Letter from Slovenia

Dear Family,

Mom is playing the piano so I have some time to write some of the things that are going on in the mission. President Hill and Sister Hill are traveling this weekend and it is raining here again so we had to come to the mission home to use the dryer to get our washing dried. We don't have a dryer so we either hang the up in the apartment or we come here and use the dryer. It is our "P" day so we are just getting ready for the coming week. The weather has been great since we came over here. We have been here for two months and it has been great weather. I don't think it has been above 85 but most days this month it has been in the 70s with lows of 45-55. Great weather. Lots of rain. We had five days of sunny weather but before those sunny days, we had about 10 inches of rain. It is going to rain for the next four days. I know that is why it is so green over here. What a beautiful place to be serving in.

We have had some great times this past couple of weeks. We have been going out with the missionaries teaching discussions. There is a man from Iraq who is taking the discussions. He wants to be a member of the church. The Elders have to teach him in English because he doesn't speak Slovenian so it is fun for us. We get to participate in the discussion. It is very basic because he doesn't know English very well but has said that he wants to be baptized next week. It makes both Mom and I remember the stress it was in our first mission. We wanted to say the right things but no matter what you say, it is the spirit that converts the person. He is reading the Book of Mormon and says that he knows that it is true. He knows so little yet he is willing to go against his family and join. It is a leap of faith and we admire him for that trust in Heavenly Father to make such a great leap into an unknown world to him. We know that it is right and we hope he will continue to learn. We have some great Elders who are teaching him. They are the Elders that work with us here in the mission home, Elder Oakes and Gonzales. They are great young men and are doing a great job out here.

We were asked to go with the Zone leaders last night but their investigator called at the last minute to cancel. She comes to church and is so sweet. She has a daughter 10 years old who is so sweet also. She is also going to be baptized this coming month. She just glows with the spirit and it will be fun to go with the Elders when they teach her. I am glad the Elders are asking us to help. It makes us feel part of the missionary force when we are able to be with them when they teach. It also makes us want to be better people and to set a better example. We look forward to going to church to see all of the people. We have ear phones and an Elder translates for us or we wouldn't know what was going on. Some Elders do better than others but all in all it is great. We study the lessons in English before we go so we will know what is being talked about in class and let the Elders tell us what is happening in Sacrament and Sunday School meetings. It is different. Now we feel the same as those who come to the US and don't speak English. We know how they feel.

Working here in the mission home is a growing experience. Every day we learn something about computers that we did not know and we are relying on the Lord to make up for what we don't know. We are praying that He will make up for us being so slow in learning. We have great people to work with, the Elders and President and Sister Hill. Mom was upset the other day after going to lunch at a members home where the member did not speak English and we didn't speak Slovenian. The Elders were with us so it wasn't that we didn't communicate but it was hard for Mom. Pres. and Sister Hill took a real interest in her and told her that it was that way with Sister Hill when she first came over here. Now Sister Hill asks "Sister Robinson" questions in Slovenian and has her answer those questions in Slovenian. They are simple things but Mom is getting it. I can say good day and thank you but Mom can count to ten and she is really trying to learn the language. She has been to two Relief Society meetings on Thursday night where she is forced to interact with the sisters. It is hard but we are getting there.

My work with the missionaries is proving to be something new. I have to pay them their support money and keep track of all the other spending they do. I hope I am not too tough but I want them to learn that they have to budget their money to make it last. I love to work with them though. They are great young men and only a few of them need any counsel on how to handle their money.

We have the 20th celebration of the start of the Church here in Slovenia. The church is just getting started here but with the Dedication of the Country for Missionary work by Bro Nelson this month, I am sure we will see greater growth in the next 20 years. When we were in Florida on our missions in the sixties, there was only one mission for all of Florida. Now they have a temple and several missions. Nothing stops the growth of the church because it is true and we have a message that people are looking for all around the world. Mom and I love the work, even though it is very hard at times. Putting an old social worker/farmer behind a computer all day is stressful and painful to some who have to deal with me but with the Lords help, I am learning to love it and can't wait for the next challenge.

Take care everyone. We love you all and pray that everything will go well for everyone several times a day. That is the great thing about this mission. We are letting our first Parents do the parenting for you all and we know that He and She are doing a great job. They had you before we did so it is up to them to straighten up any mistakes we made in our parenting. Know that we love all of you very much and miss you but we know that the we were called here for reasons we don't know, but we are leaving it up to him to show "all of us" the reasons why.

Love, DAD & MOM