We are not REQUIRED to learn a language, but since Liz's father was born in Croatia, she wants to learn the language. The church encourages us to learn the language, too. Their encouragement means we have access to the language learning tools developed at BYU, and private tutoring from now until we've been in Croatia for two months.
I've started the lessons. Liz hasn't, yet. Good news: it has the same alphabet as we are used to. Bad news: It has lots of variations we are not used to. Example: There is C, but also Ć and Č. D has Đ and DŽ. Some of them are easy to pick up and some of them I am still working on.
I am on to doing lessons that are common word pronunciation drills. It has the meaning of the words, but the focus is how to say the new combinations of letters. The BYU program makes it kind of fun, so I'm happy with it overall.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Friday, December 6, 2019
We are in task overload. We love that we are getting support but it seems like everybody who checks in to help us get ready has a long list of To-Do's. Some of them are surprising. We can't set up our bank accounts until our passport gets back from the State Dept. Who knew? Our passports are perfectly good for now, but they expire in about a year, so we need to get new ones that won't expire while we're over there. And of course there are the not-surprising things like applying for a visa, which requires the new passport number.
We were awakened this morning by the couple who are serving in the position in Croatia we will be taking in February. We reached out to them back in August and they have been great. A couple days ago Liz expressed to them that we have a list of questions. So they kindly spent over 2 hours with us explaining how to get around, how the car will work, how much time we'll spend on audits versus doing missionary work, what they'll leave in the apartment, etc.
Good news: there is a nice queen bed in the apartment. Bad news: We are totally spoiled with our PUFFY King bed with electric lifts and vibrator.
Liz is excited they are leaving the 220 volt hair dryer. I might be too, if I had enough hair to blow.
We are surprised that we won't be where we thought and instead will be in an area reminiscent of Nebraska in that it is flat, with a lovely river running through it. I'll be able to bicycle for pleasure, which it was too hilly in the other place for that.
I was checking out the country on Google Earth today and noticed that a big river runs through Croatia and joins with the beautiful blue Danube. The river has black water, and you can see which water is which when it joins the Danube. The Danube is green and miles downstream they stay separate until finally the green slowly overwhelms the black water until it is gone except for a few big swirls.
We are signed up for a language program, and will talk to our tutor next week. I have been re-learning the alphabet. It is mostly like ours, but there are flavors of letters. Letter C has three flavors, for example, denoted by carots and up-arrows and stuff on the character. In English you just learn which flavor C is in each word. Everybody knows English is a crazy quilt of a language.
We were awakened this morning by the couple who are serving in the position in Croatia we will be taking in February. We reached out to them back in August and they have been great. A couple days ago Liz expressed to them that we have a list of questions. So they kindly spent over 2 hours with us explaining how to get around, how the car will work, how much time we'll spend on audits versus doing missionary work, what they'll leave in the apartment, etc.
Good news: there is a nice queen bed in the apartment. Bad news: We are totally spoiled with our PUFFY King bed with electric lifts and vibrator.
Liz is excited they are leaving the 220 volt hair dryer. I might be too, if I had enough hair to blow.
We are surprised that we won't be where we thought and instead will be in an area reminiscent of Nebraska in that it is flat, with a lovely river running through it. I'll be able to bicycle for pleasure, which it was too hilly in the other place for that.
I was checking out the country on Google Earth today and noticed that a big river runs through Croatia and joins with the beautiful blue Danube. The river has black water, and you can see which water is which when it joins the Danube. The Danube is green and miles downstream they stay separate until finally the green slowly overwhelms the black water until it is gone except for a few big swirls.
We are signed up for a language program, and will talk to our tutor next week. I have been re-learning the alphabet. It is mostly like ours, but there are flavors of letters. Letter C has three flavors, for example, denoted by carots and up-arrows and stuff on the character. In English you just learn which flavor C is in each word. Everybody knows English is a crazy quilt of a language.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Mission map
This is a map of the Adriatic North Mission. We expect to be living in a city north of Zagreb, named Varazdin, which is famous for its castle and art museum. Varazdin has 50,000 people. Elevation is 568 feet. Apparently torrential rains are normal in Winter, and it is only moderately cold.
Oops, turns out we are going to be in Osijek, right near the border with Serbia. It is on the same river as Varazdin, the Drava.
Oops, turns out we are going to be in Osijek, right near the border with Serbia. It is on the same river as Varazdin, the Drava.
Serving a mission
Last August Liz and I headed for Utah, intending to spend the entire month discussing our life and future options. We started talking about missions for Seniors during that month and had a chance to listen to presentations by the missionary department at BYU. We looked at the many options for senior missionaries. There are needs all over the World and we decided we wanted to serve overseas, but not on an island, nor in Africa or Asia. We were very interested in some opportunities in New Zealand and Australia. But we decided our first choice would be to go to Croatia, which is in the Adriatic North Mission. It is an Auditor/Member and Leader Support mission. This means most of the time we would be supporting, encouraging, and serving as experienced members of a branch in an assigned area. But twice per year we would go visit every branch in the entire mission to perform an audit of their financial and membership records. That means we would do more traveling than most seniors do and would meet members from the five countries.
I decided to post on this blog, starting with when we get our mission call.
December 3, 2019
I got a text message from the church: "Your mission call can now be viewed at [missionary portal on the church website]". Logging into that link I got a letter that includes this:
...
Dear Elder Ashurst:
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
You are assigned to labor in the Adriatic North Mission. Your primary assignment is to labor as an assistant area auditor and member and leader support missionary. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 23 months.
You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Monday, February 10, 2020. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.
You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.
The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary
I decided to post on this blog, starting with when we get our mission call.
December 3, 2019
I got a text message from the church: "Your mission call can now be viewed at [missionary portal on the church website]". Logging into that link I got a letter that includes this:
...
Dear Elder Ashurst:
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
You are assigned to labor in the Adriatic North Mission. Your primary assignment is to labor as an assistant area auditor and member and leader support missionary. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 23 months.
You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Monday, February 10, 2020. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.
You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.
The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
