We have had the Croatia Zone conference for three days now. In the olden days (a month ago) we would have all traveled to be together for zone conference. But now the World is an isolated place, and we had the conference by Zoom. What a blessing that video conference App has been for us! We had nine or ten connections to the App, most of them with 2-4 missionaries watching from the location.
Day One, President Melonakos presented encouragement, news, and instructions on how to proceed as missionaries . We are actually in isolation, but we are virtually more involved in our community than ever.
Day Two, Sister Melonakos presented. One thing of interest, is that when they were training to become mission leaders, Elder Dallin H. Oaks told them that missionary work was about to change in dramatic ways. The number of new converts has been level, or even declining slightly, for many years and the senior leadership of the church have been talking about how to make the missionaries more effective. They, as leaders of the church, did not fully understand all the changes that would take place, but the new mission leaders would be the ones who would preside as the many changes took place. What a terrifying thing to say to a bunch of green, new leaders who were already nervous about their new callings! She said that they worried about it for a short time, then forgot it and moved forward. Who could possibly have foreseen the stupendous changes that have come about in missionary work in the last 2 months? It was late in 2018, less than two years ago, when the Adriatic North Mission first got smart phones for every missionary. Now they use them for all their contacting and proselyting. Many of the missionaries are teaching more lessons than they had before isolation began.
Today, Day Three, the sister teachers and zone leaders presented. It was all about motivation and how to be effective in their daily study, and work. Altogether, the conference was very good.
Each day, after the two-hour conference zoom session, we had wonderful meals delivered to the home, and we ate like royalty.
Just to keep things interesting, I approached President and Sister M. this morning. I told them that we have loved being here in the Mission Home with them, and they have been very gracious and kind to share their home with us. However, we do not feel like we should be living here when President and Sister Field come in July (or whenever they get here.) This is not a reflection on them, it just seems inappropriate to us to be living here when they come, especially since they will be bringing at least one of their children.
So, I told them that we would like to be back in Osijek. Or perhaps in a place where they will need us more than Osijek. We have a lot of empty apartments in the mission, and a fraction as many senior missionaries as a month ago, so Osijek might not be the place of greatest need as they ramp up again. I asked them to think about it.
Oh, what have I done? What if they decide they need us in Serbia? Or maybe even in primitive Montenegro? Answer, we will go there and do our best.
Life is still good. We are very well of here. Croatia has announced that they are loosening restrictions over the next three weeks, with each step being evaluated for how it affects new COVID cases. If it spikes again, the restrictions may go back on. But if it doesn't, we might be able to actually go wherever we are needed.
Liz and I took a walk a couple days ago. We walked along a path that goes behind the houses, so I took a panorama shot of the back of the mission home and its tennis court.
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