The Creator

First things first!! We are fully back as the Rijeka branch, with a newly sustained branch presidency, Sunday school classes, and a NEW PIANO!! Man, I can't describe how good it felt to get back on the keys for church on Sunday. We had some great talks from President Babić and now President Hachi, as well as my very own trainer Elder Hazel! I translated for the German family visiting from Berlin, which was also super fun (making up half the talks haha)! 

 


Also funny moment this week: Elder Hazel woke up at 5 in the morning the other day to me talking out loud in my sleep. He was going to shush me but then realized I was practicing Croatian in my sleep! It was probably really bad but he thought it was pretty funny the next morning. 

 


Our new senior couple, the Barrus', get here this week and we are really excited to have them here, except they get the car :(  in the meantime, the Lambs came this week and we put on a fun game night. There was a group of random kids playing a NERF war in the middle of our party which was hilarious because I tried to give them our juice boxes we brought and some of the adults didn't seem to happy about that haha! We've also been playing soccer with this one kid who somehow always shows up when we go play and never says a word to us haha, but we have a great time playing and laughing with him! (He's a stud) 

 


*I was reading in 2 Nephi 3 this week, and I loved the words of verse 13, "and out of weakness he shall be made strong". The Lord didn't say "after he overcomes his weakness" or "once he gets rid of that weakness". No, He said, "out of weakness." God uses that same material that makes up our carnal weakness and, through the power of the Atonement, transforms it into the strengths and gifts that we use to serve Him. If we didn't have weaknesses, we couldn't grow our strengths. So don't get hung up on what you don't do well! Recognize your weakness, work hard on it, and then give it to the Lord and watch yourself become "an instrument in the hands of God." He is the Creator, and His work is not yet finished. Let Him continue to create you and work "mighty wonders" in and through you. I testify that He will if we have faith in Him.

 


I love you all! Thank you for your prayers, your faith continues to help us build the kingdom here! 

 


Feel free to email me about anything!

 


Elder Neil

 


P.S. We need lots of prayers that the baptisms will still happen next week! Hvala vam puno :) 

 


Pictures:

-Our new friend Simon from Austria who brought the piano (he holds a special place in my heart for that)

-sorry lots of pictures of the ocean at krk 

-some scrumptious seafood 







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