gifts.” I'm sorry I had to paraphrase that. But Sometimes I think we forget He isn't just God, He is our Father.

The biggest part that has been growing in my testimony has been the love I feel that Heavenly Father has for me and all His children and how much Christ loves us and a better understanding of the atonement. When I say understand these things, I don't mean facts, I mean truly start to understand. We lived with our Father and we knew all of these things before we came. I feel that every time we read our scriptures, go to church, and serve others it brings us closer to our Heavenly Father by chipping away at this veil of forgetfulness. It's a blessing sent from all those who are providing a way for me to be here and my Heavenly Father to thin this veil.

Since that day with the train, the Holy Ghost has helped me remember so many things that I have asked for and received the same day. So I thought for conference I would use prayer again. I asked Heavenly Father if we could have someone to take to conference. Saturday came and at the end of an appointment with one of our investigators we asked her about baptism. She avoided the question...little awkward, not going to lie....but then we invited her to church. Well, she was going to a catholic church...awkward again...then we invited her to conference and explain what it was. She was so excited and said she would love to come on Sunday. Wait it gets better. As we were leaving she said, oh my friend is coming up (Darija lives in an apartment building on the 16th floor) just wait so she can meet you. So guess who else we invited to conference and said she would come? So Sunday night for conference Darija and Božića ( Dar-ee-ya, ž is a sh but with a 'z', Bo-zh-ee-ch-a) came. What a blessing it was to have them there. The Lord truly answers prayers.

Conference was different here. We watched Saturday morning session live, it was six pm for us. They show it through the Internet and people who can't understand English wear a head set for translation. The translations come from Salt Lake where former missionaries translate and this Croat couple, well they all switch off every conference. So we only got to see Sunday and Saturday morning sessions because of the time difference. But President Hill wants the missionaries to be able to see the rest of conference so we get to catch up some time.

This week is going to be such a fun week. We had a P-day today on Tuesday because all the stores are closed here after Easter. Croatia is 90 percent Catholic, maybe even a little more. The nice thing about Catholic countries is that Easter is a big deal, well Christ's atonement is a big deal. So with all the stores closed, we used yesterday as a regular day and today is p-day. We are going to a castle near Vraždin. I am excited the Thompsons, the senior couple here, the four elders and us three are all going. Well with that many missionaries concentrated together there must be someone who needs the gospel up around that castle :), just kidding.

Here is the Mission address if you want to send anything, some people have been asking for it and I keep forgetting. I think an international stamp is 98 cents from the states to Slovenia. We get mail from the mission home quite a bit so I don't have to wait once a month. Transfers are coming up in two weeks so I will give you my home address after that.

Sister Kristen Dillender
Molekova Ulica 3
1211 Ljubljana Šmartno
Slovenia

I also want to thank you all so much for the letters and even just prayers and support; it is more helpful than you think. I miss you and love you so much and pray for you always (and we all know how the Lord loves to answer prayers :)

love,

Sister Dillender

April 12th

Hello my ljubljeni obitelj i prijatelji,
(my loving family and friends)


It is so good to get your letters thank you again for them!

So I gave my first talk in Sacrament last Sunday and it went well..because it was all written out and all I had to do was read it, and I did. People kept saying, “Oh you did such a good job!” But every time I thought, "why all I did was read at the pulpit for ten minutes!" But it was straight to the point and clear, which not many people do, oh and there wasn't any false doctrine...which some people do...gulp! Let's just say fast Sunday’s are very interesting.

So I have a good story for you this week. The zone leaders went on exchanges last week down in Zadar. Elder Rhodes said there was this group of guys and they started yelling at them. Then they got up on this little hill and started throwing rocks at them. He said the rocks just kept falling around their feet and never hit them. He said, it was so cool I felt like Samuel the Lamanite! Ha ha. But the Lord truly protects His missionaries!

I hope this story doesn't scare mom but here goes. So I was reading in Alma right were it talks about how Ammon, King Lamonhi and his wife were all fallen to the earth and one of the men who was at the waters scattering sheep wanted to kill Ammon for killing his brethren, but he fell dead when he raised his sword. Then Mormon added in there that Ammon was protected because the Lord promised his father He would keep him safe. So I started thinking about all the time I may have been protected because of the faith of my parents (and family who prays for me :). Later that week I almost got hit by a car twice because they were running red lights, and all I could think about was my mom and dad praying for me by name. Thanks for your prayers!

We have Zone Conference every four weeks and we just had ours last Thursday. I loved it, I felt like my missionary battery was running low and now it is fully rejuvenated again. Having Zone Conference so often was truly inspired! We talked a lot about goals and the language. I always love hearing from my mission president and his wife. They are so wonderful and I feel like I have known them for so long. They are both so warm and friendly and are hard workers. There are seven Serbian Elders so they come to Zone Conference with us (the Croats) and it's nice to have them there. Slovenia has its own conference. The Serbs have it really tough, there are so few in Serbia for a reason, and I really admire their strength. Also, we heard about how there aren't very many missionaries that are going to be going out in the next few years. Each mission has what is a compliment which means how many missionaries a mission needs. Our mission (all three countries) started with 80 and now the new compliment is 46. We are going to get really close with our companions. There are three sisters going home this year and only one is replacing them, and when Sister Nelson and I go home, hopefully there will be some sisters to replace us so there isn't just one set in the whole country.

Anyway, a lot of people asked about Easter. I love that Catholics spend more time on the Christ part of Easter. Easter has held a new meaning for me these past almost three years now. When the scriptures speak of Christ breaking the bands of death, or the sting of death being swallowed up in Christ, it just means so much more. I am so grateful that Christ loves us so much to ransom us from our sins and provides a way for us to be with our loved ones once again! He truly does love us, and I truly do love Him!

For Easter we had normal church and then later we went to the Thompson's home (a senior couple here in Zagreb who I love very dearly and are invaluable). All of us missionaries were together and we had a pot luck. It was so yummy, especially since we were all fasting up until that point. Then after we went and watched the Sunday morning session at six pm.

Maja's baptism was wonderful! While I watched her standing in the water I felt the spirit burn in me of the truthfulness of the gospel. She is such an inspiration to me and has helped me and my testimony more than I think I have or ever will help hers! This week she faced her parents yelling at her for three hours. They are so ashamed that she is not going to be Catholic. To them, not being Catholic means not being Croatian. When Croatia first broke off, the Pope recognized them as a nation, and so it is very important to Croats to be Catholic. I am so happy for her, because ever since she decided to get baptized, she has been walking on clouds. She also is the reason why I wrote the subject title the way I did in the email. She asked us, "What do you do for food, do you go home and cook?" Then she said, "No, No you don't need to. Your missionaries, you just live off of love and air and..." she went on but we laughed a lot. So now when we have to make food for events we always say, "do we have enough rainbows for that recipe? What about gum drops and blue skies?" We love her!

Well, we are having a good time together, especially since last week all we do is run for buses and trams. But we only have a week and a half together. On the 23rd, I think is the transfers. People have let some stuff leak out so I am pretty sure what is happening with half of us sisters, but I will tell you next week when president tells us.

I love you and thank you for all your prayers and emails!

s ljubavlju,
(with love)

Sestra Dillender


April 19th

Hello all again,

I hope you got the pictures from last week! The computer was acting weird so I am not sure if you got them, so let me know and I will send them again to people who haven't gotten them.

I never know exactly what to say so if you have anything in particular you want me to say just ask because I am running out of ideas.

Okay but first thing is first, I have news about transfers. So I am staying here in Zagreb with Sister Fitzsimmons (the crazy fin) and Sister Whitaker is going to open a new city to sisters in Vraždin. Sister Whitaker is so excited. She is also training the new sister, Sister Laws there too. So she will be having fun with her hands full.

I am so excited to be here with Sister Fitzsimmons. I love her so much and she is an amazing missionary. I learn so much from her everyday and she is a wonderful friend also. She goes home in October and I secretly hope that I get to serve with her until she goes home, well now the secret is out. She works so hard and is so personable and friendly, and totally hot. Ha ha, we always tell her she looks like a hot finish snow white. That is why when we go contacting, we have her stop people! No I'm kidding, well about her stopping people.

Last week we worked really hard to get our numbers up for contacting. We have been having a hard time with opening our mouths to strangers, but the Lord has blessed us so much. The highest we've gotten was 34 one week, but last week we worked our touches off and stopped 201 people. It does help that the weather is nice and people are out walking and that we have English flyers to pass out. With the flyers we tell people who were are and why we teach free language classes. I feel our efforts are being paid off. Three new people came to church yesterday and all the sudden I can understand so much more. I keep forgetting that contacting isn't just character building, but that the Lord blesses us with success when we work hard. I owe a lot of our success to how hard Sister Fitzsimmons worked though. She was stopping people all over the place and was so bold but at the same time so personable. I love how she can talk to people so they see that we as missionaries are real people and not just robotic nuns. Each conversation we have with people is so exciting and so up lifting for us and them. See what I mean when I say I am excited to work with her!!!

A funny story! We were waiting for the tram and this lady had her small dog just walking around while she was talking to some one. This other lady comes up and picks up the dog and starts walking away. The lady walked after her and yelled, "EXCUSE ME, WHERE ARE YOU TAKING MY DOG!?!" It was so awkward, and the lady stopped and weirdly said something about thinking it didn't have an owner. It was so weird, but we couldn't believe we almost watched a dog napping. But a cool thing here is that so many dogs roam free, owner or not and they are all so nice and well trained! I haven't seen one dog be mean or annoying and no one had dogs on leashes, it's amazing.

Well, I hope you are all doing well! I will send you pictures maybe today or next week. I love you all and I hope you are happy and well!

Love,

Sestra Dillender

Week Five or Six, I’m a bit confused!

Hello my Dear Ones again,

I hope that you all are doing well and I miss you like crazy! I can't think of very many funny things that happened last week that would be funny even if you weren't there. Hmmmmm

Well the weather is getting warmer and warmer and one day we didn't even bring our coats with us. It was so nice not to look completely like a nun for once. We actually had a great week last week as lessons go. We have been able to teach some investigators, new members, and a few less actives. We have been doing a lot of less active finding. My favorite is when we always refer to them as lost sheep. "Where is this lost sheep," "What's this lost sheep's name," "What bus to we take to find the next lost sheep?" It's very fun and kind of annoying because we’re confused about who we are actually talking about. Unfortunately it's very easy to get lost in a big city.

I feel like the work here is starting to boom. There is always someone new who is interested and there is always something to do...outside of tracting. I actually haven't been tracting very much because we are always going on an appointment or....finding lost sheep. We have fun with our language classes and there is always at least one person that is interested in the gospel.

Last Thursday in my Spanish class, I was so frustrated with trying to teach it in Croatian and I felt like I was getting no where. But then Maja (maya) told me a day later that she has seen such a big improvement in my speaking skills just in the past two weeks. It was so encouraging to hear that. This language is so frustrating sometimes, but I still really love it and I can't wait till I can understand and speak it.

We were talking to a girl from France who doesn't speak Croatian so we were speaking in English. I didn't realize what a handicap not being able to speak or understand it is and how nice it is going to be when it comes and how much easier it will be later on. I can only do so much right now and sometimes it's so frustrating feeling so useless. I know I help in other ways, but you sit there blinking three lessons in a row and tell me you don't feel stupid :D! But I have gotten really good at blinking, so it's okay.

Last week I mentioned that Maja is getting baptized and we are all so excited. She is so happy now and is always smiling. She is getting baptized April 10. She is so inspiring and makes us all so happy when we get to be with her. She is on fire and is very special. I am so happy I get to be here at this time and get to see her change.

So transfers in our mission are every nine weeks because we don't get missionaries as often as others. So our transfers will be at the end of this month. We are getting a new Sister this transfer, actually she is the only one at the MTC right now going to Croatia....there goes syl-ing (where you practice speaking your language with others who aren't teachers). So, since she is coming we get to open a new city to sisters. Right now there are only two with sisters and there are five here. My MTC companion is on the coast in Zadar and my other MTC companion is in Czech....because she was the only Sister at the time going to the Czech Republik. So we have been making transfer predictions for the Sisters because now there are so many possibilities of what can happen. I have a feeling that Sister Fitzsimmons and I are going to stay here in Zagreb. That Sister Whitaker is going to go to Zadar with my MTC companion and Sister Cater is going to go to Vrašdin with the new Sister - if that makes any sense. I guess you could look at a map, that would be fun.

Well, thank you so much for the letters, they are needed on my behalf. I miss you all and I hope that you enjoy these emails. If there is anything that you want to know just ask because I never really know what to say. Also if you write me an email than I will write you one back, but otherwise I will just send this one (which I hope you like).

Love,

Sister Dillender


Oh and here are some fun phrases:

Bok-Hello
dobar dan- good day
doveđenja (dove-gen-ya)- good bye
Volim tebe- I love you
Nisam časna sestra- I'm not a nun

Weeks 4 and 5

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for not sending a fun big letter last week, there was a black out in the library and we had to go somewhere else and we didn't have much time. I knew I should have done the big email first.

Anyway, I'll start with zone conference. Elder Causse from the seventy came and it was so great. He talked about widening our vision of not just here and now but how it is going to be. We are here while the church is just starting and just getting it's feet under it and we are working to get a good foundation here. Soon, in forty years or so, there will be stakes and wards here. Plus that isn't just wishful thinking that is what was in the dedicatory prayer that Thomas S. Monson gave when he dedicated Yugoslavia. Sometimes it's hard to keep the vision, but I just look around sacrament and try to envision the families and all the kids that will be there. Right now the church is made up of a lot of single members.

I think I talked about the branches here last email but I will do it again. I am in Zagreb, the Capital of Croatia and the larges city here. There are about 30 people that come every Sunday which is sad because a few years ago it was about 90 who came regularly. But right now there is a lot happening in Zagreb and a lot of teaching and there have actually been baptisms!!!! For example, one of our investigators has decided TO GET BAPTIZED!!!!!! We are so happy and it is all we talk about. She is amazing and is truly going to be a huge help to the church here. She doesn't take crap and she has a good heart. She has been looking for the truth for four years now and has finally found it! It's so funny she can't stop smiling and she is so happy.

The language is still not here, but it's finally easier saying little things. I love the language but it doesn't make it any easier to learn or understand or speak. I am glad that I get to be humbled by it because I am learning so many things. I haven't really made any funny mistakes...well I make mistakes in the language all the time they just aren't funny they are normal. My companions jump in and save the day all them time.

Last week we went to a local zoo, and I am going to be honest...it was the creepiest zoo ever. For one, all the animals were weird creepy things and most of them kept turning their behind to us and pooping. Plus, we knew we were in for it when we, as in all the missionaries, showed up in sweaters and Kiki (a member here, KiKi short for Christian) was wearing a huge jacket....it was freezing that day, I don't know what we were thinking. The Lions were cool though as they usually are and one started roaring, and I loved it.

We have been starting to tract more. The best part about Zagreb is there is a good sized teaching pool and it takes so long to get places that you don't have time for tracting....only contacting which is so much better to me. But the other day we went to these buildings and everyone said no except for this one guy named Igor. He got a restoration pamphlet before and read it and was interested in learning more. He is meeting with the elders this next week and we are so excited because they don't have anyone to teach right now, only the other set of elders who are the zone larders here do. Another time when we went tracting, this older guy in a tank top answered the door and we all just stared at each other smiling for thirty seconds, then Sister Whitaker broke the silence with, misionarke smo....and then he said ne hvala, no thank you and closed the door. It was really funny...because it was really awkward.

Oh I don't think I wrote this one home yet, we were coming home one night on the bus and it was a bit crowded. So our stop came and we couldn't get to the door fast enough, Sister Whitaker got out and was standing there looking at us and then all the sudden the doors closed on Sister Fitzsimmons. So I hope you get the picture, the doors closed ON HER! So she was trying to chicken wing her arms out so the doors would open all the way, but apparently she wasn't strong enough because the doors won and closed the rest of the way on her arm and her hand was sticking out the door. So Sister Whitaker was outside and we were on the bus still. Then Sister Fitzsimmon's hand is still out the door and waves to Sister Whitaker as we are driving off and sucks her hand back in. It was very funny because people look at us weird just being missionaries, but they got to watch this whole scene. Fortunately, the next stop isn't very far and we just walked back to her.

It is starting to heat up around here which is nice except today because it rained last night and now it is just humid.

Oh so there are a few other cities opened here in Croatia. Vraštin (vdashteen) has about 5 active members and it is to the north east of Zagreb. Then there is Pula, Rijeka (riyeka) and Zadar which is on the coast and all of those have about four or five members too. There are only sister in Zagreb and Zadar and we are getting a new sister next transfer so we get to open a new city up to sisters, wohooo! Oh and there is Karlovac (karlovats) which has about 15 members there. I have a feeling that Sister Fitzsimmons and I are going to stay here which will be fun and wonderful. We think that Sister Whitaker will go back to Zadar were she started, which she is excited about if that happens.

I actually bought jeans because I was missing wearing them so much during pdays and I felt like a bum walking around in sweats all the time. So right now I am wearing jeans.......and it's awesome!

I was reading about Ammon fighting King Lamonhi’s father the other day. It's has been so awesome reading about the sons of Mosiah as a missionary. It is just such a different perspective and sooooo helpful. I think they are amazing examples, even now in these days. I keep forgetting that having faith means exercising it and not just hoping. It's good to have hope, but then there comes a time when out right faith is required and I get the opportunity to practice that right now, everyday.

Well, thank you so much for your letters and all the support, I miss you tons and I pray for you and hope your are doing well.

Ask any question you may have because I always forget what to write.

Love,

Sister Dillender

Week 3 in Hrvvtska

Hello my dear loved ones,

So last Thursday and I had a party, well we ate lots of pizza and goodies and it was fun. This Thursday will be my three week mark and we have zone conference where a General Authority or a Seventy will be there. His name is Elder Causse and he is from France. I don't really know what we do at Zone Conference but I heard it is very fun and all the missionaries in Croatia and Serbia come here to Zagreb and get pumped up to do more missionary work. Also, a person from a Seventy or someone like that only comes once a year, so this Thursday will be fun.

I teach Spanish every Thursday and I had my first class last Thursday. It was interesting and I think some people were bored. I hope I can keep it fun, but it's hard to do that because I have to teach in Croatian and still think in Spanish and want to shoot myself because there is this stressful lady in the back that keeps yelling out stuff and annoying other people in the class, Not Good! But we did have about thirteen people that came and ten of them were not members, so that was great. I hope our spiritual thoughts will prick their hearts and help them want to learn more :).

So my funny language story for this week is that when I was handing out flyers for Spanish class I was telling them that I will teach Spanish on Thursdays. So when I would stop and tell someone they would get this big smile on their face and I thought it was because I sound so new in the country. They were all really nice and took the flyers and said sure we'll tell our friends....well, after stopping about six people I went up to one of my companions who wasn't right next to me because she was handing out flyers too, and asked if I could practice my approach to see if I could get it better. So I started by saying, " Ja ću povračati tečaj španjolski četvrkom!" She looked at me and said what did you say? I said it again and she said, you mean podučavati not povračati and I started to laugh so hard because podučavati means teach, but I was saying povračati which means THROW UP! I was telling people that I will throw up Spanish classes Thursdays. I told like six people that and no one corrected me. But it was funny and they will always remember Mormon sister missionaries.

Oh Elder Matson who is the zone leader and serves here in Zagreb reminds me soooo much of Lynny, I mean the way he says things the way he looks and his humor. It's nice to be around him so I can get my lynny fill.

Thank you for all the emails I love getting and reading them. I'm sorry this one is so short but next week I will have more to say this week we are just a little short on time. I love you all and thank you for all your prayers and support.

love,

Sestra Dillender

Sister Dillender Posts

Kristy is finally able to have some computer time to do emails, which is great for me, her brother Lynn, to finally be able to copy-and-paste her emails to her blog. Kristy will be sending pictures soon too, we'll be mailing her two memory cards back and forth so she'll always have one. I'll now be keeping Kristy's blog active as she send weekly communications home - and anything else we hear from her.

So, here are the last three messages in chronological order, straight from Kristy:

January 19, 2010
The mtc is so great, it's like a fairyland where you have a ton of friends and food spontaneously appears out of no where at certain times of the day. My companions and I still laugh all day everyday and everyone laughs extra hard just to see me laughing really hard at stupid things that aren’t really even funny.

I did loose FIVE POUNDS!!!! wohooooo! But they may quickly come back so I have to be careful and I got my companion sore by our leg work out, hee hee.

Croatian is so awesome and very funny at times. i keep making mistakes but funny ones like I cased the word god wrong and then accidentally took his name in vain oops!

I have three and a half weeks left till I go to Croatia and I am getting nervous. I love the mtc and I don't want to leave. I love the people here the things I am learning and just everything, but I will be excited later to leave to Croatia.
I got to call mom this week because of visa stuff. I didn't think it would be so hard on me, well, it was hard after I had to hang up, but fortunately I was busy. It was so good to hear her voice! Then I bragged about it all day to everyone because no one gets to call their mom.
So I leave Feb 16 but mail is Croatia is still pretty good if you still want to send me hand written mail. I will probably get to use my gmail account when I get there so I will have an hour or two maybe, I'll let you know later. but for now please dearelder :).
The apostle L Tom Perry came this a week or two ago and I sat a couple rows from him speaking. I felt like I was being blown away while he gave his testimony about the living Christ! It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Sestra dillender

February 17, 2010
I am in Europe! Is this crazy or what? I am in Slovenia right now and tomorrow I will be in Croatia meeting my new trainersssssss, yes I said trainers. I am nervous but Heavenly Father blessed me to know that it is not only going to be great but amazing, that I am going to have two new best friends! One is from Finland and the other is from Pennsylvania. They both have only been here for six or seven months soooooo, they are still learning, but in a good spot. So it's pretty much going to be a party everyday!

Also I am going to be speaking a lot of Spanish and start to teach in my new area a Spanish class. I'm in Zagreb and Sister Nelson went to the ocean in Zadar! I'm going to miss her tons!

My mission president is amazing already and I am just so happy and feel so loved. I will write next Monday!

February 22, 2010
Bok!

So I got into the country last Thursday and I am still tired, jako jako tired. (jako pronounced yacko means very) But do not be impressed with my language skills, and I will explain why later.

I am stationed in Zagreb the country capitol. It is so fun to be in a big city there is so much going on and there is something new to see everyday, since there is something new to see the past four days. It has been cold but not too bad and the snow is melting a lot. But the sun came out for Sunday and I didn't have to wear my rain jacket. So my outfit was more colorful and people didn't think I was a nun, so that was good. Everyone thinks we're nuns because we dress in dark colors and have a sister title, it's kind of funny. Then I want to say nacho libre style, "Can't you see that I am a NUN!" But that wouldn't make any sense to do that so I don't. And Sister Whitaker and I keep quoting dumb and dumber saying, "Harry your hands are freezing." So when one of our investigators was choking me with her cold hands on Sunday I told her exactly that way the her hands were freezing.

Anyway, onto my awesome trainers. I think it's so funny everyone will always think of one person and I will think of two. One is from Finland her name is Sister Fitzsimmons. Her dad is American and her mom is Finish and she grew up in Finland. She speaks English like no ones business and looks like a super modern and hot version of snow white. ha ha ha, if she saw that she would blush and tell me not to send that. But I am..... Anyway, Sister Whitaker is from Pennsylvania, I know I spelled that wrong but I am in Hrvatska and I can't spell state names anymore. She is awesome and went to BYU and she speaks French. So Sister Fitzsimmons teaches a Finish class and Sister Whitaker teaches French and starting next week I will teach Spanish. That pretty much takes up the service portion for each week.

I only talked to one person in Spanish and it was at church and I am pretty sure that she isn't a native speaker but I can't be too sure. I wish I could speak more but it's good not too because I need to practice hrvatski.

Teaching wise, we actually have a lot of people to teach so we stay busy. Going from place to place takes a while so it eats up time, but it is nice to have places to go. The best part is I usually actually never know what people are saying until we talk about gospel subjects then I sometimes understand. I am a true missionary, I only speak gospel and don't have much vocab for anything else.

I have to remember not to get frustrated with myself when it comes to Hrvatski. I know the language will come, it's just a matter of patience. I could know everything all at once if Heavenly Father wanted that but fortunately he is blessing me to go through the painstaking and invaluable process of learning a new language process. I get to grow in so many ways by learning how to do spread the gospel and learn a language. I am glad that he blesses me for my effort and I get to learn to be patient and rely on the lord. It is so hard to contact people on the bus or anywhere because I have NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, so that isn't too affective, but my companions are really good at jumping in and helping me out. I wouldn't chicken out on talking to people so much if I could speak hrvatski. But that is my courage task because I can speak to anyone at anytime, but not in this language, and for my companions they speak the language but it's hard for them to just go up to people and talk. I wish I was in the airport again contacting.....It's all a growth process and I'm grateful for it.

The new chapel has been build and dedicated for almost a year. It's nice to have it even though there aren't many people in it, but we'll fix that. We also have a baptism, well the elders do, this Saturday and I am so excited for it. Hopefully, well, no we WILL have another baptism soon from one of our investigators :).

I had to bear my testimony in sacrament this past Sunday, yesterday. I knew I would have to so I was practicing during the week and I kept saying "ja sam jako jako gladna da mogu biti ovdje." But gladna means hungry not glad. So I was afraid I was accidentally going to say, "I am very, very hungry to be here" But I ended up saying happy. Plus people say I speak so well and they are so impressed but the funny part of that is they usually say that after I say a prayer or give a testimony, which is ALL I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING THE PAST TWO MONTHS IN THE MTC, ha ha, I can't really say anything outside of the gospel.

Oh and a very funny thing that happened at church was there is this man in his 70's who is just so funny and weird. So Elder Matson tells us that earlier that week he was with this man, his name is Martin. Martin said he's really wants something sweet to eat so he goes in the kitchen and gets an orange (just wait it gets better), then he cuts it in half. Then he grabs out a big thing of sugar and gets a big spoon full (I know you think you know what is going to happen but you don't). The he takes the orange and squeezes a few drops on the sugar and EATS IT, then he did that FOUR TIMES! Then the best part was soon after i heard this story I got to know him and he started talking to me and I had no idea what he was saying and clearly looked like i had no idea but he kept going. I just kept trying not to laugh because all I could think about was the sugar. Oh and the best part is that he was wearing a bight yellow button down shirt.....yes he is my favorite so far.

Well I am so happy to be here and I am so blessed to have the companions that I have had, wow I have had four companions so far. Cool I just thought of that. Most have just had two by now.

Well, prayers are always helpful and so are emails. I now have up to three hours for email, so email me as much as you want. I love you!

Love,
sister dillender

March 1, 2010:
Okay the subject reminds me of Aladdin when somebody says for princess Jasmin another suitor for the princess and it makes me laugh.

Anyway, that you for the letters they are sooooo great. I love that i now have time to email it is so much more convenient. I can't spell sorry. I still appreciate everyone so much who is helping me and supporting me to be here, thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity!

The letters I got today were very inspiring and so encouraging and they make me want to do better and better. I love to hear how people are doing and that people are happy and well. I don't mind hearing the bad stuff either so i know to pray for you.

So I don't remember when this happened but last week i think, the bus door opened and pinned my back pack against the wall. it was sooo funny yet so awkward because people kept staring at the crazy young nun whose backpack is stuck. It was so funny because my whole body was free just not my back pack and wiggling around didn't help just made people stare more. I think people not laughing and looking at me weird made the whole situation just that much funnier. Finally I slid down and my backpack came free and I walked toward the back of the tram red faced and laughing. And yes people still think we are nuns all the time.

This experience goes along great with the whole nun thing. A lady on the bus looked at my tag and asked if I was a sister and I said yes. I asked her if she knew about the church and heard of the Book of Mormon and she said yeah. So I couldn't think of what to say that wouldn't take ten years because believe it or not I'm not fluent yet, so I look at her and say, "um.....Nisam častna sestra." Yes I looked her in the eye and said, "um....I'm not a nun!" It was great and then she smiled and said I know. I laughed hard afterward and so did Sister Whitaker because she was listening.

I'm starting Spanish classes this week and haven't gotten many flyers out still, so i hope a lot of people come. I will be great because a lot of people want to learn but they.....just don't know where to find Spanish language classes that are free....hummm sounds like the gospel. :). There are a lot of investigators that come from the language classes so I hope we get a lot of people from them.

I got to be here for a baptism already. This is such a fruitful time to come and be here I am so happy and blessed. Robert was baptized this past Saturday and had to be dunked twice it was really funny especially his sense of humor. He was so calm before the baptism and was the same after ward to. He knew it was right and was happy to be baptized. His brother was baptized in December, and spoke at his baptism, they are just amazing and hilarious.

The chocolate here is so good and fortunately I haven’t gained any weight but I haven’t lost any either, too bad. But it's been fun trying all the different kinds and splurging.

A lady in our ward is from the states and she works at the American embassy here. She went to a military base and got us peanut butter root beer chips and salsa, it was so good. It was better for the other sisters because they hadn't had that in almost a year and I haven't had it for two weeks :). It's great to be a greeny sometimes.

They call trainers moms or dads. I was laughing because I have two trainers being in a trio (which is a party everyday). I informed Sister Whitaker last night, " you know that I'm from San Francisco and i have two moms". She laughed pretty hard...its just funny how things work out sometimes.

My Croatian is really slow and I'm learning it really slow ,but I got a huge complement at the baptism. we talked about prophets and priesthood while Robert was changing and I got to talk about Joseph Smith. Afterward a new member who is soooo cute and I think Mikey should marry, was talking to me and she told me that my accent sounds like a Croat. I dropped my jaw I was so surprised. I work really hard to say things right and it felt good to hear that. She was like you sound so good and you are going to be amazing. Another one of our investigators told me that and it was amazing. I think enunciating and speaking clearly is really what they think is good not my accent. It was so uplifting though.
I am so blessed here with my trainers the two sets of elders and the ward. Everyone here is so great and I feel so spoiled. Even our investigators are amazing. They are such great people. I love Croatia, and I didn't think I would like it so much so quickly. The language is so beautiful and sounds so Russian which is fun. The weather gets sunnier and sunnier everyday and I keep wondering when this honeymoon phase is going to die off and I'm going to see things in less brand new eyes, but i have a feeling that it's going to stay for the whole mission and I'm going to have a hard time coming home to job searching and loans when all I will want to do is tell people about the free gospel!!!!!

Well, I hope you are doing well and you are happy. Until next week my friends!

Sister Dillender