Week #55

Snjeg-Snow

I'm in snow finally! I know I saw the snow in Utah and hearing about snow is probably no big deal to you, but I'm in snow! It's exciting to me to understand what it's like for missionaries to go tracting in the cold and feel like I don't know, an actual missionary during winter :) I don't know why, but the cold puts some more energy in me or something. I will probably wish I was back in warm Zadar in a few weeks, but for now it's good :) This week was a wonderful week of getting used to Osijek. Of course, I still don't know the area but I'm getting more of a feel of what is expected of me here. There are sooo many people that are willing to listen to the gospel. And there are sooo many people who are willing to try also. It was interesting to me when we checked up on a potential and she said that she read and prayed and didn't receive an answer. I wasn't surprised at the part that she didn't receive an answer but I was surprised that she at least tried. The past year, I've been talking to people that either try it and they feel something and keep going (which is a smaller amount) or they shut us down from the beginning. There are so many people here that seem to just try because we simply ask them to. It's so different. I don't mind it one bit :) We have this one investigator that would have been baptized this upcoming Saturday but her husband doesn't want her to be baptized because she already has been. But we'll help him understand more about the apostasy and authority so then they'll both understand and realize how much this is helping them come closer to God.

Speaking of baptisms, on Tuesday, 1 1/2 hours before I left, A. (chicken-blood lady) was baptized :) The entire time I was there. I couldn't believe it. There were so many times that I wondered, "Is she really going to be able to be baptized when I'm here?" Even when she came to church, I couldn't believe it. When we picked her up to go to her baptism, I couldn't believe it. Then when the service started, I was so happy. All the joy came in with all the memories I had with this woman. It was a bitter sweet ending to my time in Zadar. I'm so blessed to have been able to see it. Now I'm blessed to be here and help others understand more and make more covenants with Heavenly Father so they can have greater blessings.

The more I'm in the country, the more I'm grateful to learn another language, so these people can hear the gospel in their language. In 2 Nephi 31:3, it talks about teaching to their understanding and their language. Whether they're young or old, Croatian or American, everyone needs and deserves to learn in their language and to their understanding. I'm so grateful to be here to teach to their understanding and language. And I'm excited to keep going helping and to keep growing myself. Whatever your teaching circumstance whether it's an actual calling, a parent, a friend, or even just talking to some random stranger, I hope that you will talk and teach to their understanding and language. I know if you do the best you can, the Spirit will do the rest. Volim vas!

S vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće

Week #54

Osijek-Osijek (O-see-yek)

Osijek is the city that I'll be serving in next starting Wednesday! Yes, that's right, transfer calls happened this week. I was very excited to hear that I'll be moving to Osijek. It's very different from Rijeka and Zadar (one it's not by the sea and flat). Also it's cold. There's snow. Tracting's going to start getting a lot more fun :) But seriously tracting hasn't been bad at all. I think every night this week that we went tracting we were let in at least one time. It was very cool. But the coolest thing that happened this week was church on Sunday. When I found out I was leaving, I called everyone I knew and contacted the different store owners and invited them to church. I couldn't believe how many people that I was still in contact with and how many people I talked to within a 6 month time span. It took some time. So on Sunday, I was playing the piano and I couldn't see how many people came because how the piano is situated, you can't see everyone. But then I went up to go speak and the room was full! 20 people came to church not counting missionaries! (Usually about 12 people come to church) We had 4 investigators at church! The most I have ever had. It was absolutely amazing. But the most amazing part is that one of our investigators is going to be baptized tomorrow right before I leave (seriously, we're going to leave right after the service). This is the former investigator that I found with Sestra CC in November and she had chicken blood on her hands. Ring a bell? It's just a wonderful way to leave a city. So pray that everything goes well tomorrow. For I know that she wants this. She wants to feel loved and be a part of the gospel. And I'm so grateful that I was able to help her receive it.

I was called to serve on a mission. As I continue to learn my duty as a missionary, the scripture I gave at my last district meeting in Zadar this week describes perfectly what I feel for these people: 1 Thes. 2:8 . At first, I taught the gospel to these people. Now, I've realized that I have not only given the gospel to them, but my own soul. These people I have come to love. When I think of Osijek, I am excited to meet more people and see what I can do to help. But when I think of Zadar, I almost start crying because I'm leaving these wonderful people until who knows when. But it will all be good, because I'm going to be where God needs me to be. And I'll continue my adventure as a representative of Jesus Christ. Wish me luck and I'll let you know next week how everything went! Volim vas!

S vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće

Week #53

Napor-Effort

This week we've been gathering in the harvest of the efforts from us and missionaries before. Started off with tracting and being let in 5 times two nights in a row! One night, we knocked on three doors and were let in three times. What a blessing! The other is that the guy who called us last week we met with and he is so great! He brought his friend with him (who we also contacted on the street) and we had a great lesson. They had great questions, committed to reading, praying, and coming to church! He had been reading a little but didn't come to church because he slept in. But he was definitely committed to coming this upcoming week!

Also the woman on date for baptism came to church! She absolutely loved it! She felt so much happier and couldn't wait to become a member of the branch. January 23, her birthday, is the date! Pray for her that she'll stop drinking coffee and she'll come to church this Sunday. That's all she needs to do right now then she can be baptized. I'm so excited!!!

We went to the woman who I helped be baptized this week and something happened that I thought would never happen while I was here in Zadar. While we were talking with her about different gospel subjects, her husband came and sat and listened. I thought at first, "Good. Maybe he'll hear something that will spark his Atheist ways." When I first met this man, his response to us whenever we brought up religion was I'm Atheist and he would leave the room. He would never even stay for a prayer. So as he sat there, we brought up faith and church. He spoke right up and pretty much bore his testimony how our church was different (he came last week for his grandson's baby blessing). There was a different feeling about our church and he couldn't find anything negative. He continued on and talked about faith and that if we didn't have faith then we didn't have anything in this life. I just sat there shocked. I couldn't believe that this man (who I knew would be converted one day) was expressing his thoughts about religion to us right then. I'm so grateful that I was there to see that miracle. The change that I have seen in this family the last 6 months have been a strong influence to me and my life of what one person can do to change their family through time.

Seeing the change in myself and the people of Zadar the last 6 months has been a great blessing. I am a witness that we just need to apply 3 Nephi 27:21, do what Christ does. See every person with the potential of being able to overcome. Have the faith and hope that everything you do that Christ would do is not wasted. In Preach My Gospel it says, "Your consistent efforts in serving and teaching as many people as you can is one way God prepares His children to eventually receive His servants. He often reaches out to His children through you. Even when people do not accept the opportunity to learn the gospel, your service and words are evidence of God's love for them and may plant seeds that future missionaries and members of the Church will harvest." Even though your responsibility isn't to go on the street and preach the gospel, it is your responsibility to preach the gospel when the missionary opportunity arrives. So don't let your guard down! Be an example to everyone around you and always be open to who the Lord will put in your path. I know He will because of the example you have been in my life and what an influence you have been. Keep being that light to someone else because someone needs to see it! Volim vas! Do sljedeći tjedan!

S vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće

Week #52

Hajdemo!-Let's go!

New Year's Eve was a great evening with the members and then going home to a restless night of hearing fireworks going off all the time. It was so crazy to me how many fireworks went off right in the middle of the city. I finally was able to doze off through the noise and then it hit 5 minutes before midnight and the place went crazy! I woke up and looked out the window. It was so loud and so colorful. But it was just describing how this year was going to be for the Adriatic North Mission. This week was full of awesome experiences. Starting with an investigator we have who has given us three referrals who are very interested (just so you know, referrals come far and wide, I think before this week, I have received 5 referrals total on my mission thus far). This woman also said that as soon as she receives an answer from God, she will be baptized. Bah! It was so great. We met with our other investigator ( the one who I first met with chicken blood on her hands) on New Year's Day and she said that she wanted to be baptized this year. We prayed and then she chose the date January 23rd, her birthday. She was so excited and had more of a drive in her after that. So we'll see how it goes. The first time in the history of the Zadar branch, we had a baby blessing. Our branch president's son. It was such a spiritual experience and the bigger miracle was that the branch president's father came (the husband to the woman who I taught to be baptized) came to church for the first time and loved it and felt the spirit so strong. Yesterday we received a call from a man who said that we talked to him on the street and we talked about faith with him. I bet you could imagine our reaction. How many people do we talk to in one day? Lots. Sestra Trumbo continued to talk to him and he asked if we could meet because he was reading the pamphlet and he has one question, "Which church is true?" Wow. Yes, we can meet and we'll help you answer this question. Such a great way to end the week and to start this week.

A friend of mine sent me a letter that shared the scripture Moroni 8:3. God is mindful of us always. And I don't care who you are and how alone and unloved you may feel, but there are people praying for you. And through our Savior, Jesus Christ we can endure with faith to the end. Keep going! And the Lord will help you through it. Volim vas!

S vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley
Uvijek Sljedići Braće

Week #51

Sretna Nova Godina!-Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are excited for the new year! This last week was a great week talking to people at home. There are so many people we found at home and that we'll be visiting after the holidays. They were a little busy with the excitement of the holidays and guests over, but they said we could come back and talk to them more. We're going to be so busy these next few weeks! I'm so excited! Today is New Year's Eve and we're having a birthday party for Elder Matosich and celebrating the new year :) It was exciting yesterday to hear from this woman in Split (3 hours away but she's still in our branch boundaries). We've been in contact with her a little bit and she told us she was going to go to come to church. This shocked me so much! Her faith has been down and it's been a big struggle to lift her up. But she came! And it was so great to talk to her face to face and help her get a reboost. Hopefully with all these new missionaries coming out that more places will be opened up so the church can grow here tremendously. We'll see. Last night when we went tracting, we were talking to this lady and she was a little strange at first, but then she said 6:30 (because that was the time) and then it seemed like a flip switched. She started chanting and when she saw the picture of Jesus on the back of a pamphlet Sestra Trumbo had, she grabbed it and started kissing the picture and kept chanting talking about the sun and the moon. It was really weird. But what was even weirder to me that afterward I felt a huge love for her. There are so, so, so many people in this country who have been effected so much by the war which happened in all these adults' lifetimes. I don't know if this woman we tracted into was a not there because of the war or what, but I felt this love for her and a desire for her to understand what the gospel can do for her. In 1 Nephi 11:17 Nephi knows that God loves his children nevertheless he doesn't know the meaning of all things. I switched it up for me that I don't know the meaning of all things like why these people have to be effected by all these hardships nevertheless God loves his children. No matter what happens in life, the Atonement can fix it. We just have to do our part so the enabling power can do its part. So will you take some time and allow the Atonement to heal your life? I know it can. It has healed mine many times. Start this year with no regrets and moving forward to a new year bright and full of hopes and dreams! Because you can totally reach them! Volim vas!

S vjećnom ljubavlju,
Vaša kćer,

Sestra Kristine Jolley

Uvijek Sljedići Braće