Merry Christmas in Croatia

We had a wonderful hour of telephone conversation with Elder Dixon yesterday on Christmas day.  It was 7:30pm in Zagreb; 11:30am in Mesa.  Elder Dixon was using an LDS chapel family history center computer.  We established a four-way Skype conference call, connecting Ryan with Heidi and her family in Colorado, David and his family in Mesa, and the rest of us at our home.  What a blessing to have this technology that allowed all our family to be together in this big conversation!

Ryan and his companion, who has been in Croatia about six months, are serving as zone leaders over the one zone in Croatia, which has a total of 32 missionaries, including elders, sisters and senior couples.  They regularly drive to visit seven different cities spread across Croatia where the missionaries are located. Ryan lives in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, which has one branch of the church and the one free-standing church building in Croatia.

Ryan loves the Croatian people and his missionary work.  He really sounds great.  He said that he has been really blessed to never have a bad companion. We think that might have something to do with him being a great companion himself.

The following photo shows Elder Brady Mason (Ryan’s previous companion) and Elder Dixon with a prop they made for a zone leader training session.

 

I really apologize for not posting to this blog more frequently.  Here are some excerpts from recent emails:

October 17th

Welp, I love being a Zone Leader in the Slovenia-Croatia mission. I have the greatest companion. His name's Elder Mason. The man is so great. I told President it's like a high school basketball player playing along side Michael Jordan. I've always looked up to Elder Mason and now the brother is my companion. I'm loving it.

Zagreb is huge. Pula was pretty small (60 – 70 thousand peeps) and was kind of slow paced. Zagreb has about a million people and is busy and bustling. I love it hear. We drive a car hear. I little Opel hatchback. I don't know how to spell anymore I'm sorry. 

We spent nearly the entire first two days in the car, dealing with transfers and all kinds of red tape. We are so busy. What's great though is that we are in more teaching situations than any other time in my mission. There are so many people in Zagreb so close to baptism. So many potential priesthood holders. We met with somebody last night that is literally GOLDEN. He loves the doctrine that we can be holders of the priesthood and still have a wife and kids. When I familiarize myself with all these people better by next week, I'll fill you in a little better. Zagreb's on fire though. It's going to be such a great transfer.

There are really dedicated missionaries serving in this district. The missionary I trained two transfers ago, Elder Anderson, is training in Zagreb. There's also a set of sisters and a senior couple in our district.

It's cold over here. I'm not looking forward to another winter folks. The cold in Osijek was enough for a lifetime by me. I really think it will be freezing cold in Hades. I will probably be in a car instead of walking, so that's a plus.

The new missionary and I bore our testimonies at church on Sunday.  They asked me to share about myself, specifically to share the names of my brothers and sisters. Families are pretty small here, so it's surprizing for them to hear 5 bros and sisters. I was like ''I have 5 brothers and sisters. There names are Holly, Eric, Angie, David, and Heidi. I realized I had just said quite a few names, so at the end I just threw in a ''i tako dalje'' which means et cetera at the end.

They all laughed cause there's so many of us. There's an elder that just came in who has 12 bros and sisters. I bet Croats flip when they hear that.

Welp, I wish I could say more, but I better bounce. You guys take care. Peace out.

November 2nd

Another extremely busy week has passed. We had Zone Conference and Zone Leader Council last week. The latter meeting is where all the Zone Leaders in the mission, the Assistants, and President and Sister Hill gather and discuss the mission and stuff. It was a great meeting. Elder Wondra, who is an area 70 from Austria was there. I really enjoyed learning from him. Something I was reminded was that faith, when exercized, can make important things happen.

We have been busy traveling between areas, teaching, and different activities. Today, we are going to a coastal city called Zadar -- where Kresimir Cosic was from -- for P-day, and I am staying for an exchange with one of the Elders down there. I'll be there all tuesday. Then, on Wednesday we will be back in Zagreb. On Thursday and Friday, we have another exchange with the Elders in Osijek. Then we come back to Zagreb. Our schedule is way busy. It's really nice, but I'm kind of experiencing the growing pains of coming from Pula, a small town with few responsibilities to Zagreb, the biggest city in Croatia as a Zone Leader with the whole country under our stewardship. But, whether I like it or not, I've been called to this position, and it's where the Lord wants me to be. So, I will work at it.

November 9th

Man, it has been a busy, busy week. Elder Mason and I went on two 24 hour exchanges -- one with the Elders in Zadar and one with the Elders in Osijek. Elder Mason spent at least 26 hours in the car this past week. Haha, it's out of control. That's one thing I love about being a Zone Leader. We are so busy. It's draining, but the diverse schedule is really nice.

We are teaching some great people right now.  One investigator is doing really good. He's started coming to church without our inviting him. He's liking it a lot. We've been talking to him about baptism. He said he will get baptized when he finds out for himself that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but that he needs time. We are also working with a 26 year old girl. She is great. She is an English student. We teach her spiritual thoughts, and while Elder Mason was on an exchange with an Elder from Zadar, she started asking them why they came on missions and what motivated them to do what they do. They bore their testimonies and talked a lot about the peace that comes from the Gospel. She asked if she would be able to feel the same peace, and they obviously said yes and explained more. By the end of the meeting, she decided that she wanted to meet with us everyday to learn about this. So, we do! We do about half English class, half Gospel. Today, she had questions about baptism, so we talked about that. She said she would be willing to be baptized but just needs to learn more, which she does. She's doing really good.

District Conference is coming up, aka Croatian Stake Conference, where president Hill is going to meet. I'm going to be able to see Miro [from Pula] and my buddies from all over Croatia. I can't wait.

I was talking to Elder Babcock on my exchange with him in Osijek. We came out in the same MTC group, so whenever we meet up, we always seem to have kind of a contemplative conversation about the mission. We talked for a long time about how our missions have blessed us. I have been given so much on my mission. I haven't baptized a soul, but I wouldn't miss out on this mission for the world. The mission has just been a medium through which the Lord could bless me more. I'm truly thankful for what I've experienced.

Elder Mason just barely told me that I need to immediately learn how to drive stick. It's an order from the higher-ups in Ljubljana. So next week, I will be able to drive a manual car. Laterrrrrr...

November 16th

Our investigators are doing well. We just had District Conference in Zagreb for all of the Croatians and we had 4 investigators there. We are starting to work with an English student. He's in his twenties and comes to all the church meetings including sacrament meeting. It's really cool. Our investigator -- idk if i've told you about her -- is now in Germany for about 10 days, but she is thinking about baptism right now. She actually has a lot to learn still, but she has a lot of good feelings at the church and when she learns with us. We used to teach mostly english and like 15 minute lessons. Now she prefers that we only teach a few minutes of English and the rest about the Gospel. 

Our African investigator, loves church. He is struggling with the idea of the Godhead but has such a strong desire to understand what is true concerning the nature of the Godhead. He doesn't speak perfect English or Croatian, so we have experienced minor language barriers which make it hard sometimes. He speaks French and reads the scriptures in French. He has a friend in Paris that is going to hook him up with all the French liturature from the chruch there.

District conference was yesterday. I got to see Miro. That was great. He's still doing good. Yesterday, they made huge changes in District Leadership. Actually, They released everybody with district callings. Thats like wiping out everybody with stake callings, including the high counsil, etc. Then they called Elder Thompson, the husband in a senior couple in Zagreb, to be the District President. And they didn't call anybody else for a district calling. I guess they will later on. I think it will be a really positive change. Leadership in this country is just so unexperienced. It will be a fresh start, and President Thompson has his fair share of leadership training. He was a Bishop at 26, a convert at 19! Laterrrrrrr...

November 23rd

The other day, I met an angel! Not really, but... really. I was on an exchange in Zagreb with another Elder who serves in a city about 30 minutes from here. There was a member, who I hadn't remembered meeting before, who needed us to bring her groceries because her elevator is broken in her apartment. Because of her health, she couldn't make it up and down 10 flights of stairs to get to her apartment. So, the relief society president got a hold of us, and arranged for us to drive over there with about a month's worth of groceries.

After driving stick shift through through and getting lost in Hades (aka the center of Zagreb) with and new missionary that knows the city of Zagreb worse than I do as a navigator, we finally made it there. That was one of the most nerve racking experiences of my life. But it was worth all the blood, sweat, tears, and stalls in the road, because we met Gordana, the member, who upon seeing I realized I had met at the church before.

We packed the four garbage bags of groceries up to the last door on the fifth floor, and she was so happy to see us. She let us in. I've never seen such a small apartment in my life. I was probably half the size of the room in our house downstairs. The little bathroom was separate, but any other empty space was filled with a bed, some tiny kitchen appliances, a small table and desk, and just enough space to walk in front of each of those things. But it was so neat and in order. On a shelf mounted on the wall, there were pictures of her daughter, members of the Zagreb branch, and other family.

She had lots of books, many of which were church related books. She had us sit down on her bed, and she asked if she could make us some eggs. We told her we didn't have a lot of time, but we asked if we could share something with her from the scriptures. We shared some scriptures from the Book of Mormon, and said a little bit about them. Then, I asked her if she would share her conversion story with us. Without hesitation she went into it all.

She is from Sarajevo, Bosnia, where she experienced a lot of negative things as a result of the war. I don't really have time to tell her whole story, but it was one of the most touching conversion stories I have ever heard. Her testimony is heavily rooted in the fact that she can be with her loved ones forever. Something that really touched me was she always referred to her missonaries as her "dragi ucitelji", or "dear teachers", and very seldomly as missionaries. She revered those two missionaries as her dearest teachers more than anything else. They were literally the teachers or instructers that helped her understand for herself how to find peace, hope, and salvation. It made it clear what we really are as missionaries.

Another thing that was amazing about her was the things she had in her apartment. Like I said, she had very little, but what she did have taught me a lot. With virtually no space in her home, the few possessions she had showed who she was. On her shelf were the pictures of her family, friends, and all her church books. On the table next to me were her scriptures, marked and worn. On her doors hung her few dresses that she had. One of the dresses was hanging in a protective bag, and that was her temple dress. On the table, there was also a couple large binders that were full of 400 names of ancestors she has planned on doing or has already done temple work for. She is in angel, man. When we left, I was so uplifted and happy. I don't know if I have ever felt the converting Spirit stronger from the words of another person. I felt like I understood what it might have felt like for Joseph Smith to have spoken with the Angel Moroni. So cool... I love the members here. They are so faithful and all because they know it's true.

One of the people with baptismal dates in Zagreb is a 26 year old guy. I hooked him up with one of my suits, because he felt like he needed one if he was going to be a member. He speaks a little English, and he told the Sisters, "All the brethren have suits. I should have one too." Haha, brethren...

Welp, I better go. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Keep it real.

November 30th

Hello mother of Elder Dixon aka Claud hoppers! haha

This is Elder Anderson. Elder Dixon today had written you a wonderful email and as he was about to send it the computer went freaky and shut down or something along those lines. Non the less his letter was not sent and he was not able to send you a letter today. He is very busy as a Zones Leader and I told him i would take some time to write you adn let you know you have an AMAZING son. Not only was he my trainer but now i am lucky enough to have him as a Zone leader. He is amazing and definitely someone who not only me but the whole mission looks up to and a great example for us. He is such a great person in general! Sorry you were not able to hear from him this week and you had to hear from me.. yuck! haha

Hope you are all doing fine adn your son is doing good as far as i can see. I dont think he is having mental breakdowns or anything so.. you will hear from him next week tho :) take care

Elder Anderson

December 7th

It's been a great, busy week. And this week will be even greater and busier. We have two exchanges with missionaries from two of the farthest away cities (aka me driving driving cross-country Croat style), our Christmas Zone Conference, Elder Mason has to pack since he bounces in a week from today, and there's going to be a baptizm on Saturday for Toni, the guy I hooked up with a suit. I was asked this week if I would baptize him. So this Saturday, I will be getting into the water with a convert! I'm excited. I've never taught him or anything, I just see him at church and hear about him a lot. It will be great to be a part of his conversion in that way. I'm stoked!

I got to go to Pula on an exchange this week. Man, I love that place. It was so great to sit and talk with Miro, contact people, teach in the church, see the familiar sights, and smell the familiar smells. I saw a few people on the streets that I knew in the short time we were there. It was great. I was with my last companion, so it seemed just normal. I didn't want to go back to Zagreb! Not that I don't love it here. Pula just has 6 months of love on Zagreb.

Last week we had a Zone Leader workshop -- Elder Mason and I -- that went so well. I wish I had more time to tell you about it. We used that big box with the picture of the missionary on it. While we were introducing the workshop, we asked the missionaries to list attributes of a great missionary, which we wrote on the box. When we said the right words, Elder Brown, who was hidden in there (which almost nobody knew about, including President and the assistants) busted through the box, and said "Thanks guys for all the compliments!"

We pointed out the fact that while all the missionaries had been listing the attributes of a spiritual giant and a great missionary, they were really just saying all those things directly to Elder Brown. Simply because that's the way they saw him. We related that to how God sees us. He sees our full potential, and knows our eternal selves. He doesn't see exactly what we see in ourselves when we look in the mirror.

We shared the quote from Joseph B. Worthlin, "Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us�even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We [might] see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. . . . The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.”

We then talked more about our potential and what we need to do to reach it. We ended with that money quote from Nelson Mandella that I shared at Bachalaureate way back. I have no idea how to spell that word, btw. Anyway, it went so well. I'll tell you more about it in 8 months.

December 14th

Welp, it has been a very eventfull week. Elder Mason and my trainer, Elder Giberson, left for the mission home on the way to America this morning... Single tear... They are great men. I'll miss them both a lot.

That makes my two MTC companions and me the oldest missionaries in Croatia for the next 8 months. That's kind of an overwhelming thought for me, but I am getting a great companion, so that helps a lot. His name is Elder Matson from Ogden, Utah. He has been out as long as Elder Anderson, the missionary I trained, aka 6 months. So he's pretty young. That still doesn't beat one of the Elders in Serbia, who was made Zone leader at 2 months in the mission. We have a really young mission!

Elder Matson is a great missionary.That reminds me of something crazy that happened this week. So, we had Zone Conference this week. Since it was the Christmas Zone Conference, the Serbian Elders came over to celebrate with us. There are six of them. And I hadn't met any of them. Anyway, Elder Mason and I went and picked them up at the train station, and I got talking to one of the missionaries, Elder Porter. He asked me where I was from, and I said Mesa, Arizona. He then said that his family had lived there for 8 years at one point, and then he asked me if I knew the Clouses. I thought, "Well, there are a lot of Clouses", but I asked him which ones. Then he said "Curtis". I said of course I know the Clouses! Chelsea cut my hair every month! Then I just explained how well our family knows their family and stuff. Apparantly his family is good friends with the Clouses, and they have Thanksgiving together every year or something. It was the most small world experience. We were standing in front of a train station in Zagreb, Croatia, where we met for the first time, but both were friends with the exact same people. Only on a mission...

I got to baptize a convert on Saturday. That was great. It felt good to step in the water of the baptismal font with somebody dressed in white who was prepared to be baptized. We had to do it twice though... I forgot to say his name before saying the prayer the first time! He was completely emersed, and I was stoked, because I wouldn't have to do it twice. But, I was completely oblivious to the fact that I didn't even say his name. So... we did it again, and it was alright. His testimony afterwards was really great. He talked about how he gained a testimony through quiet peace rather than a magnificent sign. He had it all written out. And he was rocking my JC Penney suit... It was so good. It was a pleasure to be a part of his conversion in that small way.

It's snowing in Zagreb. A lot. So, now that I know how to drive stick, the next step is to learn how to do it in the snow. Elder Matson will be able to show me the ropes.

Well, I will miss my man, Elder Mason. He has been a great companion. Offer up a moment of silence for him and Elder Giberson if you ever get the chance... They have both had a very large impact on my mission and who I am. Remember to ask the Lord to bless them in your prayers for what they've done for me. They are real men.

December 21st

It has been a very busy week. Transfers were nuts since we are the Zone Leaders for the whole country. Most of what goes on in the country is on my head and my companion's head, so it's pretty crazy some times. We've spent a lot time in the car. Driving in the snow is not my favorite pass time. I'm excited to be out working more and doing less of the transfer business.

Our investigators are doing well. A member here whose native language is French is going to be going on lessons with us to teach our African investigator, so that he can understand better. That will help SO much and will really help him progress much faster towards baptism. He's been having a hard time understanding the Plan of Salvation because of the language barrier.

We had Zone Leader Council at the mission home in Ljubljana this last week. There were 6 Zone Leaders 2 Assistants and President Hill. That was a great meeting. I was thinking how rare a chance it was to be in a room with such wonderful men. I really felt I was sitting among greatness. Our conversation was so obviously directed towards the needs of our mission. I really love those meetings. President Hill is so inspired. But the great thing is it's not just him. Each of the Zone Leaders and Assistants have been taught and inspired by the Holy Ghost according to the needs of those they have stewardship over. It was just so evident that that was true as we discussed our mission for those few hours at the mission home.

Well, brothers and sisters, I better get going. I hope you all make it a great day. Take care and have a very merry Christmas. Don't forget to leave water out for my boy, Rudolf.

Love you lots!

S Ljubavlju,

Elder Dixon