Beautiful Pula

Ryan continues to serve in Pula, Croatia, a beautiful city on the Adriatic Sea.  We don't have any personal photos to show you, but liked the following coastline scene from a travel website.  We understand that Pula is a favorite tourist spot for visitors from many parts of Europe.

It sounds like the English classes Elders Dixon and Nelson are teaching are enabling them to meet new people and develop strong friendships.  They hope that this will lead to opportunities to teach people the gospel.

A few excerpts from Ryan's last email:

Subject: Ciao Ciao

Dear Family,

Things are going well in Pula.  Last Friday, we had Cowboy Night for our English students.  It was an awesome activity. Probably the most awesome activity I have been involved with on my mission.  Easily the greatest part was the cowboy dance that Elder Nelson taught to them all.  When we decided we were going to do a cowboy night, Elder Nelson decided he would teach everyone a country dance he learned when he was in elementary school.  So, virtually everyone that came (which was about 40 people) learned the "slappin' leather" dance from good old Elder Nelson.  Haha, it was so funny.  Elder Nelson and I got cowboy shirts...  We had a cupcake eating contest, bobbing for apples, hamburgers, and other stuff.  It was sweet.  The coolest part was a time when like five english students ganged up on me and started asking all kinds of questions about the church.  I got to testify a little and tell them more about what it was about, and I invited them to church.  There's some sweet people that we want to start teaching, so we'll so how that goes. 

So we went to some underground caves in Slovenia the other day.  Easily the coolest thing I've ever seen on a p-day.  They were beautiful.  And huge.  As a rule, we weren't aloud to take pictures. I went up to our tour guide and asked if we could take video of the cave with our cameras.  Haha, she then proceeded to give like a two minute speach about how they allow it but don't recommend it, because people might get the idea they can take pictures -- and the flash was damaging to the living species and the nature, etc.  So, I said okay, and since she said it was OKAY to take video, I was going to.  I went to take a video, but it was on the wrong setting, and I took a picture that flashed in the direction of the tour guide from like 5 feet away.  Haha, she was kind of frustrated, and I felt like Hades.  I appologized right after and looked pretty stupid, but the best part is that Elder Nelson happened to get the whole thing on video!  We sit down and watch that and just laugh.  Haha, it was so funny.

So lately, I've been increasingly grateful for the way the Lord builds up good men and women in this life. Looking back, much of the growth in my life has come as a result of being surrounded by good men and the teachings of good men and women who love the Lord and live His gospel. The prophets and Christlike examples from the Book of Mormon and the other standard works have guided me in my decision making throughout my life; and the examples of good men and women that have surrounded me, like Mom and Pops, church leaders, and companions like Elder Nelson, have inspired me to repent, change, improve, and grow. I am growing more and more thankful for the goodness in people as I realize what it has done for me, and consequently, enabled me to be somewhat of an influence for good here right now.  I love you peeps.  Thanks for your goodness!

Welp, I better peace out.  TTYL.  I love you!!

Love,

Elder Dixon

New Slovenian Meetinghouse

Although Ryan is serving in Osijek, Croatia, the mission headquarters is in Ljubljiana, Slovenia.  The November 1st issue of the Church News had a nice article about a new chapel recently dedicated in Ljubljiana.  We understand this is the first new church meetinghouse in the mission.   We think that is pronounced "Lube - li - ana" with a silent "j".  Ryan is quite a distance from Ljubljiana, so we doubt he was able to attend the dedication.  What a blessing this chapel will be to the saints in that part of the world.

Excerpts from Ryan's last email:

Subject: 1 Munf in Osijek......

Helloooo!

How's it going fam? 

Welp Osijek is still great.  I told you about Maja I believe...  She is so amazing, guys.  We had the first lesson with her, and she committed to read 3 Nephi 11, and we told her she could read more if she wanted.  So the day before we met again, she called us just to make sure we would be able to meet the next day.  Elder Giberson asked her if she had read from the Book of Mormon.  She told him that she had basically read the entire thing, except she only read the chaper headings for the war chapters!!  She then proceeded to basically bare her testimony, that she knew the Book of Mormon was of God.  She said really liked Alma and Nephi and that she loved the doctrine about the state of the soul between death and the resurrection. She said that the Book of Mormon really clarified what she knew from the Bible...  She went to Bible School in England for 3ish years.  Thats how she knows such amazing english.  Were teaching her in english btw. 

So, then we met the next day to teach the plan of salvation.  We started out with the questions - where did we come from? why are we here? where are we going?...  Then we asked her what her beliefs were.  She then basically told us the entire lesson we had planned, minus a tiny bit of restored truth. She actually taught me alot - made me think of things in a way I never had before.  She covered everything -adam and eve all the way to life after death.  She included a little of what she learned ing the Book of Mormon. Basically, we just recapped and filled in some blanks, and set up another appointment.  We have met with her since, and that was a great meeting to. We had talked to her a little bit about baptism and asked her to pray about it.  We asked her when we met again what she felt about Joseph Smith, and also the Book of Mormon.  She said she had prayed and felt good that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  She said everytime she reads, she feels good about it.  Also, she said she feels like she should be baptised...  I was freaking out inside.  Man, she has been so prepared.  SHe has a ways to go, but she is progressing so well. She is so knowledgable.   We are really trying to help her gain a personal relationship with heavenly father - to feel the gospel in her heart, not just in her mind.  Shes so sweet .  Keep her in her prayers. 

We tracted into a sweet family last night.  We gave a brief first lesson, talked for a long while and left Book of Mormons with them.  We just talkd to Darko and Silvija (Sylvia), the parents, but they have a daughter that lives with them and two other kids.  They seemed touched by the restoration. Darko is kind of large and in charge with a huge beard, and he had buckets and bags of thousands of empty bullets just chillin in his kitchen...  Turns out hes a way nice guy, and he likes to hunt...  We are going to visit with them next week.

We revolutionized Osijek english classes, and distributed 10k fliers last week.  We sacrificed some proselyting time, but we have over 100 people attending english classes twice a week!  Thats pretty much unheard of in a town like Osijek.  Elder Nelson, another elder hear, really went to bat to make sure we got the word out, and its really paid off.  Now over 100 people a week will be meeting with us, learning English in a dedicated church building, and having the opportunity to hear two spiritual thoughts a week...  We already have investigators from English classes that started a week ago, including Maja.  We were passing out flyers when she spotted Elder Giberson. 

Btw, we do do alot of contacting and sometimes tracting.  But contacting we do alot.  We are trying to work out better ways to find.  But the answer is yes, we contact alot and tract too. 

jtlyk, I am very safe here.  It sounds like granhopper may have had a bad dream about me or something...  I feel safer here than some places in M-town.  Were pretty safe. 

So, they dont celebrate Halloween here, but they rock whats called the Day of the Dead.  Its a catholic holiday, and 99.999999% of Croatia is catholic. They go and but bokays (heh...) of big flowers and candles on deceased relatives graves, and it looks sweet.  The gaves here all have giant head stones, so everyones grave is like a monument.  But theres so many candles, its sweet.

I better bounce.  I hope everyone is doing good.  You are in my prayers. Take care.

Love

Elder Dixon