Neil, Nathan

Lots of great and powerful things happening this week! We visited an older lady named Zorica in our branch at the beginning of the week (this was the first time I've ever heard someone start talking in croatian and just go non stop telling us how their day was for 30 minutes haha) It was huge for my language and a really neat opportunity for me to bear my testimony of why I chose to come here and put all my time and energy into learning the gospel and this language. It was a cool moment for the spirit:) I also helped give a blessing to Gianni this week! I'd never given one in Croatian before but it was another powerful moment for him to exercise our faith and for us to exercise our priesthood. He and Marica actually took us out to lunch which never happens and was so much fun! They seem so much happier and lighter and Gianni came to church yesterday (and marica via zoom) which was another big miracle!   We drove a ways out to Labin to teach a man named Fredi for the first time...

It was definitely a week of ups and downs...towards the beginning of the week we decided to go through the records and call everyone we had information for and four people said they would come to church on Sunday! Then some lessons fell through this week and then only one of the four came on Sunday which was a bummer :( but she said she wanted to meet again and we have lessons scheduled again this week so we're gonna bounce back!! Meeting Dormina and Koština (getting baptized in August) on Sunday was amazing, they have powerful spirits and are so happy and excited!  I loved having the opportunity to bear my testimony to the branch here in Rijeka during church and teach some lessons in Croatian in district council and with members! We did some service cutting down good old thorn bushes for an older couple named Gianni and Marica, took me back a little- (if you knew me growing up, you know that I was cutting blackberry bushes on the daily haha). They are hilarious and ill try to get ...

Ej bok svima! We got to Rijeka today and our apartment has a crazy cool view of the Adriatic Sea! The only problem is that to get up to where we live you have to walk an eternity of stairs up the hills and by the time you get to the room you can barely walk! Haha I love it!  Anyways, thanks to the hard work of my trainer, we have three baptisms on date for August 21st, which is amazing! I'm already learning so much from Elder Hazel and to start off the transfer we went around the city, toured a castle, and drove to some cool sights for P-day. He has been super welcoming and patient with my language skills (or lack of them haha). I'm ready to get to work here and keep the momentum going!!  Saying goodbye to the district this week was really hard, but everyone is in their areas and moving on from the MTC life. These last few days were so fun to spend with the few of us remaining, all the elders and sisters going home, and the four tongan sisters! It was great being able to give ...

First things first, I'm headed to Rijeka, Croatia!! We got our transfer assignments last night and I'll be at the coast next week being trained by Elder Hazel and my comp Elder Garlick will be off to Novi Sad. It's a pretty sad goodbye but were both stoked. Elder Garlick has honestly been the best comp I could have asked for, I have learned so much from him. I will be "killing" elder Hazel, meaning he will be heading home after this transfer. (Way too excited to see the ocean again haha) Drugi, we have been getting some very intense training this week from a university professor named Kristjan (one of the coolest people I've ever met). This guy is crazy. He's been just about everywhere, speaks who knows how many languages, and is a scientist/politician/researcher/professor/doctor and so on. He is crucial to the success of the mission here because of all his international connections and knowledge. (Some people here think he's John the Beloved, and hone...