D&C 58:27 i Gospod s vama

This week we have been anxiously engaged in many good causes! I can't lie, it has been a long week. We have 4 sisters visiting today so we went and all got fish pedicures, happy valentines day ha!

We were in Cacak visiting some members down there. The spirit in homes of those who live righteously and have good media in there home is like night and day from walking the streets! Nothing can replace the peace that the spirit brings, I always want to have that in my life. He wants to use the milk from his goats to make cheese. I told him my grandpa studied dairy and he requested I ask him "how to make cheese, especially from the milk of goat." I expect an essay email next week. :) THAT FAMILY IS THE BEST. They go to the temple in April.  I translated that day for like 6 hours straight, whew. And then translated out loud on the spot the D&C manual we use in institute from English to Serbian, it was rough!

We broke off a knob on our stovetop this week, our landlord was in our apartment at like 11pm and we were shoving knives, bobby pins, using tweezers trying to fix it- we couldn't even turn it to get it off. It was crazy. We ended up turning off every switch on the panel in our house, only the lights worked. Cold shower, no microwave working, so fridge. The next day the repair guy and our landlord come in to fix it and our landlord is like these two girls are real Mormons! And asks us to confirm "you don't smoke or drink right?" we were like nope and then he lights up two cigarettes at our dining room table haha technically it is his apartment he can do what he wants! We talked with him about temples and family and he talked about his two kids and grandkids and his 53 year old marriage!. He is the general manager for all these departments in Serbia and so so nice to us. We always try to get him to come to church. But anyways he was like "they dont even watch tv!" thinking I didnt understand what he said and I was like "what, yes we do?!" and he was like that's why they have so many kids- they don't have any other entertainment.... ! I was like hey hey now no we watch TV at home! Just not on the mission! He was shocked. Everyone thinks we're Amish, even when we are sitting in a lighted apartment using our cell phone. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM this week. I hope you can find what I hid for you..

Sorry short email. I wish Brent a speedy recovery and he is in my fervent prayers. I got the Whites package this week and cards and birthday packages and letters.  I wish all of you health and love and happiness! We are not sure the baptism will happen or not.. she wants to wait for her daughter (who smokes) to stop so they can be baptized together. Please keep them in your prayers. We fasted with them along with a member this week.

Love you so much. God is real, Jesus Christ died for all. All that is not fair in this life is accounted for because of the atonement. 

SO MUCH LJUBAV,
Sister Richardson

pictures: the zaric family and their farm, there is this random set of gold plates in church? I havent found the sword of laban yet.. We got fish pedicures again

The 28th will be a good day.

Dobro jutro,

We started this week of at Mission Leadership Conference in Zagreb at President's house. That's always uplifting, but a very long drive.  Unfortunately no crazy stories to share there except he showed us the video from NBC or ABC or something about sisters serving in Florida and how "we are the happiest people on the earth."  That was cool.

Two great pieces of news this week: WE HAD A NEW INVESTIGATOR ACTUALLY COME TO CHURCH. And, BLAZENKA ACCEPTED THE INVITATION TO BE BAPTIZED! ONFEBRUARY 28TH! AH. That will be a good day for many reasons. We taught her about the gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy ghost, enduring to the end) the week before and then read with her and discussed baptism, but she said she didn't want to rush into anything. This week when we showed up she was like, "I have been praying and reading and want to ask you something. Do I have to pay to get baptized? How can I be baptized?" We are really happy for her decision. We went through the baptismal interview questions with her. She hugged and kissed me as we left and had eating so much cake- she gave me 5 pieces and a bunch of watercolor paintings she has done. SHE IS THE COOLEST. She is 60, her daughter is in her 30's and we are working with her to help her quit smoking. She asked a ton of really good questions. She knows Greek and was has a degree in archeology. She is just really smart. She always quotes Homer and old philosophers and was telling me about when these countries were under comm. rule and they couldn't pray so they would have to pray in their hearts in their homes, and how she is happy she can pray out loud now. Ah, being a missionary is just the best. There are those hard days when people yell at you, kick you out of buildings, make fun of you, etc etc etc. but then you just help someone see a little tiny glimpse of how much Heavenly Father loves them, or just help them understand WHY they are on this earth and HOW MUCH Jesus Christ loves them and even so much that he died for us! Just saying a prayer with someone who has never prayed, feeling that spirit, that peace that people just are not used to and hunger for more of it. It makes it all worth it. Every blister. Every person calling you a sect or a nun. Every fish casserole eaten.

Good news- I'm not getting deported.. yet. I might have to miss MLC next month, not sure yet. Hm.  We spent a total of  8 hour this week either in the MUP (ministry of laws basically) or working on visas. Good times.

Okay, I feel like I have ranted about this week enough. Okay two more stories.. it was pouring rain and I was like not in the mood to walk the streets and talk to people but Sister Durfee is so good and we are walking and it turns into snow and we talk to this other lady, Slavica, for a good 20 minutes about life and reading and God. SHE CAME TO CHURCH. She loved it. She kept asking me how much the Mormons book was and when I would have to return it, and how much it costed to take the sacrament. The little things we take for granted sometimes just have so much worth to people.

We got out of a lesson and it was a blizzard- the bus tram thing broke so a back-up bus came and we had no idea what number it was or where it went but we just got on it so I asked these two guys next to me where it was going and he realized I cased a word wrong and was like where are you from? So they are speaking English to me and the one friend is like "oni su casne sestre" (they are chaste sisters) hahaha (nuns) and I was like "ni smo, sestre misionarke smo!" It always throws people off when they gossip about us and I like respond to them in Serbian and they are just baffled. But two hours later we made it home on some random bus!

I love you all so much.

Sister Richardson

I'm back with SO MUCH PDF

Sestra Durfee and I are reunited! It has been a good week. It's good to be with a "new" companion that you already know! We work hard together.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers with the friends here we are teaching. We are praying and fasting and have really seen progress in those we are teaching. This week we taught our friends about the Holy Ghost and why it is important and how we can get it. We wrapped up an empty box and had them open it and were like it's like the Holy Ghost- we cannot see it, but we know it is there. It is the best gift we can ever get. I remember someone did that demo at my own baptism. Sorry, I can't remember who. Someone can claim that if they remember. Sister D's bday is on the 26th and mine that weekend too, I am hoping we will see baptism on my birthday! 

Lots of time trying to get my visa this week. Lots of time at the police department thing. Long story short... I might get temporarily deported because in the visa process one department lost a paper. We got to Zagreb today for leadership meeting sooo we have to reapply for everything again. good fun! We work hard to obey, honor and sustain the law.

Long story too.... the Sremska sisters left their phone at a rest stop and someone stole it. We ended up like seeing them at a toll booth and Sister Konietz got out and like confronted them about it. So many stories. So sorry we gotta run of to Zagreb so I gotta go!

Great question I got this week: Am I allowed to own my own car if I am a Mormon woman, can animals also be baptized for the dead?? Hmm.

THE FACEBOOK PAGES ARE (just about) DONE. Hallelujah. That was a process. I hope all looks legal and church approved (Dad) if we are not allowed to have the church's website associated on there please let me know. I tried to ask Frankfurt but no luck. It has been fun to be in charge for SO MANY LANGUAGES. Here is some sampling:
https://www.facebook.com/TuzlaFLC
https://www.facebook.com/BeogradFLC
https://www.facebook.com/ZagrebCentarFLC
https://www.facebook.com/MariborFLC

LOVE YOU

pictures: graffiti, pulling off the side of the freeway, sestra durfee with GRAFFITI WE FOUND THAT SAID PDF! we laughed really really hard. I'm sure it actually stands for something here but I just have no idea what.